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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.

Immigration film leaves lasting impact

Kathleen Ambre
May 11, 2009
Filed under Movie Reviews

An inspirational story of physical and moral border crossings, “Sin Nombre” touches on a number of unpleasant realities in the midst of an unconventional romance. Frequent bouts of violence–so intense they invoke cringes–have the power to confound the audience. Captivating, impassioned and unpredictable this melodramatic Mexican film leaves a lasting impact on the hearts and minds of its viewers.

The film was written and directed by the young Cary Joji Fukunaga, winner of the 2008 USA Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, the John H. Johnson Film Award, and the 2009 Sundance Film Festival Excellence in Cinematography, who has proved his innovative talent and authenticity. Alongside an accomplished cast of fresh faces—Paulina Gaitan and Edgar Flores—the film as a whole succeeds in awakening its audience to woeful realities taking place in impoverished Central America.
Two separate lives on discrete paths cross at the junction of a fatal and inevitable encounter. The first of the two is rooted in the chaos of Tapachula in Chipas, Mexico, where Casper (Edgar Flores), a teenage member of the malicious street gang Mara Salvatrucha, is headed toward an inevitable demise. Casper attempts to escape his troublesome past when his story conjoins with that of Sayra (Paulina Gaitan), a radiant yet impulsive Honduran teenager riding the rails to Texas with her father and uncle in hope of a better life in America.

Alongside newly-initiated gang member Smiley (Kristyan Ferrer)—no more than twelve years old—and second in charge, tattooed gangster Lil’ Mago (Tenoch Mejia), Casper meets Sayra on a freight train headed toward the Mexican-American border. When Lil’ Mago proceeds to threaten Sayra’s life, Casper blatantly betrays any remnants of fellowship between the two of them, ending Lil’ Mago’s life in hope for a new life of his own.

Confusion, horror, outrage and suspicion—sentiments aroused by witnesses—all reduce Casper to an object of revenge and utter vulnerability. While many avoid him at all costs, Sayra commences a curious friendship that not only provides an immediate comfort, but strengthens over time. Both yearning for self-liberation, the two fortify an impenetrable bond: trust. Sympathetic and opportune, just the presence of trust in the midst of hopeless circumstances transforms each of their lives.
Guided by a gifted cinematographer and crafted with the essential undertone of artistry, “Sin Nombre” displays the transcendence of hope from despair. The film succeeds in informing viewers of a modern-day dilemma regardless of boundless disturbances. Fukunaga doesn’t deliver the sugar-coated happy ending every romantic comedy sap craves, but consequently the overall message is that much more powerful.

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