2024’s Top Picks: Albums You Can’t Miss

By Evie Wiant, junior writing coach

May marks five months into 2024, which so far has been an incredible year for new music. As someone averaging around 110,000 yearly minutes spent listening to Spotify, I have made it my mission to seek out and enjoy all the best new music as it comes out. This year has provided music fans with a plethora of delectable albums to dive into. In my opinion (which is the crucial phrase here), these are 3 of the most outstanding LPs released this year. 

Album #1

COWBOY CARTER by Beyoncé

I know quite a few people who were apprehensive about this new Beyoncé release, mostly due to the ubiquity of the controversial single “Texas Hold ‘Em”, which I too heard one too many times. However, to write off this masterpiece of an album because of one earworm would be a mistake. Cowboy Carter is an ode to America, from the patriotic “Ameriican Requiem” to the twang-y compositions in “Protector” and her “Blackbiird” cover. But where Beyoncé shines brightest on this record is in two very different songs: “Ya Ya” and “16 Carriages”. “Ya Ya” is an upbeat, indulgent joy to listen to, and is also impossible to listen to and not at least bop along. Meanwhile, “16 Carriages” is an inspiring ballad that not only advertises her vocal talent, but also her skill as a lyricist. 

Album #2

Bright Future by Adrianne Lenker

As a longtime Big Thief (and by extension, Adrianne Lenker) fan, I was absolutely delighted by this release. On this record, Lenker cements herself as one of the greatest modern songwriters, like on “Evol” where she uses wordplay to somehow articulate gut-wrenching but relatable emotions (“Teach, cheat, part, trap/You have my heart I want it back/God, dog, devil, lived/The giver takes, the taker gives”). Bright Future is an airy, poetic adventure into Lenker’s memories, and none of the songs capture this as well as the soft and depressing opener that is “Real House”, which covers childhood sadness and fear over beautiful flowing piano chords. Along with these, she redoes her previous Big Thief internet favorite “Vampire Empire”, with her own acoustic spin and some lyric spins. If you want to get into folk music but aren’t sure where to start, I highly recommend this LP (along with all of Adrianne Lenker’s music ventures, for that matter).  

Album #3

BLUE LIPS by ScHoolboy Q 

If you’re looking for a rap album like no other, look no further than Blue Lips. Whatever you think it will sound like after opening with “Funny Guy”, it will certainly surprise even the most dedicated rap fan. ScHoolboy Q thrives creatively on this LP, exploring an array of genres while still keeping a cohesive sound. Features are all over this record, but they never carry him, only elevate his incredible performance. In listening to this album, you will feel like you’re floating through “THank god 4 me” and the jazzy “Blueslides” and then subconsciously start bopping along to the uptempo “Yeern 101” without even realizing it. I can’t recommend this experience enough. 

No matter your preferred music genres, I hope that you can give these three records a shot, as they truly are some of the best albums I’ve heard this year! And who knows, maybe you’ll find a new favorite artist? 

AP/IB exam season is here once again: here are some tips to prepare!

By Vera Ballard, sophomore writing coach

This time of year is usually the hardest and most stressful for the majority of students. It’s time to test your knowledge and prove how much you know and have learned throughout the whole year. It is scary, but if you take into consideration some of these suggestions you will feel much more confident. 

1. Sleep 

My first tip is making sure you get enough sleep. Some exams are coming up very soon and believe it or not you will not benefit by trying to cram everything into your brain by staying up late every night. It’s best to believe that you know more than you think and at this point, so close to exams, studying through the night will not help and will only make you perform worse. It’s best to be confident in yourself and know that trying your best is all you can do so sleep should be your top priority rather than studying through the night. 

2. Ask your teachers for help/advice

The majority of teachers here at MHS have been teaching AP or IB classes, if not the same one, for multiple years. They know what they’re doing!!! It is your responsibility to ask your teachers for help when you are confused about how the exam will work or what it will entail. They know almost everything about these exams and are pretty much experts with how they work. You just have to ask. Most teachers would love to hear your questions because these exams are what they do for a living. 

3. Use your resource 

AP classroom usually isn’t used directly in class so I’ve found it very helpful to use outside of school. It has great practice essay questions and a variety of multiple choice questions for any class. For some classes there are also study review sessions at school that will help go through the most important things you need to know for the exam. Lastly, I have found youtube videos by people who have taken a specific exam before or who teach certain AP or IB courses to be very useful. For example, Heimler history is someone on youtube that has videos covering every topic for every AP history exam. There are many videos just like his that will help you review what you need to know for an upcoming exam. 

4. Set up a study schedule for next year 

This last tip of mine will not help you currently, but for the future. Those of you that aren’t seniors will likely be taking another AP or IB exam next year and if you don’t feel prepared for your exams currently then you should prepare different habits for next year. I recommend making a study schedule for the whole upcoming year so you don’t have to freak out the week before your exam. Make a plan for throughout the year on what to study or what to focus on that you struggled with when you first learned about it. This way you will have better chances of not forgetting things after they’re taught and you won’t be stressed out about not remembering anything from months ago. 

I hope these tips help, and just know that trying your best is all you can do. These classes and exams are meant to be hard so keep your head up and believe in yourself! You got this, and good luck!

Popular Pollinators

By Silas Srnec, sophomore writing coach

When you think of pollinators, you probably just think of bees or butterflies. I’m here to tell you that there’s so many other bugs and animals that help flowers bloom. With spring just around the corner (hopefully!) we’ll even see some of these pollinators in action. 

The first pollinators I’d like to talk about are probably everyone’s least favorite bug that arrives in spring, the wasp. Wasps also often land on flowers to drink nectar, and inadvertently carry small amounts of pollen to other flowers. It’s not just wasps but hornets and yellow jackets too! While they all might be a nuisance to humans, they’re good for the ecosystem.

Another pollinator you probably see every day are birds! There are more than 2,000 bird species that can pollinate flowers, including hummingbirds, orioles, sunbirds and even parrots! You might also be surprised to learn that birds pollinate around 5% of all flora in tropical climates. Here that number isn’t as large but our local hummingbirds are still trying their best.

Now this might come as a surprise but flies and gnats also act as pollinators around the world. They’re usually found pollinating in early spring, far before the bees come out of hibernation. 

Moths are also pollinators, even though they don’t get as much attention as their similar relative, butterflies. Moths come in all shapes and sizes around the world, but around Minnetonka they’re fairly small and the perfect size to pollinate all sorts of flowers! Personally, the largest one I’ve seen around this area had a wingspan of four inches.

Lastly, Bats are pollinators too! 500 species of fruits and flowers rely on bars for their pollination, like bananas, mangos, guava, agave and durian! The bats in our local area aren’t much for pollinating, but in tropical climates they’re the backbone for fruit production!

I hope you’ve learned something new about the fantastic world of pollinators! Happy spring!

Someone’s Been Cooking!

By Kathryn Mundahl, senior writing coach

Sniff sniff. Is that food I smell? It sure is, and what better food than home cooked to treat yourself? Here, I have compiled a few of my favorite recipes that I’ve found through the years 🙂

First, and my favorite (don’t tell the other recipes), is Korean Beef Bulgogi (Link). I first had this dish at a potluck with some family friends, and after the first taste, I just had to know the recipe. Luckily the woman that made it was more than happy to share and this recipe is now a staple in my household. The marinade is a perfect combination of ingredients to make a savory and sweet taste.

In addition, we have the newest recipe but it sure is delicious. It’s an Italian dish called Spaghetti Puttanesca (Link). I will warn that this recipe does have capers, olives, and anchovies in it, but all in all it isn’t overly salty. Some of the ingredients may seem hard to find at a local grocery store, however, I was able to find all of the necessary ingredients at a combination of target and cub. 

For the final recipe it only feels right to end with a dessert: Apple Pie by Grandma Ople (Link). The recipe is so simple yet so delicious. The comments of this recipe are so helpful too, and I’d recommend checking out their suggestions to enhance the recipe even further. I’ve made it on so many occasions, and it’s always a hit.

Hopefully at least one of these recipes looked enticing enough for you to try them out! 

Happy baking and arguably more importantly, happy eating!

Don’t Miss these Celestial Spectacles in 2024!

By Macy Herwig, sophomore writing coach

On Monday, April 8th, an eclipse swept across a strip of North America. A lucky few of our Minnetonka community were able to see this sight. A post-spring break eclipse is difficult to remember and to plan. Most people missed it or forgot it completely, which is totally okay. Don’t be sad you missed out because there are many upcoming sights to see if you keep your eye out. For my fellow space enthusiasts, check out these celestial sights to see in 2024.

Coming up soon on May 23, there is a chance of seeing the moon hide the Antares star. This will be the third time this occurrence has occurred this year, where the red star will be hidden. The closest place to see the star coverage is in Chicago from 3:02 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. Make sure to bring a binocular!

Like Antares, on July 13, the moon will hide the star Spica late at night. This time, the star coverage will be seen throughout all of North America. You will be able to see a bright edge reappear after an hour of the star disappearing.

One of the best sights you should look for is the annual meteor shower from the Perseus constellation from August 11-13. Late at midnight, the meteor shower will take place and you will see the brightest and most numerous meteors. 

The closest planet alignment will happen on August 14 where Jupiter and Mars will be 0.3 degrees away from each other. Check the sky after 1:30 am for an opportunity to see this eventful sight. 

On October 2nd there will be an eclipse of the sun where an outer ring will be shown past the moon. The path of this eclipse is more likely to be seen closer to South America at 1:05 pm their time. 

A supermoon moment is scheduled to occur on October 17, becoming the largest full moon of 2024! The best place to see it is in San Francisco, but you can still look for it around the moonrise and moonset of your respective region.

Astronomers spectate a comet appearing in late October. Hopefully, this is not heeby jeeby but really a beautiful sight. 

Finally, to conclude the must-see space sights, on December 13-14, the Gemini’s meteor shower will brighten the sky for a beautiful ending of 2024. Look into the sky around 2:00 am to see the shower paired with a waxing gibbous moon!

https://www.space.com/39231-top-skywatching-events-this-year.html

The Moon to cover Antares

Spring Flowers in Minnesota

By Stella Scott, sophomore writing coach

Due to the recent levels of snowfall in Minnesota late this March, I wonder how the spring flowers will grow, and if they do, what kinds of colorful flowers I will see. Prairie spring flowers are usually the first to bloom after winter. If you are ever on a walk near a prairie once the snow melts, try to see if you can find one of these six native flowers this spring. 

Blue Eyed Grass

The Blue Eyed Grass flower has six pale blue to white petals and a yellow base. A large stem sticks out of the base of these flowers. Some of these flowers’ petals have a sharp end to them. Their stems look similar to grass and are around 3 to 10 inches long. You will typically see these flowers in groups.

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Hoary Puccoon

These flowers are an orangish yellow with 5 rounded petals. The stems and leaves of these wildflowers are fuzzy. The flowers can be seen on the same stem. 

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Prairie Smoke

This flower is similar to the plants you would see in other-worldly movies. This reddish-colored flower often looks as though it’s drooping. When young, the flower remains as a bud. But after pollination, it opens up, showcasing long strings that stick out of the flower.

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Bird foot Violet

This flower usually has 5 blue or purple petals. The lower petal has a white tint that blends in, along with purple veins. The middle of the flower has a cluster of orange stamens that poke out. This flower is often confused for Prairie Violet, which has a similar appearance and blooms around the same time. Bird foot Violet can be seen in the Northwest part of Minnesota.

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American Pasqueflower

The American Pasqueflower is a single flower. It has 5 to 7 purple to white petals and a yellow base packed with stamens. This flower is one of the first to bloom in spring, even appearing when there is still snow. The flower looks like a daisy to someone who doesn’t know much about flowers (me, for example).

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Prairie Shooting Star

This flower is my favorite of the wildflowers listed due to its unique appearance. The flower looks much like a badminton shuttlecock, with 5 lavender to white petals flowing out from the sharp downturned base. These petals are folded backward, with rings of color: pink, white, yellow, and maroon.  

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If you ever find yourself in a field of flowers, hopefully, you will be able to spot one of these unique wildflowers. While they are an essential part of our ecosystem, these flowers are also a key factor in beautifying a landscape. Now, you can finally brag about your extensive (6) knowledge of flowers in Minnesota.

Pi Day

By Juliana Lewandowski, sophomore writing coach

March 14th is Pi Day, which is an annual holiday celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world. Here are seven interesting facts about the holiday:

1. What exactly is Pi?

Although it sounds just like the dessert, Pi is a number that represents the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. The number is well known for never repeating and having an infinite number of decimal places. Pi is most often recognized by its first three digits, 3.14, and is represented by this Greek letter: π.

2. Why is Pi Day celebrated on March 14th?

Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th because the date, 3/14, has the same first three digits as Pi (3.14). Another fun fact: Pi Day is also Albert Einstein’s birthday!

3. When was Pi discovered?

The concept of Pi has been known for over four thousand years, and many mathematicians believe that Pi was used by ancient Egyptians to help build the pyramids of Giza. The popularization of the number was also very important to the development of calculus, which occurred in the late 1700s.

4. Is there a record for the most memorized digits of Pi?

Yes! In 2015, the Guinness World Records awarded twenty-one-year-old Rajveer Meena for memorizing the most digits of Pi. Meena recited 70,000 digits of Pi while blindfolded for nearly ten hours. 

5. Where is Pi used?

From calculus to space exploration, Pi still has many uses today. NASA uses Pi to determine the location of exoplanets, track the movement of asteroids, and learn more about seismic activity on Mars. Pi is also used in architecture, advanced math, and other scientific careers.

6. How many known digits of Pi are there?

In recent years, scientists have calculated 62.8 trillion digits of Pi, and it’s safe to assume that the number will only increase in the future.

7. How is Pi Day celebrated?

Although there are many ways to celebrate the holiday, Pi Day is most commonly celebrated by baking pies and having competitions for reciting the most Pi digits.

Musical Telegrams!

By Cecelia Hitchcock, junior writing coach

It’s Valentine’s season which means that love is in the air and Heart Week here at MHS is in full swing! The Commons are decorated, the bands are playing in the mornings, the students are dressed to the daily themes, and everyone is looking forward to arguably the best day of Heartweek: Musical Telegram day.
Never heard of musical telegrams? The best way to describe them is a romantic message, unironic or otherwise, that a group of students musically performs to the recipient in front of the entire class. When you buy one, you get to choose both the recipient and the class period they receive it in. Musical Telegrams are definitely my Heart Week highlight, so here are some reasons why you should buy one for a friend or partner:

1. They’re funny! This obviously varies from person to person, but generally speaking, there aren’t many things that are funnier than giving one of your closest friends a little bit of embarrassment. They’re a silly way to show appreciation for someone in your life, plus there’s just something about the uncomfortable look on their face as they are swooned by the performers makes it worth the $7.
2. A great class distraction: Not that I’m condoning this… but musical telegrams come into your class and make you pause on anything you’re doing in class. Who wouldn’t want a little two minute break in the middle of the hour?
3. Support MHS performers: All of the telegrams are performed by extremely talented student-musicians here at MHS, which acts ranging from playing instruments to singing. Musical telegrams are a great way to show your support of your fellow classmates who are musically talented and involved in our school!
4. They’re for a good cause: Just like every Heart Week event at MHS, all of the profits from the musical telegrams are donated to Family Friends, a local organization that assists Minnetonka students and families by paying for a variety of their costs of living. At their core, musical telegrams are a goofy fundraiser that provide us with an opportunity to give back to our community and help our peers.
   I hope you enjoy Musical Telegram day as much as I do… and happy Heart Week, Tonka!

College Apps Are Over, But It’s Not Really Over

By Ming Wei Yeoh, senior writing coach

It’s the last semester of high school for the Class of ‘24, and many seniors are thinking, It’s over. Some are saying it happily, celebrating the long-awaited end of the college application process. Others mean it in the opposite way; they’re scared, doubtful, worried, stressed, and panicked every hour of every day. They will stay that way until late March or early April, when it feels like everything is actually, finally over.

As the months until decision day drag on, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling more of the second mindset. I’m nowhere close to reaching that peaceful state of mind where college, college, college no longer haunts my dreams and search history. But while I don’t have a foolproof way to avoid college application stress, I will share some of the things I wish I personally hadn’t done during the application process, so that maybe I can help out one or two not-yet-seniors. 

1. Toxic Reddit forums (don’t go on them)

I spent the first few months of college apps season scouring these college-related forums filled with millions of other anxious applicants. While it was at times helpful to learn from others’ knowledge and experiences, and even comforting to relate to other teens who were in the same boat as me, spending hours scrolling through these spaces definitely did me more harm than good. The stress-induced obsession with college got much worse after finalizing and submitting my applications. Once I quit those forums for good, I found I just felt a lot calmer and happier every day. I thought about things that weren’t A2C for once.

2. Regretting things!

Maybe partially due to the forums I was always browsing, I couldn’t help panicking about all the things I wished I’d done during high school both during and after submitting my applications. There were (and still are) countless extracurriculars, classes, and contests I would have added, deleted, or changed on my resume, looking back now, and I let this awful sense of regret completely take over me. It was really unhealthy and I was just making myself feel down for no reason. I really wish I had stopped fixating on my regrets earlier, and tried to enjoy the second semester of senior year as much as possible (like I’m currently maybe trying to). 

3. Forgetting I have hobbies and a social life

Especially in the last month or so leading up to application deadlines, college was really the only thing I had space for in my mind. I defaulted to holing up in my room to write essays every weekend, leaving barely any time to spend with my friends and family or even in my own company, doing the things I enjoyed. While it was a really stressful time, I do wish I’d spent more time with my friends, especially those who were back from college for break; I ended up having to postpone or miss entirely hanging out with some of them. I also wish I’d taken more time to watch TV, read, and go out once in a while. 

These are just some of my personal thoughts looking back on the crazy, crazy trip that is college applications season. They are by no means universal, but hopefully any juniors or underclassmen can learn a few things to not do once they eventually get here. It might sound corny, but I do think that it’s best to believe everything will be OK in the end—because genuinely, it will! Somehow, it’s always easier to believe that for other people, but I think I’m getting there myself, too. 

New Year, New You: How to start the second semester strong

By Tatum Engebretson, sophomore writing coach

Now that finals are finally over, it’s time to start thinking about next semester. First, congrats on finishing the first semester. I hope you got to take a break from school during the long weekend.

If you are looking to get a head start for the second half of the year, here are some of my tips:

1. Organization

Remember to reorganize your notability if it was scrambled up from the last weeks of the semester. This is also the perfect time to set up a planner or calendar on paper or your iPad so you can stay on top of your homework from the start. Try to think about your extracurricular schedule for the next semester, and plan your heaviest studying days for when you have the most extra time. 

2. Find your study-zone

Was last semester’s study space making you the most productive you could be? If not, think about what could be changed so it would work better for you. It might even be small things like studying with or without music. Do you work most efficiently at a desk or table, or is curling up on the couch or bed the spot that keeps you focused? It’s important to realize these details and take advantage of them to be your best student in the spring semester. 

3. Know your resources

Look at your schedule and see if any of your teachers have changed. If you have new teachers, ask them what their office hours are. Keep in mind that it’s never too early to come in with questions. It’s better to understand the concepts from the beginning so you’re never left wondering for later tests. Come use the writing center for your first writing assignment to start your classes confident in your work!

4. Have a plan

Most of your classes will probably stay the same, so if there was one you struggled with first semester, make a plan for the second semester. This could be setting more time aside for homework for the class or going in for extra help before school when it’s offered. 

5. Sleep!!

If you messed up your sleep schedule by staying up studying for finals, now is the time to fix it! Even over the weekends, try going to sleep around the same time you will during the school week. This will develop your sleep schedule for when you get back to school. Showing up to school with a full night sleep will give you the focus and stamina you need to get through the school days.

Good luck next semester! And remember, it’s the little things added together that will make you your best student.