In fact, the only thing remaining from the band’s debut album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out seems to be lead singer Brendon Urie’s distinctive vocals—and even these are much less frantic and are blended with new harmonies.

With its lazy strings and powerful horn arrangements, the new album’s first single, “Nine in the Afternoon,” has to be the most upbeat song about the end of the world: “Pickin’ up things we shouldn’t read/It looks like the end of history as we know/It’s just the end of the world/Back to the street where we began/Feeling as good as love, you could, you can.”

The album’s lyrics are drenched with words of change. In the song “That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed),” from which the album’s title originates, the lyrics, “Things have changed for me/but that’s OK/I feel the same/I’m on my way,” promote positive change for the band as a whole. The largest musical change in comparison to A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out is the overall tempo of the songs, which has slowed down significantly.

In addition, the band has formed their own style while experimenting with new things. Their songs are generally peppier and much happier than previous hits, which may disappoint fans looking for something more edgy.

Several of the album’s tracks include big-band instruments. In “Do You Know What I’m Seeing,” the band uses strings instruments throughout the song as well as a harmonica at one point, adding a twang to the tune.

While Panic’s debut first album was filled with sarcasm, this time around the band is much more literal and straightforward. With a much more pop-filled sound, the album is more laid back and is fun to listen to. Overall, Pretty. Odd. is Pretty. Amazing.

Hannah Muenzber, staff writer

Then comes the extra credit question. Which classes should I spend the time creating extra portfolio or poster projects? If I do one for English, I can earn up to fifteen points, but then again my artistic skills (comprised mostly of stick men or girls with triangular skirts) may not be worth any points so would I then be wasting 56 minutes of my otherwise French-final studying time.

In addition to this is the unstopable evil force of AP tests and SATs and ACTs and SAT IIs and the list goes on. I piled all my preparation and college books and discovered the almost disgusting fact that the stack is taller than I am. Obviously something is wrong. How am I ever going to squeeze all the tidbits of information out of these books into my tiny brain, of which I only use three percent?

But when I begin to depress myself about these books I wonder, “which is more important for college admissions, my finals or the SAT?” Then a whole new war erupts inside my mind. If I study for the SAT constantly, maybe I can get one more question right for every fifteen minutes I study. But maybe I would get more correct for that time period on my finals. But wait, the time I take to wonder which is more important will take away from study time. Heck, if you’re still reading this article you have just wasted at least three minutes of study time (that’s one-fifth of a question you could have gotten correct!).

That’s it. I give up. I think I’ll just rip my books up into 5,000 pieces and dip them in boiling acid before chucking them into a fire. Sounds like a good plan to me.

elin lantz

By this point in sections, BSM was playing in a double elimination round, where they had to lose both games before they were eliminated. The first game was against Hopkins, a first seed team, whereas BSM was a third seed team. “We were nervous going into the game, because we knew they were going to be our biggest competition and our most difficult team to play this season,” said senior Elle Zeman.

The Hopkins pitcher is known to be very good, which is the main reason why BSM struggled in the game; they couldn’t get any hits off their pitcher. The score was 2-0 during most of the game. “We hit well all season, but we picked the wrong game to have an off day,” said head coach Adrian Wagner.

Zeman had the first hit of the game, hitting a double, but it didn’t affect the score. In the last inning of the game BSM was down 2-0 and senior Brittany Stewart hit a single, followed by senior Larissa Clark who bunted, getting players on first and second base. Next, seniors Emma Shields-Nordness and Marie Renckens both bunted and got out, but brought Stewart home.

The team quickly shook off their defeat and prepared for an immeadiate follow-up game against Richfield in order to stay in the section tournament. The team was ready and pumped themselves up as much as they could going into the second game. “After we lost the first game we couldn’t lose again. It was our team goal all season to make it to state, so that kept us motivated going into the second game,” said Zeman.

Overall the second game was played much better than the first, but “after an unfortunate error and a couple bad calls by the umpire, we trailed 2-0 again, and just couldn’t come back,” said Zeman.

The Red Knights managed to stay strong, as senior Britt Stewart pitched very well, but in the end the team fell short with another 2-1 loss, ending their 2008 season. “We came close in both games. We didn’t quit,” said assistant coach Dan Bowler.

Although eight seniors ended their softball careers at BSM, they were able to leave having a record of 75-27 over the past four years.

elle mohs

To win the section, BSM would have had to win a double header again Bloomington-Kennedy.”We went into the game confident, playing one game at a time,” said junior Patrick Duda.

Throughout the game, it was constantly neck-and-neck as the score went back and forth between Bloomington-Kennedy and BSM. “The game was like a ping-pong match, going back and forth on who was ahead,” said junior Kevin Kosiek.

The Red Knights played strong, as they fought to keep up. Duda hit a two RBI double getting the Red Knights two points ahead in the fourth inning.

During the fifth inning, the Red Knights were faced with a major setback. Senior Steve Zierke was kicked out of the game for “plowing” over Bloomington-Kennedy’s catcher, Kevin Haram, as Zierke slid into home plate. “We were confident the whole game until Zierke got kicked out, and we began to lose some steam,” said Duda.

In the eighth inning, senior Jack Dwyer put the Red Knights up 10-8; then Duda hit a double and scored again, putting the Red Knights up 11-8. In the second half of the eighth inning, Dwyer gave up one run and senior Jon Lynch gave up two. Once again the score was tied 11-11.

In the bottom of the tenth, Lynch got the bases loaded and Bloomington-Kennedy loaded the bases and got a single up the middle making the score 12-11 and ending the game and season for the Red Knights.

elle mohs

Well, my group’s adventure began at Party America. We were certain that any decoration could be found there, but as we searched through the shelves of frilly piñatas and unrecognizable party favors, the best we could find were small packages of napkins, celebrating someone’s 90th birthday ($3 each).

We became so desperate, we even went to the counter and inquired if there were any other 90 year celebration supplies, but the only response was that we could buy two balloons including one that said 80 and another that read 10. That was it. We gave up and went to Ragstock.

Here we found odd assortments (butterfly jeans, turquoise spandex, and dresses that had been hanging for so long they were the consistency of cardboard) all under the pleasant background music of screaming, angry men.

We searched for at least an hour in the store, collecting anything that looked remotely 90ish. We tried on a large fraction of the store’s clothes in crazy combinations until even the customer with dreadlocks and a nose piercing was giving us bewildered glances.

When we finally left the store, all we carried was a five dollar denim skirt and weighty wallets. We knew then that it would take many more trips before ever getting close to pleasing the APUSH nun.

With her, everything had to be perfect. Sister Jeanne requested that we plan out every minute of the presentation, practically to the point of recording the pace at which the students should chew their pop rocks. We had to choose our basic topics to cover during the presentation, then subtopics, and then subtopics to those subtopics until we were supposed to have twelve subjects under “technology” (fascinating stuff to cover over three-quarters of an hour).

The other groups included several “educational” activities and played Twister during class and gave a dancing lesson on how to “disco.” It is amusing to watch a room full of history nerds attempt to act cool and coordinated while executing thirty-year-old moves. Perhaps this is why Sister Jeanne enjoys these projects so much.

elin lantz

Getting Started
While most boys gain interest in sports like football or hockey from peers, siblings, or from the media, these boys discovered rugby in a different way. Last year, junior Ben Sauer heard about playing rugby from a close friend. “My friend’s dad is from Australia and he was a rugby player over there. He coached for a Plymouth team so I started playing for their U-16 team last year.” Immediately Ben loved the sport which was apparent to his other friends who joined because of him this year. Although primarily football players, BSM juniors Tim Slater, Craig Shaver, Drew Breyer, and Zack Arostegui found enjoyment in this sport as well. “It gives us an opportunity to hit kids when its not football season,” said Craig Shaver.

Since February, these junior boys have been practicing, first in the Plymouth dome, and then outside due to the weather. Their team, the Plymouth Panthers, practices “twice a week with games on Fridays,” said Shaver. Yet, Fridays are the most anticipated days for this group of guys.

The Team

Win or lose this rugby team’s bond remains strong.”I really like the players on my team and our coach,” said Arostegui. With a team composed of a native Argentinean, a Canadian, others from around the Wayzata, Plymouth, Osseo area, and another teammate originally from Portugal, the thought of team unity would seem unlikely. However, Shaver, Breyer, Sauer, Slater, and Arostegui take part in team bonding. “On some Fridays, we get together at our teammate named Santiago’s house and eat enpanadas, or Argentine tacos,” said Shaver. Other than enpanada night, the guys often will “just hang out on the weekend,” said Sauer.

Playing the Game
With a heavy drizzle blanketing the field, 30 teenage guys clad in small shorts and tight jerseys take the Mound-West Tonka 100 meter pitch (field). It’s game night for the U-19 and U-17 rugby players which guarantees seventy minutes of line outs, scrums, and tries. Since the majority of the fans in the stands are clueless about this English sport, an announcer clears the confusion with an explanation of rugby terms as he provides play-by-play commentary.

The game begins with a kickoff. The ball is pursued by both teams, since either can have possession at this point. There is no blocking, and no downs, so the play is continuous. A small Panther player catches the ball and runs it forward, swiftly passing it backwards to Tim Slater as he runs into a mob of opposing team members. The play is continuous even when Tim Slater is suddenly tackled down into a muddy area of the field. As he hits the mud, the ball carrier releases the the ball so that other players can continue to play it. The ball goes out of bounds and the sir (referee) blows the whistle to stop the play.

Now, it is a line-out. To get the ball back in play, a Mound-West Tonka player throws the ball from outside the pitch to one of his teammates hoisted in the air, supported by surrounding players. Much like that of a cheer-leading lift, four boys, two from each team, are lifted into the air by their teammates. ZackArostegui is one of these players and, with outstretched arms, he snatches the ball and tips it off to a nearby Panther.

After only several minutes the sir again blows the whistle, this time due to an offsides penalty on the Panthers. The announcer informs the fans that a “scrum” will now take place. All the players now form a huddle like circle- hooking their legs and arms together. The ball is dropped in the center of this huddle, and players from both teams begin to push forward on one another. The Panther’s scrum half retrieves the ball and pushes it out of the circle, tipping it off to a shortstatured panther. He runs the ball several more yards into the try zone, scoring five points for the team. The true team chemistry of the Plymouth Panthers is apparent as Craig Shaver lifts the scoring candidate on his shoulders and parades him to the center of the pitch. Several other players gather to exchange high-fives and congratulations.

Only ten minutes into the game, the Plymouth Panthers prove to be an intimidating match for Mound-West Tonka. In the next 60 minutes, the Panthers prove themselves too daunting for the Tonka team and finish the game with a score of 25-10. For these BSM juniors, it has been another successful rugby game.

A Future for Rugby?
As the season comes to a finish, the thrill of the Friday night games and team get-togethers isn’t necessarily over for these five juniors. “We are all planning on playing rugby next year, and possibly in college on intramural teams,” saidSauer. The satisfaction, enjoyment, and testing of physical character the sport of rugby brings to these BSM students is one that truly leaves a lasting impact. ” I’m hoping that I can continue to play rugby as an adult…it’s a life sport,” said Shaver.

sarah koller

This summer, Collins is preparing to perform in two shows at the Fringe Festival, a celebrated event in downtown Minneapolis that recognizes the art of theater. One show is an extension of her acting conservatory class at Stages, of which she is the youngest member. “We create the show ourselves. So far it’s about a group of kids right before the apocalypse,” said Collins, “There’s a lot of crazy ideas going around. I’m the youngest person in the show, so I get all the random baby parts–like I might be tied to a car the whole time.”

The other production was written by two fellow Stages performers and is titled “Audish,” an abbreviation of “audition.” Collins plays an eager girl wracked with nerves about to audition for a show. “I have a spaz attack in the show. It’s a good time,” said Collins. Although her character can’t handle the pressure of a try-out, Collins herself has mastered that aspect of thespian life and isn’t fazed by the auditions and callbacks required for each show. “Once I even got a bloody nose during the callbacks forHarriet and Walt [at Stages]. I remember having the choreographer of the show, who I didn’t know, and the stage manager of the show, who I also didn’t know, try to shove Kleenex up my nose in the bathroom while trying to teach me the ballet combination,” said Collins. Despite a stressful audition, Collins snagged the lead as an eighth grader.

In addition to the shows for the Fringe Festival, Collins will take the stage in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown at Stages this summer and also recently found out she will start rehearsals for her first show at Children’s Theatre Company, Madeline and the Gypsies, in which she is one of twelve orphan girls. “I’m kind of scared because I have to miss 24 days of school next year for it, but I’m really excited,” said Collins.

Her first role at Stages was Piglet in Winnie the Pooh, and she then proceeded to appear in Seussical as a who kid, Honk, Harriet and Walt, and most recently, School House Rock this fall, along with juniors Sarah Crawford, Zach Mahler, and Amy Stockhaus, all of whom joined Collins in BSM’s production ofSeussical this month. “I think the main difference [between school productions and other shows] is that while both are really good, school shows are more relaxed,” said Collins. “It’s just a different setting. BSM puts on a good show and it’s definitely fun to be with all my school friends.”

Of her friends, Collins thinks of herself as the most comfortable being outgoing and loud, and that’s fine with her. “It’s almost easier to be crazy and have people secretly want to be as crazy rather than standing around waiting for some boy to ask you out–story of my life right there,” said Collins. “I’m also kind of an awkward person. I’m really awkward and klutzy, period. I think I’ve had a really big fall in every show I’ve been in, but not for Seussical, not yet,” said Collins.

With her ample experience in theater so early in high school, Collins looks forward to future plays at BSM and elsewhere and hopes to continue through college. “When I was little, I always wanted to be a princess, but I guess I gave that up. But of course it would be fun to be an actress or do something in music,” said Collins.

kaia preus

Since the elimination of the fall dance team season, competitive season coaches would no longer be able to work with their team until the winter season began. Some teams found ways to get around this rule by hiring alumni or other willing coaches to coach their fall dance “club.” In the fall of 2006 however, BSM home game half-times would remain fairly quiet.

In the spring of 2007 decisions were being made to change that. Football parents including Mrs. Riley and Mrs. Ingalls collaborated with dance team parents, Mrs. Sifferlin, Mrs. Johnson, and Mrs. Sundberg to come up with a way to draw more of a fan base and add a little more spirit to BSM home football games. The result was what would become known as Spirit Squad. After several meetings with Mr. Pettinger, parents and dance team members, the creation of this completely student-run club was finalized. The idea of Spirit Squad was that it was to be open for anyone regardless of dancing skill or experience who had spirit and wanted to be a part of fun half-time performances. In addition to the performing squad, flag bearers and a Red Knight mascot were also added in hopes of drawing a bigger and more enthusiastic crowd.

In the end, a total of 40 girls joined spirit squad, some trying dance for the first time in their lives. All routines and practices were choreographed and led by senior dance team members, and the whole club was advised by faculty member Ms. McDonald. “It was a group effort,” said senior Courtney Johnson, “even though not all the girls had dance experience, everyone tried their best and had a lot of fun.”

Despite having a successful trial-run of Spirit Squad in the fall of ’07, more changes are in store for next year’s squad. No longer will the responsibility of running the club be put on senior members, but instead, a coaching staff will be hired. “The final decision was made this spring by Mr. Pettinger upon a recommendation from the dance team winter coaching staff that more of an adult presence be part of the spirit squad,” said dance team head coach Sadie Oraskovich. The idea is to make the squad more of an activity than a club and lift the responsibility of leading it from the senior members.

BSM will be working with Advantage Dance, a company founded and owned by Kelly Hegarty; “Kelly has been contracted on several occasions to work with our winter high kick team, and her insight and dance tips have been quite helpful to our winter high kick team,” said Oraskovich. Because of these new changes, a participation fee will be required of all who join.

This new change was met with mixed reactions from graduating and returning members as having a coaching staff will change the dynamics of Spirit Squad a little, but hopefully not completely destroy the original intent of the program. “I hope it continues to be something anybody can be a part of whether or not they have experience,” said senior Rachael Peck. Having an experienced coaching staff may add more pressure on those who have little experience but hopefully not turn them away from trying something new.

While the effect the addition of a professional coaching staff will have on Spirit Squad is yet to be determined, it will still remain a fun activity in which everybody is encouraged to join in and an opportunity to participate in a long-cherished half-time tradition.

annalise sundberg

But one BSM student went above and beyond and signed up to become a state delegate at her district caucus.

Molly Kelly-Goss is currently a pledged delegate for Ashwin Madia, which means she has agreed, and is more or less bound, to vote for him as a senator at the state level in representation of the members of the sub caucus who voted for her. She is a part of the third congressional district and the 42nd Local Senate District. It’s more than a little complicated, but it comes with the territory. “Welcome to politics,” she says.

At her district caucus in Minneapolis, in addition to voting for her presidential nomination, she signed up to be a delegate. Then she, along with 116 other delegates went to their local senate district convention where they broke up into individual sub-caucus groups.

During the convention, 12 delegate hopefuls including Kelly-Goss took turns giving short speeches about why they should be elected to the position of delegate at the state level. Kelly-Goss refers to this fondly as “the step-ladder speech” because the candidates had to stand on a stepladder in the middle of the crowded convention floor in order to give their speeches.

The speech that won her one of four delegate positions focused on the necessity of diversity in the delegate body and the unique perspective she would be able to provide as a teen. She asked the other members of her sub-caucus to give her the opportunity to learn, and they responded well. She became one of two female delegates as well as the youngest in a group of middle-aged adults.

Kelly-Goss says she has come to know the other delegates well, as they all happen to be from her district. “I think it’s something in the water,” she jokes. “They’re all old, and I feel like a kid” but they have helped her learn the ropes, especially one delegate whom she affectionately refers to as “Zip.”

Kelly-Goss admits the power of her position makes her feel “a little bit” like a superhero. “I still have a choice,” she says, unlike other candidates who are locked in for a U.S. Senator candidate. Though she is obligated to vote for Madia at the state level, she is able to vote for whomever she wants at the national level.

However, the responsibility of her position is also a bit more than she expected. “I didn’t realize quite how far down the rabbit hole this would go until I was already in it,” she says. In addition to meetings with other delegates, she gets, on average, one phone call per night related to the DFL. “I have people calling me,” says Kelly-Goss. That is, state representatives, Madia’s opponents, call to “discuss issues.”

Political involvement is something that’s important to Molly Kelly-Goss. As she simply said, “If there is stuff going on that is going to affect me, I want to have a say.” She doesn’t think, however, that she will pursue a career in government in the future: “I’m too short and poor to have a career in politics,” she jokes. Kelly-Goss plans for it to be more of a “super-hobby. I’d rather be the one behind the scenes,” she says.