WG ECHO September 2017 Issue

ECHO See pg. 8: ‘Student walkout promotes change’

September 2017 Volume 103 Issue 1 100 Selma Ave st. Louis MO 63119 Photo by Ashli Wagner WGECHO.org

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Table of Contents

ECHO

Pg. 3 ECHO responds to site’s misinformation Pg. 3 ECHO Editorial Policy Pg. 4 Sports should count as PE credit Pg. 5 Peaceful protests are effective Pg. 6 Writers present two views on parking Pg. 7 Auditorium gets improvements Pg. 8 Student walkout promotes change Pg. 9 Girls State gives editor opportunities for growth Pg. 10-11 Rare solar eclipse inspires students, staff Pg. 12 Singer’s grope lawsuit gives light to sexual assault Pg. 13 Student advisors join school board to give wider perspective Pg. 14 Library rules anger students Pg. 15 Facility causes cheer discontent Pg. 16 Seniors prepare for final season Pg. 17 Statesmen shoot for growth and challenges Pg. 18 Columnist suggests survival kit for LouFest Pg. 19 Review: ‘Sonic Mania’ shows fans’ dedication Pg. 20 Willie’s Comic

2017-18 ECHO STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Caroline Fellows JUNIOR EDITOR: Cole Schnell PRINT EDITOR: Riley Mullgardt BUSINESS/ADS MANAGER: Evelyn Trampe VIDEO EDITOR: Ashli Wagner SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR: Natalie Johnson NEWS/OPINION EDITOR: Elise Keller SPORTS EDITOR: Greg Frazier FEATURE EDITOR: Rosa Parks PODCAST EDITOR: Eleanor Marshall ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Josie Krueger GRAPHICS EDITOR: Sean Mullins ADVISOR: Donald Johnson

SOME MATERIAL COURTESY OF AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEWSPAPER EDITORS/MCT CAMPUS HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER SERVICE The ECHO is a monthly publication of the newspaper staff of Webster Groves High School, 100 Selma Avenue, 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.

The ECHO is a member of SSP, Quill and Scroll, MJEA, JEA, MIPA, NSPA and CSPA.

September 2017

The ECHO FAMILY The ECHO Family helps make the ECHO possible. To become a member of the ECHO Family, please contact wgecho@wgmail.org. Thanks to all of our members!

Melanie Bennett Curtin Family Fellows Family Jean Dugan Meghan Gray Aerin Johnson Phil Wojak Ernie Yilmaz wgecho.org

ECHO

Opinion

Editorial

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ECHO responds to site’s misinformation About 250 Webster Groves High School students participated in a peaceful protest inspired by the Jason Stockley case on Monday, Sept. 18, from 10:10 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. The students protested, staying on the school grounds and obeying guidelines from the administrators with classes continuing without disruption.

Later that evening, an article titled “Students at Liberal Webster Groves High School Walk Out to Hold Moment of Silence for Dead Heroin Dealer(Video)” was published on The Gateway Pundit, a St. Louis conservative political blog. The article was written by Jim Hoft, also the founder of this blog.

The ECHO would like to respond to this article by clearing some things up.

First, anyone who attended the protest knew the purpose was not to support a heroin dealer but to promote positive change in the Webster Groves community.

Secondly, the moment of silence was not held just for Anthony Lamar Smith, but for all black lives lost through police brutality.

Thirdly, The Gateway Pundit used a photo belonging to The WG ECHO for its article without permission.

The comment section of the blog post was filled with unin-

formed comments about the Webster Groves High School and its students.

One commenter, John Merriman, said, “Would be nice if these kids showed as much concern about the hundreds dying from heroin overdoses in St. Louis every year.”

In April 2017, the ECHO published the article “Drug sweeps St. Louis” to spread awareness of the growing heroin usage and abuse in the St. Louis area.

Another comment from Jims Voice read, “The few unlucky whites at that school are mental slaves to the feral (sic) masses, or they are the next knockout game victim.”

Webster Groves High School has a predominantly white population, and teachers, administrators and clubs work to make everyone’s voice equally heard.

The ECHO staff believes that this article from The Gateway Pundit does not accurately represent our high school or the intent of the protest that was organized. Webster Groves High School students are always working to become better citizens, protesting being a part of citizenship, and will continue to do so despite attempts to demean them.

ECHO Editorial Policy The ECHO is published monthly by the WGHS newspaper staff and serves as a public forum for its readers, providing an accurate, unbiased report of news affecting them and a forum for opinions of students, faculty and parents.

The ECHO staff has established as editorial policy that: 1) Obscene, racist, sexist and libelous material will not appear in the ECHO. 2) The ECHO staff and adviser are the only individuals who have the right to review the content of the ECHO prior to publication.

3) The ECHO will attempt to be fair, impartial, accurate, truthful and responsible when presenting ideas to its readers.

4) The ECHO will make a clear distinction between fact and opinion.

5) All articles and graphics except editorials (which represent the opinion of the majority of the staff), news briefs and clip art will have the authors identified with bylines unless it is written by a contributing writer who, for reasons of privacy, wishes to remain anonymous. Collaborated articles will have bylines of all who participated in the writing and researching of the articles.

6) Subject matter and opinions in signed op-ed articles will be considered those of the signer and not necessarily those of the Echo staff, the WGHS faculty or the Webster Groves School District.

7) Unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of a majority of Echo staff members.

8) Issues considered controversial will be covered with the approval of the editors and the adviser. Staff members will not focus on controversial topics solely for the creation of news or self-publicity.

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9) Any current student, staff member, faculty member or building administrator who dies during the year will be recognized in the ECHO in the form of a 300-400 obituary with factual information (date of birth, date of death, survivors, organizations, hobbies, interests) and one photo if possible. The ECHO will be sensitive to the feelings of the deceased’s family and will treat all deaths with taste and respect. Cause of death will be included if the majority of the staff feels it is necessary to the story.

10) Letters to the Editor are welcome and will be printed so long as there is room and timing permits. The ECHO reserves the right to edit letters, as long as the intent is unchanged. Letters must be signed; names may be withheld from publication if requested. Letters containing obscenity, racism, sexism, libel or personal attacks will not be printed.

11) Recognizing the value of statistical information to report on cultural and societal norms, the ECHO will conduct periodic polls. The ECHO will always report the scope of the survey (number, timeframe, breakdown), and will not require the names of respondents. Each survey is to have the following reminder: “Participation in all ECHO surveys is voluntary.”

12) Online comments will require a verifiable name and email address. Online comments that are found in violation of the editorial policy and spam will be removed as quickly as possible.

13) All noteworthy errors in the ECHO will be corrected in the following issue.

14) Proper channels will be followed in order to obtain permission to use copy-righted material.

15) The ECHO is not a public relations vehicle for WGHS nor the Webster Groves School District.

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Opinion

Op-Ed

ECHO

Sports should count as PE credit

Photo by Lindsey Bennett

Women’s volleyball members line up for the National Anthem before its game against MICDS on Sept. 7.

Riley Mullgardt Print Editor

Cole Schnell Junior Editor

Picture someone who has been taking every AP class that Webster offers, has played two Varsity sports and has over 50 hours volunteering. Despite all these things, this student athlete must still take a full year of PE classes to graduate.

This has been an ongoing issue with student athletes and an ongoing conversation between athletes and the administrators that has yet to be answered directly.

Being able to earn physical education credits by participating in an interscholastic sport for graduation requirements is common place in other states such as Illinois, Ohio, California and Arizona.

Missouri doesn’t allow for this, but House Bill 695 might have changed that. The bill was left in committee and static, and there is no announced plan for this bill’s revival. The bill was introduced by Donna Pfautsch, Republican representative for District 33.

The bill would have allowed for any student athlete playing two Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) certified sports in a single year would be able to get one full PE credit, which is the graduation requirement in Missouri.

“The Missouri Graduation Handbook” by Missouri District of Elementary and Secondary Education (MDESE) said, “Courses devoted to conditioning for interscholastic sports or practicing for interscholastic sports may not be counted toward meeting the minimum requirement.”

This is most likely the determining factor for athletes involved in after school sports being ineligible for PE credit.

There are no MSHSAA rules that would prevent these students to get credit.

Sean Wright, athletic trainer, health teacher and head of the athletic department, said, “Physical education has many positive aspects. It can improve your health: physically, mentally and socially.”

Accredited interscholastic sports would allow for student athletes to further their academic ambitions. They can take more

September 2017

electives or an academic labs to supplement their time playing sports.

A poll of 83 WGHS students revealed that this bill would raise sport participation. Students who don’t play sports would if they got credit for their participation. The data showed that 62.2 percent of people already play a sport, but 84 percent said they would participate in a sport if it meant not having to take PE. Eighty percent of students polled thought playing a sport should count as a PE credit with 3.9 percent undecided.

Not only would changing the PE requirements help athletes free up a full year class, but it would also provide more participation in sports and more school spirit.

While the school does make accommodations and offers a variety of options that count as a sports credit, sports players should not be required to take it.

Julie Burchett, Chelsea Experiential Learning Center organizer, and Karen Verstraete, counseling department chair, agreed that students should get credit.

A football player burns about an average of 610 calories in one hour. That’s about 1,220 calories in one practice and 1,830 calories in one game. According to CalorieLab, if someone weighs 150 lbs, he or she burns about 374 calories in one hour of PE class, and that is only with intense movement.

Why must a student who already burns so many calories (physical benefit and for some a mental benefit) a day and see his or her team mates (social benefit) be forced to take a class he or she doesn’t need?

Varsity football Coach Cliff Ice said, “I don’t think that PE should be required to take, but I do think that athletes need to work out.”

Ice requires that his players either take a weight training class during school or in the mornings, twice a week.

If a coach wants his/her players to take a PE class because he/ she believes it will improve the players playing, then that is a different issue. Ultimately the choice is up to the coaches.

Previously, cheerleading practice was during seventh period and counted as a PE credit. Now, cheerleaders practice after school doing the same physical activity just at a different time.

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ECHO

Ellie’s Expression

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Opinion

Peaceful protests are effective Eleanor Marshall Opinion Columnist “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

The First Amendment This amendment was written in 1789, but it is still relevant today.

The amendment applies to the recent events in Charlottesville. On Sat., Aug. 12, a group of Alt-Right white nationalists, organized by Jason Kessler, gathered to protest the removal of a statue of Photo by Natalie Johnson Robert E. Lee. Things got violent when Senior Jamie Tabron participates in the Black Lives Matter protest at Webster a group of counter protesters showed up.

Groves High School on Sept.

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Both groups were expressing their views, when out of nowhere at 1:42 known as ANTIFA (pronounced an-TEE-fa) — have been physip.m., a car driven by James Alex Fields drove into the counter protesters, killing Heather Heyer, 32, and cally confronting neo-Nazis, white supremacists and, in some cases, speakers who merely challenge the boundaries of political injuring 19 other people.

Fields has been charged with second-degree murder, three correctness on college campuses across the country.”

Charlottesville Daily Progress photographer Ryan Kelly said, counts of malicious wounding and one count of hit-and-run. The police made three other arrests: Troy Dunigan, 21, charged with “There were a few small fights that broke out from time to time. disorderly conduct, Jacob L. Smith, 21, charged with misde- People were throwing stuff at each other. A few people were meanor assault and battery, and James M. O’Brien, 41, charged beating on each other.”

Washington Post reporter Joe Heim said, “Counter-protesters with carrying a concealed gun.

After the events, President Donald Trump tweeted that we fought back, also swinging sticks, punching and spraying chemimust stand together as one. Two days later, he specifically tar- cals. Others threw balloons filled with paint or ink at the white geted the Alt-Right group as being the problem. However, the nationalists. Everywhere, it seemed violence was exploding. The next day, he seemed to change his mind saying that there was police did not move to break up the fights.”

No matter what side one believes in, he/she must admit that “blame on both sides.” the whole situation was handled incorrectly. If both sides had This is true.

According to an article written by New York Times reporter, been peaceful stating their opinions, Heather Heyer would still Farah Stockman, “Groups that identify as anti-fascist — also be alive, and many others would be uninjured.

Have an opinion?

Write a letter to the editor!

Send it to wgecho@wgmail.org wgecho.org

September 2017

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Opinion

He said, She said

ECHO

Writers present two views on parking A parking pass costs $50 for one school year. With 225 parking spots,there are 23 students on the waiting list for parking.

Cole Schnell Junior Editor

Ashli Wagner Video Editor

Though many students and parents have Two student parking lots provide a colleccomplained about the lack of parking, Webtive 225 parking spaces. People think this is ster Groves High School has enough stuenough parking space for everyone, but it dent parking and should have less. isn’t.

There is a problem, but they’re looking Based on a survey of 67 respondents, 73.8 for the wrong solution, adding parking. percent replied they are either driven by a WGHS uses a permit system instead of student, drive other students or drive themanyone who gets there first because the stuPhoto by Cole Schnell selves alone. dents’ permit fees pay the school $11,250 Webster provides 225 parking Of those 67 replies, 78.5 percent agreed per year. more parking space is needed for students. spaces which are all filled, with 23 Two students said that the price is too ex- on the waiting list.

This shows a lack of student parking within pensive, and financial aid should be availboth parking lots. able.

“No one except seniors should be allowed Juniors have to cosign for a parking pass. If seniors also had in the Senior Lot. We have seniority and should not be left to cosign for parking space, fewer space would be needed. scrambling to park because of underclassmen,” senior Arden Also, a system needs to be created for carpooling. Students Armstrong said about juniors parking in the Senior Lot. who need a partner to rent a space with and students who need Students obtain a parking pass at registration on a first come a ride can hail a ride through social media outlets such as Refirst serve basis. This doesn’t always work though. If a student mind or GroupMe. does not make it to his or her first registration, then he or she Students driving would be able to ask for gas money. Stumisses the chance to get a pass and will have to be put on a dents who live in a certain perimeter around the high school waiting list. should be last to get a parking pass. A certain perimeter would What happens when a student doesn’t have a parking pass include homes in a walking distance that it doesn’t make sense but still drives? He or she has to get to school early to find to drive. This would have to be determined. a spot on Selma or Lockwood Avenues, or isn’t reserved for Fewer drivers after and before school creates a safer camteachers or locked in once the gates close. pus and less traffic, allowing for students who have jobs to “If the school doesn’t add parking spots, there should be get to their jobs after school quicker. Having fewer drivers more spots available for people who aren’t able to get parking also has environmental and monetary benefits. Fewer parking passes because if you don’t get a parking pass in time, then spots means that more people will be inclined to walk even if you have to show up at a side street at like 7:05 a.m. just to it’s just to their car farther away, and exercise is always good get a spot on Lockwood or something,” one survey respondent especially after a day of sitting. said.

Carpooling creates a social situation that people wouldn’t One solution to this problem of after school parking lot gridbe in otherwise. Even after a long day of social activities sitlock which was suggested by senior Oliver Chrisler is that the ting in a car listening to music is still sociable. After day and parking lots have more than one entrance/exit. day sitting listen to the radio, carpoolers will start to feel comWhen students try to all rush out of the parking lot after fortable, and then they’ll have a Facebook friend for life. school, the lots get crowded quickly. If the Senior Lot lets out Students go to jobs and sports after school, and these comon Selma Avenue and the Junior Lot lets out on Sylvester Avplications would make it harder to create a system based on enue that would solve the problem of all the students leaving carpooling. A baseball or softball team has at least nine pothe parking lots onto one street. tential carpool mates, and football has more than 11 potential Another solution for problematic parking traffic is that the carpool mates. city put up stop signs. There are no stop signs on Selma AvPeople who have jobs can carpool someone home, then go enue or on East Bradford Street, so drivers don’t have to stop. to their jobs. There could be a chance to apply for one’s own This creates a problem for those who parked in the student lot parking space if need be, but few people need to be at their because without stop signs, drivers are left to wait until there jobs immediately after school. is a gap in traffic or someone lets them out. If the city were to Student don’t need enforced rules to make this situation betput up stop signs and create a four way stop, getting in and out ter. Students can voluntarily walk, bike or carpool. of the parking lot would be much easier.

September 2017

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ECHO

News

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Auditorium gets improvements

Josie Krueger Entertainment Editor

Old, tattered seats and narrow, dark aisles; the faded green cushions were once filled with fluffy stuffing but were now stiff with age. Play and concert-goers no longer felt fluid anticipation running through the veins of the floor beneath them as they used to before a performance.

The Jerry R. Knight Auditorium’s seats in 2016 were the same seats students sat in when the auditorium opened 90 years ago.

Alumni Association members and principal Jon Clark had been proposing a renovation for multiple years now.

This year the members received the grant/loan of about $400,000 from the school board, which made these improvements possible.

Head of the Alumni Association and main organizer of the auditorium renovation, Pat Voss, described what the renovation consists of: “The auditorium was completely painted, all new carpeting, and you will see track lighting along the carpeting, so if you have to get up in the dark, you can see where you’re going...The aisles are wider, when you sit down, if (someone) has to go through, you don’t have to stand up anymore. The seats are wider; there are not as many seats. We used to have 900 seats in the audito-

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rium; now we have 743.”

The Alumni Association organized a way to fundraise the money by selling the name rights to the new auditorium seats.

This allows patrons to get a message of their choice permanently engraved on a plaque that will be fixed to the back of the seat. The message may have three lines with 20 characters on each line. Five hundred dollars purchases a plate in the first two rows of the auditorium, $300 purchases a plaque on a downstairs seat that’s not in the first two rows, and $200 purchases a plaque on a balcony seat.

Voss is even purchasing the naming rights to five balcony seats in order to further her support.

“I used to be part of a team that worked when I was assistant principal here... we didn’t have (Todd) Schaefer in Tech Theater here, so we did costumes and makeup and set and all that kind of stuff. There were five of us, and I bought a seat for each one, it says, ‘In honor of,’ like, ‘Ron Kenning, drama teacher; Webster Groves High School’” and the year he was here, so one can put anything on the purchased plaque that he or she would like.

Drama teacher Schaefer said of the overall result, “It’s very warm and inviting; all the lights work in the house; you can actually see the house lit up... I love the seats. They’re way more comfortable; you can get in and out of the rows a little easier; the carpet is great.”

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News

ECHO

Student walkout promotes change

Students hold a peaceful protest outside Senior Entrance during fourth hour on Sept. 18.

Caroline Fellows Editor-in-Chief Two hundred fifty students streamed out of the Senior and Junior Entrances during fourth hour, chanting “Black Lives Matter!” as they congregated in the middle of Selma Avenue, raising their posters high above the crowd.

“Obviously we’re out here because of the Jason Stockley (not guilty) verdict and justice for black lives, but the only way we’re gonna make a change here at Webster High School is to speak about how we can change social injustice here at this school,” senior Danielle Daniels said in her speech.

The students marched towards the end of Selma towards Webster Groves police officers standing on the other side of the gate, shouting, “No justice, no peace” and “Hands up, don’t shoot.”

They knelt down on the ground with their hands up and had a moment of silence to honor all those who’d died as victims of police brutality.

After circling to school twice, the students gathered on the steps on the Senior Entrance shouting, “What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” “Please remember that the only way we’ll be heard is if we use this protest as a peaceful protest and keep it school appropriate,” Daniels said before the protest started.

According to an email sent to parents by superintendent Dr. John Simpson, students who participated in the protest were marked absent, but for senior Julia Ross, attending the protest was worth the consequence.

“We chose to accept the consequences to show what we be-

September 2017

Photo by Ashli Wagner

lieve in and to make a change, or at least try to,” Ross said. She carried a sign which displayed “All lives don’t matter until black ones do.”

Students passed around a clipboard where students could write down any changes they wanted at the high school.

“We’re seeing every student that protested and having a discussion with them,” assistant principal John Raimondo said.

“We’re asking them to take time to write and reflect on why they were out there and what meaning it had to them.”

“Yes, I think we did [make an impact today],” freshman Adrianna Moore said. “There was a police chief, and he talked to me, so I think we changed a couple things for the whole Webster School District.”

Photo by Ashli Wagner

Students knelt on the ground and held their hands up while holding a moment of silence for all those who have been a victim of police brutality.

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ECHO

Feature

Despite setbacks

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Girls State gives editor opportunities for growth

Photo by American Legion Auxiliary Missouri Girls State photographer

Missouri Girls State Governor Hattie Bittle welcomes delegates on Sunday, June 25, during the opening ceremony.

Caroline Fellows Editor-in-Chief One of the first things I learned about Missouri Girls State was there was a lot of lines.

Arriving five minutes before check-in started did not keep me from standing in the registration line for 30 minutes in the Warrensburg heat, followed by more lines inside and then yes, even more lines when trying to get into Ellis residence hall.

One of the wonderful aspects of Ellis Hall is there are no elevators. My mother and I misread directions and lugged around five pieces of luggage up two flights of stairs and all around the second floor until we finally found my dormroom. With little time to relax before the first activities of the week began, I tried to meet some people in the rooms nearby and in my city. Delegates are divided up into seven counties, and within each county there are three cities, totaling to 21 cities with each containing about 40 girls.

Trying to make friends in a crowd of 800 people was a lot like speed-dating, with the most loud, enthusiastic girls quickly becoming popular and in better positions for being elected to offices. Since I tend to be more introverted, the only close friends I really had were my two roommates. Speaking of roommates, whose idea was it to have three 17- year-old girls share a small dorm room and have five girls share a bathroom, which features a toilet leak and one roll of toilet paper for six days? It was a definitely a struggle to coordinate shower schedules during the week, and it was no surprise to wake up in the middle of the night and find someone still showering.

I first heard about Missouri Girls State in 2016 when attending

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the Missouri Rotary Youth Leadership Award Academy where many girls said they planned to attend Missouri Girls State the following summer.

After 2017 graduate Adi Johnson told me how much fun she had the summer before her senior year, I decided to give it a shot and apply. History has always been one of my favorite subjects in school, but whatever knowledge I’d thought I’d had of the United States government was nothing compared to everyone else when I arrived at Missouri Girls State. I’m pretty sure they could all recite the Articles of Confederation from memory, when all I could remember was that they once existed (sorry, U.S. history teacher Tim Cashel).

Before I arrived, I had it all planned out- I was going to write for the newspaper, the Missouri Girls State Gazette, take some photos and maybe be in a broadcast or two.

When I arrived, however, I realized only two girls per city could write for the paper and only one girl per city could participate in the broadcasts. I wasn’t picked for either; only about five hours into day one of six, my entire week had gone to pieces.

As the week went on, though, it got much better. We had several notable guest speakers including United States Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill, Missouri auditor Nicole Galloway, Missouri first lady Sheena Greitens, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens and members of the Missouri House of Representatives and Highway Patrol.

I remember being especially inspired by Galloway, who talked to us about she overcome sexism when attending the Missouri University of Science and Technology for her degrees in Applied Mathematics and Economics. Governor Greitens discussed his time as a Navy SEAL and his experiences that have shaped his policies today.

On a whim I decided to sign up for the choir. Now I haven’t taken a choir class since sixth grade, so it was a bit of a shock for my mother when she saw me singing in the front row of the alto section at Inauguration on Friday. I also served on my party’s state convention committee, organizing speech length limits and assigning exact durations for each event that would occur during the convention. It was the perfect job for me to make sure everything was in line and would run smoothly.

At the end of the week, everyone was so sad to leave, and I was too- but I was also ready to go home and sleep. An entire week of 6:30 a.m.- midnight activities had worn me out, and I was excited to be able to once again wear clothes that reflected the outside temperature. Since most of the buildings were exceptionally cold, especially Hendricks Hall, the main location for the three-hour assemblies and guest speakers, I had pretty much been wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt all week.

I truly believe that I was surrounded by the future leaders of the United States government when I was at Missouri Girls State, and more than anything, I really miss singing the Girls State song several times per day, which constantly reminded us of our potential – “We are up and coming, progressive, kind and strong.

And to our own Girls State, we proudly sing our song.”

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Feature

ECHO

Rare total solar eclipse in Natalie Johnson Social Media Manager Monday, Aug. 21, the moon’s shadow traveled across the United States, spanning from Oregon to South Carolina.

A total solar eclipse like this occurs when the sun, moon and earth align. The moon passes between the sun and the earth, blocking the light from the sun and casting a shadow on earth. This occurs only because the sun and moon’s sizes relative to their distances from earth make them appear to be the same size in the sky, astronomy teacher Greg Heard said.

As the moon crosses the sun, it appears to be taking bites out of it.

This phase of the eclipse is called contact. During this time, the sun appears to get smaller and smaller, as it reaches the shape of a cres-

Evelyn Trampe Business Manager cent moon. The sky also gradually grows darker, as if someone were to be dimming the lights. Right before totality, the sun is barely visible.

During a total solar eclipse there is a short amount of time where the sun is completely covered by the moon called totality. During totality, the moon looks like a black glowing circle in the sky. This glowing is the sun’s corona, or its atmosphere, which is not visible due to the light of the sun. Once the moon blocks the sun’s light, the gases from the corona become visible. This is also known as the “diamond ring effect” because only a small band of light is visible around the moon.

Heard, also a physics teacher,

Photo by Caroline Fellows

St. Louis was one of few places that got to see the eclipse reach totality.

said physics is essential to predicting the eclipse because scientists need to “understand the motions of the three celestial bodies involved.”

Totality in Webster Groves lasted around one minute and 17 seconds, as timed by Heard. After 10 years of teaching astronomy, Heard finally got to see a total eclipse. He was “blown away. Pictures don’t do it justice.” It did not get as dark

Photo by Cole Schnell

Sophomore Sam Ely watches the solar eclipse using solar glasses provided by the school.

September 2017

Ph

Senior Jennifer Egley looks up to the sky waitin ity lasted just over one minute.

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ECHO

Feature

nspires students, staff

as he expected, and which he says is because the sun’s atmosphere was still light. The sky grew darker and lit up hues of pink, purple and orange, like during a sunset.

Heard was not the only one from the school community wowed by the eclipse.

Junior Christian Ragean’s experience was not at all what he expected.

“The sky was more colorful than most pictures of the eclipse show, and the eclipse itself was a lot more surreal-feeling and alien like than I thought it would be,” Ragean said.

“It was absolutely breathtaking, and I would definitely pay to travel to the next place that has a solar eclipse in my lifetime.”

Some students did have the opportunity to travel for this unique event, including sophomore Katka Trachtova, who drove south for several hours to get an extra minute of totality, which she said was “definitely worth missing school,” and helped her forget about the “already mounting stress of school.”

Before the eclipse, Tractova’s expectations were low.

“Honestly, the hour it took for full coverage wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be, but totality hoto by Riley Mullgardt was breathtaking. ng for the eclipse. TotalI loved how dark

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11

it got and how a sunset appeared all around the horizon. It made me realize how lucky I was to see it, because it really was something I’ll most likely never see again,” Trachtova said.

Senior ConPhoto from Kevin Drexl nie Rhodes Seniors Kevin Drexl, Brendan Muldoon, Matt Lehmann and felt her sleep Ben Varghese sat on a blanket on the baseball field to watch schedule was the eclipse reach totality. challenged ing totality I wasn’t sweating anyduring the eclipse.

“It was odd because of how it got more.”

Castro expressed her gratitude darker and cooler, but it was only 2 p.m., and it felt like it could have for this opportunity. “ The eclipse been 8 p.m. or so after the sunset, made me feel fortunate because I but it wasn’t. Part of me was like am lucky I got to experience this is it time to go to bed soon, but the storytelling event,” she said Senior Mitchell Lazarow other half of me was like it’s alwatched the eclipse at school, and most 2 p.m.,” Rhodes said.

Despite Rhode’s temporar- was thankful he was “able to share ily distorted sense of bedtime, she it with all of [his] friends,” and witthought the eclipse was, “so cool,” ness “the awe that washed over all “amazing,” and a “breathtaking of us.”

Lazarow expressed similar sentiexperience.” Rhodes “just enjoyed the moment looking at the eclipse, ments to others who witnessed the eclipse. “You feel very humble to until it was over.”

One added benefit of the eclipse be able to experience this because was a brief break from the other- eclipses won’t be around forever, because the moon is moving furwise blazing heat that day.

Junior Zoe Castro, who watched ther away and this opportunity to from the Galleria parking lot said, be born just right in the right win“I didn’t realize the temperature dow of time, and to be able to be would change so significantly. located in the path of totality is inWhen the moon was moving over credible,” he said. the sun, I was sweating, but dur-

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12

Feature ECHO Singer’s grope lawsuit gives light to sexual assault “They usually don’t want to report it because they don’t want their parents to know that they got drunk or something like that, but then this thing is just bothering them so much that it’s overpowering everything. They’re just traumatized,” Ken Winingham, counselor, said.

“Eventually, they are the ones who tell their parents, but at first they think they don’t want anybody to know. I can tell you, though, that if you just let something like that sit, you don’t just recover from it overnight. It will just eat a person up. A lot of times they want to tell somebody; they’re just scared of their parents. You know, ‘oh, I wasn’t supposed to have the car,’ or ‘I told my parents that I was going to hang out with ‘so-and-so’ and instead I hung out with ‘so-and-so.’’ They don’t want to get caught in a lie or caught drinking-- something that you could get grounded for a week--but yet this is a trauma that can affect them for the rest of their lives,” Winingham said.

There are other resources available when a student needs more than someone to talk to.

“So let’s say a kid came in and said she or he was being haPhoto by Jason Walle/Zuma Press/TNS rassed by another student. We would need to go to an administraTaylor Swift presents Entertainer of the Year to Garth tor; we would contact parents,” Winingham said. “We actually Brooks at the 50th Annual CMA Awards that took place have a group called Safe Connections.” at the Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 2, 2016, in downtown Safe connections is an organization that works to promote Nashville, Tenn. Closing arguments in Swift’s civil trial healthy relationships and end sexual violence. It offers counselagainst former radio host David Mueller were held on Aug. ing, education and a crisis helpline, all free of charge.

14, 2017.

“We would make sure that both the kid is okay and also that all harassment, especially that’s here, stops, so that’s why the Elise Keller administrators would be involved.” Winingham said.

News/Opinion Editor “Sexual assault is different. [With] sexual assault, we might have to wind up taking a student to the hospital. Police might be Pop singer Taylor Swift recently won a lawsuit involving radio involved. We have a hotline number, there’s child services, and personality David Mueller and a photo-op grope. behavioral health response. They help teenagers who are going Swift won a symbolic $1 as a result of the case and gave the through a crisis, but if sexual assault has been done, we’re gonna message she wanted to help other sexual assault victims. have to go one step further. EspeThe lawsuit started in 2013, cially if it’s rape or something like when Swift and Mueller met at a that, there has to be medical and meet-and-greet and Mueller alleglegal authorities involved,” Winedly groped her backside beneath ingham said. her skirt. Mueller was then fired 314-531-2003 The procedures with sexual asfrom his radio show host job at sault are more serious and have to https://safeconnections.org/teen-services Denver’s KYGO-FM because of be handled by higher authorities the incident. He sued Swift for $3 because there can be legal issues. million, saying it was her fault he “Not a whole lot of (resources) lost his job. Then, in 2015, Swift countersued for a mere $1 for are (in the school) once you get to sexual assault, you’re kind of sexual assault and battery. going beyond what they can do here as a school counselor. We’re Swift’s stance on the lawsuit was to give hope to other victims going to be referring you out into the community for outside reand spread awareness. sources,” Winingham said. Students who come to a counselor “I will be making donations in the near future to multiple or- with reports of sexual assault will be encouraged to talk to police. ganizations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves,” “Officer (Drew) Baker is actually very good at (talking with Swift said. students), but if, let’s say, it’s a girl, and she didn’t feel comVictims of sexual harassment or assault at Webster Groves fortable with Officer Baker, we can actually call a female police High School have resources available in the school. officer in, social worker, that kind of thing,” Winingham said.

Students going through similar situations of sexual harassment Social worker Anne Gibbs works in her office 210. She can and assault are encouraged to talk with someone in the counsel- direct the family and victim of sexual assault to counseling and ing department. medical attention.

Safe Connections crisis helpline:

September 2017

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ECHO

Feature

13

Photos by Elise Keller

Juniors Joe Castleman and Trinity Madison are the first student advisors for the school board. They will attend alternating school board meetings to offer student perspective. “It’s kind of hard for them (the board members) to understand what we’re going through and how we see it,” Madison said.

Student advisors join school board to give wider perspective Sean Mullins Graphics Editor

tration in the future, so he was interested in the position.

“I really care a lot about the system, and I’m just curious to see how it works,” Castleman said.

Madison and Castleman were eventually selected and began training for the position during the summer. However, everyone who applied are still involved. The board started a group for the other applicants that meets twice a month on Friday mornings, in which the students discuss issues and solutions with Simpson.

“There were so many great candidates; it was really a hard choice,” Castleman said.

Every meeting, either Madison or Castleman will answer questions and read material, and the next meeting, they alternate. Both also discuss topics with students to learn everyone’s opinion before a choice is made.

“Going forward, I hope that they’d be more conscious of what the student wants and conscious of the student’s voice,” Madison said. “Not just on the business side of things, but also on the emotional side.”

Juniors Trinity Madison and Joe Castleman were recently chosen as student advisors to the school board of education.

The school board announced last year that it was looking to get perspective from students when making decisions, since students are heavily impacted by its choices. Sometimes, the board reaches out to a few students, but advisors would help with a wider group.

“It’s kind of hard for them (the board members) to understand what we’re going through and how we see it,” Madison said.

To be chosen, students had to write an essay about voice in education and what they want to say, as well as be interviewed by board members.

Madison has been on committees with principal Dr. Jon Clark and superintendent Dr. John Simpson before, so the board reached out to her as a possible candidate.

Castleman is considering going into education and adminis-

Upcoming events: One Acts-Sept. 27 Camp Wyman Week 3- Oct. 16-20 SAT Testing-Oct. 7

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Camp Wyman Week 4-Oct. 23-27 Parent Teacher Conferences-Oct. 10-12 No School-Oct. 13

September 2017

14

Feature

ECHO

Library rules anger students

Photo by Rosa Parks

Students are frustrated with new library policy which prevents them from working in the library after 3 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Rosa Parks Feature Editor Webster Groves High School’s library was the first public library for the city of Webster Groves; recently, it has been a hub for student traffic.

The library opens at 7 a.m. On Wednesdays and Fridays, it closes at 3 p.m. On every other day it is open until 3:45 p.m.

These times have been cut down from last year, when it was open until 3:45 every afternoon.

During the school day, students must have passes when visiting the library, and the library is also closed during lunch unless a student has a pass. Students can get a pass by getting one from the librarians before school. Academic Lab teachers can send five students to the library in one class, while more students can go to the library depending on if they have a pass from a teacher.

About the new closing times assistant principal, John E. Thomas, said, “On most days a week, we have clubs, sporting activities and tutoring that students can attend, and the library became an overflow place. The library staff will be supporting students in other ways after school on the two days that they are closed.”

“Certain library services and staff have been reduced as a result of the failed 2015 Webster Groves Schools’ tax referendum,” Media specialist Sandy Coblitz said about the changes.

Taylor Howard, junior, said, “Now that it closes at three, we don’t have time to do anything.”

Students only have around 20 minutes on Wednesdays and Fridays to get work done. For students who don’t have access to computers at home, this is seen as an issue.

About her why the rules were made, Coblitz said, “We have to be accountable for where students are. If you’re walking around the building and you don’t have purpose, you’re disturbing

September 2017

class.” Students need to be accounted for in case of an emergency.

Having students walk through the library can be a distraction to the students working.

The librarians also reference the letter to the editor in the May 2017 issue of the ECHO. The letter to the editor was written by 2017 graduate, Dorothea Starr LeBeau. It is a satire about the library rules. One line from the letter said, “ If they want to tread on these sacred surfaces just because it’s ‘faster’ and ‘more efficient,’ and they don’t want to ‘walk around the whole f****** school,’ they need to respect our arbitrary rules and spend an inordinate amount of time at the tablet.”

She was referring to how it is required to sign into the library.

When LeBeau was recently asked about her thoughts on the rules, she replied, “The sole reason I didn’t check out books was because the librarians were so rude.”

The library used to be open for all students at lunch time, and now students must have a pass to utilize the library. For students who prefer quieter, less crowded places to eat lunch, there is a new alternative to the cafeteria. It is in the PD room, which is staffed by teachers.

Some students have negative comments about the library rules.

One anonymous source said, “Oh my god, I hate them, so unnecessary. The librarians are dictators.” Really wish this wasn’t anonymous Senior Natali Park, said, “The librarians are mean. I haven’t ever had a good experience.”

To counter this, librarian Kathy Swanson said, “Some kids think we did this to be mean. We’re really trying to help kids.”

The library isn’t planning on changing the closing times and pass rules anytime soon.

Lastly, Coblitz said, “If you visit any other library, it’s not a hallway.”

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Sports

15

Facility causes cheer discontent

Photo by Ashli Wagner

Cheerleaders are upset about the new room they practice in. Over the summer they had no air conditioning unit while they practiced.

“They just replaced the AC, but it’s not installed yet. We haven’t had AC this entire year or over the summer. We can’t use the gym because we’ll be kicked out [by other sports]. “[During the day] there’s an AC Lab in the cheer room. We’ve talked to multiple people about having our doors (to the back room) locked during the day, but it never really seems to work.

Our mats have been torn apart on the bottom from people picking at them, there’s trash everywhere, and we actually had a broken window last year.”

Junior Lily Partridge agreed.

“The (hanging) lights make stunting difficult. We have to position ourselves, so we don’t run into them. Also, there was no air conditioning the entire summer, or the first two weeks of school,” Partridge said.

Junior Riley Wilhelm added, “The people that have Academic Lab in that room mess with our stuff.”

This wasn’t a problem in the old cheer room, now the Black Box Theatre.

“Nothing against the drama department, but it’s not fair that they get multiple rooms and three theaters, when we only have one room,” an anonymous cheerleader said.

Cheer coach Dana Miller said about the practice space, “I like that we have a front room for them to put their things and a backroom with tall ceilings, and we have a lot of storage too, though it has been hot up there lately.”

Eleanor Marshall Audio Editor

It’s a regular day at cheerleading practice. The girls are preparing for their next game by practicing their stunts. The flyer jumps up into the bases’ (the girls on the bottom of the stunt) hands and is pushed up to the ceiling. Everything is going nicely, so she smiles and sticks out her arms, only to be hit by a hanging light.

This is common during their practices the cheerleaders say.

During a normal day, the cheerleaders stretch, condition, practice cheers, stunt and dance. However, this is hard to do in the space they are given. Instead of a gym, they are forced to practice in the classroom above the child development rooms.

Jennifer Egley, Varsity captain, said, “We switched cheer rooms at the beginning of last year because the Little Theater wasn’t able to be used, so the drama department moved into our room and turned it into the black box and got all the classrooms that are up in that area, and we got moved upstairs to the old drama room. “[The practice space is] not really okay. There are lights that hang down, so we have multiple girls hitting their hands and their heads when they fly. We have to strategically fly people in holes. Also, there was a Smartboard in the room and a projector coming out of the ceiling. They took the projector down, but not the pole so now there’s just a random pole hanging from the ceiling that people have almost seriously injured themselves with.

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16

Sports

ECHO

Seniors prepare for final season Greg Frazier Sports Editor

Seniors John Doria, Ryan Rusan and Thomas Henderson are all veterans of the football program.

Doria is the starting quarterback for the Statesmen and has been on Varsity for all four years. Before high school, Doria played for the junior Statesmen team in seventh and eighth grade. As a veteran of the program, Doria said, “We’re taking each game week by week. We have a small rivalry with Ladue. We’re going to play our best.”

Rusan has been a part of the program since third grade, Henderson since seventh grade.

The Statesmen were going to play against Pattonville on Sept.

15, but the game was cancelled.

Head coach Cliff Ice had the team train on a seven-week program during the summer to prepare for the season, which started by mirroring last year’s performance: two wins against Hazelwood West and Hickman.

The team went on to play the Ladue Rams on Sept. 1, and were down by seven points in the first half but came back in the third quarter scoring a touchdown from senior Ethan Cooley, bringing

Photo by Greg Frazier

After a Statesmen kickoff, Hickman player junior Christian Davis (No. 5) is tackled by sophomore Noah Arinze ( No. 42). Webster won the game 32-21.

the Statesman to an even 14-14 game into the last quarter. Doria combined with Cooley scored 14 points in the last quarter resulting in a 28-21 final score.

Upcoming games Sept. 29 - Lafayette at 7 p.m.

Oct. 7 - at Parkway North at 1 p.m.

Oct. 13 - Summit at 7 p.m.

Nov. 23 - at Kirkwood at 12 p.m.

Photo by Greg Frazier

Webster Statesmen played Hickman on Aug. 25. In the first half the Statesmen scored 20 points, Hickman had seven. In the second half the Statesmen ended the game 32-21.

September 2017

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Sports

ECHO

17

Frazier from the Field

Statesmen shoot for growth, challenges Greg Frazier Sports Columnist Men’s soccer began the season playing against teams that result in “growth opportunities and soccer challenges,” Varsity head coach Tim Cashel said.

Following the first win of the season against Ladue, the Statesmen played Lindbergh on Aug. 23. In a back and forth match, Lindbergh was up one in the first half; Webster was quick to respond.

After tying it up in the second half with a penalty, Lindbergh scored again followed by a second scored penalty by Webster.

“We displayed resilience in the second half and were able to tie it back up,” Cashel said.

“We came out unprepared for the speed of Lindbergh. We’re not the biggest and fastest team; we have a lot of younger guys.

The season just started as well,” Cashel said.

After a calamitous 5-1 loss to Mehlville on Aug. 29, the team continued the trend into another loss against Parkway West resulting in a two-loss week the Statesmen, but that wasn’t the end for the boys in white. They turned around the trend and won against Castle, and although they tied with Evansville, they would go on to win against McCluer on Sept. 5, win against Parkway North on Sept. 7, and win against Priory on Sept. 9.

Webster played SLUH on Sept. 12.

SLUH is one of Webster’s greatest competitors, and that showed. With sophomore forward Owen Culver out of the game

Photo by Greg Frazier

Senior Brendan Muldoon controls the ball as SLUH senior William Rudder runs up followed by senior Jack Van Dyke.

because of two yellow cards from the Parkway North game, the Statesmen were shorthanded. The game was stale during the first half because of senior goalkeeper Sam Gomez’s two saves, but SLUH didn’t let up. It scored the only goal of the game making it 0-1. The Statesmen had the majority of the second half to respond but did not. The game ended 0-1, a SLUH victory and a Statesmen defeat.

The Statesmen encountered a “disappointing loss,” Cashel tweeted against SLUH on Sept. 12.

Upcoming games Sept. 28 - at Parkway Central 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 3 - Lutheran South 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 7 - Summit at 2 p.m.

Oct. 9 - at Chaminade 4 p.m.

Photo by Greg Frazier

Senior forward Jordan Andrews flies in the air heading the ball towards his teammate. Webster defeated Priory 1-0 on Sept. 9. The first and second halves resulted in no goals, but in overtime Andrews scored the game’s only goal.

wgecho.org

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18

Josie’s Journal

Entertainment

ECHO

Columnist suggests survival kit for LouFest Josie Krueger Entertainment Columnist Thirty-two artists. Two days. Eleven hours each day.

LouFest is a thrilling and electrifying experience.

Some fest-goers walk in simply looking for a good time and walk out with a new favorite band or artist, while some know every word to every song during every performance.

Some are just looking for an excuse to dance their day and night away. Whatever situation one might be in, it is not hard to have a fantastic time at Loufest.

Though Loufest is sure to wake you up the moment you walk in the entrance with vibrant colors and welcoming staff members, most can Photo by Josie Krueger agree it is also an exhausting experience. With Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats performs Sunday, Sept. 10, on two, 11-hour days full of walking from stage LouFest’s Bud Light Stage. This year, LouFest was moved to the Muny to stage to catch every moment possible of the grounds. back-to-back performances, one may become a bit fatigued. isn’t tickling your legs or the dirt getting on your clothes.

However, there are ways to have a completely successful and 3. Anyone who has gone to a music festival knows that the enjoyable day(s) at Loufest if you have the right supplies. food and drinks are ridiculously expensive. A juice at one of the WGHS attendees of Loufest 2017 give us an idea of the per- stands was $5! fect survival kit for two days of Loufest or even a full day music A way to avoid these expenses partially is to bring your own festival in general: reusable water bottle. This way you can refill it for free at the 6. Tobey Nelson, junior, is a huge advocate for a jazzy pair of water filling station and stay hydrated all day, which is very imshades during Loufest. portant if you’re out in the sun and walking around.

“Sunglasses are essential because when you’re out in the sun 2. Coachella, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, any music festival all day, not only is it potentially harmful to your eyes but also it’s will cause you to encounter many, many fanny packs. a bit of a hassle to squint constantly. Also if you have the right Fanny packs were first popular in the 1980s, but now they’re pair, they look super cool,” Nelson said. making a comeback.

Well, he isn’t wrong.

Kaelin Dooley, senior, said, “My number one item for Loufest 5. A portable charger was mentioned by multiple festival-go- would probably be a fanny pack. They’re making a huge comeers. back, and it holds everything you would need, while not getting Junior, Jenna Michalski explained, “I would recommend in the way of having fun at Loufest.” bringing a portable phone charger because my photo battery was Olivia Weik, senior, agreed, “My fanny pack! It carried all the definitely low, and I wasn’t able to take pictures.” essentials, and I didn’t have to worry about someone stealing There are outlets available to charge devices on the festival from my purse or lugging it around.” grounds. Keep this in mind if you’re one that likes to get some 1. Finally, by far the most important thing that festival fanatics artsy pictures of the performances/artists. have stressed bringing is described by Kevin Drexl, senior: “I 4. Blankets are essential for the people who just want to relax would say the most important thing for me is comfortable shoes. and enjoy some music without wasting their energy. With the Everyone tries to wear the cutest clothes or look their best, but 2017 location change to the upper and lower Muny grounds in if you really want to enjoy all the shows and have the most fun, Forest Park, two of the stages are situated in grass at the bottom then just wear the most comfortable shoes you own because of a hill. This makes it perfect to sit down and enjoy a chill you’ll be standing for quite some time!” music performance, even using the free “air guitar” paper fans So you might want to swap out the high heels for a pair of given out to the attendees to cool down while sitting in the sun. A sneakers if you want to be able to hear the music over your barkblanket of some sort is essential for these situations so the grass ing dogs.

September 2017

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ECHO

Entertainment

Electric Retrospective

19

Review: ‘Sonic Mania’ shows fans’ dedication Sean Mullins Technology Columnist Sonic the Hedgehog, with a little help from his lifelong fans, is back on his feet and going full speed ahead.

Sonic hasn’t been in the best situation lately. As SEGA’s mascot, he’s been a staple of gaming since he started running in the 90s, but he hit a rough spot in the mid-2000s. While he’s had excellent games like “Sonic Colors” since then, others like “Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric” muddled his track record. It seemed the Blue Blur’s life in the fast lane was over. However, Sonic won’t go down that easily, and “Sonic Mania” is the boost he needs.

“Sonic Mania” is a game in the vein of Sonic’s origins, a 2D platformer focused on speed. Building momentum is important to run through loops and up certain walls. Each level, or “zone” as the series calls them, is split into two acts played back to back, each with a boss battle.

Zones reward the player for getting past challenges with room to speed up, but reckless movement leads the player to hit enemies, which slows them down. Getting hit causes the player to drop rings, the series’ staple currency, with a short time to recollect them. If the player is hit without rings, it’s back to square one. This can be avoided by finding rings or elemental shields.

The game has three playable characters- the titular Sonic, his best friend, Tails the Fox, and Knuckles the Echidna, who’s rougher than the rest of them.

They all have the series’s famous Spin Dash, which allows the player to quickly charge up speed, plus abilities that impact how zones are traversed. Sonic can charge a midair Spin Dash and use elemental shields’ powers. Tails can fly and swim through liquid. Knuckles can glide and climb up walls.

Zones have numerous paths, and each character allows for new discoveries with each new runthrough.

Returning to the phrase, “in the vein of Sonic’s origins,” gameplay isn’t the only returning part of Sonic’s history. “Sonic Mania” focuses on the Classic era of the series, which is everything before “Sonic Adventure” in the late 90s. Most zones are from “Sonic 1,” “Sonic 2,” “Sonic 3 and Knuckles,” and “Sonic CD.” However, no level is the same as its predecessor. The first act of each classic zone is similar, but Act 2 has a twist that breaks the formula in a good way. For example, Chemical Plant Zone, a fan favorite from “Sonic 2,” has pools of toxic liquid. In Act 2, some of the pools are transformed into bouncy gelatin.

There’s also new zones with fresh concepts, such as Mirage Saloon Zone, a desert stage filled with illusions. New bosses are fought in every level, classic or new.

Bonus stages return from “Sonic 3 and Knuckles” in which the player collects blue spheres, which give the player unlockables. In addition, there’s new special stages in which Sonic turns 3D. Completing these earns the player Chaos Emeralds.

With all seven combined, all three characters can transform into Super forms, granting invincibility and more speed.

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Even in his worst games, Sonic always has phenomenal music, and “Sonic Mania” is no different. Every classic level has excellent remixes, and new songs sound as though they were from the Classic Sonic era, despite using modern instruments.

Visuals are stellar as well, with zones having vibrant colors and detailed backgrounds. References are hidden in levels that Sonic fans will recognize, from robot debris to a Sonic popcorn machine -which actually exists.- However, references always blend in with the stage’s theme, so it isn’t distracting. Character animation is impressive, and though characters are based on their original sprites, their animation moves fluidly and expresses personality.

“Sonic Mania” isn’t perfect, however. Though most of the game is fair, certain moments spike the difficulty. Some bosses have weak points that are hard to find or reach, and there’s the occasional enemy that pops up out of nowhere. One zone has a hazardous cloud that, if not blown away, pollutes the screen and drains rings.

Aside from some difficult moments, “Sonic Mania” has a few glitches. In rare cases, certain bosses softlock the game, meaning the player is trapped and it’s no use doing anything but resetting the game. There’s issues in the Nintendo Switch version which, while minor, cause delay between pressing the home button and entering the home menu while the game is open.

The developers announced a minor update is coming to fix glitches, though it’s unknown which glitches will be addressed.

However, despite issues, it isn’t enough to bring down the experience. It usually takes a minute to get back on track.

The most vital part about “Sonic Mania,” however, isn’t the game itself. As great as the game is, what makes it fantastic is the team behind it. While “Sonic Mania” was produced and published by SEGA, its staff is currently developing “Sonic Forces,” set for a holiday release. Instead, the entire development team of “Sonic Mania” is made of members from the Sonic fanbase.

The project was spearheaded by Christian Whitehead, known for creating Sonic fangames and later helping SEGA port Classic era games to mobile devices. Whitehead, along with developer Simon Thomley, programmed “Sonic Mania.” Tee Lopes composed the game’s soundtrack and Hyper Potions worked on trailer and intro music, both being well-known for electronic remixes of classic game music. Even the animated cutscenes were directed by artist Tyson Hesse, who worked on the Sonic comics, as well as his own parody comic, “Sonic’s Big Fat Adventure.”

“Sonic Mania” is a passion project, and the effort put into it shows. The levels, visuals, and music take what was great about Classic Sonic and make it new. Though minor issues exist, it doesn’t matter. Nobody knows what makes Sonic great more than the fans, and “Sonic Mania” is a testament to their dedication. By looking to its past, “Sonic Mania” creates a good future for the series.

“Sonic Mania” is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, XBox One and PC for the price of $19.99. This review was done on the Nintendo Switch version.

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September 2017

Willie’s Comic

ECHO

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