WG Echo January 2024

Staff EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Hadley Hoskins PRINT/PODCAST EDITOR: Sam Klein JUNIOR EDITOR: Ali Schulz SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER/ GRAPHICS EDITOR: Soledad Lee VIDEO EDITOR: Margaret Oliphant NEWS/OPINION EDITOR: Arianna Peper ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Margaret Korte FEATURE EDITOR: Jasper Winterton ADVISOR: Donald Johnson

the

echo

Students, staff discuss severity of ‘senioritis’ 3 Students come forward about addiction in schools 4 Staff shares methods for coping with seasonal depression 5 Student council hosts annual Winter Formal 6 Stigma surrounding STI poses threats 7 Teachers discuss teacher appreciation, teacher’s mental health 8-9 Comedian fails to impress at awards show 10 Students discuss current, past fashion trends for 2024 11 Students share snow day superstitions 12 Students speak up for longer lunchtimes 13 Homework overload harms students 13 Film focuses on what-ifs between lost love 14 New ‘Percy Jackson’ adaptation stays true to book series 15 Editorial: School should better educate about Alcohol abuse 16

SPECIAL THANKS TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF THE ECHO: Melanie Bennett Kim and Dan Emerson Ariel Johnson Keillyn Johnson Anne and John Klein Jenny Korte Tracy Willis

SOME MATERIAL FROM TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE The Echo is a monthly publication of the newspaper staff of Webster Groves High School, 100 Selma Ave., Webster Groves, MO. To contact staff members, call 314-963-6400 ex. 11157 or write to wgecho@wgmail.org.

Unsigned editorials are the opinion of a majority of staff members; signed articles are the opinion of the writer.

Letters to the editor of 300 words or less are welcome; submit letters by the 10th of the month to wgecho@wgmail.org, or room 155. All letters must be signed, although the name may be withheld from publication if requested. The Echo has the right to edit letters for publication as long as intent remains unchanged.

Cover Cutline: Art by Gracie Giles

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Table of Contents | January 2024

Students, staff discuss severity of ‘senioritis’ Hadley Hoskins Editor-in-Chief “Senioritis” is a term used to describe a loss of motivation in seniors as graduation approaches.

The word is not only recognized by the U.S. Department of Education but is also used frequently among high schoolers-- especially those who wish to explain their lack of motivation during their senior year.

“It’s the excuse t h a t people t h a t procrastinate use-- it’s actually probably still the minority [of students],” counselor Ken Wi n n i n g h a m explained, adding, “The majority of kids probably still get their grades and get it done. It’s just harder.”

Students agreed with this, saying they noticed this start as early as the second semester of their junior year.

“I watched my brother graduate, and I realized how close he was to being done, and then how close I am to being done,” senior Lauryn Riefle said.

January 2024 | Feature

Senior Macey Fischer added planning for college added to this feeling. “When you’re getting ready for college, you realize

high school isn’t as important, so you withdraw and don’t try as hard,” Fischer said.

This feeling can have a variety of effects, most notably a lack of motivation and an increase in procrastination. “[Doing assignments] feels harder than it used to,” senior Rose Mossinghoff said.

“I’ll have kids that come to me, and they’re like, ‘I want to get this done.’

They just never get around to it,” Winningham said.

This lack of motivation, Winningham said, can lead to a dramatic drop in grades in some cases. “I have seen seniors tank… people with 4.0 [GPAs] ruin their 4.0 their last semester of high school,” he explained.

Winningham said even though there is a perception that it’s okay to lose motivation senior year, some colleges won’t accept that. A grade drop or a change in course rigor can have more detrimental effects than expected. Scholarships can be lost, or in extreme cases, colleges can even rescind admission.

“A lot of times they’ll come to me and say, ‘I want to drop all these classes, and I want to take these easy classes,’ and colleges won’t let you do that. If a college sees you’ve changed your

schedule, they’ll want to k n o w why,” Winningham said.

Winningham explained that despite the perception that it’s okay, or even normal, to let grades drop senior year, this isn’t the case. “That’s a narrative people tell themselves; it’s not actually true,” Winningham added.

Students struggling with senioritis should remember how hard they’ve worked so far to motivate themselves to keep going, Winningham said.

“This is your investment; this is all your hard work; make it count… You’ve invested 13 years into your education; you don’t want to blow it,” Winningham said.

Art by Tania Perez-Landerio wgecho.org

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Student comes forward about addiction in school Jasper Winterton Feature Editor “Our culture in general kind of forces people into drug use. Then when you get stuck in that cycle you are treated like a lost cause,” an anonymous junior, who had previously struggled with a nicotine addiction, said.

“One of the things that is concerning to me is how common it is for people to think that vaping is a healthy alternative to smoking cigarettes, when it’s not. Anytime you are inhaling a substance to your lungs, it’s bad for you- aside from prescribed medication,” Rachel Huertas, school nurse, said.

The National Institute of Health said that the media portrays vaping as a healthy and safe alternative to cigarettes, leading to a rise in the market for them- specifically targeting youth populations. This led to a major rise in vape use, and a decline in cigarette use- when neither are healthy.

Some of the health side effects of vaping include lung disease, heart disease,

The junior said when it comes to struggling with addiction as a student, drug programs could use improvement. He added while students are taught about drug use and that it’s bad, a large number of students still do it, rooted in stress from various factors.

“Substances can be a very quick and easy thing to do to escape issues people might be experiencing. I think a lot of the

more difficult to be successful in school, his stress got worse- along with his dependency.

“I think we should have drug counselors in our school. It’s really the bottom line of what has to happen. Someone who you can talk to about addiction or issues regarding substances without the fear of getting disciplined,” the junior said.

Some resources provided to students

“Substances can be a very quick and easy thing to do to escape issues people might be experiencing. I think a lot of the issue is how stigmatized mental health is still and how much pressure is put on kids to do well academically,” - anonymous junior

issue is how stigmatized mental health is still and how much pressure is put on kids to do well academically,” the junior said.

According to the National Institute of Health, drug use impacts students’ academic performance, and according to the Oxford Treatment Center, stress is one of the primary causes of drug use. While school stress can lead to drug use, drug use can also worsen school performance.

who are caught using substances at school include Preferred Family Healthcare, PreventEd, Clayton Behavioral Health center, CenterPointe and Clinical Collection Management.

Preferred Family Healthcare and PreventEd are free resources for anyone under 19.

When a student is caught with substances, along with whatever punishment is placed, their parent or guardian will receive an email with the resources listed, and contact information for school counselors and social workers.

The student’s punishment might be adjusted depending on if they go to one of the recommended rehabilitation programs.

While counselors and teachers are mandated reporters, how they handle the process depends on what substance a student is using and if their safety is at risk.

Students struggling with an addiction to any substance, can contact the Missouri Addiction Hotline at (866) 2101303.

“One of the things that is concerning to me is how common it is for people to think that vaping is a healthy alternative to smoking cigarettes, when it’s not. Anytime you are inhaling a substance to your lungs, it’s bad for you- aside from prescribed medication,” - Rachel Huertes

asthma and lung cancer.

According to the American Lung Association, the two most present chemicals found in e-cigarettes are propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine. These are toxic to cells, and the more ingredients present in the vape, the more toxic it is.

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The junior said this cycle can be what causes so many students to become dependent on substances, and it’s the culture at the school he’s referring to.

The junior said stress from school was a key reason why he got stuck in the cycle of addiction, but with addiction making it

Feature | January 2024

Op-Ed

Environmental causes need to be taken seriously Arianna Peper Contributing Writer

the cafeteria and courtyard, making them more accessible to students.

Currently, the Environmental Club has received a grant from It is easy to think one the Webster Groves Womperson can’t make a big en’s Garden Association difference when it comes and is planning to grow to the environment. Hownative plants in a garden ever, contributing in small at the school, but even ways can make a differwith that being done, ence. sponsor Elizabeth Hobbs In 1972, the United Nasaid there absolutely tions held the first conneeds to be more done for ference that made envithe environment. ronmental issues widely Hobbs said students known. can make more environToday, the planet is mentally friendly choices still not in the best posiby trying not to consume tion because of the ozone in the first place. This layer being damaged, air means that instead of buypollution and a constant ing plastic water bottles, amount of garbage being they should invest in redisposed of in wildlife Senior Arctic Grosvenor waters a plant at the environmental club usable ones and focus on and oceans. meeting on Jan. 24. Grosvenor said, “We live on this earth, and it’s on purchasing items ethically Though climate change a timer now, and I think we should do all we can to make that timer from the USA rather than is connected to many longer.” overseas. causes, such as generating Clothing is also a large Photo by Arianna Peper power, oil drilling, and part of waste contributing consuming too many natural resources, it can also be related to to landfills. The manufacturing process wastes a lot of water. people’s daily choices.

According to “The Fashion Law” and “The 71 Percent,” it One issue at Webster is that there are no recycling or compost takes around 1,800 gallons of water to grow the cotton required bins easily available in the cafeteria. This results in students only to make just one pair of blue jeans. being able to throw away all of their items, therefore contributing Rather than throwing away old jeans or clothes, Hobbs said to waste disposal. students can donate or sell them. She mentioned how students According to National Geographic, the world generates around should focus on being okay with purchasing used clothes to be 3.5 million tons of plastic and other solid waste daily, which more environmentally friendly. shows how important it is for people to make small changes to Hobbs said, “I think that climate change is overwhelming, but their daily activities. small changes do make a difference. It’s like one large rug and if One small way to contribute to the cause of lowering the waste everyone pulls a thread, eventually it will come undone.” disposal rate is WGHS including compost and recycling bins in

VISIT OUR WEBSITE wgecho.org January 2023 | Feature

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Student Council hosts annual Winter Formal Margaret Oliphant Video Editor Student Council hosted the annual Winter Formal Jan. 27, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Robert’s Gym. Tickets were $10 if purchased on or before Jan. 25, and $30 if purchased on Friday,Jan. 26. Outside guests will need a form on file and a Webster Groves student to attend the dance. Students can get from in the Athletic Office.

The dress code was formal, wearing dresses, dress pants and shirts, suit coats. Students will be asked to change if they are not in compliance with the dress code.

Student Council signed up for committees back in August to prepare for themes, decoration, choosFreshmen Lucy Willis and Eloise Booker smile at the Winter Dance on Saturdy, Jan. ing decorations, getting a song list 27 in Roberts Gym. for the DJ and advertising.

Photo by Kaya Wolfe The dance was brought back in 2023 after putting a pause on the dance due to COVID-19 restrictions. The club has used its last year and is excited for her first one. Carr-Schwartz’s favorite Wednesday morning meetings to prepare for the event, and it is place for dress shopping is the West County Mall.

Senior Bradley Josephsen isn’t as fond of the dance as others. preparing in the morning of the event by decorating.

“Going to a dance is a really stressful experience for me. There Despite going to both Friendship Dances in her time here, sophomore Jeni Carr-Schwartz did not go to the Winter Formal are so many people. It’s so loud, and talking to people is not an area I’m good at, which makes it a very overwhelming experience. It’s a lot more bearable when you go with friends,” Josephsen said.

“It’s probably a great experience for other people who thrive in these situations, but that’s not me. I do think that dances are something that are important to the high school experience. It’s kind of what makes high school highschool, “ Josephsen added.

Something Josephsen does appreciate about the dance is the cha cha slide because of the inclusivity of having a dance that everyone knows.

“I just love seeing everyone in their fancy outfits, especially because some people go all out,” senior Layla Salmon said.

Salmon enjoys the dance and getting to know the people at the dance, the music and dress shopping.

“If you get lucky thrifting, Amazon has some [dresses] $20-30 options,” Salmon said.

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News | January 2024

Stigma surrounding STIs poses threat Jasper Winterton Feature Editor “With sexual activity being so normalized for teenagers, STIs [sexually transmitted infections] are serious things that have taken too many lives,” an anonymous junior said.

According to the World Health Organization, over 30 known viruses, infections and bacterias are known to be spread by sexual contact- some of which can be deadly.

In Missouri, most clinics do not require parental or guardian involvement for STI testing; however, it depends on the specific clinic.

Along with this, according to Missouri state laws, schools are not required to teach sex education, and adding that to the curriculum is fully up to the school board. At Webster, sex education is taught in Hixson health classes and high school biology classes.

“So many people are concerned about the pregnancy aspect of it, but STIs should be treated just as seriously,” the junior said.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it is estimated that one in five people in the United States have an STI, and almost half of STIs are reported in people ages 15-24.

According to Nathan Ratchford, gynecologist, and Cory Offutt, family medicine doctor, most STIs are manageable, but not all can be cured. Some STIs that are unable to be cured are herpes and HIV. “There’s not as much talk and education about STDs [sexually transmitted diseases] and STIs in general. Outside of sex

education we don’t learn about what to do if you get one, and we aren’t really given resources for testing and stuff like that,” the junior said.

In Missouri, it is illegal for public schools to provide any form of birth control or contraceptives to students.

While Missouri says that it is not required to educate students on sexual activity, according to Ratchford and Offutt, many common misconceptions regarding STDs/STIs can mislead people into thinking the infections are not as serious as they are. Along with this, it is common for people to not experience any symptoms and blindly spread STIs to their sexual partner(s).

“Another aspect is that people are scared. It feels like if they pretend nothing is happening, then they have nothing to worry about, but that won’t help treat it,” Rachel Huertas, school nurse, said.

According to Planned Parenthood, the stigma surrounding STIs and sexual intercourse in general can be crucial to people’s mental and physical health. Due to the stigma, people who have STIs are likely to develop anxiety or depression, and specifically 36% of people diagnosed with herpes suffer from suicidal ideation. With the shame society places on people who are sexually active, it can make it extremely hard and scary to seek treatment.

Some clinics that offer STI treatment and testing for minors include Total Access Urgent Care and The SPOT (Washington University). STI kits are also available at drug stores, such as CVS and Walgreens, and stores like Walmart and Target. Tests can range from $40-200.

Join us in Celebration of the Lord!

January 2024 | News

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Teachers discuss teacher apprecia Sam Klein Print/ Podcast Editor

Teachers work an average of 53 hours a week working to educate students in an effective and entertaining way. While important, the field of education can take a toll on mental health.

Mental health is all about emotional well being, which can be a challenge to maintain when there’s constantly so much going on in a modern world.

D e compressing after a long day is vital to maintaining mental health.

English teacher Sarah Gray shared that her way of winding down is to spend time outside and go on walks.

Psychology teacher Jon Petter has a similar method.

“The big thing is spending time with family, is a big one, just spending time with the kids and the wife. Family time. And for me running, I like to obviously go out and grab some miles on the road to destress and just kind of get away from technology,” Petter said.

It’s not just about decompressing though, but it’s also about compartmentalizing life and separating work and home.

For example, Gray no longer brings work home. “I also don’t take work home anymore which has helped quite a bit [with improving mental health].”

Petter has

a different way of helping his mental health, focusing on the part that he loves. “I think really making sure you separate the teaching aspect from all the administrative stuff and making sure that you remember to enjoy teaching and that the other stuff has to get done but isn’t as es-

“You can’t fill somebody else’s cup if yours is empty. Really make sure you take care of yourself so you can be a good teacher because I know the days I come in where I’m stressed, I’m not a good teacher. I’m not focused; I mess things up. So you have to make sure to take care of yourself,” - Psychology Teacher Jon Petter

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“I do feel support ment and the ad that’s a little bit les have been strides a taken over the last forts,” - English Teacher

sential as the day to day where kids are having success,” Petter said.

Gray has other methods to protect her mental health such as looking at mental health from an angle of what is doable.

“I think that if you take the approach that you have to do all of the things, then it’s just not possible and you’re going to feel overwhelmed,” Gray said. “I think accepting that there is always going to be more to do until the end of the semester or the end of the year is just pretty important to coping mentally.”

In the end, it’s about perspective and the outlook taken on the job. “Teaching is obviously stressful. Trying to help everybody and help kids have success, that’s obviously a stress, but I’d say all the other stress of meeting deadlines and doing all the other sort of redtape stuff can get kind of stressful and take away from teaching to where you feel kind of exhausted from being a good teacher,” Petter said.

Burnout is a common thing in professions and can be found in teaching as well.

“I cannot tell you how many conversations I have with teachers who have taught for 15 plus years that are wondering whether or not they’re going to stay until retirement when five years ago that wouldn’t have ever been a question. It’s a big problem,” Gray said.

January 2024 | Feature

ation, teacher’s mental health The COVID-19 pandemic could be a contributor to this burn out teachers experience. “ I t definitely has had an effect and an

ted in some ways within my departdministration. District wide maybe ss consistent, although I know there and measures that central office has t few years so I appreciate those efSarah Gray

impact. I think the possibilities that we’ve had to change some things in a really major way. We and I mean I think overwhelmingly education in America not just at Webster, missed a lot of opportunities and just kind of went back to things as normal when things aren’t normal,” Gray said. “I think students have academic struggles from the learning loss from the pandemic, and I also think that students and staff are still dealing with emotional and mental consequences of that time.”

Support can often contribute to the mental health of teachers. This support can come from coworkers, parents, students, administration and even as far as district level. There are weeks like teacher apprecia-

tion to

show that

support. There are several other teacher appreciation activities a year. Outside of that, it comes down to administration and the district to make teachers feel appreciated.

“I do feel supported in some ways within my department and the administration. District wide maybe that’s a little bit less consistent, although I know there have been strides and measures that Central Office has taken over the last few years, so I appreciate those efforts,” Gray said.

Petter as a coach has different experiences with the support he receives as well as from his beginning of AP Psychology at the high school.

January 2024 | Feature

“I would say I definitely feel supported. I think the administrators are great. Dr. [John] Simpson is awesome. They’ve always been super supportive of me creating AP Psych, me doing the things I do with the track and cross country teams, so I’d say that’s a big reason of why I came to Webster and why I stay here is because of the support we get from admin and parents are amazing, and the community is amazing,” Petter said.

Teacher Appreciation Week began unofficially in 1953 and became official in 1980. This year Teacher Appreciation week

“I think accepting that there is always going to be more to do until the end of the semester or the end of the year is just pretty important to coping mentally.”

- English Teacher Sarah Gray begins on Monday, May 6, and ends Friday, May 10.

Teacher appreciation at Webster is mostly headed by the Parents Club, but some stuff does come from other places like administration and families. Marketing teacher Kathyrn Laurentius explains this.

“Parents Club probably number one (for support)... things like meals, like meals around parent teacher

conferences or snacks in the teachers lounge [comes from the parents club],” Laurentius said. “Students and families will get us some stuff and then administration periodically from our personal assistant principal we might get a thank you note or something like that.”

Teaching is about helping students learn, and Petter makes a statement about how to go about it successfully.

“You can’t fill somebody else’s cup if yours is empty. Really make sure you take care of yourself so you can be a good teacher because I know the days I come in where I’m stressed, I’m not a good teacher. I’m not focused; I mess things up. So you have to make sure to take care of yourself,” Petter said.

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Comedian fails to impress at awards show According to BBC Radio 4 Today, Gerwig said, “He’s not wrong. She’s the first doll that was mass-produced with breasts, so he was right on, and you know, I think that so much of the project of the movie was unlikely because it is about a plastic Hosts don’t always impress with their jokes and that was cer- doll.” tainly the case on Sunday, Jan. 7, at the Golden Globes.

Gerwig’s thoughts on Koy’s joke gets someone thinking about For American comedian Jo Koy, who hosted the award show, whether or not the joke was really that big of a deal, but people the unfortunate reality is his audience in the crowd and people should also think about the intent behind the joke and how it watching at home were not pleased with his jokes or monologue. exactly proves why “Barbie” was made.

Koy in a part of his monologue compared “Barbie” and “OpBarbie is a film focused on the experience women have in the penheimer,” which real world and how appeared to viewers Barbie over the years at home as not going was seen as a villain over well with the auor a misconception of dience at the Golden what a woman wasGlobes. The statement the morals of the film following was found were not focused on to be misogynistic to just the plastic doll. some.

In the opening of “Oppenhemier is the award show, Koy - Director Greta Gerwig based on a ‘721-page made a few jokes that Pulitzer Prize-winning fell flat among the aubook about the Mandience and had him hattan Project, and Barbie is on a plastic doll with big boobies,’” awkwardly laughing to himself.

Koy said.

According to Vanity Fair, Koy said, “I got the gig 10 days ago.

Reactions to the joke were posted across different forms of You want a perfect monologue? Yo, shut up! You’re kidding me, social media including “X,” “TikTok” and articles online. right? Slow down. I wrote some of these, and they’re the ones Actress Emma Stone was shown with a displeased look on her you’re laughing at.” face and actress/singer Selena Gomez was seen in distress with This is where he was met with silence from the audience. her head in her hands.

Lots of celebrities had responses and comments about Koy’s When watching the award show, the “Barbie” cast appeared jokes and monologue. Including his ex-girlfriend, American coas displeased with the joke and that may have been the case, but median/actress Chelsea Handler while hosting the 2024 Critics director of the film, Greta Gerwig, spoke out about her thoughts Choice Awards on Sunday, Jan. 14. on it.

After telling a joke to the audience, Handler said, “Thank you for laughing at that. My writer’s wrote it.”

Referring to when Koy blamed his writers for some of the jokes he said at the Golden Globes.

After all of this backlash, Koy commented on how he felt during and after receiving negative feedback.

According to nbcnews. com, Koy said, “You know I’d be lying if (I said) it doesn’t hurt… We just had 10 days to try and write something for this monologue. It was a crash course. And, you know, I’ve gotta still say that I loved what I did.”

Soledad Lee Social Media/Graphics Editor

“She’s the first doll that was mass-produced with breasts... I think that so much of the project of the movie was unlikely because it is about a plastic doll.”

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Feature | January 2024

Students discuss 2024 trend predictions Margaret Oliphant Video Editor Fashion trends tend to start through the runway, through social media or through “street style” or “street wear,” which often consists of casual baggy clothes, which would be considered most popular today.

Trends tend to last somewhere between one and five years while reemerging every 20, for example jean shorts coming back from the 1990s or the “y2k aesthetic” reemerging in today’s top trends.

“Keep baggy clothing, keep jorts,” s e n i o r Kyzer

Strawbridge said.

Strawbridge believes in staying comfortable with his clothes and that this is possible without wearing pajamas in through the halls. Strawbridge follows the jean shorts trend as well as mirror sunglasses.

Senior Jhannah Reed plays around with different styles of fashion and makeup, typically opting for a color scheme consisting of two colors. Reed also believes shoes such as Jordans can make an outfit better, saving up over both summer break and the school year to buy a pair for herself.

Reed would like to see headbands make

January 2024 | Feature

a comeback in 2024, although she hasn’t worn them much. Reed predicts that headbands will be trending items for 2024. Al-

though Reed is a fan of color she does want to see striped, colored clothing make its way out in the new year.

Junior Colette Giezentanner hopes people will become more adventurous with fashion choices.

Giezentanner hopes to see more thrifted and home made clothes in order to move away from online shopping.

“I’m tired of seeing gray all the time. Be honest with yourself if you like a certain sub-

culture or style,” Giezentanner said.

“I think that the mystical, medieval, and arcane is in for 2024. 2024 should have another medieval revival that’s similar to the one that happened in the 60s/70s,” Giezentanner said.

Art from Canva

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Students share snow day superstitions Margaret Korte Entertainment Editor According to an article from KSDK, snow days are caused mainly by transportation considerations and are heavily dependant on making sure that staff and students can safely commute to school.

Class can also be late-start, early dismissal or virtual on the day of the inclement weather— and because the weather can be so unpredictable, it’s difficult to be able to anticipate if school will be called off or not.

It’s not always guaranteed that the weather will cooperate (or, in this case, that it won’t), but some students believe they’ve found ways to sway the process.

Snow day rituals, or superstitions, are common among students hoping for an extra day off. There are infinitely many School was cancelled on Jan. 16 and Jan. 22 due to inclement weather. that can be found online, varyPhoto from the Echo Archives

ing from eating ice cream to performing an elaborate snow dance.

Senior Rebekah Rhyne puts a spoon underneath a pillow before the hopeful snow day and flushes an ice cube down the toilet.

Sophomore Lia Fairbanks uses ice like Rhyne. She also throws salt over her shoulder and tapes a penny to a door, or wears her pajamas inside out and backwards.

“Not all in one night, but I do those whenever there’s a chance of a snow day,” Fairbanks said via text.

Freshman Moira Wade said she does the same as Rhyne, as well as eating ice cream and placing a white crayon on her windowsill.

“I do my snow day rituals because, of course, I love snow days, but I would like to have extra assurance for one,” Wade said. “I think the more rituals you do, the more likely you are to get [a snow day].” As for the effectiveness of the superstitions, she said, “On the last snow day we had, I did many rituals the night before.”

According to the district website, the decision whether school will be called off or not is made as early as possible, and families are notified through text, email, phone call, or via social media or the local news.

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Feature | January 2024

Students speak up for longer lunchtimes Ryan DeMargel Contributing Writer School lunch periods should be longer. Current lunch times mixed with long lines and food taking a while to come out, make lunches feel very short and not provide a big enough break for students.

There are currently two lunch periods, first lunch and second lunch. First lunch lasts from 11:14 -11:41 a.m. and second lunch lasts from 12:10 -12:37 p.m., Each with a total of 27 minutes.

While on paper this may seem like a fair amount of time, students voiced their issues with how long the lunch lines can be.

Lunch lines can take up a majority of lunch, which leads students to feel unsatisfied with the time they have with their friends.

“By the time I even get out of the lunchlines, I have no time to sit and enjoy lunch with my friends, which is important for students,” sophomore Gilly Hutt said.

Students feel like they deserve a larger break during the day, considering A days require students going to seven classes. “As a student with a busy schedule, we deserve to have more of a break in the middle of the day between classes,” Hutt said.

“Lunches should be longer to give students more of a break in the day,” sophomore Morgan Patrick said.

While the majority of students eat in the library, cafeteria or PV Commons, juniors and seniors are given the option to leave for lunch. Some students go home and eat, others eat in their car, and some go get food from fast food or restaurants. Students who leave for lunch have to face the risk of accumulating multiple tardies over a semester, since traffic and parking can lead to students being late to class.

“If you are going off campus, it takes a good minute to get out of school. Getting to my car, driving, coming back, and then hav-

Students eat lunch in cafeteria on Thursday, Jan. 25.

Photo by Ryan DeMargel

ing enough time to eat makes people late,” senior Alissa Crespi said.

Adding five-to-10 minues would help with the issues the students have voiced through allowing students more of a break, and more time to enjoy lunch with their friends.

Homework overload harms students Charlotte Jennings Contributing Writer

Homework is a controversial conversation in any school setting; some think there’s too much, and some think there’s too little. However, the reality is students are saddled with a large amount of homework; often more than they can take.

Scientists such as Duke professor Harris Cooper recommend that there should be roughly 10 minutes of homework per grade level, meaning a ninth grader should have 90 minutes of homework, a 10th grader 100, and so on. However, Webster High often fails to meet this mark, going overboard.

While homework can be beneficial, too much homework can have a negative impact. It can affect a student’s social and physical health. Due to the amount of homework they have, students may have to sacrifice their social life to complete everything.

They might be unable to participate in sports to keep their grades

January 2024 | Op-ed

up or have to stay up late to finish all of their homework.

Homework can impact home life as well. Some students may not have access to the internet when they go home and cannot do their homework. Several parents or guardians may not have the time to help their children with their homework, which leaves those children at a disadvantage.

Webster could follow Kirkwood’s example in reducing homework. Kirkwood has implemented a “no homework weekend” policy, where there are certain weekends every semester when teachers cannot give out homework.

“It can be beneficial for students because they would have more free time as well as teachers because they would have less to grade,” Jenna Klenke-Galbreath, assistant principal, said who used to work in the Kirkwood district.

While it is still important for Webster High to have homework, there needs to be a push for a more manageable amount. Webster could follow in Kirkwood’s example, or collaborate with students to create a system that works for everyone.

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Film focuses on the what-ifs between lost love Soledad Lee Social Media/Graphics Editor Anyone looking for a film about two people who are connected as children and are eventually separated, but reunite despite being in two different countries years later should watch “Past Lives,” directed by Celine Song.

In the first part of the film, viewers are introduced to Na Young, played by Greta Lee, (“The Morning Show”) and Hae Sung, played by Teo Yoo, (“Decision to Leave”) as adults sitting in a bar in New York, but from the point of view of another two people sitting across the room from them. This is where viewers hear two voices discussing what they think Young and Sung are to each other.

What the two are to each other becomes the premise of the movie, with the Korean term, “In-Yun” (fate between two people in this life is owed to their interactions in their past lives) becoming something that comes up a lot.

The story then flashes back to Young and Sung’s life as children together in Seoul, South Korea. The two walk home together everyday and form a close bond. Na Young’s mom asks her about Hae Sung. Young tells her mom that Sung and she will get married someday.

Viewers watch as Sung and Young go on a date together at the park, before Young leaves and ends up going to Toronto with her family.

Fast forward 12 years later, and Na Young has changed her name to Nora Moon. Moon is living in New York and when on a phone call with her mother wonders about Sung.

After finding him on Facebook, she discovers he had posted a question asking if anyone knew where she was. Moon messages him and this leads to Moon and Sung video calling all the time for a couple months.

Eventually Moon stops the calling, as she tells Sung that she needs to put more time into her writing which is her work. Sung is disappointed by this, but lets her go once again.

During that break of talking, Moon goes to a retreat and viewers watch as she meets Arther Zaturansky, played by John Magaro (“First Cow”). While back in Seoul, Sung meets a woman who

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he begins a relationship with.

Once again, 12 years pass, Moon and Zaturansky are married.

Moon has to reassure Zaturansky a lot since he convinces himself that she married him for her green card; in actuality she loves him.

Sung ends up traveling to New York, claiming to his friends it isn’t for Moon. Viewers can assume that since Moon discusses it with Zaturansky, that she and Sung must’ve resumed contact at one point.

When Moon and Sung reunite, the audience can feel the immediate relief and the connection (In-Yun) the two have. They explore New York together and on Sung’s last night in New York, Zaturansky meets him.

The three end up at a bar together, where Sung confesses to Moon that she was the reason he came to New York.

According to imdb.com, Sung said, “I liked you for who you are; and who you are is a person who leaves…

But for him, you’re the person who stays.”

Readers who are interested in seeing how Sung and Moon’s relationship with each other ends up can rent the film on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Apple TV for prices from $4.99 to $5.99. The film is also still available in theatres.

“Past Lives,” may leave Photo from a24.com viewers questioning the end or comparing it to their own lives.

The story in the film is so heartfelt and even if a person has never experienced a connection like this, they could simply relate to their friendships and those almosts (what could’ve been something more). After watching the film though, some may feel relief and realize what happened was for a reason in their personal lives.

“Past Lives,” may have released on June. 23, 2023, but the film continues to impress with being nominated for best nonEnglish motion picture, top drama, best actress in a drama for Greta Lee, who plays Nora Moon, and best screenplay and director for Celine Song.

The film is rated PG-13, is considered a Romance/Drama and has a running time of 1 hour and 46 minutes.

Entertainment | January 2024

Students, staff discuss severity of ‘senioritis’ Hadley Hoskins Editor-in-Chief “Senioritis” is a term used to describe a loss of motivation in seniors as graduation approaches.

The word is not only recognized by the U.S. Department of Education but is also used frequently among high schoolers-- especially those who wish to explain their lack of motivation during their senior year.

“It’s the excuse t h a t people t h a t procrastinate use-- it’s actually probably still the minority [of students],” counselor Ken Wi n n i n g h a m explained, adding, “The majority of kids probably still get their grades and get it done. It’s just harder.”

Students agreed with this, saying they noticed this start as early as the second semester of their junior year.

“I watched my brother graduate, and I realized how close he was to being done, and then how close I am to being done,” senior Lauryn Riefle said.

January 2024 | Feature

Senior Macey Fischer added planning for college added to this feeling. “When you’re getting ready for college, you realize

high school isn’t as important, so you withdraw and don’t try as hard,” Fischer said.

This feeling can have a variety of effects, most notably a lack of motivation and an increase in procrastination. “[Doing assignments] feels harder than it used to,” senior Rose Mossinghoff said.

“I’ll have kids that come to me, and they’re like, ‘I want to get this done.’

They just never get around to it,” Winningham said.

This lack of motivation, Winningham said, can lead to a dramatic drop in grades in some cases. “I have seen seniors tank… people with 4.0 [GPAs] ruin their 4.0 their last semester of high school,” he explained.

Winningham said even though there is a perception that it’s okay to lose motivation senior year, some colleges won’t accept that. A grade drop or a change in course rigor can have more detrimental effects than expected. Scholarships can be lost, or in extreme cases, colleges can even rescind admission.

“A lot of times they’ll come to me and say, ‘I want to drop all these classes, and I want to take these easy classes,’ and colleges won’t let you do that. If a college sees you’ve changed your

schedule, they’ll want to k n o w why,” Winningham said.

Winningham explained that despite the perception that it’s okay, or even normal, to let grades drop senior year, this isn’t the case. “That’s a narrative people tell themselves; it’s not actually true,” Winningham added.

Students struggling with senioritis should remember how hard they’ve worked so far to motivate themselves to keep going, Winningham said.

“This is your investment; this is all your hard work; make it count… You’ve invested 13 years into your education; you don’t want to blow it,” Winningham said.

Art by Tania Perez-Landerio wgecho.org

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Editorial

School should better educate about alcohol abuse Across the United States, 34% of people aged 12 to 20 have or do participate in underage drinking, a study done by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH) found.

Despite this alarming statistic, not enough is done to prevent alcohol abuse in high schoolers. According to the NIH, “Underage drinking is a serious public health problem in the United States.

Alcohol is the most widely used substance among America’s youth and can cause them enormous health and safety risks.”

A high risk arises when underage drinking turns into binge drinking, and it often does. A study conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that “More than 90% of all beverages containing alcohol consumed by youth are consumed through binge drinking.”

Binge drinking is characterized as consuming more than five drinks (for men) or four drinks (for women) in a single occasion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The NIH said that binge drinking presents a variety of risks, including “mental confusion, difficulty remaining conscious, vomiting, seizures, trouble breathing and dulled responses.”

Despite the risks associated with binge drinking, students are not provided with enough resources or information to know its risks. More education would help prevent students from overconsuming alcohol and reduce the risk of alcohol poisoning.

The reality is, underage drinking is common among high schoolers. Instead of simply telling students not to participate, more should be done to educate students.

One way this could be done is through more extensive education in health classes about the risks of overconsuming alcohol and steps to take if a peer does so. Also, there should be more regular reminders throughout the school year-- showing educational videos during advisory would be one option for this.

If one is suffering from binge drinking or alcoholism, they can call the SAMHSA 24 hour national helpline

at 1-800-662-4357. One can also attend counseling sessions and help groups. Additionally, one can talk to their healthcare provider to try and receive a prescription to reduce alcohol cravings.

Art by Gracie Giles

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Editorial | January 2024