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American Studies class formed to combine American history and literature

American Literature teacher Ms. Anne Marie Dominguez teaches The Great Gatsby to her students in the newly developed class, American Studies, alongside U.S. History teacher Ms. Megan Kern. (Chris Bell)

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... Continue Reading

Besse stays hot with two more goals against Wayzata

February 6, 2012

Matt Muenzberg, Sports Editor

“We need our Kyle Rau,” said boys’ hockey head coach Mr. Ken Pauly, referencing the former Eden Prairie Eagle who not only led the team in scoring on their way to last year’s state championship, but also consistently showed up when his team needed a goal. BSM’s Kyle Rau is junior forward Grant Besse, who has been on a roll lately, averaging over 2.8 goals a game in his last seven games. He twice found the back of the net and added an assist in a 4-3 win over section rival Wayzata on Monday, Feb. 6. With section seeding on the line, there was a playoff-like atmosphere at the packed Plymouth Ice Center. “I loved it,” said Besse. “I thrive on that stuff.” Head-to-head match-ups... 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

Can you even believe me?

February 8, 2012

Liza Magill, Staff Writer

The other night I sat at the dinner table, attempting to elude the endless questions about my day from my inquisitive parents, when my father abruptly changed the subject. “So global warming isn’t actually happening,” he boldly proclaimed. “The Wall Street Journal had an article about it today; many scientists signed a document saying that it wasn’t happening.” I couldn’t and still can’t believe my father’s conviction about the truth in his claim. How could he believe this article to be completely accurate, while ignoring the thousands of other scientists who advocated on behalf of the same issue? It didn’t even have to do with my or his views about global warming at that... 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
Girls BasketballTue, Feb 07 DeLaSalle54-70 Read StoryL
Boys BasketballTue, Feb 07 DeLaSalle60-59W
Boys HockeyMon, Feb 06 Wayzata4-3 Read StoryW
Girls HockeySat, Feb 04 Totino-Grace9-0 Read StoryW
Boys HockeySat, Feb 04 Spring Lake Park15-0 Read StoryW
WrestlingSat, Feb 04 TBA9th Place
Girls BasketballFri, Feb 03 Spring Lake Park57-39W
Boys BasketballFri, Feb 03 Spring Lake Park67-65 Read StoryW
Girls HockeyThu, Feb 02 Spring Lake Park6-0 Read StoryW
WrestlingThu, Feb 02 Dassel-Cokato21-58L
Girls BasketballTue, Jan 31 Minneapolis Southwest70-38W
Boys HockeyTue, Jan 31 Jefferson7-1 Read StoryW
Click on any sport above to see a full schedule for that sport.
SportDateTimeOpponentLocation
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
Girls BasketballFri, Feb 17 7:15IrondaleHome
Boys HockeySat, Feb 18 2:30StillwaterSt. Louis Park
WrestlingSat, Feb 18 8:00Section OpponentsTotino-Grace
Girls BasketballTue, Feb 21 7:15St. FrancisHome
Girls BasketballFri, Feb 24 7:15Robbinsdale CooperRobbinsdale Cooper HS
Click on any sport above to see a full schedule for that sport.

Big D and the Kids Table create a new form of musical style on their latest album, “Fluent in Stroll”

Big D and the Kids Table's new release is a sincere record about love that never takes itself too seriously, which prevents its theme from becoming obnoxious.

Bernardo Vigil
October 27, 2009
Filed under Music Reviews, Reviews

Ever since ska music fell from the radio waves in the late nineties, once-great bands began dropping their horn sections and focusing more on the punk side of punk-ska, often with disastrous results (just listen to Less than Jake’s 2006 album “In With the Out Crowd”).

However, starting with Big D and the Kids Table’s 2007 release, “Strictly Rude,” and continuing on this summer’s  ”Fluent in Stroll,” the band has taken a step in the other direction––focusing less on distorted, crunchy guitar and more on smooth, jazz-influenced horn lines and clean vocal harmonies.  The results are beyond sublime (no pun intended) and Big D may have just released the best record of their 14-year career.

The new record, produced by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ Joe Gittleman, sees Big D tints their album with overwhelming optimism and adds a whole new set of sounds to their style, including four backup singers who perform collectively as the Doped Up Dollies.

The band wastes no time blasting into their new style, which they have christened “stroll”––a mix of hopscotch, doubledutch, soul, ska, and reggae.  On the the opening track, “Doped Up Dollies On A One Way Ticket to Blood” the first sounds to greet listeners are the Dollies themselves singing “Boom goes the dynamite, dynamite, dynamite/ Boom goes the dynamite dynamite boom!”

In addition to the impressive harmonies that the Dollies lay down, their greatest strength lies in knowing when to drop out and let the band shine.  Although their presence is instrumental in almost every single song on the record and certainly played a vital role in making the record what it is, the Dollies do a great job in remembering that they are backing vocals.  This knowledge allows them to be a force on the record without cluttering it up.

In addition to the new sound, the record is thematically tied together by a topic generally left untouched by ska bands––love.  Throughout the new record, lead singer Dave McWane does everything: reassure his lady of his fidelity (“Where Did All the Woman Go?”), encourage friends to not give up in their own searches for love (“Chin Up, Boy!”), and remind all of his listeners that Boston is the best place to live (“Down Around Here.”)

Unlike most love-song based recordings, “Fluent In Stroll” keeps from getting obnoxious both through its sheer sincerity and the fact that it never takes itself too seriously; in one particularly charming line, McWane sates that if his ex were to show up, he would spray her away with insect repellent.

With the new record, Big D and the Kids Table took a risk, and it paid off with a CD that is destined to be at the top of listener’s play-lists for months to come.  It’s also worth remembering that Big D hasn’t lost all of their roots; punk favorites “LAX” and “Steady Riot” still made it onto their set list for this summer’s tour.

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