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American Studies class formed to combine American history and literature

February 3, 2012

Nicole Sarquis, Staff Writer

History teachers tend to ramble off unrelatable facts about flappers, bootlegging, and the ease of life in the “Roaring 20s” during a typical U.S. History class, leaving their students with no real understanding of the subject. At the same time, English teachers’ enthusiasm over F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” can only be understood if students reading the literary classic have a solid knowledge base of the time period the novel is set in. In an attempts to bridge the gap between literature and history studies, two teachers––Ms. Megan Kern and Ms. Anne Marie Dominguez––have paired up to teach their newly developed class, American Studies, to juniors, combining the... Continue Reading

Lumpkin’s layup helps boys’ basketball avoid upset

February 3, 2012

Matt Muenzberg, Sports Editor

“Don’t miss.” That was the thought that ran through the head of senior forward Sanjay Lumpkin when he got the ball under the basket unguarded with three seconds left in the game. Lumpkin made the layup, giving the top ranked boys’ basketball team a 67-65 win over number two Spring Lake Park. “We were just trying to get a screen and roll on the top. The ball went into the corner and I just cut back door and no one was guarding me,” said Lumpkin. The Red Knights struggled to contain Spring Lake Park’s Sean Scott, who had a career night with 36 points, 13 rebounds, and six blocks in a packed, pro-Panther gymnasium. Head coach Mr. John Moore admitted that guarding Scott isn’t an exact... Continue Reading

Rising actors partake in Les Miserables performance

Junior Shannon Galvin rehearses for the upcoming Les Miserables performance wither her fellow cast members. (Giulia Imholte)

Rising actors partake in Les Miserables performance

January 27, 2012

Emily Kline, Staff Writer

Blue Water Theatre Company, one of the Twin Cities’ top performing arts groups for youth, is taking on “Les Misérables,” one of musical theatre’s most famous works, for their winter production. Juniors Rachel Hogen and Shannon Galvin, along with sophomore Rachel Wallace, joined the cast in late November and are currently in rehearsals for the... Continue Reading

SOPA bill is ineffective, inefficient, and infringing

February 1, 2012

Nick Hillson, Staff Writer

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is a bill running through Congress in an attempt to curb the illegal uploading and downloading of copyrighted information and programs. Unfortunately, due to extremely vague wording and unclear definitions, the censorship proposed could extend to websites such as Facebook, various e-mails, and any other free forum. Not only is SOPA ineffective for all but the technologically impaired, but it violates our rights and benefits only a small handful of elites. SOPA works by requiring websites and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to search through sent information and to censor any infringing material. Not only does this ignore the privacy guaranteed in the Constitution... Continue Reading

Mock Trial season testifies the team’s talent

The Mock Trial team had a succesful season at several competitions due to immense practice and help from professional lawyers. (Photo courtesy of Jim Vogl)

Mock Trial season testifies the team’s talent

February 3, 2012

Mallory Hoch, Staff Writer

Beginning in October, the Mock Trial team has practiced every night from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in room 121 in preparation for upcoming competitions. Coming to a close on January 31st, the season ended on a strong note, making it to subsections before loosing their last competition. The season commenced with general practices to help initiate new members.... Continue Reading

SportDateOpponentResultW/L
Boys BasketballFri, Feb 03 Spring Lake Park67-65 Read StoryW
Girls BasketballTue, Jan 31 Minneapolis Southwest70-38W
Girls HockeySat, Jan 28 Hill-Murray1-3 Read StoryL
Boys BasketballSat, Jan 28 North Branch82-21 Read StoryW
Girls BasketballSat, Jan 28 North Branch66-40 Read StoryW
Dance TeamSat, Jan 28 Catholic JamboreeJ: 2nd/K: 3rd
Girls HockeyFri, Jan 27 St. Francis/North Branch10-0 Read StoryW
Boys HockeyFri, Jan 27 Moorhead2-6 Read StoryL
WrestlingFri, Jan 27 Robbinsdale Cooper47-27W
WrestlingFri, Jan 27 Mahtomedi33-34L
Boys HockeyThu, Jan 26 Irondale6-1 Read StoryW
Girls BasketballThu, Jan 26 Chisago Lakes58 -45 Read StoryW
Click on any sport above to see a full schedule for that sport.
SportDateTimeOpponentLocation
Girls HockeySat, Feb 04 3:00Totino-GraceParade Ice Gardens
Boys HockeySat, Feb 04 7:30Spring Lake ParkBlaine
WrestlingSat, Feb 04 9:00TBAPine Island
Girls BasketballMon, Feb 06 6:00DeLaSalleDeLaSalle
Boys HockeyWed, Feb 08 7:30Shattuck-St. Mary'sShattuck-St. Mary's
Girls BasketballFri, Feb 10 7:15St. Louis ParkSt. Louis Park
WrestlingFri, Feb 10 6:00Chisago LakesHome
Boys HockeySat, Feb 11 2:30Totino-GraceSt. Louis Park
Dance TeamSat, Feb 11 1:00SectionsAustin
Boys HockeyTue, Feb 14 7:00Chisago LakesChisago Lakes
Girls BasketballTue, Feb 14 7:15Columbia HeightsHome
Girls BasketballThu, Feb 16 7:15WaconiaHome
Click on any sport above to see a full schedule for that sport.

Dance punk band fails to deliver

March 19, 2008
Filed under Music Reviews, Reviews

Slick Dogs and Ponies is a classic final album for a one-hit-wonder. Maybe Louis XIV will create another album, but they probably shouldn’t. It might be impossible to make a more lethargic album than Slick Dogs and Ponies –– no hit songs can be squeezed out of this languid collaboration.

Louis XIV is supposed to be a dancy punk band –– this is the reputation the band received after their hit song, “Finding Out True Love Is Blind,” exploded onto the Indie scene. The single boasts a punchy beat and catchy tune, which is a style that Louis XIV fails to reproduce in any song on Slick Dogs and Ponies.

Actually, they didn’t fail to create catchy, dancy songs, they hardly tried –– there’s something inherently lazy about the band’s new album. All the beats lag, the guitars merely crunch out distorted quarter notes, and most of the time no one actually sings, but one guy in the band half-screams over the noise as if he were in a drunken stupor.

The guy’s name is Jason Hill, and his lyrics and singing parts don’t contain melody, harmony, phrasing, or any other aspect that would make them musical. He merely confirms in his lyrics every listener’s suspicion that this guy has spent the last couple of years indoors, drinking, smoking, and creating music the moment he wakes up with a hangover.

In the song, “Hopesick,” he even says, “I need sun, I need hope, I need help, I need dope,” to no particular melody or musical line. Hill’s right when he says that he needs help, and his band does too.

Slick Dogs and Ponies is a sadder, slower album than their previous one, The Best Little Secrets are Kept, and that doesn’t work for what should be an upbeat dance band. Louis XIV didn’t stick to their principles, or even try to for that matter, which is why Slick Dogs and Ponies will soon be forgotten.

by Andy Lesser, staff writer

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