Javier Whitaker-Castañeda, The Rubicon, Editor-in-Chief
Javier Whitaker-Castañeda is the Editor-in-Chief of The Rubicon and a senior at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Outside of The Rubicon, he is very active, playing on the Boys Varsity Soccer team and acting as co-president of the student group PLAY. Comparing PLAY, a student group that promotes lasting activeness through gym games, to The Rubicon, Whitaker-Castañeda notes that dedicated members of both are up for anything. He is no exception; as a dedicated Rubicon staff member since his freshman year, he has experience in reporting, editing, and design. Nonetheless, if he could only do one thing on staff, Whitaker-Castañeda would choose to copy edit because he values attention to detail and finishing tasks as strong as they are started. He can be reached at [email protected].
![ACTIONS SPEAK. Tents on the Northrop Mall at the University of Minnesota on May 5. Sam Konstan (SPA ‘21), a U of M student, said, How much [the tent encampment] affects somebody’s day-to-day life is a combination of a choice and their schedule.“ However, he added, the discussions around [the protests] were a lot harder to avoid.” (Photo Reprinted with Permission from Winter Keefer, MinnPost)](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/UofMPalestineEncampment_Keefer.png)
![[2 SIDES, 1 ISSUE] Are there benefits to academic award ceremonies?](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Awards-opinion-1200x676.png)
![[OPINION] Love books? Shop local.](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Kim-Books-Opinion-1.jpg)
![FOCUS. Hazel McCarthy plays as a defender during the fall soccer season. Playing club soccer over the summer helps prepare [me] for school soccer,” she said.](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Hazel.jpg)
![SHOW SKIING. Adele Gjerde started show skiing practices on Monday. Show skiing is a competitive water sport with jumps, pyramids, and other impressive stunts. “I really like how team-building it is because [for] our pyramids, I have to trust everybody beneath me and they have to trust everybody above them,” Gjerde said. Photo submitted by Adele Gjerde.](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/C764CFB9-8049-44A8-9371-03468C70316C.jpeg)
![[HOW TO] Got time? Make slime.](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/thumbnailnnnnnn.png)
![BOOKS UNITE. Book Club members come together in the math classroom to celebrate the class of 2024 before senior projects. Junior Grace Medrano said, We [Medrano and Raven Glaser] took over last month [as the new leaders], so we’ll be running it next year. (Submitted photo by Grace Medrano)](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/book-club-photo-e1716433081952.jpg)
![[COFFEE WITH CLARA] Ep. 6 Raven Glaser enjoys sports that decenter competition](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/coffee-with-clara-cover-art-1200x686.png)
![[SPARTANS MIC’D UP] Triple Jump with junior Julia Taylor](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Screenshot-2024-04-24-205153.png)
![The Boys’ Basketball program is very focused on making everyone feel included whether they are on or off the court. This year, most of the players in the program are ninth graders and sophomores who haven’t gotten to know the older players. The captains are very interested in making a change in the way new players are introduced to the team. “We have team socials throughout the year which mix all three teams, and we have mandatory team meals [before games], so that the boys will have time to socialize and mix,” said captain senior Emerson Egly. While they want to win, the Boys’ Basketball program at St. Paul Academy believes that socializing as team will help the energy flow better on the court. The program has lost many key players since last year, and is faced with a challenge on how to fill in those lost positions. Egly believes that they’re capable of reaching their goal by using team dinners as a way to get to know each other better and excel on the court. “We have a lot of young talent that we hope to bring together this year, and this year we will be learning how to play together as a team,” Egly said. Senior Tommy Dicke, also a varsity captain, knows what it is like to see the team change every year and bring up younger players. Dicke’s first year on Varsity was his sophomore year, and he understands the level of competitiveness that goes on to play at this level. “I’m older now, and I have some real experience. Last year was my first year playing big minutes [in games] so I know what to expect. I understand the intimidation that comes with playing juniors and seniors from other schools,” he said.](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/BVB-900x600.jpg)
![US Biology teacher Andrea Bailey talks with students in preparation for the Tanzania trip. [We will be] doing things we do in class in a much more exotic locale, she said.](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Bailey.jpg)
![Battle of the Bands was cancelled this year but looks for student support for next year. ¨I kinda wish we could restore [Battle of the Bands] to its former glory,¨junior Lutalo Jones said.](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/BoB-design.jpg)
![Andrea Sachs receives her doctorate in American Studies. “[My studies] helped me polish my craft as a historian and also helped me polish my craft as a teacher,” Sachs said.](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Sachs-photo.png)
![Since Netflix was blocked on the school servers teachers can no longer use it in class. “Teachers that were showing [Netflix videos] in class were inadvertently not following the user agreement,” Upper School Technology Coordinator Chris White said.](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/NETFLIX-900x643.jpg)
![Sophomore Sarah Wheaton enjoys a fall picnic for the Carlson School of Management with her mom, a career coach at the University of Minnesota. [Having parents that are professors] is both a blessing and a curse, she said.](https://www.rubiconline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/unnamed-11-900x600.jpg)
