Pond Hockey Tournament raises $50,035 for Jablonski February 1, 2012 at 7:58 pm
Students and teachers swap outfits for Catholic Schools Week February 1, 2012 at 7:58 am
Catholic Schools Week kicks off with pjs and honors February 1, 2012 at 7:58 am
One Act play takes second place at sub-sections February 1, 2012 at 7:57 am
Youth In Goverment members lobby for government changes February 1, 2012 at 7:56 am
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)
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
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
Junior Shannon Galvin rehearses for the upcoming Les Miserables performance wither her fellow cast members. (Giulia Imholte)
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
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
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)
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
| Sport | Date | Opponent | Result | W/L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Girls Hockey | Sat, Feb 04 | Totino-Grace | 9-0 | Read Story | W |
| Boys Hockey | Sat, Feb 04 | Spring Lake Park | 15-0 | W | |
| Wrestling | Sat, Feb 04 | TBA | 9th Place | ||
| Girls Basketball | Fri, Feb 03 | Spring Lake Park | 57-39 | W | |
| Boys Basketball | Fri, Feb 03 | Spring Lake Park | 67-65 | Read Story | W |
| Girls Hockey | Thu, Feb 02 | Spring Lake Park | 6-0 | Read Story | W |
| Wrestling | Thu, Feb 02 | Dassel-Cokato | 21-58 | L | |
| Girls Basketball | Tue, Jan 31 | Minneapolis Southwest | 70-38 | W | |
| Boys Hockey | Tue, Jan 31 | Jefferson | 7-1 | Read Story | W |
| Girls Hockey | Sat, Jan 28 | Hill-Murray | 1-3 | Read Story | L |
| Boys Basketball | Sat, Jan 28 | North Branch | 82-21 | Read Story | W |
| Girls Basketball | Sat, Jan 28 | North Branch | 66-40 | Read Story | W |
| Sport | Date | Time | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys Hockey | Wed, Feb 08 | 7:30 | Shattuck-St. Mary's | Shattuck-St. Mary's |
| Girls Basketball | Fri, Feb 10 | 7:15 | St. Louis Park | St. Louis Park |
| Wrestling | Fri, Feb 10 | 6:00 | Chisago Lakes | Home |
| Boys Hockey | Sat, Feb 11 | 2:30 | Totino-Grace | St. Louis Park |
| Dance Team | Sat, Feb 11 | 1:00 | Sections | Austin |
| Boys Hockey | Tue, Feb 14 | 7:00 | Chisago Lakes | Chisago Lakes |
| Girls Basketball | Tue, Feb 14 | 7:15 | Columbia Heights | Home |
| Girls Basketball | Thu, Feb 16 | 7:15 | Waconia | Home |
| Girls Basketball | Fri, Feb 17 | 7:15 | Irondale | Home |
| Boys Hockey | Sat, Feb 18 | 2:30 | Stillwater | St. Louis Park |
| Wrestling | Sat, Feb 18 | 8:00 | Section Opponents | Totino-Grace |
| Girls Basketball | Tue, Feb 21 | 7:15 | St. Francis | Home |
Dressed in bright costumes, skaters push, shove, and block each other as they race their way around the rink.
Bernardo Vigil
February 24, 2010
Filed under Reviews, twin cities hot spot
Roller derby should be every guy’s favorite sport. Tight pants, roller skates, and full contact –– oh and all of the competitors are female. Boasting two independent leagues in the metro area (St. Paul’s “Minnesota Roller Girls” that hold bouts at The Roy Wilkins and Minneapolis’s “North Star Roller Girls” who compete at The Minneapolis Convention Center), as well as a budding men’s league up north, Minnesota has one of the country’s most thriving roller derby scenes.
For those of you unfortunate enough to have not yet discovered this wonderful sport, roller derby competitions, or “bouts,” are broken up into two half hour periods that are further broken into a series of two-minute sessions of play called “jams” that run one after the other in quick succession. Skaters are broken up into two categories, “jammers” who score points, and “blockers” that simultaneously help their jammer score while trying to keep the other team’s jammer from doing so.
Blockers from both teams form one giant mass that skates around the rink called “the pack.” The pack must stay together at all times and jammers score points by successfully going through the pack, past the other team’s blockers. Blockers then can help clear the way for their jammer by shoving opposing blockers out of the way or can play defensively by not letting the other jammer pass. Either way, the players are always moving at full speed, and spills are not uncommon. Translation: this is why you have to be 18 to sit rink side.
Walking into a bout, spectators are immediately surrounded by an immeasurable energy, both from the fellow fans and the people running the event. In a fashion similar to football games, fans often come to bouts dressed to support their team of choice.
At the Minnesota Roller Girls’ Garda Belts vs. Atomic Bombshells “Femme Fatale” bout, full Irish garb in support of the Garda Belts and orange prison jumpsuits in support of the Bombshells filled the audience. At North Star bouts, spectators are encouraged to come in Halloween costumes all year long, making for an even better people-watching experience.
The people in the crowd aren’t the only ones who come dressed up. After a brief explanation of derby rules, teams burst out of the backstage sporting campy uniforms and stage names ripe with double entendres such as Double D. Fense, Hanna Belle Lector, and Alisin Chains. After further banter by the announcers, the “jam” begins.
Although a sport as physical and admittedly well organized as roller derby should be able to stand on its own, half of the event’s appeal lays in all the heart that goes into every other aspect of the event. Enthusiastic announcers, live half time entertainment, local hip-hop dance crews, and a janitor on wheels are just a few of the details that go into making every bout a spectacle. Spectators are even invited to come to the floor to dance during the half.
It’s also worth remembering that when you go to a Minnesota Roller Girls event, you are supporting a non-profit and a good cause. As all of the skaters are amateur, they don’t compete for money but for a love of the game; this means all of the proceeds go to keeping the league running as well as various local charities.
While the season for both of the leagues may be winding down, each league still has two more home bouts scheduled including their respective league championships (April 3rd for St. Paul’s league and April 10th for Minneapolis’s ). If you do end up attending, just don’t be surprised if you become one of the many sporting season tickets next year. Also, you can’t forget the cheer, “Faster! Faster! Kill! Kill! Kill!”
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