Sunday, June 29, 2014

Sunday New York Times Article Worth Your Reading

Great research with lots of scientific words and, yes, you should wade through it.  Not only does it provide some logic as to why teeaager act crazy but offers a few tips as to why common solutions don't seem to work.  According to researcher Richard Friedman it is a brain development process in which fear and anxiety develop the earliest.  Teens and parents should read the article.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/opinion/sunday/why-teenagers-act-crazy.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

Why Teenagers Act Crazy

Credit Gary Panter

Friday, June 27, 2014

Southwest Alumni Lancrete and Malchow Graduate from Lawrence University

Lawrence University Awards Bachelor's Degrees to 366 Seniors

Sarah Lancrete, daughter of Christopher and Tacy Lancrete, Minneapolis, earned a bachelor of arts degree with a major in studio art and theatre arts from Lawrence University Sunday, June 15 at the college's 165th commencement.

Charles Malchow, son of Russell Malchow and Janet Mills, Minneapolis, earned a bachelor of arts degree cum laude with a major in mathematics and mathematics-computer science from Lawrence University Sunday, June 15 at the college's 165th commencement.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

The Rocky Horror Show - Last Week - Thursday, Friday and Saturday - 7 PM Curtain



June 27, 28, 29 at 7 pm, Southwest High School Auditorium

The Rocky Horror Show is a musical with music, lyrics and a book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the late 1940s through early 1970s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple getting caught in a storm and coming to the home of a mad transvestite scientist unveiling his new creation, a muscle man named Rocky Horror.

Director: John Lynn

Cast:

Rush Benson, Dr. Frank-N-Furter

Collin Smith, Brad Majors

Berit Johnson, Janet Weiss

Maximillian Streitz, Rocky Horror

Monday, June 23, 2014

Southwest alumni Jake Sullivan to Teach at Yale

1
New York Times – June 21, 2014
Biden Adviser Leaving Washington, but It May Not Be for Long


By MARK LANDLER  
WASHINGTON — When Jake Sullivan leaves Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s staff in August to teach at Yale Law School this fall, he will join a familiar Washington subculture: the battle-scarred White House alumnus, desperate to sample a normal life before deciding whether to jump back into the maelstrom of the next political cycle.
In Mr. Sullivan’s case, it is not likely to be much of a choice. Before becoming Mr. Biden’s national security adviser in 2013, he was one of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s closest advisers, at her side in all 112 countries she visited as secretary of state. In an interview on Friday, Mrs. Clinton described Mr. Sullivan, 37, as a “coolheaded, clear-eyed analyst of the problems we faced with our national security.”
“He ended up being invaluable,” she said of Sullivan, whose sandy hair and skinny frame make him look barely his age, except when, as was often the case during the secretary’s Homeric travels, his eyes were darkly ringed after working all night.
If Mrs. Clinton runs for president in 2016, Mr. Sullivan is likely to play at least an advisory role in her campaign. In the premature Washington parlor game of who might serve in a Clinton White House, he is viewed as a potential national security adviser — all this before the White House has even announced his departure from the current administration.
“He’s the consummate insider,” said Anne-Marie Slaughter, who ran the State Department’s policy planning office and recommended that Mr. Sullivan succeed her in 2011, making him the youngest director of policy planning in the department’s history.
Ms. Slaughter, now the president of the New America Foundation, likened Mr. Sullivan to Brent Scowcroft, the brainy, low-key Air Force general who learned at the hand of Henry A. Kissinger and was national security adviser to Gerald Ford and the elder George Bush.
Mr. Sullivan declined to comment for this article. But he is anything but shy or lacking in self-confidence. A graduate of Yale Law School who clerked for Justice Stephen G. Breyer, he likes to dismiss flimsy arguments by saying they are not “dispositive.”
Speaking to graduates of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the Uni-versity of Minnesota last year, he quoted Bob Dylan on the virtues of young people speaking out of turn. “It can feel like arrogance to say, ‘I have an idea,’ or ‘I can do that’— especially if you’re surrounded by smart and exper-ienced people,” he said. “But that’s not arroganceit’s being constructive.”  
Still, Mr. Sullivan would have labored in relative obscurity, if not for his role in secret negotiations with Iran.   In July 2012, he quietly dropped off a trip in Paris when Mrs. Clinton sent him to Oman to meet Iranian officials to explore whether there was scope for a nuclear deal.
“It was unusual because he didn’t have the high profile and years of experience that others had who could have been sent,” Mrs. Clinton said. “But he had my full confidence, and he was still low-enough profile that he could travel back and forth without inciting undue interest.”
Those first talks went nowhere, but in later meetings, Mr. Sullivan, joined by a more senior but similarly soft-spoken diplomat, William J. Burns, laid the groundwork for the interim nuclear deal that Iran signed with the West in Geneva last November.
What sets Mr. Sullivan apart in a town full of smart, driven young people who impress their elders is how he has shuttled between the political worlds of Clinton and Obama — and did so without getting a rap as a careerist or an opportunist.

Jake Sullivan plans to teach at Yale Law School, but he is already being seen as a potential national security adviser in a Hillary Rodham Clinton administration.                                                                  
In 2008, he jumped from Mrs. Clinton’s vanquished primary campaign to prepare President Obama for his debates with Senator John McCain. After four years in Mrs. Clinton’s State Department, Mr. Sullivan was weighing a return to his native Minnesota and a political career. But aides to Mr. Obama were determined to bring him into the West Wing.
To get Mr. Sullivan face time with the president, Benjamin J. Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser, recalled setting up a lunch on a trip to Myanmar, during which Mr. Obama turned unexpectedly to Mr. Sullivan and asked him for a quick history of the country.
The job of national security adviser to Mr. Biden was an odd fit, given the potential for future rivalry between Mr. Sullivan’s old boss and a vice president who has not ruled out his own run for the White House. But it was the only senior national security job open, and Mr. Obama called Mr. Sullivan from Air Force One to lean on him to take it.
Mr. Biden, his aides say, has never been troubled by Mr. Sullivan’s ties to Mrs. Clinton. But as a potential Clinton campaign draws closer, avoiding a conflict of interest was bound to get trickier. Mr. Sullivan, for example, reviewed chapters of Mrs. Clinton’s new book, “Hard Choices,” while doing his day job for the vice president.
In a statement, Mr. Biden praised Mr. Sullivan for his “clear, incisive, and creative thinking,” adding, “if I have anything to do with it, he will be back in government sooner rather than later.”  Should Mrs. Clinton become president, it is hard to imagine she would not want Mr. Sullivan to return to work with her. “I’ve never in 12 years seen her rely on anyone like I’ve seen her rely on him” for policy, said Philippe Reines, a senior adviser who worked with Mr. Sullivan at the State Department.
Friends of Mr. Sullivan predict he will resist the pull of another campaign. He got a taste of the furies to come when his name surfaced on emails about the administration’s talking points after the Benghazi attack.
A bigger disincentive is his girlfriend, Maggie Goodlander, who is a second-year law student at Yale and the main reason for his move to New Haven. The couple met at a security conference in Munich, when she was working for former Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut.
But there is at least one threat to Mr. Sullivan’s plans. He has agreed to stay on with the administration until July 20, the deadline for reaching a final nuclear deal with Iran. If that deadline slips, as many officials expect, he might have to delay his plans to conduct a last round of diplomacy.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Luther Colege Dean's for Two SW Alumni Moore & Opdahl.


Luther College announces 2014 spring semester dean's list


752 Luther students were named to the spring 2014 dean's list. To be named to Luther's dean's list, a student must earn a semester grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale and must complete at least 12 credit hours with 10 hours of conventional grades (A, B, C, D).


Michael Moore, Luther College junior of Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been named to the 2014 spring semester Dean's List. Moore is the son of Lisa Broek and Randall Moore.

Jonathan Opdahl, Luther College sophomore of Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been named to the 2014 spring semester Dean's List. Opdahl is the son of Edith and Steven Opdahl.


Thursday, June 12, 2014

Southwest Alumni Eliot Altbaum Graduates Magna Cum Laude from Clark

Clark University

Elliot A. Altbaum of Minneapolis, Minn., received a degree from Clark University on Sunday, May 18.

Altbaum graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in geography. Altbaum received the Marcia V. Szugda-Emani Memorial Endowment from the Department of Geography.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Summer Health Clinic Hours - Open on Wednesdays




 
 
Southwest Health Clinic hours this summer on Wednesdays at the School Based Clinic.
 
Appointments are available between 8:30am- 4:00pm on all Wednesdays except 7/2, 8/13, and 8/20.

Please contact the Clinic for appointments or walk-in during open hours and we will do our best to accomodate appointments.


612-668-3040 (for scheduling or rescheduling appointments)

 

Sincerely,

Mindy Fine, NP-C, Southwest School Based Clinic

CORRECTION -- Southwest Class of 2018 Orientation is Thursday August 21 -- CORRECTION



A letter was sent to all the in-coming 9th graders for this fall - the Class of 2018.  The orientation day and date is incorrect.  The REAL date is Thursday, August 21 - 4 to 8:30 pm

Sorry for any inconvenience.

A postcard will be coming to the home in August with the CORRECT dates and times.

The other dates are correct.

Fall Sports -- forms due August 5

Fall practice starts August 11

Fall schedules will be available for graDes 10-12 after August 22

School starts for students, Monday August 25

Southwest Alumni Katherine Alkofer Graduated UW-Stout

Katherine Alkofer, of Minneapolis, Minn., participated in commencement ceremonies at University of Wisconsin-Stout in May.  Alkofer received a B.S. in art education.

UW-Stout, Wisconsin's Polytechnic University, has 45 undergraduate majors and 23 graduate programs, including one doctoral degree. UW-Stout, established in 1891, prides itself on the success of its students in the workplace, with an employment rate at or above 97 percent for recent graduates. The university was awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality award in 2001.

Alumni family and friends -- what is happening in the lives of Southwest graduates?

Southwest Baseball Coach of 36 Year Passed Away - Vern Boyer

Vern Boyer

Boyer, Vern Coach, age 90, of Minneapolis, rounded 3rd base and sprinted home on October 4, 2013; crossing home plate at 4:00 pm with the final and winning run in the game of his life. The RBI was awarded to his wife of 67-years, May.

For 36-years he gave freely of his time and talent to teach Southwest Minneapolis boys the finer points of baseball and life, and was rewarded in later years by the return of grownup men who always stopped to chat with him, while themselves enjoying outings at Lake Harriet with their families. For many senior summers he and his wife occupied their well-worn folding lawn chairs and shady spot along the SW shore where he regularly held court, entertaining and regaling any and all who would stop and listen to his stories, while May did her crossword puzzles.

He entered this world on November 7, 1922 under humble circumstances in New Orleans, Louisiana, as the fifth of ten children, born to Andre and Pearl Boyer, themselves émigrés from France and French-speaking Canada. During the Depression-era, with no work or viable prospects to sustain him in his hometown, and largely self-educated, at age 17 he kissed his mom and dad goodbye, joined the U.S. Navy and left on a six-year adventure that would take him around the world both before, during and after the hostilities of WWII. In 1945, he met his future wife at a dance in Notre Dame, Indiana, where both were serving their post-war duties. It was there they married in a dual ceremony with their best friends. After- wards, May convinced him to return with her to Hopkins, Minnesota, where he went to work for Minneapolis Moline and started one of the first slow-pitch softball leagues in the state.

It was during the post-war construction and industrial boom, that they settled in the Linden Hills neighborhood of SW Minnea-polis, where they spent the next six decades raising their own family, mentoring ballplayers and grandkids, dancing, weekend partying with friends, arising before dawn to travel and scour about the city in discovery, and at each stop along the way dispensing homespun advice to any who would listen, whether asking or not.

Preceded in death by his father and mother; all brothers and sister. Survived by sons, Jim (Audrey Dammer) and John; daughter, Barbara (Brian); grandsons, Michael Oberg (Kristine), Sean Oberg (Sarah), five great-grandchildren, and the many hundreds of boys whom he coached and championed through the years. Vern and May will be interred at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery during a private family cer- emony, however a public celebration of their lives will take place at the Lake Harriet Masonic Lodge (4519 France Ave. S.) on Sunday, June 15, 2014 from 11 am to 2 pm. Remaining family, as well as all who knew them will be welcomed

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Southwest Original Moscot In the Floor Needs Removed


Southwest High School opened in 1940 with a first year enrollment of 841 students in grades 9-11.  Southwest was built due to overcrowding at West High School.  In 1941 seniors finished out at West and graduated from West High School.  West High School Mascot was the Cowboy and Southwest High School Mascot become the Indian.

In 1987 a movement started to remove the Native American images as school mascots.  On May 12, 1987 the Minneapolis Board of Education voted to eliminate racial or ethnic stereotypes as images in the schools.  The first class to graduate as Lakers was the class of 1988.

Pictured is the "seal" as originally designed in 1941 by Robert Ahlcrona and a drawing was made by Maurine chesney.  Both were students in the third-period Advertising Art class.  The pictured seal which is a duplicate of the original drawing with the exception of the words surrounding the design.

The mascot seal was install into the terrazzo floor in July of 1970.  The seal remains in the floor at Southwest High School in the main hall inside the currently main door of the west building.  Normally the seal is covered by a rubber mat with the Laker logo, the anchor.

Years have left their wear and tear on the design.  The seal is outside the auditorium and serves as lobby for the many concerts and performances.  This area is marked for renovation as the new construction moves forward beginning in spring of 2015.

What to do with the Southwest Indian Logo install in the floor?

Removing the design from the floor in good condition and repairing the terrazzo floor is expensive.  Moving the Indian logo to a different placement in the building would require Board of Education approval and support of our Native Americans in the school and city.

Do you have ideas of thoughts?  Please send them to me and let's see what can be done.  We have less than a year.

Friday, June 6, 2014

St. Olaf College Honors Southwest Alumni Goodnow, Coll and Carroll


William Goodnow was among the more than 1000 St. Olaf College students who were recognized for academic achievement at the college's annual Honors Day convocation on May 2. Goodnow, from Minneapolis, is a History major. He is the son of John Goodnow and Susan Hiestand.

Gabriella Coll was among the more than 1000 St. Olaf College students who were recognized for academic achievement at the college's annual Honors Day convocation on May 2. Coll, from Minneapolis, is a Spanish and Art History major. She is the daughter of Eduardo Coll and Claudia Giannini.

Louisa Carroll was among the more than 1000 St. Olaf College students who were recognized for academic achievement at the college's annual Honors Day convocation on May 2. Carroll, from Minneapolis, is a Psychology and Spanish major. She is the daughter of Jeffery Carroll and Amy Quinlivan.

Honors Day recognizes students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.60 or higher on a 4.0 scale. The convocation also recognizes students who have been awarded scholarships and fellowships, including Fulbright scholars, Goldwater scholars, and senior members of leadership and academic honor societies.

The ceremony began with a colorful academic procession led by St. Olaf President David R. Anderson '74, and the address to students was given by Religion Professor Eric Lund. The ceremony was followed by a reception for students, parents, friends of the college, faculty and staff.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Southwest Alumni Earn Dean's List at Beloit College

Dena Winter of Minneapolis, MN was recently named to the spring 2014 Dean's List at Beloit College. Winter is a Junior.  

Natalie Steen of Minneapolis, MN was recently named to the spring 2014 Dean's List at Beloit College. Steen is a Sophomore.

Nora Kane of Minneapolis, MN was recently named to the spring 2014 Dean's List at Beloit College. Kane is a Sophomore.

Beloit College is a leading liberal arts college founded on the Wisconsin frontier in 1846. Hailed as one of the “Colleges That Change Lives,” Beloit presents students with a Liberal Arts in Practice curriculum offering more than 50 majors and hundreds of internship, study abroad, and field experience opportunities. 

The college draws students from 48 states and 30 countries to its campus along the Rock River on the Illinois-Wisconsin stateline. For more visit www.beloit.edu.



Tragic Loss of Class of 2000 Southwest Alumni Molly Malone

Beloved wife, mother, daughter, friend, colleague, teammate, Molly Malone Chottepanda tragically and suddenly passed away of unknown causes on May 29, 2014.
Molly leaves behind her husband Kushal and her beautiful newborn daughter Mara.
Although nothing can take away the pain of losing such an amazing woman, donations can help lessen the stress during such an emotional time. Donations can be made through this website or at TCF Bank.

A Memorial Fund has been set up at TCF under the name "Support Fund for Mara and Kushal Chottepanda".
Donations are accepted at any TCF branch or via mail to:
TCF Bank
5018 France Ave S.
Edina, MN 55410
 
The family is intent on establishing a scholarship in Molly's name and legacy for a Southwest student that exemplifies her dedication to academics, athletics, and possesses a similar spirit and focus
 
-- please, share with anyone (FB, Twitter, SW alumni) who you think might want to assist during this difficult time... http://www.youcaring.com/memorial-fundraiser/support-fund-for-mara-and-kushal-chottepanda/185291
 

Congratulations Alumni Southwest Class of 2014




The Class of 2014 became Southwest Laker Alumni Class of 2014 Tuesday evening before a huge crowd of friends and families.

The celebration was another fun evening of song and music and cheers and shared memories.

Student Speakers were Valedictorians Celia Hallan, Jonah Shaw and Ellen Sheehy.

Nash Meeker and Jaydev Uppafuri shared their personal visions and points of view also.

Pictured are retiring Keith Liuzzi and Superintendent Dr. Bernadeia Johnson

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

The Rocky Horrow Show Summer Production Opens June 19 in Air Conditioning





June 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29 at 7 pm, Southwest High School Auditorium

The Rocky Horror Show is a musical with music, lyrics and a book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the late 1940s through early 1970s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple getting caught in a storm and coming to the home of a mad transvestite scientist unveiling his new creation, a muscle man named Rocky Horror.

Director: John Lynn

Cast:

Rush Benson, Dr. Frank-N-Furter

Collin Smith, Brad Majors

Berit Johnson, Janet Weiss

Maximillian Streitz, Rocky Horror

Eric Heltemes, Riff-Raff

Lydia Wagner, Magenta

Greta Hansen, Columbia

Tryg Johnson, Dr. Everett V. Scott

Dylan Cima, Eddie

Natalie Dulka, Usherette

Bernie Sponberg-Paraday, Narrator

Teddy Keller, Phantom

Yonci Jameson, Phantom

Lailah Reynolds, Phantom

John Frenzel, Phantom

Sebastian Coll, Phantom

 



Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Review New Strategic Pan 20/20 June 9


Dear MPS partners and friends,

At Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), we believe in the potential of all students to succeed. In 2007, we adopted a district strategic plan committing to a vision of “Every Child College and Career Ready.” This plan will expire at the end of this year, and although we have made good progress, we have not yet achieved that vision.

The time is right to re-engage with our community, recommit to our shared goals and define how we are going to accelerate our progress. This is the work of creating our strategic plan through 2020.

We are not starting from scratch. The draft plan includes a recalibration and recommitment to many major priorities that are midstream. It is a student-focused, equitable and inclusive plan that I believe will help guide the work of our staff and community partners through the year 2020. Most importantly, it will lead to accelerated gains for all of our students.

The proposed 2020 strategic plan is the product of extensive stakeholder listening, a comprehensive review of our current data and the hard work of a tremendous team of about 40 MPS leaders who have been heavily involved in developing this draft. View the proposed plan in English, Hmong, Somali or Spanish. For more information on the planning process and additional details, please visit our strategic plan website.

I encourage you to help us finalize the plan by engaging in one or more of the following opportunities:

  • Join us on Monday, June 9, from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Davis Center (1250 W. Broadway) to share feedback on the proposed plan.
  • Take a survey about the proposed plan 
  • Send any questions or comments to MPSStrategicPlan@mpls.k12.mn.us.
The Minneapolis Board of Education will vote on the final strategic plan this summer, after we complete the second phase of community engagement with our stakeholders.

Helping our students succeed takes the commitment and dedicated efforts of everyone – teachers, principals and staff, parents and families, our community partners and our city residents. I hope you will add your voice to the creation of a shared vision for the future.

Sincerely,

Bernadeia H. Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Monday, June 2, 2014

Southwest Alumni Graduate Clark University - Epstein and Altbaum


Clark University awards degrees at 2014 Commence


Casey N. Epstein of Minneapolis, Minn., received a degree from Clark University on Sunday, May 18. Epstein graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in history. Epstein is a member of Phi B...


Elliot A. Altbaum of Minneapolis, Minn., received a degree from Clark University on Sunday, May 18. Altbaum graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in geography. Altbaum received the Marcia V. Szugda-Emani Memorial Endowment from the Department of Geography.
and Elliot Altbaum.


Join with us in the celebration of Southwest Alumni.  Send us information about graduations, honors and hppenings with our Laker alumni.

Southwest Alumni Graduating from St. Olaf College - Congratulations!

Local Residents Graduate from St. Olaf College
The following local residents graduated from St. Olaf College. St. Olaf President David R. Anderson '74, awarded 785 diplomas to the class of 2014.


Gabriella Coll

St. Olaf College
a Spanish
2014

 

Kira Seidel

St. Olaf College
2014


Please send us information about your graduation from college, university, etc.  We want to celebrate with all our Southwest alumni!