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Sophomore guard KK Rodriguez defies gravity in the March 12, Francis Howell game. p. 12-13.
March 2016 Volume 101 Issue 7 photo courtesy of Varsity Views
100 Selma Ave st. Louis MO 63119 WGECHO.org
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Students can benefit, or suffer from math placement tests Sexism in athletics still widespread Willie’s Comic School should teach foreign language earlier Sophomores help community through sevice Students attend experiential learning trip in Italy and Greece Alumni embarking on yearlong cycling trip around United States Stromberg helps high schoolers work with children Fu lives his life, rides bike A season to remember for women’s basketball Track Star Carolyn Riss has emerged over the years One “room” movie ventures outside the box Watching these shows will save lives Sol brings depth, aesthetic 2015-16 ECHO STAFF
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Jack Killeen JUNIOR EDITOR: Andy Kimball BUSINESS/ADS MANAGER: Ashli Wagner OPINION EDITOR: Abby Botan GRAPHICS EDITOR/NEWS EDITOR: Jake Collins SPORTS EDITOR: Bennett Durando FEATURE/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Irene Ryan VIDEO EDITOR/ WEB EDITOR: Caroline Fellows CIRCULATION EDITOR: Kadifa Tabakovic 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 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.
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The ECHO FAMILY The ECHO Family helps make the ECHO possible. To become a member of the ECHO Family, please contact Ashli Wagner at abwags99@gmail.com. Thanks to all of our members! Julianna Fellows Bret Waelterman Peggy Smegner Curtin Family Melodie Carroll Kathy Whaley Laurie Murphy Don and Mary Ann Schafer Webster Groves Baptist Church Zychinski Family Gavin Turner Billy Johnson Devon Cutak Elizabethe Durando
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Students can benefit, or suffer from math placement tests
Photo by Jake Collins
Classes in the math hallway are filled with students whose four-years of mathematical pursuits were determined by seventh grade tests. Seventh grade. Seventh grade is when Webster students are placed into two separate courses that can decide what math courses they will take throughout high school. Students wanting to take calculus before they leave Webster will need to “double up” on math courses, taking both geometry and Algebra II Trig their sophomore year. The national average of students taking Algebra I in eighth grade is about 30 percent, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). “This is the beginning course in a sequence of college preparatory courses. Topics covered include solving formulas, graphing functions, analysis of linear functions, analysis of quadratic functions, analysis of basic exponential functions, solving inequalities, solving systems of equations and sequences,” according to the Algebra course description at Webster. Algebra teaches math fundamentals that Erik Hanushek, an education policy expert at Stanford University said,“Can have dire consequences because early algebra introduces the foundational concepts for all higher math,” (if the student is not at a level where he/she can succeed). That is why algebra is important to stu-
dents and their counselors. Hanushek also said, “Early algebra introduces the foundational concepts for all higher math... It’s not going to help to squeak by in eighth grade algebra.” If students do not take algebra in eighth grade, they do in ninth, giving the student one more year to practice math concepts before taking on algebra. Some laws could be why the system is like this. Passed in 2001, the “No Child Left Behind” Act calls for schools to start, “raising academic standards for all students and measuring student achievement to hold schools accountable for educational progress are central strategies for promoting educational excellence and equity in our nation’s schools,” according to the U.S. Department of Education. Experts like Tom Loveless of the Brookings Institution, in his study “The Resurgence of Ability Grouping and Persistence of Tracking,” said No Child Left Behind may be the cause of ability grouping and tracking in schools. “No Child Left Behind focused educators’ attention on students below the threshold for ‘proficiency’ on state tests. That provides a statutory justification for grouping students who are struggling,”
according to Loveless’ report. Algebra has an end of course exam (EOC) that all students must take. Those scores are sent to the state since it is a state-regulated test. A 2008 report done by MetLife, called the “MetLife Survey of the American Teacher,” shows teachers have difficulty teaching mixed classes of student ability. Teachers were asked to respond to this question, “My class/classes in my school have become so mixed in terms of students’ learning ability that I/teachers can’t teach them.” Responses were 14 percent “agree strongly,” 29 percent “agree somewhat,” 28 percent “disagree somewhat,” and 27 percent “disagree strongly,” according to the MetLife study. Unlike the math department here at Webster, English does not place students based on previous grades their freshman year, resulting in classes with mixed learning levels and speeds. After freshman year, the department does have different levels of classes for students to take, but it isn’t a set track. Webster Groves should reform the math department to be more flexible with students who want to work ahead without having to “double up” on classes.
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Op-ed
Sexism in athletics remains complex, persistent Irene Ryan Entertainment/Feature Editor Last month the ECHO published a story that raised some questions about sexism in high school athletics. Since the beginning of organized athletics, women have been prevented from participation. Women weren’t allowed at the first Olympic games in 776 BC. Instead, they held their own Games of Hera, which only offered foot races. According to The Sociology of Sports, a dominant belief in the 1800s was that each human had a fixed amount of energy. Using this energy for physical and mental tasks at the same time was believed to be hazardous. Paired with the pervasive view, which still exists today, that women are mentally weaker than men and that they should spend this energy rearing children and making the home, this nasty combination further held women back in athletics. Women were not active in intercollegiate sports until basketball was introduced at Smith College in 1892. Basketball quickly spread to other colleges, and female students soon began to demand intercollegiate play, taking back some control from the male-dominated athletics programs. On June 2, 1972, Richard Nixon signed Title IX into the Education Amendment of 1972. During this time, only 295,000 girls competed in high school athletics, compared to 3.67 million boys. This federal law prohibits discrimination based on sex in any federally funded education program or activity, including high school sports. Title IX applies to athletics in three ways: participation, scholarships and other benefits (equipment, scheduling, practice times, coaching, facilities, publicity, etc.) Title IX requires that men and women be provided equal opportunities to participate in sports. This doesn’t mean schools have to offer identical sports, but they must provide equal opportunities. Title IX also requires that male and female studentathletes receive athletic scholarships proportional to their participation. Just because it is law, doesn’t mean it is always upheld. According to the National Women’s Law Center, schools in 201314 provided about 1.3 million fewer chances for girls to play sports in high school than to boys. The “other benefits” are where it gets easier to fudge the line. For example, the WGHS women’s basketball District final game was scheduled during the school week, while the men’s was on a weekend night. We also saw this inequity with the daily plastering of the Varsity men’s faces throughout the halls but very little promotion for the women’s game. In college athletics, the disparity is right there in the numbers. The top ranked D1 women’s basketball team in the nation, Tennessee State University Lady Tigers, sees about 11,000 people
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per game. TSU’s men’s team, ranked 13th, sees about 15,000. The number one ranked women’s college basketball team in the nation has the attendance of the number 35 ranked men’s basketball team. A popular myth surrounding sports sexism is that women are less talented or suited for athletics, or that they simply don’t like sports as much. After watching the WGHS Women’s basketball team beat Cor Jesu 64-34, I can’t imagine a more dedicated and talented group of girls. I also can’t imagine a good reason why anyone wouldn’t want to watch them play. It should also be noted that the women’s basketball team made it into the Elite Eight, while the men’s team didn’t make it past Districts. “Are the Roberts Rowdies sexist?” Maybe so, maybe not, but we can’t ignore the history of the devaluation of female athletes, and we are nowhere near equality between men’s and women’s athletics. To say that they aren’t sexist is to place the situation in a vacuum where for hundreds of years we haven’t undervalued women in all areas of life. Sure, the Rowdies didn’t get up on game day and say to themselves, “Today I’m going to be sexist. Those girls should be in the kitchen, not on the basketball court,” but sexism absolutely influenced their decision not to go. As women, we discover that everything in our lives is affected by sexism: everyday things like opportunities in school and jobs, and more intimate things like our relationships, genitals and sex life. Women have to combat these forces in everything we do, as well as defend against both men and other women that this oppression is actually still happening. When a man writes an article saying not to look for sexism in something, it elicits some chuckles and groans. One of the biggest problems in the struggle for equality is that people in power don’t often recognize their privilege, so to some men, the Rowdies situation might not feel sexist. They feel like they are supporting their friends and enjoying a game, but it isn’t always that simple. Men are just as entrenched in patriarchy as women except that it isn’t hurting them so they don’t always notice. Men also have the privilege to see sexism and decide to ignore it or blame something else. Women don’t have that privilege. Sexism is a daily struggle that women simply cannot ignore. Instead of using their privilege to ignore the oppression or silence the cries of injustice, men should use it to call out other men on sexism, even their friends and family. A white person doesn’t get to judge what is or isn’t racism. A straight person doesn’t get to decide what is or isn’t homophobic. In the case of sexism, men simply don’t know what they’re talking about. The notion that a man would ever get to be the judge of what is or is not sexism or determine when we have truly reached equality is ridiculous.
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Kimball Konception
School should teach Foreign languages earlier
Students at the high school are required to take two years of foreign language. Logically, you would think that the district would teach foreign language in high school because it is the optimal time for students to learn foreign language. Surprise, it’s not. Patricia Kuhl, co-director of the Institute for Brain and Learning Sciences at the University of Washington, is world renowned for her research on how babies and younger children learn languages. Through her research Kuhl found the optimal age for learning
Willie’s Comic
was from birth until age seven. The ability to learn a language has a steep decline after age 10. The best way to teach students a foreign language is to teach it at an optimal age, which is earlier than high school. Foreign language should be added to the elementary school curriculum . In elementary school, foreign language could be a subject just like math, science or social studies. Students could learn the basics of a language at an optimal age and extend that learning through middle and high school. This change would increase the chances of students successfully learning and becoming fluent in a language. There are many advantages to becoming fluent in a language. According to a study done by Harvard University, learning a foreign language helps improve critical thinking skills. Also, successfully learning another language opens up more jobs for students. For example, being fluent in Spanish and English would make a student available for jobs in English and Spanish speaking countries. This would give students more success in finding jobs because they would become more versatile and therefore more attractive to prospective employers. If the district’s goal is to have students learn and become fluent in a second language, then the best way of doing that is to teach languages earlier.
Comic by Jack Killeen
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Sophomores help community through service
Photo by Syndi Copeland
Junior Brandon Bandelt uses Legos to entertain a child on sophomore service day last year.
Caroline Fellows Web/Video Editor Since 2011, sophomores have spent an April day doing service and delivering back to the community. This year that day is April 5. In 2010, the first year experiential learning was launched at the high school through the Chelsea Center. “We were piloting a few things for the Chelsea Center to get experiential learning up and going. One of the things we did was a class called Service Learning Sampler, and kids who sign up for that got to go to one or two places that needed help every day for a week,” Experiential Learning Center director Julie Burchett said. Two of the students, Katie Loher and Natalia Torres, who took the class came up with the idea of Sophomore Service Day for their capstone project.
“They had such a good time and saw and learned so much about St. Louis and the needs we have in St. Louis and the different organizations that are trying to help people, and they loved the fact that even a few hours in one day could help, and they really felt like they made a difference,” Burchett said. After the students approached Burchett about their idea, they got approval from principal Dr. Jon Clark. Students could only choose from about 15 organizations at the first Sophomore Service Day, but this year the number of opportunities is up to 31. “We try to take what students are interested and find more places like that,” Burchett said. The two most popular categories are working with children and working with animals. Other options include going to historic homes, thrift stores, food pantries and senior citizen homes. Sophomore Mireille Bradford, who plans to go to Webster Child Care Center to work with children, said she was excited about the experience and how it’d help her in the future. “I feel that spending a whole day with them [the children] is just a really good experience to have,” Bradford said. If students want to stay at the high school, they have the option of working with teachers like Debbie Genovese, Diane Stromberg and Jeanette Hencken. According to Burchett, Genovese works with many animal rescue organizations, and she and her students spend the day making peanut butter dog biscuits and fleece blankets. Students with Stromberg spend the morning with the preschoolers and then make sandwiches for STAR in the afternoon, and students with Hencken work with the Missouri Secretary of State office to digitize older documents. Burchett is also working with Steger science teachers Lisa Picker and Donald Knobbe to develop an experiential learning program at Steger. Steger’s project is to develop an ecology center, and students have to opportunity to travel to Steger and help clear out all the honeysuckle in order to build the ecology center. Students signed up for their choice of service the first week of March.
Seniors! Turn in Senior Wills and Survey by April 13! March 2016
News 7 ECHO Experiential learning students go abroad the
Andy Kimball Junior Editor Chelsea Center teamed with English and social studies teachers from March 9-20, for the first ever experiential learning/ world civilizations trip. Students saw the Colosseum in Rome, the Duomo Cathedral in Florence, the ruins of Pompeii, and Vatican City and its cathedrals among other monuments and museums in Italy. In Greece, students saw the Oracle of Delphi in Delphi, and the Parthenon and the Acropolis in Athens. Twenty-three students joined English teacher Deborah Bohlmann and Social Studies teachers Zach Smith, Julie Burchett and Betty Roberts. Burchett, who is also the head of experiential learning, said this is the first fully planned experiential learning trip. This means that before the trip, students met with people who taught the students Greek and Italian, and taught about Greek and Italian culture. They also prepared questions and made questions to answer during the trip. During the trip, students had to interview one native from Italy and one native from Greece and document the interviews. After the trip, students had to turn in photos and present a capstone project about their trip to receive full credit for the trip. On the first day, Burchett and senior Hillary Gerber were both pickpocketed. Burchett said, “I was following the students in the back on the subway and a 10-11 year old girl was behind me and at the last second she got stuck in the subway doors and was pulled off by an older woman. After that someone told everyone to look for their purses and wallets and I looked and mine was gone.” Burchett added that is a common tactic for pickpockets and that the group saw pickpockets throughout the trip at places with
Photo by Julie Burchett
Junior Annie Buck and senior Helen Kaul stand in front of the Colosseum in Rome during the March 9-20, experiential learning trip to Europe.
large numbers of people. Junior Annie Buck went on the Band trip to Germany and Austria as well as the Italy and Greece trip. Buck said, “(The Italy and Greece trip) was more academic. It was more focused on history and learning. On the band trip, we played our instruments a lot more. Also (on the Italy and Greece trip) we traveled a lot more.”
Student voters name student council officers Kadifa Tabakovic/Circulation Editor STUCO Results Fifth period voters elected 2016-17 student officers on March 24. Junior Kurt Krautmann will be next year’s president. “Now that I have become president of STUCO, my goal for student council is to increase the amount of fundraisers and activities that we do, to try to increase attendance to these and make us be more active in the school,” Krautmann said. Junior Adi Johnson won vice-president. “Running was really exciting. I really love Webster. I genuinely think that it’s a great place, and I’m excited to be working with other people and try to continue that,” Johnson said. Junior Sawyer Buck will be secretary, and junior Morgan Kern will be treasurer.
“As STUCO treasurer, I will focus on activities and fundraisers,” Kern said. Freshman Evelyn Trampe will be historian, and sophomore Connie Rhodes will be public relations officer. Photo by Jake Collins. “As historian of Kurt Krautmann wins student class STUCO, I will listen to president for the 16-17 school year. everyone’s opinions, in and outside of student council, and try and incorporate their thoughts and opinions into our current and future plans for the school,” Trampe said.
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Alumni embarking on yearlong c Jack Killeen Editor in Chief Ten months ago Webster alumni Ethan Deghelder and JC Hayes were on Moss Field getting their diplomas, but instead of going to college now, they are learning from everyday experiences as they cycle across the United States. Deghelder and Hayes are three months into their yearlong journey around the U.S., and are currently in Savannah, GA. The group goes by Project Daedalus on social media and can be found on Instagram and Facebook where its members post progress reports on their journey as well the occasional philosophical “share.” The trip started in Houston, TX. Deghelder and childhood friend Jacob James were dropped off by friends Alex Ring, Brian Dugan and Jack Scott, who drove them down in a car with Deghelder’s and James’s bikes on the back of the car. Originally the plan was for James and Deghelder to leave via train on Jan. 1, but flooding morphed the train tracks and delayed their departure. After 10 days, Deghelder and James gave up on the train and had their friends drive them to Texas. Upon reaching Houston, the first thing they saw when they got out of the car was a dead homeless man being covered by a blanket and put in an ambulance, which has not proven to be a bad omen so far. James and Deghelder started the journey in Houston, and after a month Hayes met them in New Orleans during Mardi Gras week. After two months of riding, James decided it was time to return home and leave the rest of the trip to Deghelder and Hayes due to lack of money and a dream to start a bike shop in Columbia, MO. On a typical day riding through the country, they wake up as the first rays of sun reach over the horizon, stretch, eat food and begin the day’s riding. They break up the day into 10-15 mile sections, stretching in-between intervals and eating the whole time to keep up with calories. “As to not die,” said Deghelder about all the calories they eat. They continue this until lunch, when
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they eat and take a long break, and then get back on the road until they reach the destination for the day. There they set up camp for the night, hang out and map the routes for the next day. A day’s ride typically totals 60-70 miles. “Scatter in some possible stops for food, crazy or cool people talking to us for an extended period of time, flats and a break for breath-taking sights. That is an abbreviated version of our average day,” Deghelder said. In the country Hayes and Deghelder are riding, but in the city it’s always different. In describing their day-to-day activities in the city, Hayes said, “Get up at noon,”... “chill with friends, hit the park, relax and recover is the name of the game.” Deghelder said some of the breath-taking sights so far have been “the massively extensive pine forest of Texas, the swamplands and floodplains of Louisiana, the desolate beaches and bays of Mississippi and Alabama, the dense near-jungle woodlands of Florida, and the bug Project Daedalus plans to cycle around the They started in Houston, TX, and plan on and gator filled marshes of Georgia.” Hayes came up with the idea to bike around miles. the United States, but Deghelder is the one who worked to make it happen. So far they’ve experienced the Southern hospitality of Texas and the golden sunrises of Perdido Keys, FL, but not everything that’s happened has been sunrises and beaches. In what he described as his least favorite experience, James met two people by the names of Sean and Greg in Florida. Project Daedalus was camped on the beach, James had woken up before Deghelder and Hayes and had decided to walk the three miles from their campsite to the scout shelter to get water. As he walked up the gravel road to the scout shelter, James passed a parked Hyundai Sonata, and as he walked by, he saw a large man behind the wheel and a skinny naked man in the passenger seat, only a T-shirt covering his pelvic region, both apparently sleeping. James thought it weird, kept walking, until he heard from behind him, “Hey, man, you need a ride?” Jacob James and Webster alu He turned around, walked back to the Sonata, stood by the der make up Project Daedalu driver’s side and said, “Hey, man, thanks for the offer, but I’m Hayes said, “I took this trip b good. This is my ‘me time’ and I’m just gonna make the hike. free, because my time is my t Don’t worry about it.” as I please.” The fat man said nothing, but the skinny man insisted that it would be no problem, and if James waited a minute he would put his clothes back on, but James said, “No thanks” and kept walking. Half a mile of walking later, James heard sand churning underneath the wheels of a car. The same Hyundai Sonata pulled up next to him, and the still naked skinny man said, “If you don’t mind me being naked, we could totally give you a ride up there.” It was early in the morning for James, and as he stood there by the Sonata with a naked man staring at him, he said to himself, “You know what. I can’t think of a reason why I care.” Whether it was curiosity or stupidity, James opened the back door and got
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cycling trip around United States Equipment:
Map from Adventure Cycling Association
e entire United States in one year using these routes. finishing in January of 2017, travelling a total of 6,500
1 bikes Mud flaps 2 panniers (similar to saddle bags) 1 tents Water proof sleeping bag 1 Sleeping pad Mini shovel 100 ft. of utility chord Roll of electric tape Roll of Teflon tape Extra spokes, patches Hand pump Toiletries Rain jacket Cooking set Bags for towels Hard bristle toothbrush for gears Water proof boots Wool socks 3 Helmets Bike mirrors Dr. Bronner’s soap One week’s worth of clothes Total: $2,000
in the car. In the back right seat of a car with two men he didn’t know, one of whom was stark naked, James sat, when the skinny man turned around and said, “Hey man, you smoke?” “Smoke what?” James replied. “Green, you smoke green?” the skinny man said. James said, “Yes,” and the fat man packed him a bowl while he continued to drive the car, resting his arm against the wheel as he put the marijuana into the bowl. He then handed it back, Photo from Project Daedalus and James smoked it half-heartumni JC Hayes and Ethan Degheledly. us. About why he started this trip, They were halfway to the scout because I demand and deserve to be shelter- James could see it in the time and my life is mine to do with distance- when the skinny man, whose name was Sean, turned back to James and showed him his wrists, one covered by a hospital band and the other covered by a large welt. Sean told James how he’d just gotten out of the hospital after trying to kill himself and to celebrate getting out, he had just bought himself some meth and met with Greg, the fat man, who would give him oral sex. Sean then held his bag of meth in James’ face, offered James meth, and asked if he would like a
oral sex himself. It was at this point that James realized he could very well need to defend himself against Sean and Greg. After denying Sean’s offers, James figured that if he needed to, he would use his right hand to get the buck knife from his backpack behind him and stab Sean through the back of the passenger seat, and with his left hand, grab the bear spray from the left slot of his backpack and spray Greg in the face, then open the car door and run. The left turn that led to the scout shelter was only 30 yards away, and James was thinking, “They’re not going to make that left turn. This is it. This is the end for me.” To James’ surprise, Greg made the left turn. James got out, thanked them for the ride, and before he went to into the bathroom, Sean asked him, “Hey dude, you’re not gonna call the cops on some freaky dudes, are you?” James said back, “Nah, man, you were courteous. I don’t care. You do
what you gotta do.” While Project Daedalus has had negative experiences with people like Sean and Greg, it’s also had positive ones with other people. In East Texas at the end of their first week, James and Deghelder were stopped at a gas station, and they went inside to get food. When James went inside and found everything to be too expensive, he walked out. When Deghelder walked out, he was carrying multiple meals worth of food. A woman working at the counter who could tell James and Deghelder were travelers gave them the extra food from the day. She had recently lost her husband, son, job and house and was living in her car, but wanted to open a shop devoted to feeding travelers like James and Deghelder, and in the meantime decided to give them a few free meals. Encounters like these where strangers went out of their way to help Project Daedalus haven’t been out of the ordinary. “In New Orleans, Tallahassee and Savannah, upon entering the city, we had no place to stay, and we legitimately instantly met people who would become dear friends to us in a close time. Along with these, there has been on small acts of human kindness that have been so unexpected that it has quite entirely restored my faith in humanity. On countless occasions I have been given food, money, advice, shelter and kindness from those who were in harder places than I, or from those who in all reality didn’t need to get involved in my life, but I’m eternally grateful that they did,” Deghelder said.
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Stromberg helps high schoolers teach children Ashli Wagner Business/Advertising Manager FACS teacher Diane Stromberg sees a need for high schoolers to work with younger children. “I just think there is such a need to help high schoolers understand preschoolers, because I mean they’re going to be dealing with children their whole lives,” Stromberg said about why she allows high schoolers to help with the preschoolers. Stromberg has some of her more advanced students teach some of the lower child development students. “High schoolers hardly ever teach their peers, and a lot of high schoolers hate being in front of each other, so I’m forcing them to put on a PowerPoint to their peers, so they have to study the subject, they have to create the PowerPoint, come up with a little activity for them to do, and it’s turning out awesome. “I had three of my advanced students come up to me the other day and say, ‘I feel so much more comfortable talking to people my age and working with them,’ and it was really just a nice byproduct. I think it’s going to continue and be really good,” Stromberg said. Stromberg tries to guess what high schoolers will be the best with the children but is often surprised because it isn’t always the straight-A students who are. Sometimes it is; sometimes it isn’t. Stromberg has a lot of students come into child development having no idea who they want to be but leave knowing that they want to be a pediatrician or a physical therapist, or a teacher. She also has people come in knowing what they want to be but leaving saying they have decided not to go into something with children. Stromberg tries every year to take her advanced child development students to the largest children’s museum in Indianapolis. The students have to fill out information about how, as a teacher, they would organize this field trip in Indianapolis. “They have to do a lot of figuring out what the learning is in the exhibits, what you need to watch out for, and how you can extend that into the classroom,”
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Photo by Sydni Copeland
Graduate Keara Schweiger helps two preschoolers put a firetruck puzzle together at last year’s sophomore community service day. Stromberg said. Stromberg enjoys reading to the children or watching them work with books. Her favorite part of the room is the light table, which few people use, and she loves any activity they play with water, saying “It’s messy, but it’s fun. If I could redecorate my room, I’d probably have half of it be water spouts and buckets because that hands on is awesome.” Stromberg became involved with the pre-school when she was teaching at the high school and the retiring child development teacher asked her if she would like the job. Stromberg had taught every class of the FACS department and loved the preschool, so she agreed. The first thing Stromberg did once she was in charge was change the one or two hours a day to three hours a day, and change the playschool into a preschool. Stromberg goes to a convention in the Ozarks for preschool teachers and directors every year. Over 2,000 people attend and listen to speakers who talk about the latest research in brain and speech development. The convention also has children’s authors speak, including Stromberg’s favorite author Mem fox, an Australian child author expert. Attendees can go to multiple seminars. Seniors Maggie Parker and Jenny Perkowski have been in child develop-
ment since their sophomore year and are now student directors helping plan the lessons for the children. Perkowski was in charge of the field trip to Indianapolis and planned it out. “I love the relationships I make with the kids and talking to the parents, and it has helped me decide that I want to work with kids in the career field I go to,” Perkowski said about why she loves child development. Parker’s favorite part about child development is that as a senior she takes it three hours a day, so the children get to really know her by name, and she also likes working with the high schoolers as well as the preschoolers. “I am in charge of all parent communication, enrollment, lesson plans, themes, and I am in charge of passing that out to the advanced kids, and if I put in into my own words, I help co-teach the preschool program with Ms. Stromberg,” Parker said about her job in the class. Last year as a science director Parker received a grant called “Science for Littles and Bigs” to change the science program to be based off the five senses. “We got a bunch of new science materials to fulfill that desire to design a new science program base off the senses, and it allows the high schoolers to use materials we got and incorporate the kids’ learning about the world using their senses,” Parker said about the grant.
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The life of Fu
Fu lives his life, rides bike
Abby Botan Entertainment Columnist
Yuzhu Fu was born and raised in Beijing, but in August of 2014 he moved to Webster Groves. “I first gave myself this name when I went to school in Canada... I chose ‘Harry’ because Harry Potter is my favorite,” Fu explained.
Steven S.
In China, Fu was a professional mountain bike rider/seller, and he said that’s still one of his interest and passions. Fu described himself as being, “shy and outgoing.” However Sam Bilzing, junior, described him as, “loud and socialable.” “Harry’s an awesome guy,” Bilzing said. “I feel like he’s going to grow up to be successful; he’s so smart.”
LOHER Vote April 5
School Board
Proven Experience and Leadership. Resident of Webster Groves School District for more than 43 years Shrewsbury for more than 22 years Professional Experience Chief Financial Officer, G&W Engineering Corp.
PROUD GRADUATE OF WGHS CLASS OF 1981 Alumnus of Webster Groves Schools Clark, Hixson and WGHS
Community Service Experience • WGSD Board of Education 2010-2016 • WG Parent Teacher Organizations • WGHS Parents Club Central Board • WGHS Alumni Relations Committee, Statesmen Club • Board Member Shrewsbury Planning Commission • Our Little Haven-Development Advisory Council • Past Board Member and Chair of Shrewsbury Parks and Recreation Commission • Gateway Disabled Ski Program-Past Treasurer, Event Co-Director & Volunteer • Annunciation Athletic Association Past Registration Coordinator Youth Basketball & Softball Coach
Please feel free to contact me at 314-853-5994, email SteveLoher@Gmail.com or visit me on Facebook “Steve Loher for WGSD Board of Education” Paid for by "The Committee to Elect Steven S. Loher" Treasurer, Linda Helton
Photo by Abby Botan
Junior Harry Fu has fun at the Disney World Magic Kingdom.
During his time here, Fu has joined a number of clubs/sports, like the chess club, International Club and cross country. “One day I saw them [Cross Country Team] running, and I just started running with them,” Fu recalled. He wasn’t a part of the team or anything at that point, but he still began to run and train with it for fun. Along with joining a number of clubs, Fu has created the Optics club which he described as a “fun-based science club.” “The Optics Club is a club for everyone who’s interested in science, and it gives them a chance to do science, especially light experiments,” Fu said. “The goal of this club is to make science fun and attractive and easy for everyone to understand.” The Optics Club meets every other Friday after school in room 382. “Harry is very energetic,” Jeff Stein French teacher and International Club sponsor, said. Stein said he first met Harry at a bike race dedicated to combating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Fu said the key to staying positive for him is to keep busy, but not too busy to the point of being stressed. Also, socializing is a way to stay positive. “Running keeps me positive,” Fu said. “It keeps the blood flowing.”
March 2016
12 Sports
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Bennett from the Bleachers
ECHO
Season to remember for women’s basketball Elite Eight!
A 50-32 win over Fox in Sectionals sent the Stateswomen further in the playoffs than they had ever been: The State Quarterfinals.
Photo by Bennett Durando
Bennett Durando Sports Columnist When it was all over, it could only be looked back on with fondness. And ahead, there’s no way to look but up. The women’s basketball team completed a historic season at 20-10 on March 12, in its 56-50 State Quarterfinal loss to Francis Howell at Jefferson College, taking several team records and milestones with it. The Stateswomen’s District title (which a certain ECHO Sports Columnist predicted back in December) is their first in 14 years (since 2002); it’s the first for seventh-year head coach Patti Perkins. Perkins also led the team to a 20-win season for the first time in her tenure. Webster ended the drought in Districts with a dominant 64-34 win over Cor Jesu, who had beaten the Stateswomen 49-40 earlier in the season. “We knew in the beginning of the season everyone was still getting to know each other,” sophomore guard KK Rodriguez said on the early-season loss to Cor Jesu, also pointing out the misfortune the Stateswomen dealt with in that game: Rodriguez, along with senior guard Lael Jones and fellow sophomore guard Jaidah Stewart, got in foul trouble and were forced to the bench for much of the game. Additionally, Rodriguez broke her thumb during the game, and junior forward Maggy Moran was out sick. “We knew all those things couldn’t happen again in order for
March 2016
us to be successful in the District Championship game,” Rodriguez said. Though luck was not with Webster when the team first met Cor Jesu, the 39-point swing still proved how much the team had grown in a couple months. After getting through Districts, the Stateswomen still weren’t done, making more history with a 50-32 win over Fox in the Sectional round of the playoffs, a win that earned Webster its first ever trip to the State quarterfinal. “Getting that win against Cor Jesu was great.... Winning Sectionals and getting to the elite eight was even better,” Stewart said. For Stewart, the Fox game was also one that included a monumental personal career milestone: 1,000 points. In the third quarter, with the Stateswomen up double digits on Fox, all the Webster faithful could think about was Stewart’s rapidly approaching thousandth point. At 996, she knocked down a three, pulling the sharpshooter within a point of the mark. Midway through the fourth quarter, Stewart got the ball on the high post and finished the job in stunning fashion, with a tough turnaround, fadeaway jumper that swished through with 3:27 to go, giving Webster a 48-30 lead and sending the crowd into a frenzy. Webster fans gave Stewart a standing ovation and held up signs that read “1,000” as play continued on. “I was so glad that shot went in, struggling during the second half and having all the pressure on my back,” Stewart said. “To get it was a big deal to my family, teammates, and coaches.” Stewart is just the 11th player in team history to reach 1,000…
Continued on Page 13 (See “Basketball”)
Sports 13 ECHO Senior track star exceeds own expectations the
Tyler Coleman Contributing Writer Carolyn Ross, senior, started running track at the age of nine and didn’t expect to take it farther than for simple exercise after quitting dance. Ross has surpassed all the expectations she had for herself. She’s been to State two years in a row. Last season she finished second in the 300 hurdles, first in the triple jump, third in the 100 hurdles and third in the 4x100 relay. Ross has interest in UMKC, SEMO and Missouri State for college. They’re the top three schools who have her on the radar to be a part of their track program. “It takes patience and hard work to make it up the ladder to be successful,” Ross said. Over the summer, Ross runs track for the STL Pow program,
and has gone to the Junior Nationals multiple years. Ross said winning State would mean everything to her since she took second last year in her favorite event, the 300 hurdles. Ross is motivated simply by her competitiveness and her desire to win. She has broken numerous school records for the Stateswomen. Ross wants younger runners to know that they must “show hard work and have drive.” Athletic director Jerry Collins said, “Ross is legit; she’s really good and is as good as anyone at the school. She ranks among the top.” “She might be the best individual track performer at the school in the last six or seven years,” Collins. Ross holds all-time records in the triple jump with 38’0 and the 300 meter hurdles with a blazing time of 43.87 seconds.
Statesmen Spring Sports Men’s Lacrosse “Woodchucks:” 4-0 *, ranked 2nd in Missouri Division I Women’s Soccer: 2-0-1 *, on the bubble of stltoday’s large school rankings Baseball: 3-2 * *Records as of March 28
Basketball (from Page 12) and she’s only halfway through her high school career. Compare that to the 10th player to reach the mark, Rachel Sondag, one of the great shooters in the history of Webster basketball, who now plays for Washington University. Sondag got to a grand last year, about halfway through the season of her senior year. Stewart is on such a rapid scoring pace that she could pose a threat to reach 2,000 before she graduates, and she can only get better the next two years. So can Webster’s team as a whole, which will continue to grow under the leadership of Stewart, Rodriguez and Moran, who were all named to the 2015-16 All-District team. “I know that if we can do this as sophomores, then we can definitely do it as juniors and seniors,” Rodriguez said. “And now that we see that we can, we just have to take it and run with it.” That plan for future success was on Rodriguez’s and the other returning players’ minds after the quarterfinal loss to Howell, a
game that Webster had rallied from a 13-point deficit from and had at one point taken the lead before falling just short of a trip to the Final Four in Columbia. “It stung a little bit because we knew our seniors did all they could,” Rodriguez said, adding, “but as juniors and sophomores that are returning next year, our focus is more on what we can do next year to not have that same feeling again.” “I’m ready to get after it again my junior year. I’m excited having several other players coming back who will make a big difference. I hope to make another run at State” Stewart said. “I think if we come in hungry and willing to put in 10 times as much work as we did this year, we will be good,” Even with all the promise of the next two years for the team, the 2015-16 squad and its milestones should not be forgotten. “This was a special group of girls this year,” Rodriguez said. It was a group that turned the program around and established Webster Groves women’s basketball as a major power in the state of Missouri. It was a group that will mark the beginning of a great era.
March 2016
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Entertainment
the
ECHO
Review
One ‘Room’ movie ventures outside box inflicts on Ma nightly. The movie brings to light some of the tales that are heard every so often of women escaping the backyards or basements of the horrible men who kept them there. In a heartbreaking scene, Ma tells Jack of how she was kidnapped. “Old Nick. We call him Old Nick, I don’t know what his real name is, but he pretended his dog was sick,” Ma said. “What’s the dog’s name?” Jack said. “Jack, there wasn’t a dog! He was trying to trick me, okay? There wasn’t a dog. Old Nick stole me,” Ma said. “I want a different story!” Jack said. “No! This is the story that you get!” Ma said. The movie, while staying true to the book, brings an occasionally more somber tone to the watered-down tale. The book, being described by Jack, manages to hide some of the more depressing moments with childish language. When viewing it as someone older than a child, it’s easier to tell how horrible the tale really is. The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards, for Best Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress, taking the fourth home in the hands of lead actress Brie Larson. “Room” is rated R, to accommodate for the occasional dark scenes, and runs for one hour and 48 minutes. The studio that produced the movie was Element Pictures.
Photo from us.imdb.com
“Room,” starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, runs for almost two hours and grossed $14.5 million nationally and earned four Oscar nominations.
Julia Karsteter Contributing Writer There’s something to be said about a movie that manages to captivate and enrapture while still remaining in one room for the majority of it. The aptly named Oscar-awarded movie “Room” does exactly that. “Room” is the tale of a woman and her young son who live in captivity, kept in a shed in the backyard of their captor for seven years, five years for Jack who was born inside of it. The movie, nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, doesn’t stray far from the book written by Emma Donoghue. The story is told from the perspective of Jack (Jacob Tremblay), who is kept with his Ma, Joy Newsome (Brie Larson). As the narrator, Jack doesn’t get to see all the sordid details that occur beyond the closet Ma has him sleep in every night, but we get to hear it; the abuse and rape that Old Nick (Sean Bridgers)
March 2016
“Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord...” Psalm 100:1 Webster Groves Baptist Church invites instrumentalists and vocalists to perform in its weekly services. music@wgbaptist.com wgbc@wgbaptist.com
the
Entertainment 15
ECHO
Watching these shows will save lives 3. “Scandal” Shonda Rhimes created the hit ABC drama “Scandal” that centers around Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington, a former media consultant to the president. Pope opens her own crisis management firm, but she can’t seem to get rid of her ties with President Fitzgerald Grant, played by Tony Goldwyn. The collisions of love triangles and murder will have viewers on the edge of their seats. Washington has been seen in a lot of different acting roles like “Django” and “Little Man,” but “Scandal” has got to be her peak. “Scandal” is a delicious political thriller that airs on Thursdays at 8 p.m. 2. “Fear The Walking Dead” In this prequel to AMC’s show “The Walking Dead,” the mysterious outbreaks of the apocalypse is told through the lens of a guidance Photo from www. amc.com/thewalkingdead counselor Madison Clark, played by Kim Dickens, and English teacher Travis Manawa, played “The Walking Dead” cast members Glenn Rhee, Maggie Greene, Tara Chambler, Carol Peletier, Bob Stookey, Sasha, Tyreese, Rick Grimes, Daryl by Cliff Curtis. In the midst of an apocalyptic outbreak in Los Dixon, Michonne, Carl Grimes, Beth Greene, Abraham Ford, Rosita Espinosa, and Eugene Porter stand tall, ready to face walkers, and worse, other Angeles, Clark has to deal with her heroin addict son, Travis, played by Frank Dillane, and rebelsurvivors. lious daughter, Alicia, played by Alycia Debnam Carey. Abby Botan Although the show is related to “The Walking Dead,” there Entertainment Columnist are no cameos or features of the original cast. “Fear The Walking Dead” is set in modern time and in a busy city with technology As time goes on it seems as if television shows have gotten which affects the characters during the apocalypse much differmore alluring. They can range from dramatic and suspenseful to ently than the characters of “The Walking Dead” who lived down comical and terrifying and climatic. south and in a much calmer era and no smartphones. I’ve never been one to religiously watch TV shows like “GosIf you watch “The Walking Dead,” then this show is definitely sip Girl” or “Pretty Little Liars.” I’ve always had a taste for ma- for you. This prequel returns back to AMC in April of this year. ture shows that I was never allowed to watch in middle school, and here are my top three picks: 1.“The Walking Dead” Based on the comic book series written by Robert Kirkman, this AMC hit gritty drama follows the life of police officer Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln, his family and other survivors. They face the pressure of fighting to stay alive and in the process losing bits and pieces of their own humanity. Throughout their everyday fighting to stay alive, the group realizes other The Webster-Kirkwood Times survivors during the apocalypse may be more dangerous than keeps you in touch with your community walkers. in print every week and online all the time. This thriller airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on AMC. Check out our all new website: Watching these shows will improve your grades and raise your www.timesnewspapers.com GPA - okay, probably not, but they will satisfy your need for a now with major league sports good binge watch. coverage from columnist Rob Rains
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March 2016
16 Entertainment
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Review
ECHO
Sol brings depth, aesthetic Caleb Bolin
Contributing Writer Rap isn’t always deep. Some songs focus on the beat. Some songs focus on money, drugs, sex or other things. Seattle based Sol Moravia-Rosenberg, better known as Sol, gives meaning to rap. Sol’s 2013 song “Old Him,” one song from his EP “Eyes Open,” touches on the more pressing issues facing humanity. “Old Him” opens with a piano and teleports the listener to some unnamed country: “8,000 miles from home…still I hold it down for my folk, surrounded by nothing but brown skin, nothing but love from the village to the township.” In his opening lines, Sol sets the tone and the loving atmosphere in Africa, where he visited on a University of Washington Fellowship. The song takes a turn in tone. Lines
March 2016
Photo from solsays.com
Sol looks into the distance on the cover of the “Eyes Open” EP.
like, “Sometimes tears flow quicker than the river; smiles get thinner, mouths don’t get dinner, and somehow we build houses even bigger,” and “Back home my homie bought a Cadillac; out here that’s cash enough to bring the dead back,” contrast the gross wealth and greed in Western civilization and the lack of bare essentials
in Third World countries. “Old Him” and the other songs on the “Eyes Open” EP reflect on existential problems, problems with greed, love, hate and other issues common to people. Sol manages to do this all while smoothly delivering his lines and points. Words flow over the beats, which more often than not are dance worthy. Sol’s EP is not only memorable because it is catchy; the lyrics and experiences mentioned are relatable, and for those that aren’t, the imagery is vivid enough to make them so. The EP is also generously priced at $7.99 on iTunes for 10 songs, which includes two bonus tracks. All in all, “Eyes Open” and the songs included in the EP, like “Old Him,” are a great purchase, and the content enlightens and enchants. Sol’s latest album, “The Headspace Traveler,” dropped on March 4.