Eyriethe

December 2012 Vol. 52 Issue 2

Eden Prairie High SchoolEden Prairie, MN

Inside: Simple winter treats

8

Cover story:Students with unexpected

talents22

The twelve days of break

30-31

Point/counterpoint: Should it be legal to

hunt wolves?

18

Ten amazing things about the

human brain40

December letter from the editors

Looking into the commons after distributing the first issue of the Eyrie news-magazine, we saw students sharing copies of the magazine, eagerly reading the stories and playing the game in variety. We heard a lot of positive, encouraging comments from students staff members and parents. And we couldn’t be more thankful for the feedback.

This issue, we have several stories on celebrating the holidays, with the topics ranging from perfect gifts to the best holiday music. English teacher Kate Fulmer wrote the rotating staff column, and we interviewed Aida Ebrahimi for profiles. Of course, we cover the football championship and look into team bonding. As always, our magazine is 44 pages and in full color.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Sincerely, Your Editors-in-chief, Adrienne Manbeck, Ethan Nelson and Katie Pylipow

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PoliciesMission StatementThe Eyrie strives to be an accurate, informative and entertaining publication for the students and faculty of EPHS.

LettersThe Eyrie encourages all students and faculty to share their views with the school. All letters must be signed; however, names may be withheld in certain situations. Once received, the Eyrie reserves the right to edit letters for length or content.

EditorialsAll published editorials reflect the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication, student body, faculty or administration. Staff Editorials are staff-written and approved by a two-thirds majority of the staff.

Contact usWe welcome your feedback, suggestions and letters. To submit letters or comments, stop by room 253 during third hour or email comments to theeyrie.ep@gmail.com.

Multi-mediaTo follow the Eyrie on twitter, use the twitter handle the_eyrie. To find us on facebook, search for the Eyrie. For daily content and school updates, visit theeyrie.org

PrinterThe Eyrie is printed by the Eden Prairie Schools Printing Services, partnered with Loffler Companies-Shana Finnegan.

17185 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie, MN, 55346

Editors-in-chiefAdrienne Manbeck

Ethan NelsonKatie Pylipow

Managing editorLauren Bren

Arts editorLauren Bren

Trends editorJulia Carroll

Entertainment editorMaddie Chicoine

Sta

ff

Cover story editorAdrienne Manbeck

News editorLaurie Linscott

Editorials editorEthan Nelson

Sports editorsHannah JeterJohn Sullivan

Profiles editorKatie Pylipow

Variety editorOlivia Hodo

Copy editorHayley Brandser

Chief of PhotographyMelissa Berman

Graphics managerKameron Boike

Website manager Jack Graen

Circulation managerElizabeth Kenyon

StaffLauren Altman

Audrey AltmannHannah Brandser

Valerie EliasenKendal JacobusCollin LaVoneKelly Nitzsche

Jean-Pierre TossaVeera Vasandani

Vivien Yue

AdviserJodie Flolid

Scan me for exclusive online content from the Eyrie:

Arts

Cover Story

Trends

Entertainment

News

Editorials

Sports

Teachers who create art 4Spotlight artist: Shannon St. Clair 7

Students with surprising interests, hobbies, and talents 22

Winter activities to keep you and your sweetie warm 10

Staff editorial: The fiscal cliff 16Letters to the editor 17

Students giving back to the community 26-27The end of the world as we know it? 28

The cheesiest holiday songs 33

Team bonding at EPHS 34-35Inside the game of swagball 39

ProfilesAida Ebrahimi discusses human rights, student involvement and life in Iran 40-41

VarietySee if you can find all 10 differences in the Eyrie’s double take 42

WArts 4 The Eyrie, December 2012

Art

s

By Hayley Brandser

When passing a staff member in the hallway, whether they are a social studies teacher or work in one of the main offices, a student may not think about a staff member’s talents outside of teaching and school. The staff of EPHS is filled with hidden talents and artistic abilities that often go unnoticed.

Tami Olmen, in the Student Activities Office is a bracelet -making extraordinaire. She is a self-taught “hand-stamp jewelry” maker. Olmen received a piece of hand-stamped jewelry from a friend, so she decided to give it a try herself. “I have always been a creative person,” Olmen said.

She taught herself through watching online videos and going to trade shows. Now that Olmen is an expert, she can even customize the jewelry by adding names and birthstones.

Olmen also sells her creations at three seasonal holiday boutiques around the Twin Cities. Beginning the process in August,

Olmen begins making the jewelry so she will have enough supplies to sell at the holiday boutiques. Also, a large part of her sales come from word of mouth business.

While Olmen’s job is very structured and involves finance, she uses creating jewelry as her creative outlet.

Olmen juggles her busy schedule and is still able to make time for creating jewelry by devoting time every Sunday. “Making jewelry is a huge stress reliever. It’s my meditation. I love to just listen to music and start creating,” Olmen said.

Every year Olmen adds a new item to her repertoire. This gives interested customers a wider variety of available items.

Some of her other items include Swarovski crystal and sterling silver earrings, beaded giftware, candle holders, coffee scoops, wine stoppers, bottle openers, book marks, key finders, bottle cap magnets, and holiday ornaments.

Another talented teacher is the paddle creating social studies teacher, Jon

Pogatchnik. He has been creating paddles for about five years. As a child, Pogatchnik spent a lot of time canoeing with below standard paddles that were too heavy or too big, so he decided to make something that’s better.

“I was inspired by Danny Brown. He’s man from Northern Minnesota who started a company called Whiskey Jack Paddles,” Pogatchnik said. “He makes these works of art, that are the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen, but they are also functional, really high quality paddles that you can paddle with,” Pogatchnik said.

He taught himself how to create paddles through different books. “I think of what the perfect paddle would be. I am always messing around trying to create something.” Pogatchnik said.

The more Pogatchnik makes paddles, the better he gets. When he first started out it took anywhere from eight to 10 hours and now once he had everything cut out and ready to go he can have an entire paddle completely done by hand in about two or

A faculty brimming with artistic talentPhoto on fileCanoe knobs chisled to perfection by social studies teacher Jon Pogatchnik. These works of art take only a few hours to transform from beastly to beautiful.

■ The Eyrie, December 2012 Arts 5

three hours. “People think it takes this incredible amount

of time,” Pogatchnik said. “But like anything else, once you’re good and you know what you want to do, I can get it done really fast.” Pogatchnik find old pieces of wood, instead of burning them or throwing them away. “I try to figure out a way to work them into a paddle because of either their color or their weight,” Pogatchnik said. He has used recycled redwood, recycled cedar, both red and white, fir and many other woods.

Pogatchnik mixes dark woods and light woods give contrast and make paddles works of art. “To me it’s functional art. It’s something that you get to use and make at the same time, and that’s what really makes it enjoyable,” Pogatchnik said. “It’s important to find a balance in the wood. It needs to be hard because it will be hitting rocks, but it also needs to be comfortably light to carry around all day.”

Pogatchnik also enjoys putting his paddles to use while canoeing down rivers and other

A faculty brimming with artistic talent

Photo submitted

bodies of water in the Midwest. He has paddled the first 100 miles of the Mississippi River, the entire length of the St. Croix River, and the Boundary Waters.

“If you’re going to spend four to six hours a day with a paddle in your hand, why not have the best one you can have. That feels the best, that’s the lightest and that’s comfortable,” Pogatchnik said.

Pogatchnik really enjoys crafting paddles as a way to creatively express himself. “It’s a nice creative outlet. As a teacher, you really don’t know what your product is until years later when a student comes back tells you how much they loved your class or how much they learned, that’s a teacher’s product. Whereas with this I get done and immediately I have something in my hand that I’ve been trying to create and the product is right there in front of me,” Pogatchnik said.

Family & Consumer Science teacher Nancy Gallman is also an arts and crafts lover. Gallman has been sewing and doing creative things since she was about 9 years

old. She grew up as a member of the 4-H

Youth Development Organization. “I got started doing yearly projects that I would bring to the county fair,” Gallman said. “I’ve always been interested in sewing crafts.”

Now Gallman especially enjoys sewing. It takes her about two hours to complete an apron from start to finish. “I also make aprons, purses, and jewelry; it’s definitely my hobby,” Gallman said.

Gallman used to have a custom home decorating business for about 20 years. She did a lot of sewing for her business.

“While I was sewing for that business, I got away from sewing as a hobby. So now it’s enjoyable to sew just for fun,” Gallman said.

On Nov. 1, six staff members including Gallman and Olmen had the opportunity to sell their items to other staff members in a fun social environment. Outside of events like this, Gallman sells her items in boutiques and craft fairs. “It’s a nice creative outlet,” Gallman said.

Photo by Veera Vasandani

At a recent arts and crafts event hosted by Nancy Gallman, Tami Olmen displays her wide variety of jewelry, including her hand-stamped pieces.

Photo by Veera VasandaniComing in an assortment of different shapes, colors, and sizes, Nancy Gallman enjoys sewing these vibrant handbags in her free time as a relaxing and creative outlet.

Spotlight Artist: Shannon St. ClairBy Veera Vasandani

There is a soft light illuminating the sky. The railroad tracks seem to

go on forever, ceaselessly expanding into the horizon. In the distance, a dark silhouette of a girl outlines the expanse and a pair of boots are carelessly strewn across the tracks, free and nomadic. In that instant, senior Shannon St. Clair captures the moment.

St. Clair is the epitome of a 21st century photographer. Only equipped with her iPhone and a passion for self-expression, she takes pictures of delicate landscapes and captivating profiles. With over 8,000 followers on Instagram, she evidently has a knack for seeing life through a lens.

Due to being born into an artistic household, she was raised in an ideal environment to cultivate her talents. Her brother tours through mountains, playing the guitar, while her twin sister, who also happens to be one of her prominent subjects, dabbles on the mandolin. Shannon herself is a pianist and composes her own music, something she is very fervent about.

When asked about her photos, she said, “A lot of them are accidents. They just seem natural.”

Unlike most Instagrammers, she refuses to use filters, unless they are soft and subtle. She believes they take away from the subject itself.

St. Clair feels complete when she is behind the camera. “Every day, I just want to go home and take pictures,” she said. “In the beginning, I stopped caring about what people thought and just went with it. I have a hobby where I can look at a final product and be proud of it. It’s expressive and it gives me something to work for.”

Shannon has been featured in a plethora of sites and communities within the app, and is also involved in a few online collaborations with fellow photographers. She enjoys having the privilege of being able to make meaningful relationships and connect with strangers through a mutual passion.

Shannon wants to pursue a career in photography and is ready to set goals in order to achieve that. In order to expand her artistic horizons, she is more than eager to purchase a professional camera of her own.

“Once I get a real camera, I probably won’t stop taking pictures,” she said earnestly. “My inspiration is wanting to make people happy. I just want to know that I caused a feeling in my followers. It’s the verve!”

Doodle Artist: Claire Guinta

Junior Claire Guinta drew this postmodern masterpiece during her 3rd hour class. When asked about her doodle, she said, “I was thinking about how hungry I am...”

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Arts 6 The Eyrie, December 2012

Architecture of the month:

Minneapolis Winter Mural

By Hayley Brandser

A colorful paint brush slowly dances on a blank canvas, creating images that Eden

Prairie residents see in their everyday lives. From a scene of people enjoying the outdoors to scenery of the many buildings, this mural reflects the essence of Eden Prairie.

In a recent push to bring more art to Eden Prairie, the City of Eden Prairie Parks and Recreation Center contracted local artist Emily Taylor to research and cre-ate a community mural that will travel around Eden Prairie. As a native Minnesotan, Taylor grew up expressing herself through art. She attended Minneapolis College of Art and Design where she earned her BFA. Now a professional artist and teacher, she continues to focus her passion for art.

“My inspiration came from the community. I wanted to do my best to capture the nature of the city as well as the history and culture of the people that live and

work here,” Taylor said. The mural was unveiled at

the Heritage Celebration in the fall. The community mural will be traveling around Eden Prairie throughout 2012 and 2013. The Eden Prairie Senior Center will house the mural until the end of

the year. The remainder of the 2013

schedule is yet to be determined by the Park and Recreation De-partment. “It will travel to various locations throughout the commu-

nity, including sites such as the EP Center, Hennepin County library, and Senior Housing. It will come to its permanent resting spot; home which is the City Center at the end of the year (2013),” Recre-ation Manager Laurie Obiazor s

Submitted photosaid.

The idea for this mural came from the recreation supervisors Lindsey Danhasuer and Nicole Minton. They oversee art for the

City of Eden Prairie and plan the Heritage Celebration event, where the mural was unveiled. “The artist took their vision and made it real-ity,” Obiazor said.

Taylor brought their ideas to life through the input of others in the community and her own inspiration. To incorporate as many stories as possible, Taylor carried out interviews with several people within the community.

Using acrylic paint because of it’s durability over time, Taylor included buildings such as the Art Center, the Community Center, the City Center, and the Mall in the mural, along with the beautiful landscape that Eden Prairie entails. “I used photos of different loca-tions and more to create a land-scape with a birds eye perspective,” Taylor said. In total, It took Taylor 131 hours to complete the mural.

With support of the com-munity at large, the Parks and Recreation Department is working in many ways to bring more art to Eden Prairie. Look for more expamples to come.

Artsy additions pop up in the community

Photo by Lauren Bren

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The Eyrie, December 2012 Arts 7

Lunches with Lauren: Candy Cane Popcorn

Ingredients:

Yields 12-1 cup servings

• 12 cups fresh air-popped popcorn

• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted

• 2 ounces white-choco-late, melted

• 4 full size candy canes, crushed

1. First, dump bag of air-popped popcorn in a large mixing bowl

2. Then take ¾ of the melted semi-sweet and white chocolate and drizzle atop the popcorn

3. Next, take ¾ of the crushed candy canes and sprinkle on top

4. Mix all of this together and spread popcorn on a desired serving platter (or the bowl works just fine).

5. Use the remaining chocolate and candy canes to speckle over top to create a beauti-fully festive snack!

FrostyLightsBy Olivia Deans

Holiday cheer is in the air and

people are preparing for the fes-

tivities. As you drive around Eden

Prairie, the streets have begun to

come alive with Santa and reindeer

figures, twinkling lights and nativ-

ity scenes. Home owners are be-

ginning to put up their decorations

and some just have a few lights and

maybe a wreath on the door, while

others are a bit more extreme, here

are some of the most extravagant.

Photo by Lauren Bren

A spectacularly lit house representing Eden Prairie’s holiday cheer.

Photos by Kelly NitchzeThese EP holiday lights brighten the night sky.

Arts 8 The Eyrie, December 2012

Do-It-Yourself:

Festive Bulb Ornaments

1) Glitter Ornament>> First, choose the desired glitter and dump into a small bowl>> Next, take the spray adhesive and lightly coat the outside of the bulb. Make sure to wear gloves!>> Then simply pour, or lightly dust, the glitter on the outer, now sticky, bulb>> When finished, shake off excess glitter and lightly spray with a thin coat of adhesive so glitter stays in-tact.

2) Puff Paint Ornament>> Take the puff paint (any color) and create a fun, unique design on the outside of the bulb>> Now there are two options: either sprinkle extra glitter on the wet paint >> OR wait for the paint to dray and spray paint over the design to give the ornament a splash of color

3) Tinsel-Stuffed Ornament>> Take the Christmas tinsel, ribbon, yarn or whatever festive décor selected>> Remove cap of the bulb and stuff the ornament with the tinsel (or other) and hang on the tree of course!

4) Sequin-Filled Ornament>> First pour sequins into a small bowl. They can be any color you want, I chose multi-colored.>> Then, slowly pour a desired amount of sequins into the top of the ornament.>> Next, take the spray adhesive and lightly spray the inside of the ornament>> Finally, put on the bulb cap and softly shake the sequins around so some stick to the glass

Total Materials:-Clear bulb ornaments (glass or plastic)-Newspaper (Use the Eyrie )-Spray Adhesive-Glitter-Sequin Confetti-Puff Paint

-Tinsel/Christmas Décor

As the holiday season quickly approaches, the scramble for finding a tree begins. Here are four inexpensive and creative ways to spunk up your frasier fur this holiday season:

Photo by Lauren Bren

The Eyrie, December 2012 Arts 9

By Hannah Brandser

The holiday season is a fun time of year for high school couples. They get to enjoy each other’s company in the cold winter season. Couples love to go on fun dates such as going to Christmas plays, playing in the snow and sitting by the fire drinking hot cocoa. Presents can be difficult to buy for your boyfriend or girlfriend, but since your special someone is very special to you, you want to get them the most perfect present possible.

Getting your special someone an equally special gift can be a challenge. “I would never want a gift card,” senior Keely Murphy said. When you are picking out a gift for your boyfriend or girlfriend, you always want to make it special and show them you put a lot of time into buying the gift.

If you want to play it safe and get your girl something she would love, a necklace or earrings would be the perfect gift to get. All girls like jewelry and things that sparkle. If you want to be risky and show your girlfriend how well you really know her, try getting her clothes or shoes. Clothes and shoes are somewhat risky gifts because you have to know their size and make sure the clothing or shoes are their style. If you’ve been dating a long time you should know their favorite treats. Include their favorite candy in the gift; it would be a great surprise to add to the present.

Guys can also be very hard to buy for. Some, like senior Alec Sievers, have definite opinions. “I would never want a belt,” he said.

If you want to play it safe, try buying your boyfriend Lululemon clothing or making him a tie blanket. Both a tie blanket and Lululemon clothing would be something your boyfriend would love. A risky gift for a guy would be shoes. Every

guy loves getting new shoes but you never know if the guy will love or hate them as a gift from you. Also, you need to know your boyfriend’s exact size because the last thing you want to do is get them wrongly sized shoes. If you really want to impress your boyfriend make him a nice dinner or bake him cookies; most guys love homemade food.

Holiday plays only come once a year. Take advantage of that and turn it into a date. “My favorite Christmas date we ever went on was the Christmas play and dinner at Melting Pot,” senior Natasha Howe said.

“I loved when we went to the Holidazzle parade and got dinner after,” Murphy said. Dinner dates and fun holiday events are always a great idea for a holiday date.

“Natasha, I think we should build a snow fort this year. That would be really fun,”

senior Jake Hari said.Playing outside in the

snow is a great way to spend a day with your boyfriend or girlfriend. After being outside in the cold you could go inside and have some hot cocoa and snuggle by a fire.

“Sledding is always a fun winter thing to do,” Sievers said. Even though the snow is freezing, you can make the cold fun by sledding, making snow forts and having snowball fights.

Winter is one of the best times of the year to spend with your boyfriend or girlfriend. From attending holiday events to snuggling inside and watching a movie, you really get to enjoy each other’s presence. Make sure to buy your boyfriend or girlfriend a present that they will adore, and have a safe, happy holiday season.

Things you and your boo can do Photo by Elli Totall Photo by Hannah BrandserPhoto by Hannah Brandser

Photo by Hannah Brandser

How to spend your time and money wisely for and on your boyfriend or girlfriend this holiday season

■

Trends 10 The Eyrie, October 2012

Tre

nds

‘Whenever I wear

my Lulu clothes, people always tell me they wish they

were me. -Logan Borg‘’’

By Lauren Altman

Lululemon is one of the hottest new hip trends for both girls and guys in Eden Prairie.

Started in the chilly city of Vancouver, Lululemon sells warm and comfortable athletic clothing. If there’s a workout outfit someone needs, they probably have it in stock. Common pieces of Lululemon clothing that are often spotted around school are the workout pants, athletic shirts, and headbands.

Lululemon tends to have a strictly women’s fitness clothing stereotype. This is an issue, however, because they also do carry men’s clothes as well. Some guys in have hopped on the Lululemon bandwagon. These guys stand apart from the crowd when they are wearing Lulu.

“Whenever I wear my Lulu clothes, people always tell me they wish they were me,” senior Logan Borg said.

Often, Lululemon clothes are worn as a fashion statement, but they were initially designed for working out.

“The first thing I got was a purple workout shirt, sometimes to workout in, but mostly to hang around in,” junior Ryan Wandling said.

Lululemon clothes are not cheap. Their merchandise ranges from around $10 to

$300. Many people think that Lulu is just a waste of money and that they are only buying the name of the company. While Wandling thinks the quality is better than average, many other students do not see why people shop at Lululemon.

Some believe that they could buy the same quality clothes at any department store for a lower price; especially when they have to buy their own clothes.

The pro-Lululemon students either do not have to pay for their clothes and therefore do not really care, or just are willing to splurge.

“It is definitely worth the money because the ladies love it, and it makes my pecs look big,” Borg said.

Many Lululemon customers return to the store to purchase more and more of the multi-purpose clothing.

The guys at our school described the clothes as being stretchy, comfortable and user-friendly.

“Lululemon makes me feel naked, it makes me more comfortable inside and out,” senior Joey Puk said.

Although, Lulu can be expensive, according to these boys, the money is money well spent. With their different sense of style, they are making a huge fashion statement at EPHS and are drawing more students into the stores by the day.

Guys turn to Lululemon for style, practicality

By Lauren Altman

Shoes can either be your favorite part of your outfit to pick out, or you may dread finding the perfect finishing touch. No matter what, your shoes are the part of your outfit that show your personality. Here are some basic characteristics you may have based on what kind of shoes you wear.

High heels: If you wear high heels,

you like to stand out and above the crowd (literally!). You often are very spunky and have a good sense of style. You are an extrovert and love glitzy and sparkly things. You are willing to spend a good chunk of money on your wardrobe, and you would give up comfort for fashion. You like to be noticed by other people.

Uggs: If you wear Ugg boots, you like to be comfy and warm all winter season. You most likely picked these shoes off the rack when you remembered that our school is a freezer during the winter. You can still express yourself through the Ugg boots by choosing brighter colors or a funky style. You are willing to spend money on your shoes, but as many students do, you hope they will last a long time.

Leather boots: If you wear leather boots, you are most likely a very typical Eden Prairie girl. You are very fashionable but like to have a pair of leather shoes that go well with any outfit. You are highly observant of the newest, most stylish trends.

Sneakers: If you wear sneakers, you are

most likely an introvert. You like to keep to yourself, and you do not have to spend a lot of money to be satisfied with your outfit. Dressing to your best isn’t your top priority, but you will go-with-the-flow and wear what pleases you.

Athletic shoes: If you wear athletic shoes, you are very sporty. You love to go to the gym or just go on a run around your neighborhood. You like to be comfy, and you like to show your athleticism through

your style.

What do your shoes say about you?

Photo by Katie Pylipow

Photo by Lauren BrenSenior Logan Borg and junior Ryan Wandling pose on the bench outside while sporting their Lulu clothing.

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The Eyrie, October 2012 Trends 11

6

12 35

98

7

4sORREL WATER-PROOF BOOTS

wHITNEY eVE pATTERNED

lEGGINGS

sMARTWOOLpATTERNEDSOCKS

5|48 knit hat

Homemade knit mittens

columbia fleece headband

D&Y Fleece-lined headband

John & jenn thermal sweater

old navy flannel

Girls

Here are eighteen items to keep you stylish and warm during this winter season!

Trends 12 The Eyrie, December 2012

13

18

16

171011

1514

12

Nautica quarter-zip sweater

vans vintage thermal

Nautica Argyle sweater

Cg raingear

St. Johns Bay down vest

Radii slim zippered boots

Smartwool socks

American Eagle straight

jeans

ness Flatbrim

Boys

Here are eighteen items to keep you stylish and warm during this winter season!

The Eyrie, December 2012 Trends 13

PRETTY POLISH

By Julia Carroll

This nail design is a simple twist on something similar I have seen on Pinterest. I chose holiday colors, but any color sparkles or solid colors will work. No matter what holiday you celebrate during the winter, you can always be festive in your own way with your nails!

Base Color: Choose three nails you want to be a solid color. I chose my pinky finger, pointer finger, and thumb. Then, choose a solid color without a shimmer tint. Two coats of your color and these are finished!

Sparkle: I chose my ring finger for the all sparkle nail, and began with a nude base coat. Let this first coat dry, and layer enough layers sparkles so that the nail is evenly coated with shimmer.

By Julia Carroll

Between Lulu Lemon and American Apparel, headbands have obviously made a comeback. They are so easy to just quickly grab and throw on when you’re having a bad hair day or running late for school. The sporty Lulu ones are great for practice or exercise because of their wicking fabric. But both Lulu and American Apparel products can get pretty pricey, so here’s an easy how-to for making your own stylish headband.

Materials:• Ribbon• Elastic hair binders• Matching thread• A sewing needle• A pin or two (safety pins

and regular pins both work)

Step 1: Picking a ribbon

Whether your mom has a stash in the back of the basement closet of old ribbon or you have to go to Michael’s and buy some, you can find a style that works for you. Shiny, skinny, lacey or ribbed, all kinds of ribbon work for this project.

Winter brings an entirely new collection of nail polish colors. Here is a fun way to decorate your nails for the season.

Chevron: The base color I chose for this nail was white, and because my white polish isn’t very good quality, I had to do two coats and let them dry. Then, dig through your mom’s old sewing kit or head to Michael’s and find a pair of pinking shears (pattern scissors) with a small zig-zag pattern.

Carefully cut zig-zag strips of Scotch tape, as small as you’d like. Again, very carefully, place the tape evenly spaced out on your nail. Paint a coat of a dark color over that whole nail, and make sure the paint is completely dry before you proceed.

Once dry, carefully peel off the tape. If the paint comes up with the tape, press it back down and wait some more. Once you peel off the tape, add a clear coat and you’re ready to celebrate!

DIY: simple headbands Step 2: Threading a needle

If you don’t know how to sew, now’s your chance to learn! Find a spool of thin thread and a needle with an appropriate threading hole. Carefully thread the needle and measure out about a foot of thread on either side of the needle. Cut the thread and tie a simple knot about an inch from the end of the two strands. Continue tying knots on top of each other until you have a substantial knot on the end (about 5 knots should be enough).

Step 3: Sewing the ribbon

Fold the end of the ribbon over a hair binder and pin in place. Begin sewing a simple weave (going up and down through the ribbon) on one end of the ribbon, and go all the way until the other side. Double back so that there are two rows of stitches. Once you reach the end that you started at, tie multiple knots until secure. Snip the thread from the knot.

Step 4: Repeating the process

The last step is to measure the

length of the ribbon around your head, and add on about an inch for the folded over section. Sew that end the same way you did the first to create the loop of the headband. Once you finish this side you’re ready to head out the door in style!

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4

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Trends 14 The Eyrie, October 2012

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Eden Prairie Schools

Takeout & Delivery (952) 937-1589 7416 Mitchell Road

GINA MARIA’S PIZZA

The Eyrie, October 2012 Trends 15

staff editorial

If Congress doesn’t act soon, on Jan. 1, taxes will increase for every taxpayer and business. Federal programs’ budgets could be cut drastically, which would cause the GDP would decrease

by $500 billion. The U.S. could enter another recession. In short, the U.S. would tumble over the fiscal cliff, and with it the trust of its elected officials would plummet.

Congress needs to come to a compromise by that time to prevent this metaphorical plummet. Republicans and Democrats both want to avoid this, though they disagree entirely on on an effective course of action. Their main disagreement is over the Bush tax cuts for the top 2 percent of taxpayers. Obama campaigned against the rates in 2008 and in 2012. In 2010, when the Bush tax cuts originally were to expire, Obama reluctantly agreed to extend them for two years in exchange for Republicans’ support for the payroll tax cut and extended jobless aid.

So far, no one from either party has stepped up and announced a willingness to compromise. Democrats have said that they

are willing to let the cliff and all it entails come without a resolution if Republicans don’t acquiesce to their demands. Republicans have raised the pressure and planned more talks, though we are hardly closer to coming to a compromise.

When we’re young, we’re taught to look up to members of Congress and the president because they’re the people who make laws to better our country and make tough decisions when it gets down to the wire.

However, the lack of decision-making in the past few weeks has only accentuated how little our so-called leaders accomplish when no one is willing to sacrifice for the better of the country. As people who are on the verge of becoming adults, we should go out into the world believing in the possibility of compromise and action, though these values are seemingly not held by those who run our country.

The legislature at both the state and national levels are crippled by gridlock. Part of the duties of a member of Congress is to be a leader of the country, one of the few people declared bold enough to represent

the interests of the population. Ideally, they are examples to the rest of the nation. If these people can’t make a decision, they are failing as leaders and role models.

Legislators are too concerned with pleasing special-interest groups with an eye on the next election than doing the job As the Jan. 1 deadline approaches, Congress needs to grow up and make a decision. They need to be a symbol of stability and compromise in a nation and fulfill their duties to the American people.

Congress shows lack of leadership as fiscal cliff deadline approaches

Fiscal Cliff:Final deadline is Jan.1Democrats want end to Bush tax cuts, funding

for programs.Republicans want to

preserve cuts, decrease funding.

Artwork by Veera Vasandani

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Editorials 16 The Eyrie, December 2012

Edi

tori

als

By Julia Carroll

Attention all girls: look down. If you’re in public, you’re wearing some sort of pants

(I hope). There’s a high likelihood that those pants are made of some stretchy material that makes them extremely comfortable (i.e. leggings, yoga pants or jeggings). That’s why

you picked them this morning when it was too early to open your eyes fully or to get your brain working attentively. You were scrambling around your room for the most comfortable ensemble that looked least like you just rolled out of bed. At least that’s what I do every morning.

The principal at Minnetonka High School recently put out a school-wide notice about leggings and yoga pants. He strongly advised students to stay away from too-tight and revealing pants. The Star Tribune and eventually national news sources were ignited with responses to his message.

Some of these responses assigned the blame to the boys at Minnetonka instead of the girls. These articles depicted boys as easily distracted, hormone-crazed non-thinkers who could not keep their eyes off of girls wearing leggings.

True, there are some boys of that type in the world. But if they think that way, it is their problem, not the girls wearing the pants. Girls who simply want to be comfortable at school should not be reprimanded because a few boys cannot contain themselves.

Although I think girls should be able to wear what makes them comfortable, there is a fine line between comfort and borderline scandalous. Ladies, there is no need for see through shirts and leggings; we know that you have a body underneath those skimpy layers. Have enough respect for yourself to kindly bend over and check to make sure your friends aren’t seeing more of you than you intended.

Now with that in mind, I can see the obvious answer to the ever-repeating question of what to wear. If I choose to be comfortable and confident while wearing leggings, then I hope that you drooling boys out there can contain yourselves for the six short hours we’re in school.

This is a rotating monthly column.

I’m Just Saying

The Eden Prairie School Board has rightfully decided to grant each student of the high school a MacBook Air for the 2013-2014 school year. This is great news for students who can’t afford to buy computer on their own. Students support Apple products over other PCs because a lot of students now are becoming more “team Apple.” Many people, not only students, have become familiar with the Mac view over the Windows view because of the dramatic switch that the district has made in the last two years.

The computers will provide everyone with equal capabilities to learn the

It has become common knowledge to most people at Eden Prairie High School that each student, beginning in the 2013-14 school year, will be receiving their own MacBook Air at no additional cost to them or their families. Personally, I view this decision as poorly thought out and a large chunk of our budget being misplaced.

Yet the school board, as well as many other school administrators, sees this as a great way to personalize each student’s learning plan. In addition, Eden Prairie Schools is receiving a huge discount from Apple: each MacBook Air will only cost about that of an iPad, around $400. But, let’s first do the math to see how much this “deal” will really be costing. First we have the laptop costing around $400. Multiply that by the amount of students we have per grade, which is about 800. That totals to $320,000. Multiply that number by 4 different grade levels and we’re looking at over 1 million dollars spent on personal laptops. With that kind of money I think Eden Prairie could be making wiser investments for their students.

Aside from the cost, here are just a few more issues I see with this recently approved decision:

Distraction from learning: Each night when I check Twitter, I see more than one student complaining that their phone or Twitter or other social media tool is taking away their focus from their schoolwork. If each student is given a laptop, not only is access to their schoolwork readily available, but so is access to FaceTime, email, Twitter, iMessaging, AppleTV and so many other media tools that grab out attention. With all of these distractions combined in one place,

Yoga pants aren’t the problem

it will be even easier to become unfocused from assignments.

Technology support: I have noticed that EPHS already has more than enough tech problems than we can handle. It’s rare that a day goes by when one of my teacher’s Smartboards isn’t working, or the connection to the internet is down, or another technology problem occurs and puts a delay on our assignment or lesson for the day.

With the addition of these new laptops, we will be adding 3,200 new headaches for our tech support staff, who has enough trouble solving the tech problems we already have.

Transportation/maintenance: Each student will, more often than not, be transporting their laptop between school and home each day. This would require a need for backpacks in each class (which are often not allowed in science classrooms due to safety hazards). As for maintenance, students will be responsible for care of the laptop. If it crashes or is dropped or stolen, they are the ones who will need to replace the laptop and find a way to get all of their lost files back.

I’m sure there are many positives in the school board’s eyes as to why each student having a laptop will be a good thing, but in my eyes I see it as a waste of our school’s budget and an immense distraction from learning and focusing at school and at home.

Lindsey Allard, senior

We welcome letters from students and staff. Please contact us at theeyrie.ep@gmail.com if you are interested in writing a letter.

technology of the Mac itself and learn the units in class through a more interactive view. They will also allow access to many of the printed worksheets that we now use online. This also contributes to the school’s objective of saving paper.

The Board has gone back and forth between iPads and Macs many times. I think the efficiency of a keyboard will be most useful for all classes. The students and staff are very excited and pleased to have MacBook airs in our presence next year.

Lauren Boyle, sophomore

Letters to the Editor

MacBook for students will help learning

Laptops will distract students, annoy staff

The Eyrie, December 2012 Editorials 17

By Hannah Jeter

Minnesota has the largest number of wolves in the lower 48 states, and the

wolf hunting season is not going to change this. In fact, in northern Minnesota there are a higher number of wolves per area than there was hundreds of years ago because of the high population of deer. The opposition’s positions are ungrounded and the season is beneficial to everyone and everything involved.

Opposition to the wolf hunt cites that if the alpha male or female or both are killed, the pack will fall into disaster. This is patently false. The young can survive on their own without the alphas and a new leader will, in short order, be selected.

Apparently unbeknownst to those against the wolf hunt, the fact is that the wolf population is affected by factors other than humans. Black bears, deer, other wolves, starvation, and disease all kill wolves. In fact, wolves that target other wolves most often target the alphas.

Also, there is indeed a limit set on the amount of wolves able to be killed in a season. The number, 400, is about 13 percent of the Minnesota wolf population. It has been proven that wolf populations can handle a human kill rate of up to 30 percent.

In the DNR’s own words, the goal of their wolf management plan is to “solve problems, to reduce conflicts between wolves and people—not to make big cuts in the wolf population,” said Dan Stark the DNR’s large carnivore specialist.

The purchase of wolf permits will raise $300,000 in revenue for the state. The money made from the sale of wolf hunt permits will help the wolves themselves, going towards additional wolf research,

Wolf hunt helps, not hurts, ecosystem

better population counts, wolf management near farms and the reimbursement to farmers for the livestock killed by the wolves.

Farmer reimbursement is a drain on our state resources. Last year alone, Minnesota gave over $150,000 to farmers whose livestock had been killed by wolves. The hunting season will offset this cost and reduce the number of times this cost is incurred.

I also want to distinguish hunting versus trapping. Trapping involves ensnaring the wolves’ legs in cruel steel traps and killing them in a slow, painful, torturous process. I am in no way advocating trapping. In fact, I find the trapping of wolves inhumane and unacceptable.

Wolves have been trapped since 1978 by federal and state trappers when wolves attack livestock on farms. Government approved trappers were called upon to kill 215 wolves in response to complaints last year. The hunting season will reduce instances of conflict between wolves and people, and so reduce trapping.

When it comes to explicitly the hunting of wolves, this is a humane way to control the wolf population, raise money to sustain the wolf population, and gather data on the wolves.

After a wolf is killed, it must be taken to the DNR for inspection. There, researchers will gather data that could reveal new knowledge about wolf behavior. Tissue samples will be used to predict future wolf populations and learn more about wolf litter sizes without endangering people by throwing them into the wolves’ den to count pups.

The wolf hunt raises money to help wolves and sustain their population, and just publicizes a process that is already taking place. The wolves shot can be used for research. The wolf hunt will help the population of wolves, not hurt it.

By Maddie Chicoine

On January 27 of this year, the care of Minnesota’s wolf population was transferred from

federal agencies to the state of Minnesota. The state government subsequently legalized the first ever wolf hunt in the same year. This wolf hunt is inhuman and serves no real purpose.

The lives of Minnesota’s wolves, previously protected under the Endangered Species Act, now remain in the hands of Minnesota’s resident hunters. Yes, while Minnesota can claim the largest wolf population, wolves have never been an urgent problem within the state. As of right now, the wolf population does not need to be diminished.

If there is no need to lower the number of wolves living in Minnesota, why not let the wolves live as nature intended? Just because they will die later in life is no reason for their lives to be cut brutally short. Minnesota allows numerous other hunting seasons including doves, bears, deer, beavers and even bobcats. Minnesota hunters already have a large variety of animals available for them to hunt.

While wolves may affect farmers by killing farm animals, as long as wolves live in Minnesota, they have to eat. As unfortunate as it is that farmers must lose livestock this will continue to occur unless Minnesota’s wolf population is entirely eliminated. The harm to livestock by wolves is greatly overstated. In 2011, wolves killed only 88 livestock and nine dogs. This number is significantly lower

than in 2010, when 106 livestock and poultry were killed. These numbers are surprisingly low given the thousands of wolves that live in Minnesota.

It would be a much better resolution to create sanctuaries for these wolves to live in. They could much easier be studied and tracked, but also living the peaceful wildlife that these wolves deserve to lead.

Many people in favor of hunting wolves say that the dead wolf bodies will provide population data and counts to the state, and therefore be beneficial to the state of Minnesota. However, better population counts and data of the wolves is not a justification for the slaughter. Data about the wolves that live in Minnesota can be gathered through tagging and research, instead of killing. It also seems hypocritical to raise money for wolves through selling permits to hunt and kill these same animals.

Minnesota’s wolves are better off without human intervention. As they are, the wolves pose no current threat to society and killing them has no real benefit

to Minnesota residents. Until the wolf population reaches

overwhelming heights, hunting them should

not be allowed.

Artwork by Veera Vasandani

Should wolf hunting be legal?point/counterpoint

Hunting wolves is unneeded, immoral

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Editorials 18 The Eyrie, December 2012

‘‘’’

This generation is bred by technology; however, this can both be a boon and a curse to today’s youth.

By Veera Vasandani

In awkward situations, the golden rule is to pull out your phone or iPod and completely avoid the situation. Instead of attempting to be social, people tend to resort to their separate bubbles where Angry Birds are their only friends. In today’s world, teens see their friends more for three seconds in an unattractive Snapchat photo than in an actual face-to-face interaction.

This generation is bred by technology; however, this can both be a boon and a curse to today’s youth. People now have the ability to Facebook chat with someone in India, tweet to a celebrity in London and text a friend in California all at the same time.

Due to the rise of the virtual communication, it is now possible

Technology leads to social isolation in teensto chat with multiple friends who live miles away from the comfort of home. Unfortunately, this contributes to the slow death of verbal communication.

Communicating with someone face-to-face allows a person to observe certain mannerisms, such as a smile or a frown. However, technology does not allow people

to catch these sorts of nonverbal cues. Although it may seem subtle, these unspoken gestures play a key role in developing proficient communication skills.

Teenagers today may find it difficult

to express their emotions face-to-face; instead, they tend to vent via text or email. Most people would use technology as a medium for acknowledging their problems rather than having a live discussion to confront the issue.

Many teenage relationships

are built on technology when it comes to communication. Some relationships are solely based on texts and Facebook messages. Although technology provides a means of keeping in touch throughout the day, it is not sustainable for long-lasting relationships and meaningful encounters.

It’s difficult for teens to branch out and be comfortable around new people without using a virtual shield to protect them from awkward encounters. When

most people meet someone new, the first thing they ask for is the person’s number, Facebook, and twitter username, thus remaining in the inescapable bubble of virtual dialect .

The world may seem smaller due to the rise of technology, but the rift between one-on-one communication and relationships appears to be getting wider.

Comfort is found in the virtual world, but it is crucial to hold on to face-to-face interactions and human relationships.

By Jack Graen

The average worker only remains in their current job for 4.4 years, and that is only the average for the entire workforce. If one looks at the expected length at jobs for the next generation who is now entering the workforce, that figure falls below three years. Job hopping is something many recent college graduates are doing. There are many factors going into this, but there is a need for college graduates to be able to adapt to change and think on their feet. College may not be the right fit for some people, but if you do decide to further your education by going to college, a liberal arts college would best ready you for today’s current job market.

Liberal arts colleges come in many different forms. There are small, private liberal arts colleges throughout the country, but additionally, there are liberal arts colleges affiliated with large, state universities. The University of Minnesota for example has a liberal arts college. A liberal arts education can best prepare college graduates for the face paced and ever changing job market of not only America, but the whole world. Liberal arts colleges

truly teach their students how to think, and there is a focus on both written and verbal communication skills. Also, in a liberal arts setting, students have freedom to explore many different areas and fields. Art and music are seen as more approachable and can be taken by anyone. Not just art or music majors can take those classes.

With a liberal arts degree, a candidate is a lot more marketable to perspective employers. These degrees show a broad spectrum of subjects studied and are not just limited to solely classes that relate directly to one’s major. This diversity in subjects studied helps students become more well-rounded and adaptable to many different positions.

Liberal education prepares for well-rounded life

Photo by Jack Graen

Photo by Adrienne ManbeckThe proliferation of personal devices, such as iPad stations at airports, can lead to social isolation

Liberal arts colleges like Macalaster can provide people with the knowledge needed for a well-rounded and cultured life.

The Eyrie, December 2012 Editorials 19

He said

She said

By Collin LaVone and Kelly Nitzsche

Kelly Nitzsche: Have you heard Taylor Swift’s new album?Collin LaVone: Yes! It’s amazing!KN: Are you serious? All of her music sounds the same.CL: Uhh, no. All of her songs are different and each tells a different story.KN: Honestly, it’s all the same thing. Something about a guy who dumped her, and now she’s going all stalker on him.CL: Not every song! I’m sure you’ve been through your fair share of break ups. It’s not easy!KN: Well yeah, but that doesn’t mean I want to listen to her whine

about her own little issues.CL: Oh, c’mon. She’s more than just a sob story. And besides, she sold out Madison Square Garden in a minute at the age of 19! 19 Kelly. Did you sell out Madison Square Garden in one minute?KN: Okay, you have a point. But anyways, she looks like a cat. Just saying. CL: Don’t you dare go there.KN: Just did. CL: Take it back!KN: No. CL: Well, for your information, she’s freaking gorgeous. But that’s beside the point. It’s not like she’s my absolute favorite or anything, I just think her musical talent is a lot higher than a lot of other garbage

you hear on the radio nowadays. KN: Yeah, a lot of music is garbage on the radio, that’s why I usually don’t listen to the Top 40. Regard-less, her music is all the same, there are only so many songs you can sing about a boy who broke her heart.CL: Maybe she’s been through more than you think. You never know!KN: Even if she has, she should broaden her horizon! Sing about struggles, family problems and emotions, not “he dumped me and I still love him, but I hate him at the same time.”CL: Does, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” ring a bell? That’s not about heartbreak or

Taylor Swift: Inspirational or just a broken record?

her whining or anything like that. Bazinga!KN: Okay I’ll give you that, and it’s a catchy song, I’ll give you that too. But still, let’s sing about something besides boys breaking her heart; let’s sing about partying or living while we’re young!CL: Living while we’re young? One Direction much?KN: I love One Direction!CL: Ewwww, no. We don’t have time for this.KN: Fine. But still, Taylor Swift has been the same forever, same thing over and over again.

This is a rotating debate written by two Eyrie staff members.

Facebook violates online privacyBy Jean-Pierre Tossa

The popular social network Facebook makes about $3.7 billion dollars a year, almost 85 percent of the money from its users’ personal information. A lot of times people wonder how Facebook earns so much money. Most assume that the company just sells the right to bombard the site with advertise-ments. This is basically true, but where the site’s main profits come from is the information that it sells to companies that advertise on the website. That’s why most people al-most always see advertisements on Facebook that seem to be related to pages they “Like”. To get away with selling users’ information Facebook uses the fact that most people don’t read the Terms and Policies of using the network. Under the Data Use Policy, the company even states that web-sites partnered with Facebook can use a feature called Instant Person-alization. This means that when a user visits the site, it gets instant access to the user’s information. Websites can even access infor-mation about the user’s friends to help maximize how much the websites know about the user.

The practice should be outlawed, because no company should have the right to abuse information its users so generously donated. The online privacy company Abine created Val-You Calculator,

a tool that estimates approximately how much the user is worth to Facebook. It requires an answer to seven questions related to how of-ten the person uses Facebook, how frequently they “Like” something,

or how many photos they upload per month on average. On May 15 flash mobs marched in single file lines in San Francisco and New York City to help raise awareness for online privacy violations and other issues. These sporadic protests were supported by Abine as part of its privacy campaign. The importance of per-sonal information to Facebook as a means of selling advertising space is immense. Last year, Facebook made 85 percent of its money on advertising. This just goes to show that Facebook relies too heavily on violating users’ information privacy. By selling users’ personal information Facebook abuses its authority to earn money from selling data that doesn’t belong to the Facebook executives. This is helping to carve a path to where online privacy no longer exists, and websites will soon be able to steal private information stored on computers themselves if people agree to terms that they don’t bother to read. If this trend continues, online privacy could ultimately be wiped out.

Graphic by Veera Vasandani

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20 Editorials The Eyrie, December 2012

OpinionettesWatching Disney

By Elizabeth Kenyon

Since when is it uncool to watch Disney movies? At a time where lasting true love is rare, nobody lives in a castle and animals don’t help you with your chores, it’s refreshing to take a break from reality and go swimming with mermaids, dancing with a prince or flying to Neverland. If you tell somebody “yeah, I just watched The Little Mermaid last night,” they get all quiet, as if you’ve just said something that you shouldn’t have. I don’t understand why watching our childhood favorites have turned into something embarrassing. Relax, people. It’s just Disney.

Website causes confusion By Melissa Berman

It had been frustrating to notice the recent changes on the high school and library websites. What used to be a cleanly organized, user-friendly resource for students and parents is now a cluttered and confusing mess. Once prominent, frequently used links still make an appearance on the homepage, but are paradoxically located on very bottom, thus making it difficult to quickly locate the daily bulletin when you are unsure if you have zero hour or not, for example. The library website, at current, lacks the character and details it formerly did. Although students helping de-sign it will hopefully change that. Altogether, the new designs are more visually appealing, but these do not come without disservice to its users.

Walking right

By Kelly Nitzsche

Which side of the road do you drive on? The right. Which way should you walk in the hallways? On the right. I cannot stand the students who decide to walk down the middle of the hallway or walk through a group of people walking the other direction. It just seems to be common sense to walk on the right. And if you are going to stop in the hallway, stop somewhere not in the middle of everyone, not in front of a staircase where people are trying to get around you and not in the middle of a hallway during passing time, please.

Dancing spotlighted in MinnesotaBy Kate Fullmer

Minnesota ranks at the top for many things: highly educated people, ACT/SAT scores, bike lanes, lakes, clean air, gay-friendly population, cities and healthy

people. Did you

know it also ranks near the top for theater seats available and tickets sold?

That’s right, we rank second to New York City for our theaters!

Did you also know Minnesota is a hot bed for professional dance and choreography? We are home to Zenon Dance, Tu Dance, Ragamala Dance and James Sewell Ballet in addition to semi-professional companies like Minnesota Dance Theater, St. Paul City Ballet, Continental Ballet and Twin Cities Ballet.

We are also home to some of the country’s up and comers in choreography: Matthew Janczewski, Uri Sands and HIJACK (a rotating cooperative

of Choreographers). The Twin Cities is also home to the Cowles Center for Dance—a “stadium” for dance performance. The U of M has a prestigious dance Bachelor of Fine Arts program and almost all of our colleges and universities offer a minor or major in dance (and I have a minor in dance from Winona State).

Never been to a professional dance performance? Here’s the Spark Notes version to watching dance: you don’t need to know anything about dance to appreciate it. Notice I said appreciate, not like, not understand, not do. Appreciate. The men lift 100 pounds overhead and move gracefully—and wear tights (which by the way are not any tighter than the new NFL uniforms). The women fling themselves in all sorts of prepositional directions.

Love fashion? Watch ballet. Love athletics? Watch modern dance. Love music? Watch tap dance. Love a good story? Go see the Nutcracker this season. Think your English teacher is making up the

use of symbolism: watch James Sewell Ballet company. Love art? What are you waiting for?

When I view dance, I watch for precision, placement, and the perfect pirouette. I know when the second string dancers are on stage and I know when the swans just need to die already. I know the three methodologies of ballet and I can tell the difference between Graham and

Horton modern dance. I don’t know what a quarterback

really does, I don’t know what zone defense is, I have no idea what a side-out is and I have absolutely no idea what goes on in a hockey

Photo courtesy of Moscow Ballet

game .But I really like to watch EP

games. I can appreciate the team work, I can appreciate having “field sense,” I can appreciate the hand-eye coordination and the endurance. I can appreciate the jumping, the catching, the kicking, the skating. I appreciate these things because they are new and foreign to me. And I can’t do them. I also appreciate them because I love the people involved—my students.

In the last edition of the Eyrie, Mr. Hollenbeck encouraged all of us to leave EP and explore the Cities. While you’re doing that, add something totally different to your winter repertoire—something new, something out of your comfort zone, something that challenges your way of thinking. Something you know nothing about. Then find something you like about it—I love watching the hockey players go over the wall. You might appreciate it.

This is a rotating staff column. Staff members interested in writing a column should contact the Eyrie at theeyrie.ep@gmail.com

Photo by Kelly Nitzsche

Staff Column

The Eyrie, December 2012 Editorials 21

Buses drive slowly

By Laurie Linscott

After being forced to ride the school bus for over 10 years of my life, when I got my license in May I was especially excited to escape the loud, gaudy yellow monstrosity that is the school bus. However, as I now drive my own car every morning to school, the buses are continuing to be a nuisance. Some of the buses are the slowest vehicles I have ever had the misfortune of driving behind. I am not exaggerating when I say some of them go five mph below the speed limit. I have places to go and people to see. Those bus drivers are not the only ones on the road. They need to pick up the pace so we can all get to and from school faster and without the road rage that comes with driving behind the slow-moving buses.

Junior Lilly Hanson carefully stitches at her sewing machine. Hanson has been sewing since last summer.

Cover Story 22 The Eyrie, December 2012

Cov

er S

tory

Students explore extra-curricular talents, hobbies By Melissa Berman and Maddie Chicoine

On a crisp Saturday morning while many others are still asleep, a student slumps over a relic sewing machine, her fingers working with the utmost care. The sewing machine quietly hums and the sun bounces off the chrome needle and dials. Sewing and constructing garments is not a traditional way for a high school student to spend part of a weekend, yet again, many students possess hobbies and passions that in a traditional school setting might go unnoticed. Last summer, junior Lilly Hanson began sewing clothes, when she decided that she wanted a pair

of lounge pants that she couldn’t buy in stores.

“My mom has always told me and my sister stories of her making her own clothes” said Hanson. After hearing these stories for years, she decided to try making a few clothing items for herself.

“It’s really fun to pick up,” Hanson said about her new hobby, “It’s the same as knitting or jewelry making.”

But like many crafty hobbies, Hanson struggles to come up with the time to sew during the school year.

When she has the time, Hanson will spend hours sewing, either at her grandmother’s machine or stitching by hand.

Her natural talent was aided by her craft oriented family and her mother and her aunt to help her when she needs it.

Still, sewing clothes by hand is not an easy task.

“I can get really frustrated with it. I will mess up and then toss it in a ball and come back a week later.” Despite her frustrations with sewing, Lilly’s talent is clear when others ask to order clothes from her.

But Hanson would rather keep the clothes that she puts so much time into.

“The whole reason I do it is to be original and have my own stuff,” said Hanson.

Photos by Melissa Berman, Cover photo by Veera Vasandani

>>

The Eyrie, December 2012 Cover Story 23

Mixing up Mash-upsFor many, music is a source of enjoyment

and relaxation unparalleled by anything else. Strumming a guitar, plucking a ukulele, or jamming on a piano are all impressive yet traditional ways of making music. However, senior Jack Maurice has experienced an evolution of his participation in music that is largely unlike any other. His interest in music began with instruments; he learned the guitar as a child and in fifth grade picked up the piano and drums. However, in middle school he became interested in producing electronic music- an interest that culminated in his passion for making songs called bootlegs. According to Maurice, bootlegs are a type of remix that is created when the stem of a pop song is mixed with components from other songs. Maurice edits the original song, putting in acapella vocals and components from another song. He works with the songs’ raw files in a program called Action Live.

At first he was experimenting with producing music, but it was not long before they began going viral. “Originally I put them out on a friend’s internet turntable, and then people just started sharing them,” he said. Since then, Maurice’s work has been featured on three major music blogs and websites, Earmilk, DML FM and Remix Nation.

No matter how busy he is, Maurice always finds time to produce music. Typically, he will work on the weekends at a time when many others are sound asleep. “I

like making bootlegs the most at around 4 in the morning; it’s when the best ideas come to me,” Maurice said.

Crafting custom creations Junior Sydney Seelig has loved jewelry

ever since she was little, playing dress up with jewelry at her grandmother’s house. She started making her own in sixth grade when she received a jewelry kit and a gift card for jewelry making classes and supplies.

Seelig has placed in the Minnesota State Fair jewelry competitions all four times that she has entered. “It’s a really cool feeling,” said Seelig. “I got to share my vision with other people and they liked it.”

Seelig still has the first thing she ever made: a pair of beaded earrings. “It will always hold a special place in my heart because its the first thing I ever did.”

Shooting the stereotypeSometimes hunting is seen as a macho

activity that only avid outdoorsmen or adults take part in. However, freshman Ashley Ramacher breaks this mold. A few weekends every season, Ramacher and her dad travel to Zimmerman in Anoka to hunt. They wear the typical hunting gear: camouflage and neon orange clothing.

Ramacher was 14 the first time she hunted a deer. “I was super nervous to shoot my first deer and I didn’t know how I would feel afterwards,” she said. While some people stay outside all day, Ramacher and her dad typically take a midday break to rest

their legs. Ramacher crouches in a wooden enclosure from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., and then again from 2 p.m. until sunset.

In addition to deer hunting Ramacher has gone turkey hunting, and duck hunting.

Cruising on concreteJunior Will Harris glides down the street,

his wheels sliding across the asphalt with a smoothness that rivals surfing. Long boarding began as a hobby for Harris but has since developed into an important and meaningful part of his life.

Harris was introduced to long boarding by his older sister. He had skateboarded and snowboarded before, so according to Harris, long boarding was not “that big of a jump.” However, there are few key differences that make long boarding unique. “Skateboarding is usually associated more with tricks and downhill,” Harris said. “I like long boarding because I can cruise around and do gnarly slides.”

Harris long boards mostly during the summer when the weather is calmer. Last year, he remembers long boarding a bit in the winter and spring because of the lack of snow. Harris often rides with friends on the weekends or just when he has time.

This fall, Harris participated in a long boarding competition at Grace Church. The competition, which he ultimately won, featured three different categories of longboarding: slide jam, downhill free riding and launch ramp. In the future, long boarding will likely remain a recreational hobby that he can always enjoy.

Photo by Melissa BermanJunior Sydney Seelig carefully constructs a pair of earrings. Seelig has entered some of her jewelry in the Minnesota state fair and has placed amongst the winners.

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Cover Story 24 The Eyrie, December 2012

Submitted photos

Photo by Veera VasandaniJunior Will Harris performs a slide trick on his longboard. Harris has been longboarding for two years.

Freshman Ashley Ramacher poses with her first turkey of the 2012 spring season and her second dear of the 2012 fall season.

The Eyrie, December 2012 Cover Story 25

By Valerie Eliasen

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. In Eden Prairie, wintertime is seen by many as a season packed with gift giving, good feelings and holidays. But this does not apply to everyone.

For many, overcoming the stress and harsh cold of Minnesota winter is a difficult task. These people may struggle to provide for themselves and their families throughout the winter season, and often the entire year. According to the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, there are 13,100 Minnesotans that are homeless on any given

night. Even though not everyone celebrates

a holiday or participates in activities throughout the winter months, many people are willing and eager to reach out to those in need. Volunteering is a popular activity or tradition for many students and families.

It is beneficial because it is not only fun and rewarding for the volunteer, it can be an opportunity to help advance the community and help those in need. Studies by the Corporation for National and Community Service have found that volunteering gives people a sense of satisfaction, purpose and can even alleviate stress.

This information, however, is not

necessarily accurate for all people because the data for the studies was taken from a majority of older people. Due to this, some people are skeptical as to whether or not volunteering reaps the same benefits for people of a younger age. This depends on whether or not young people view volunteering as obligatory or voluntary.

In Minnesota, the rates of volunteering for people ages 16-19 have been much higher than the national rates. Overall, Minnesota has a great reputation for volunteering.

According to the CNCS, Minnesota is ranked third in terms of volunteer turnout. From 2008-10, Minnesotans volunteered for a total of 173.2 million hours.

Stereotypes are proven wrongJuniors Lindsay Brady and Alina Ahmed recently volunteered at a local Christmas tree lot. They helped to make sure everything went smoothly at the lot by unwrapping

News 26 The Eyrie, December 2012

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Statistics from the CNCS show that volunteer rates are lower in the suburbs than in other areas of the state, but EPHS students prove this wrong as they continue to volunteer their time and services year round.

For Eden Prairie students, volunteer opportunities include selling Christmas Trees, ringing bells for the Salvation Army and organizing gift boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

On December 6, a group of Eden Prairie students met a Wooddale Church to inspect boxes packed for Operation Christmas Child. OCC is a project run by Samaritan’s Purse. During the holidays, people can pack

small shoe boxes or containers with small gifts and items to be sent around the world. Eden Prairie students traveled to the OCC warehouse in Minneapolis to inspect boxes that had already been packed.

“We made sure the shoeboxes were safe for the kids and added things to them so the kids could get something for Christmas,” said freshman Maddie Milbrath. According to the OCC website, the boxes are sent to needy children around the world.

Eden Prairie clubs got involved in helping out during the holidays as well. Key Club made cards to send to U.S. soldiers overseas to spread the holiday spirit.

The Optimist Club of Eden Prairie is an

organization that is a popular volunteering site for Eden Prairie students each year.

They ask for volunteers in the outreach room at EPHS, where countless students can take advantage of the opportunity. Volunteers help by setting up, organizing, and unwrapping trees. In addition, volunteers build stands for the trees and set up displays. Lindsay Brady is an EPHS junior that decided to volunteer at the sales.

“I liked seeing people, greeting them, and looking at how happy they were once they bought a tree,” said Brady. “I think that volunteering around the holidays is extremely important and a great time to show you care about other people.”

by serviceable EPHS studentstrees, sweeping fallen needles and adjusting wreaths.

Photos by Melissa BermanCards written by Key Club to soldiers overseas wait to be mailed off as more students add to the collection.

Heidi Colford adds her holiday letter to a US soldier to the waiting basket in the Outreach Room.

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The Eyrie, December 2012 News 27

By Katie Pylipow

Dec. 21, 2012, is a date that conjures up mixed emotions. People believe that this day will bring everything from a chaotic catastrophe to just an ordinary Friday.

Whether anything, apocalyptic or not, will happen is unknown. But the fact that many people are anxiously awaiting this day is undeniable.

The 21st of December is regarded as the last day of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar. While most people blame the Mayans for creating the myth of this doomsday, Mayanist scholars say that there are no predictions of disaster in any surviving classic Mayan accounts and that the ending of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar misrepresents the Mayan’s beliefs.

The term “apocalypse” comes from the Greek word apocalypsis, which literally means uncovering.

Biblically, the apocalypse refers to the uncovering of meaning hidden from humans in a time of falsehood. Some people believe that the financial collapses, political scandals and wide-spread rioting of the last decade proves that mankind is in a time of misconception, and that Dec. 21 will start a new time of awakening.

“I don’t think anything will blow up or anything like that,”

sophomore Jasmine Dominguez said. “I think that a lot of people are going to change their views on everything.”

Comparisons are drawn from the book of John in the Bible. There was a prophecy of an apocalypse when angels told John that Babylon, a city of sin, would fall, but out of it would come the New Jerusalem.

Others believe that the world will be engulfed in natural disasters in the days leading up to Dec. 21, which, in their opinion will be the end of the world. “Solar winds are making

storms like Hurricane Sandy and that coinciding with the Mayan calendar, the world will end on Dec. 21,” senior Brett Gerrard said.

Other beliefs include the ideas that Earth will be engulfed in a black hole, the arrival of the next solar maximum and the collision of Earth and a planet known as “Nibiru.” NASA has been tracking Nibiru for a while now. “It used to be farther away than Pluto, but now it’s closer to Jupiter. So it’s moving towards Earth,” Gerrard said.

Extremists believe that strange

things have been happening that the media refuses to report. For example, there are rumors of birds falling out of the sky for no apparent reason, species of fish dying by the thousands and rivers that turn blood red. Radicals are using the internet to convey that these events are evidence that armageddon is right around the corner.

Some people think that the end of the world is just a myth. Sophomore Peyton Maddern thinks that Dec. 21 will just be an ordinary day. “Maybe it will snow,” Maddern said.

Artwork by Veera Vasandani

Is this the end of the world?

Remembering the 20th Annual AP Euro Trials

Photos by Laurie LinscottOn Dec. 11, characters from throughout history made an appearance in the 20th annual AP Euro Trials. Seniors Salam Bachour, Richard Montwill and Tessa Hilpipre played the three main characters tried for treason. Other famous characters included Abe Lincoln, Mozart, Batman and Louis XIV.

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News 28 The Eyrie, December 2012

By Hannah Jeter

Four EPHS students will travel to New York City in February to perform on a stage that has seen many legends since its advent in 1891. Juniors Jacob Hann, Keeheon Nam and Kyle Tsuchiya, and senior Paige Schoenherr will perform in Carnegie Hall at the Perelman Stage.

For these students, the road to Carnegie Hall included a teacher nomination, an application, and a recorded audition of four minutes

of two contrasting pieces. Nam went last year with now senior Jackson Mullet and used the song he performed there last year as a piece for the audition.

Nam is excited to showcase his skills at Carnegie. “I’m shocked that I get to perform in the same place that many professional musicians get to perform in and it’s not something that you can say every day, ‘I performed at Carnegie Hall.’”

Students headedto Carnegie Hall

iLearn takes over at EPHS

Artwork by Veera Vasandani

By Hannah Jeter

After about four hours of student music, junior Isaiah Baker described his Blues Rock experience as “great” and “musical.”

Baker performed with junior Ben Goodrich alongside thirty other acts in the Blues Rock Concert on Friday, Nov 30. They performed a medley of One Direction songs and “Love Interruption,” by Jack White.

Baker has been preparing his songs since August, but had only practiced them with Goodrich since the Tuesday before the concert. Despite the limited groundwork, Baker thought their pieces went well. “Wow, that was really fun, I had a really good time performing,” he said he thought as he exited the stage.

This was Baker’s third time performing at the Tree Hugger Club and Amnesty International Club sponsored concert. The performance raises money for charities every year, and this year raised just under $1700.

Fun fundraisingat Blues Rock

Half of the money went to the World Wildlife Fund through the Tree Huggers Club. The WWF focuses on saving endangered species, and protecting endangered places like the Amazon tropical rainforest. The other half went to Amnesty International, a nonprofit organization that works towards protecting human rights internationally.

Senior Alette Gilje is a member of both Tree Huggers Club and Amnesty International and was the Blues Rock coordinator. She thought that her efforts paid off: “It’s really cool to get to exhibit that kind of talent in this school in a way that also raises money,” she said.

Junior Olivia Urbanski was an onlooker at the event. “I thought some of the acts were pretty long, but overall I enjoyed it,” she said.

By Hayley Brandser

With a change to the previously announced plan for technology at EPHS, the school board made the decision to go through with the district iLearn@EP plan.

The plan includes a financially maintainable model to put MacBook Airs in every high school student’s hands.

The original thoughts considered distributing iPads to every high school student. While the high school has decided to go in the direction of MackBook Airs, CMS will still be rolling out iPads to middle school students.

“Developmentally, it was pretty clear that a laptop is a better device for a high school student than an iPad,” Principal Conn McCartan said.

In these technological times, the variety of gadgets to choose from is endless.

The Macbook Air was chosen because of its proficiency, flexibility and total cost of ownership. This laptop is fast and powerful, and it is also a great tool for communication, collaboration and creation, said Swanson.

“I think it’s a really good idea, especially for kids who don’t have access to technology like this at home,” junior Jenny Leestma said.

Another aspect of the plan is the method to obtain these devices.

The Macbook Airs will be acquired through a four year lease, with a buy out option at the end of year three.

According to Executive Director of Technology Josh Swanson this causes the MacBook

Air’s total cost of ownership to be equal to or at less than the cost of iPads, making the MacBook Air the more economically attractive device.

Working with Apple, around volume, amount of time, and being able to switch out products will cause the total cost of ownership to

be the most reasonable. “The cost of ownership of a

MackBook Air got to a place where it was competitive, if not lower than an iPad,” McCartan said.

This plan was presentedon Tuesday, Nov 27, by Swanson;

Superintendent Curt Tryggestad; Executive Director of Education Services Stephen West; Chief Operating Officer Patricia Magnunson and Executive Director of Communications and Community Relations Bob Noyed. According to Swanson, this plan is cost conscious and there are several

factors that will affect the district’s budget.

EPHS students and teacher have a variety of opinions on these upcoming plans. Some students believe the money could be spent in a better way.

Many other students feel the same way, but feel it will be beneficial if successful. “I think the money could be used in a different way, but it will be good if they actually implement the idea,” junior Olivia Urbanski said.

Now that this decision has been made, the school will move into the planning stages of the process. In no hurry to roll out the devices, the board wants to ensure that this plan will be highly successful, so they will spend a fair amount of time in this planning stage.

There is a possibility that the school will test this plan this year in classes with teachers who feel ready.

Many EPHS teacher support this plan and feel it will benefit students in many ways.

“It’s great that students are all going to have a device in which they can utilize to do research and write papers. It gives access to this technology that otherwise not all students would have,” English teacher Kristen Bankers said. ■

The Eyrie, December 2012 News 29

By Audrey Altmann

This upcoming holiday break, EPHS has a whole 12 days off from school. To avoid sitting in your house over the break, we created a fun-filled calendar with various

places or events, that anyone can participate in, for every day of winter break, starting on Dec. 22.

While many teenagers may spend winter break sitting in their basements playing X-Box, texting or tweeting, they are missing out on many fun, year-round activities. Many of these places, such as Grand Slam and Sky Zone, are open for the entire year and can be enjoyed even after winter break. These activities range from sporting events and places to go with friends, to a parade or movie that you can watch with your family.

All of the places or events in the calendar are located relatively close to Eden Prairie and are affordable for almost everyone. Some, like the Holidazzle Parade, are even free. The wide range of choices for things to do during your winter break can make a seemingly boring or dull day into an adventure with your friends or family.

Saturday, December Sunday, December 2322

Dazzling activities for winter The Hollidazle Parade is just one of many ways to make your holiday more fun. The bright and colorful lights of the prade are sure to brighten up your evening.

Watch the Hollidazzle Parade: it is something everyone should see at least once. With dazzling floats all lit up for the hollidays, and hunderads of people gather to watch despite the cold weather.

Last days: Thursday20-Sunday 23in downtown Minneapolis

Bowl at Burunzwick Zone Open 9 a.m. -1 p.m.Price per game: $4.99

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Entertainment 30 The Eyrie, December 2012

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Monday, December Tuesday, December Wendsday, December

Friday, December 28 Saturday, December

Sunday, December Monday, December Sunday, January

24 25 26

27 28 29

30 31 1

Go shopping at the Mall of AmericaMall hours: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Go to a Minnesota Timberwolves v. Houston Rockets game.7 p.m. Target Center

Thursday, December

Spend time with your family today!

Watch Monster’s Inc. 3D In theatres AMC Showplace Inver Grove 16showtimes: 12:20 p.m., 2:50 p.m., 5:15 p.m., 7:45 p.m., 10:15 p.m.

After an entire ten days of fun activities, it might be advisible to get some ret before starting school again. Or you could always celebrate the new year, and continiuation of the world as we know it.

Happy New Year!

Jump around at Sky ZonePlymouth location: open from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Watch the Vinkings v. Green Bay Packers Game12 p.m. at the Mall of America fieldticket price: starting at $25

Go to Grand Slam10 a.m. -midnight

Splash around at the Water Park of America. This huge indoor waterpark is open year round.

Times and fees:11 a.m. -10 p.m.: $34.9511a.m.- 4 p.m.: $27.954 p.m. - 10 p.m.: $27.95

The Eyrie, December 2012 Entertainment 31

By Elizabeth Kenyon

Before walking into Barbette, a French bistro in Uptown, I get a glimpse of the dim lighting and closely-packed people through a big bay window. Wanting in, I rush around the corner and in through the small door. After being taken to my table, I take a moment to marvel in the warm atmosphere of the small but artsy room. Turning around, I scan the wall full of individual paintings of things like sleeping dogs and lounging women. The tables are packed closely together to give customers the feeling of closeness and unity.

My attention is soon turned away, now focusing on the small selection of fancy-sounding foods, ranging from things like Escargot Agnolotti to Seared Arctic Char.

I order a plate of some slightly over-priced pan-seared scallops as an appetizer, or as they like to call it, an “amusement.” The scallops sat on a slightly peppery sauce and after tasting the scallop with and then without it, I decided that it was much better with the

sauce. Needless to say, the plate of three did not last very long, and they were definitely worth the price.

Soon, my entree arrived. I decided on Steak Frites and Steak au Poivre, or pepper steak and fries. Just like any normal person would do, I tried a couple fries first with the mustardy sauce it came with and smiled. They were chewy, soft and frankly, absolutely perfect.

Then I picked up my fork and my knife and dug into the steak. The peppercorn sauce made the already juicy and delicious steak even more flavorful. It was cooked to perfection. Something about it made it better than any other steak I’ve ever had.

Lastly, I had to choose from a wide range of desserts, all of which made my mouth water, but I

had to go with one of my personal favorites: molten lava cake. Breaking into the soft outer shell, the plate flooded with chocolate sauce. After eating it with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream, I was extremely happy with my decision.

Barbette’s is a great place for an elegantly casual night out with a group of friends. You will leave a generally happier person. This is a place for light and happy moods where you can leave the seriousness of your life outside.

Restaurant Review

French food, light moods at Barbette

Photo by Elizabeth Kenyon

By Olivia Hodo

“Breaking Dawn, Part II” features Bella (Kristen Stewart) in her newborn vampire form. As Bella learns and develops as a vampire, her daughter

Renesmee (Mackenzie

Foy) is

growing as well, and at an alarming rate. This is something that the highest vampires, the Volturi, will not overlook. The Cullen’s try assembling a force of witnesses to change the Volturi’s decision, but could an unexpected plot twist change the story completely?

“Breaking Dawn” is arguably

By Audrey Altmann

On Dec. 14 “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” came to the screen as the film adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien’s novel published in 1937. A prequel to the popular Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the book is well known to people of all ages.

The story is about a mythical world of dwarves, wizards, elves, dragons and hobbits, which is the race of the main character of the novel. Bilbo Baggins is used to his quiet, boring life and is content with this. Until one day a wizard asks Bilbo to embark on a quest with himself and 13 dwarves to reclaim their lost treasure.

I thought that the character of

the most anticipated movie of 2012 and it definitely lived up to the hype. With the familiar cast and setting one may think, this one will be no different, but this one seems a bit different. It could be the new view on the vampires, with a few new cast members or it could be that the movie strays from the book, finally. In any case, this movie came out on top. The movie gained $141 million on its opening weekend, $100 million more than “Skyfall”.

Stephanie Meyer really outdid herself and we will see if it was just a fluke on March 29, 2013, when her next bestselling novel, “The Host” hits theaters. There is rumor that Meyer will be writing a sequel to Breaking Dawn this summer, and considering how open the ending was left; this could very well be true.

Bilbo was one that nearly everyone can relate to in some way. He learns about the importance of bravery throughout the novel, but wasn’t without his own flaws as well. The dwarves provide the comic relief of this story while Gandalf is the unofficial “leader” of the group, being the most power-ful one of them all.

While it was slightly confusing at times to grasp

the details of the plot, the book’s theme of heroism shines through. Over-coming obstacles, no

matter how big or small, is something that anyone can relate to. The challenges that this little hobbit faces and ultimately tri-umphs over allows your imagina-tion to run free with this novel and gives hope to those who believe they are powerless.

‘Breaking Dawn Part II’ breaks records, continues the story many have followed

‘The Hobbit’ a timeless classic that will

take you on ‘an unexpected journey’

Movie Review Book Review

A window looking into the restaurant shows the display of artwork on the back wall.

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Entertainment 32 The Eyrie, December 2012

By Kelly Nitzsche

As students are entering the holiday season, festive activities and music get people going. Here are some favorite holiday songs for this season. Rated on a snowflake scale, one snowflake being cheesiest holiday song, and five being one of the best holiday songs.

“Mistletoe,” Justin BieberWe all love some of the modern

holiday mixes, but Justin Bieber does a great job of making these holiday songs more appealing to tween girls. But J.B. could have refrained from using the word “shawty” in this holiday song.

“Last Christmas”- Glee CastMany students are guilty of

being “Gleeks”. With this peppy and pop filled holiday song, a

Classic-gone-pop, many students find this a holiday playlist must.

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” - Boris Karloff

Once you hear “You’re a mean one, Mr.Grinch…” you know you can sing the whole song in your head.

We remember watching “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on TV during the holiday season multiple times. We all know and love the Grinch.

“Jingle Bell Rock” -Bobby Helms

This is one of those songs you just cannot hate. It is a fun and festive song that puts a smile on everyone’s face.

“Baby its Cold Outside”- Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer

A cute classic, some students remember it from the movie “Elf ”, and some students know it as a classic.

Regardless, it’s one of those songs that will automatically put you in the festive, holiday mood. Happy listening!

Cheesiest holiday songsBy Collin LaVone

Over the last few months, there have been a number of great albums released. I’ve compiled the best albums that have been re-leased in recent months. Covering all of the main genres: Hip-Hop/Rap, Country, Rock, Pop, and Indie/Alternative, this will cover every music lover’s interests.

Hip-Hop/Rap: “The Heist,” Macklemore.

Macklemore is slowly becom-ing one of the most popular and

controver-sial rappers. He and his producer Ryan Lewis produce a unique sound by using a

trumpet and drums in their songs. His song “Same Love” captures his opinion on the gay rights contro-versy. Macklemore is an inde-pendent artist, meaning he is not signed to a label, making his work even more impressive. Having been through a lot throughout his life, most people can relate to the lyrics in his music and will find this album to be a breath of fresh air in the genre of hip-hop.

Country: “Red,” Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift has been the talk of the music industry for quite some time. After a somewhat quiet last album, many wondered if she could still put out albums like her

multi-platinum album “Fearless.” “Red” is noth-ing short of impressive. Taylor has a way of mixing both pop and country into her songs to make a very enjoyable blend of music. Her song “Everything Has Changed” featuring singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran is a perfect example of this. People will always have their opinions on Taylor Swift, but this album may be her trademark album when looked back on years from now.

Rock: “Night Visions,” Imagine Dragons.

Imagine Dragons does a great job of mixing rock, pop and

electronic in their album “Night Vi-sions.” This is Imagine Dragons first full length album, and it went over

and above expectations. Their song “On Top of the World” is refresh-ing, brilliant, and an overall happy tune, while their hit “It’s Time” added a new twist to top 40 radio. The rest of their album has more than a one hit wonder to offer, and is song to song one of the most complete albums out there.

Pop: “The Truth About Love,” P!nk. Most people are

familiar with P!nk and her usual twist on pop music, but this album covers all spectrums of music. The song “Blow Me (One Last Kiss)” shows her usual flair and pop sound, the song “Beam Me Up” shows her large vocal range and ability to sing a ballad type of song, and the song “Here Comes the Weekend” shows her ability to blend both a more rock sound with hip-hop with the addition of Eminem. Overall, this album is nothing short of excel-lent.

Indie/Alternative: “The Lumineers,” The Lumineers. Since beginning in 2005, the Lumineers have slowly built up in popularity, and now are finally be-ing heard by the masses. In their self-titled album “The Lumineers,” more than anything, they display their unmatchable ability to song write. For example, the song “Charlie Boy” shows off their abil-ity to write a great song while also sounding great. Each song, begin-ning to end, is its own little mas-terpiece. They also have a unique acoustic sound that will always leave you wanting to hear more.

The latest and greatest winter albums

By Elizabeth Kenyon

This year has churned out quite a few successes when it comes to movies. Epic action, “aw” eliciting romance, comical cartoons, and hilarious comedies. We had it all. Somehow, despite all the economic hardships, people still found the time and cash to sneak some snacks in their bags and head to the theaters. As they should have, because these movies are some of the best of this year.

1“The Avengers.” All of the superhero movies that led into it were amazing

by themselves, but put together in one movie just doubled the fun.

2 “The Lorax.” Cute and funny with a message behind it. It made my

face contort so much it hurt at the really sad parts, and it had a beautiful ending that had the same effect, just for a different reason. Oh, and the songs were great as well.

3 “The Amazing Spiderman.” Totally better than any of the

originals. It contained more modern action and some of my favorite actors and actresses, like Emma Stone.

4 “This Means War.” It was the perfect mix of a romantic comedy and an

action-comedy. It didnt have any of that gross lovey-dovey stuff, and some of the scenes in the movie made me laugh until I was bent over, gasping for breath.

5 “The Hunger Games.” Tons of people read the books, and even more

saw the movie. Most would agree that the book was better, but the movie was a good runner-up. Raise your hand if you’re holding your breath for the second!

If you haven’t seen any of these yet, then either you’re too busy or you’re living under a rock. Well, make the time and get out from under that rock because these movies are definitely worth it.

Some of the best movies of this year

The Eyrie, December 2012 Entertainment 33

Photo by Jack GraenThe boys hackey team has realized early that their success depends on unselfish play and trust in one another. Pasta dinners, pancake breakfasts and playing pond on off days are just a few of the ways the team bonds with each other.

Team bonding at its absolute bestBy Jack Graen

If you ask any member of a successful team why their team did so well, odds are they will attribute at least some of their success to their ability to work well

together. Teams that work well together are better

off than those who are not able to function well as a unit.

This is true for teams all throughout the world of sports. From the highest, professional leagues to t-ball and mini mites, teamwork is a key part of their winning formula.

EPHS teams are no exception to this. They have a reputation of excellence and are always among the state’s top performers.

The boys hockey team is constantly one of the state’s top performers and is ranked in the top ten in the state.

“We really have a lot of trust in each other out there on the ice,” senior Nic Bentz said. “We hang out on the weekends, go out to eat and even shower together.”

The team also has pasta dinners which are occasionally held at senior captain Andrew Knudsen’s house. “Knuder’s house is where we really bond and get to know each other,” said Bentz.

“It’s important that you get to know the people on your team,” senior Amy Gelle said. Gelle is a senior captain on the dance team. The dance team also recently went on a camping trip together.

“We had to pitch our own tents and get everything set up together,” Gelle said. “We ended up sleeping in our cars though because our tent got so wet from the rain.” The important part was that the team was problem solving together, and that was the point of the camping trip.

The Nordic skiing team also has built up a lot of team chemistry. Many members of the team participate in track and field and cross

Sports 34 The Eyrie, October 2012

Spo

rts

to know each other even better, and they are able to build up a positive team atmosphere.

“We help drive each other. During workouts, we’re able to pick each other up and push each other to do better and get faster times,” Stenoien said. “This year’s team really has built up really great camaraderie.”

Almost every day of the week, the wrestling team is together. “We have practice every day after and spend every Saturday together at competitions,” senior Matt Gribben said. Gribben, a veteran team member and a captain, thinks the really benefits from all of the time together.

“We become more than teammates. We

Photo by Jack GraenThe boys hackey team has realized early that their success depends on unselfish play and trust in one another. Pasta dinners, pancake breakfasts and playing pond on off days are just a few of the ways the team bonds with each other.

Team bonding at its absolute bestcountry too.

“It’s easier when it’s a lot of the same people all year. We’re all doing the same type of training at the same time, so it’s easy to become close as a team,” senior Mitch Stenoien said.

Being a captain of the Nordic team, he is one of the team leaders and organizes some of the team-building activities.

The team most recently traveled to West Yellowstone, Montana, on one of its trips. Every season, they take multiple trips around the Midwest to train for the upcoming season.

These trips help the team members get ■

Submitted PhotoThe dance team huddles up to end their practices every day with an “Eagles” chant.

become friends,” Gribben said. “That is a big part of why we have been successful as a team.”

Team building is obviously a key facet of a successful team. Getting to know teammates and spending time with them are extremely important. Team members work better when they know who they’re working with, and all EPHS teams know team bonding is a key part of being a winning team.

Through pasta parties, pancake breakfasts and sometimes things as simple as a team chant, it is important to find ways that time can be spent getting to know your teammates beyond your sport.

Photo by Melissa BermanMembers of the Nordic skiing team chat with each other around the table at a pasta dinner.

The Eyrie, October 2012 Sports 35

Once again, football state champsPhotos by Jack Graen

Team featured in documentaryBy Lauren Bren

As if state-wide recognition was not enough, the football team was also profiled in a short documentary filmed by USA Today. After being ranked 21 in the country on various pre-season polls, it is no wonder why these boys of fall were highlighted.

The football program boasts many accomplishments under its belt including eight state championships, numerous section titles, and is a renowned breeding ground for many outstanding athletes.

Their winning formula was documented for five days prior to the big homecoming game by USA Today. A film crew followed the team, interviewed players, talked to coaches, and videotaped games in order to show snippets of the lives of Eden Prairie football players.

To watch these videos, go to www.USAToday.com, type in “Eden Prairie Football” and click the Videos link.

The football team took home the state title on November 23 after breaking through clouds of doubt about its ability to perform and prior defeats. After thoroughly beating Lakeville North with a score of 28-7, the team proved once again that they are the best in the region.

Grant speaks

Photo by Jack Graen

By Audrey Altmann

“Our goal every year is to have a special team and this year’s was uniquely special,” said head football coach Mike Grant. Due to the high standards of past years, the whole team understands the pressure that comes along with being part of the Eden Prairie football program. Despite the regular season losses,“We managed to play really well in the end,” Grant said.

Every year around this time Grant’s name is overheard for many different positions at the college level, but “I’m still here, aren’t I?” said Grant.

The rumor now is that Grant is considering a job at St. John’s University. “If they approached me, I would certainly be interested in talking to them, but no one from the school has contacted me in any way.” Grant’s focus now is beating Elk River in the first game of next year.

Sports 36 The Eyrie, December 2012

Q&A: Clancy FerrisTrash TalkA Returning Column

Bandwagon Fans

By Hannah Jeter

In sports, athletes and coaches get a lot of attention, but behind-the-scenes workers like managers often go unrecognized.

Senior Clancy Ferris is one of this year’s hockey team managers.

Hannah Jeter: What do you do as a hockey team manager?

Clancy Ferris: We fill waters, take stats, collect sticks and that’s about it.

HJ: What’s the best part?

CF: Probably being able to go to all the games, and it’s nice not having to pay to go to the games.

HJ: What’s the worst?

CF: Probably doing tryouts and all the jerseys that we have to sort through, like the used, gross jerseys.

HJ: Why did you want to be a manager?

CF: Because my sister did it, and she needed someone to do it after her.

HJ: How did you become a manager?

CF: We just asked the coaches and talked to them.

HJ: Any interesting stories?

CF: The coach got hit in the face with a puck. It was during a game, and we were watching and he got hit in the face.

HJ: How much time do you spend managing?

CF: Everyday after school.

HJ: During tryouts what was your typical routine?

CF: We hand out the jerseys and then the coaches would tell us what color jerseys they need and we’d write down their number and the color that they took.

Photo by Jack GraenSeniors and hockey team managers Clancy Ferris and Samm Rogers fill water bottles during a recent hockey game

By Collin LaVone

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved the game of basketball. I played travel basketball for all four years possible, from fifth to eighth grade and I loved every minute of it. After playing my freshman year, I injured my back and was unable to play anymore. After a year of recovery, my back injury left me with one option; in-house basketball.

At first, I was a bit skeptical of in-house basketball. While growing up, the level of play was very low and it did not seem like very much fun. As I started the season, I soon found out the league was much different than I had envisioned it. The first thing I noticed was the amount of fun people were having. No matter what the score

was or how they were playing, everyone was having a good time, and it’s kind of hard not to like. Another thing I noticed that got my attention was the number of fans at the game. No, it’s not varsity basketball, but people enjoyed watching in nonetheless.

The league overall seemed like a great mix between competitive and noncompetitive basketball, and that is most likely the reason for the large amount of popularity. Playoffs are by the far the best part. After at least a dozen regular season games, the teams are divided into a bracket and seeded based on how well they did

during the regular season. This is where the competitive edge comes in. Players are

more serious, diving on the ground for loose balls. Every point counts. Everyone wants to be in that championship game in the main gym with all of their

friends watching. Last year my team was ranked

number one in the bracket, but somehow managed to get last place once the tournament was over. The games are always unpredictable. As much of a bummer it was, it was all good fun, and the season was a blast.

In-house basketball is often referred to as “Swagball,” and the name is well deserved. Well, at least I like to think so.

The game of swagball

By John Sullivan

Last year was one-of-a-kind for Eden Prairie sports. After dominating the MSHSL championships last year, it seems as if our students have been spoiled into thinking that they should expect this to happen every year, almost if it had become “the norm.” It was frustrating for me to hear people in the hallway who were bad-mouthing our teams that were unable to repeat as champions.

Athletes who compete at the varsity level understand how difficult it is to hear these kinds of expectations and try to live up to them every year. It is hard enough to fight through the Lake Conference regular season and sections, as our teams have among the hardest schedules in the state.

The football team received the most criticism for its lack of usual dominance during the season, which is amusing because they finished as state champions. During the games against Edina and Wayzata at the end of the regular season, it was almost as if our fans had given up on the team.

At the volleyball state tournament, smaller schools like Owatonna and Hutchinson dismiss students for the day, and most end up going to support their team in what might be their only trip to a state tournament for the entire year. I wish that students were able to see how much these other schools get behind their teams and realize that we are fortunate to have such strong programs and need to give teams the support they deserve.

This isn’t meant to bash our students, more so to express my disappointment in the way our fans constantly expect success. Sports, like life in general, take you on a journey of ups and downs. Our athletic success is part of what makes our school so special, so let’s come together behind these teams as true Eagles fans.

Photo by Veera Vasandani

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The Eyrie, December 2012 Sports 37

Featured AthletesIt’s the beginning of a new sports season and many athletes are getting ready for the long winter. The sports include gymnastics, alpine skiing, hockey, pom squad, dance, basketball, Nordic skiing, wrestling and boys’ swimming. These are the athletes we are featuring this issue.

Senior Kari Johnson is a captain of the varsity pom squad. She says that she is looking forward to “continuing to lead the team. We are going into the Small Varsity category this year which is a really exciting change for us.”

Senior Annie Thul is a captain on the girls varsity basketball team. She said that the team this year has “a lot of new people on the team and a lot of returning players. It is also fun because it is a balanced team.”

Photo by Kelly Nitzsche

Junior Luc Snuggerud is on the boys varsity hockey team. “We are going to have a lot of good players coming back and a lot of younger kids coming up with talent. It’ll be fun trying to win a state championship,” he said.

Senior Matt Gribben is a captain of the varsity wrestling team. He says he is looking forward to the upcoming season: “We got a pretty good squad and I am excited since it is my senior year.”

Photo by Melissa Berman

Photo by Jack Graen

Photo by Katie Pylipow

Sports 38 The Eyrie, December 2012

For regular coverage on all sports and all players, visit theeyrie.org and follow @The_Eyrie on Twitter.For stories and photos of the nordic and alpine Featured Athletes, visit theeyrie.org.

Junior Brooke Hanson is a member of the double varsity (jazz and kick) dance team. She said, “I think I’m most looking forward to improving and growing as a person and as a dancer, and achieving our goal of winning state.”

Senior McKenzie Johnson is the goalie of this year’s girls hockey team, as well as a captain. Last year she was able to score five shutout games and had a .923 save average.

Junior Abby Soderberg is a member of the varsity gymnastics team. She is looking forward to “having a fun year with the team and just improving.”

This is junior Andre Wallace’s third year on the varsity basketball team. The team will have to overcome its tenth place state ranking if it wants to return to the state tournament after failing in this goal last year.

Photo by Kelly Nitzsche

Senior Aaron Greenberg is a captain on the boys varsity swimming team. He said “I’m looking forward to getting back with the high school team that won the state title last year and helping the team try to repeat for another state title.”

Photo by Jack Graen

Photo by Kameron Boike

Photo by Katie Pylipow

Photo by Melissa Berman

The Eyrie, December 2012 Sports 39

W

Two homes, one dream

By Ethan Nelson

When senior Aida Ebrahimi speaks of Iran with a fond, reminiscent tone, it becomes clear that despite the political turbulence and oppressive leaders, she thinks of Iran primarily as her home.

Ebrahimi moved from Tehran to Eden Prairie in September of 2010 as a sophomore, mostly so she and her family could receive a better education.

Her brother wanted to study social studies, and “Iran is not the place for that,” she said.

She also said that “when boys are 18 in Iran, they have to go to the military for two years. He couldn’t take it.

“At first I didn’t want to come,” she said. However, according to Ebrahimi, there are more opportunities for women in the U.S.

In fact, women are banned from many university majors in Iran. Ebrahimi said that she wants to study astrophysics in college, which isn’t allowed in Iran. “I always dreamed of working for NASA,” she said.

When she first came here as a sophomore, it was difficult. “I didn’t have any friends. My English was pretty bad. I didn’t understand people because they talked so fast. I couldn’t communicate.” Also, she said one of the biggest issues she had was navigating the large halls of the school.

Her misgivings about coming to the U.S.

quickly disappeared. She joined a few clubs, but initially wasn’t serious about any of them. Now that she’s more involved, she has made more friends and is more comfortable. “I would recommend that people who are new join clubs,” she said.

Now, as a senior, she is a leader of Amnesty International, FaceAids, French club, Treehuggers and Physics club. She is also a member of Young Democrats and Science Olympiad.

A passion for human rights is a large part of her reason for joining many of these clubs, especially Amnesty International. “ I really wanted to get the word out for human rights.

When I came here, I thought Eden Prairie was isolated. Some kids thought the world was just Eden Prairie. I want people to know that there is something outside the U.S.,” she said.

“I really care about human rights around the world because I’m from Iran and Iran’s

After leaving life in Iran, Aida Ebrahami wants to return to make a difference

Aida Ebrahimi was a coordinator for the Blues Rock Concert on Nov. 30 which was sponsored by Amnesty International. She is a co-president of the club, and is involved in many more such as FaceAids, French club,Treehuggers, Physics Club,Young Democrats and Science Olympiad. In Iran, she had no such opportunity to lead clubs.

Profiles 40 The Eyrie, December 2012

Pro

file

s

a country where freedom is not really expressed,” she said.

At her school in Tehran, there weren’t any clubs for students. The school system was different, as well.

In Iran students aren’t allowed to select their own courses. The government mandates which courses students must take.

“I found that system very beneficial because I don’t have to deal with choosing one class over another. I don’t have to think

about what I’m going to study.” “In Iran there were only girls in my

high school,” she said. Attending a school with both boys and girls was strange for her initially.

She was always required to wear a hijab. She chose not to wear it because “I don’t like to do things I am forced to,” she said.

“When I have the choice, I choose not to. Religion isn’t a big part of it; I’m not a very religious person. I’m born Muslim, but

I don’t practice.”One of the strangest things for Ebrahimi

was the relationship between teachers and students. In Iran, students are much more distant and maintain a respectful relationship with their teachers.

“When I came here, I saw how close students are with their teachers and how they joke around. That was really, really weird for me. Still I can’t understand it sometimes.”Though she has been in the U.S. for three years, she still keeps in contact with friends and family in Iran.

“I visited Iran this summer for a month. I will go again. I was really happy to go back to see my family and friends, but it was really, really hard to come back. Even my room is the same. Everything is still there.”

Ebrahimi still has her grandma, cousins, aunts and uncles in Iran. Her father travels between Iran and the U.S. frequently, taking care of things at home. “He’s trying to make up his mind,” she said.

In her mind, Iran is still her home, and she wants to go back eventually. “I sometimes think that if I want to go back to Iran, I would go for a cause, like for environment things. Recycling is not very good in Iran. I would go back to make it change, to make it a better place,” she said.

“I really miss Iran sometimes and I really want to go back there, but other times, when I hear the news or talk to my friends, I hear some sad stories that I think I am really lucky to be here,” she said.

Aida Ebrahimi was a coordinator for the Blues Rock Concert on Nov. 30 which was sponsored by Amnesty International. She is a co-president of the club, and is involved in many more such as FaceAids, French club,Treehuggers, Physics Club,Young Democrats and Science Olympiad. In Iran, she had no such opportunity to lead clubs.

Photo by Vivien Yue

‘‘’’

I don’t like to do things I am forced to.-Aida Ebrahimi

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The Eyrie, December 2012 Profiles 41

Double Take!Find 10 differences in the picture below. The solution can be found at theeyrie.org

Photos by Kameron Boike

10 things you didn’t know about: the human brainBy Jean-Pierre Tossa

1The brain is incapable of feeling pain because it has no pain receptors.

2It is not possible to tickle yourself because your brain can distinguish

between your own touch and external touch.

3The brain uses about 20% of all your body’s energy.

4While you are awake, your brain generates 10 to 23 watts of power,

which is enough to power a light bulb.

5You have to use five different areas of your brain to laugh.

6A living brain is soft enough to be cut with a butter knife.

7A human brain doesn’t fully develop until 17 or 18 years of age.

8Eyeballs are direct physical exten-sions of the brain.

9The brain consists of 60% fat, mak-ing it one of the fattiest organs.

10Humans grow faster at night than during the day due to the pitu-

itary gland, a part of the brain, releases a growth hormone while you sleep.

Monthy Horoscope: Capricorn Dec. 22-Jan. 20

By Valerie Eliasen

As a Capricorn, you are profound, responsible, practical, persevering, and ambitious. You have a strong work ethic; when you do something, you do it right. You are also stubborn, good at holding grudges and often lack self-confidence.

Capricorn is represented by the symbol of a goat. The goat’s motivation represents Capricorns because they

constantly aiming to climb higher and higher.

Capricorn, in the upcoming weeks away from school, you will be faced with an important choice. Rely on your practical mind to make the right decision. This month, aim to move past your

independent nature and reach out to

someone in need. This new friend could be an important ally in the future. In the next few weeks, rely on your steadfast and calm personality to help you deal with a difficult relationship. Remember to make allowances for other peoples mistakes.

During your birthday, relax and get out of your comfort zone. Do something outrageous with a few of your closest friends. You will be surprised at the fun you will have.

Variety 42 The Eyrie, December 2012

Var

iety

Spanish immersion in Guatemala for students

& educators Expose yourself to authentic language and

cultural experience next summer. 3 weeks of Spanish instruction, 5 hours a day, 3 students per teacher

format, homestay with a local family, 3 students per family, daily social and cultural activities including volunteer work and field trips during

the weekends. Learn through cooking, weaving and dance classes. Learn in 3 weeks what you would learn in your school in one year.

We also offer Spanish tutoring online through Skype with native Spanish teachers from Guatemala. With their help, you will be able

to raise your Spanish grade and GPA, improve your comprehension and your Spanish accent.

Casa Xelajú is fully accredited by the Guatemala Secretary of Education since

1987, With over 10,000 former students from all over the

world.

casaxelaju.com

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The brand-new Eyrie website has landed!

Visit www.theeyrie.org for daily updates, sports scores

and exclusive content

The Eyrie, December 2012