WG ECHO January 2018 Issue

ECHO

See pg. 7: ‘Students march for women’s rights’

January 2018 Volume 103 Issue 5 Photo by Greg Frazier

100 Selma Ave st. Louis MO 63119 WGECHO.org

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Table of Contents

ECHO

Pg. 3 Legalizing marijuana would benefit U.S. Pg. 3 Excessive homework negatively impacts students Pg.4 School needs to be more environmentally aware Pg.5 Principal wins outstanding administrator Pg. 6 Community marches to honor MLK Pg. 6 First year teacher joins math department Pg. 7 Students march for women’s rights Pg. 8 -9 Marketing II seniors attend annual NY trip Pg. 10 Program awards 5 students for research Pg. 11 School continues its combat against segregation Pg. 12 Female wrestler fights obstacles Pg. 12 Mini cheerleaders perform at halftime Pg.13 Men’s basketball travels to tournaments Pg.14 Social media users advocate for sexual assault survivors Pg.15 Review:‘Pocket Camp’ fumbles mobile transition Pg. 16 Hollywood stars launch ‘Time’s Up’ movement Pg. 16 Willie’s Comic

2017-18 ECHO STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Caroline Fellows PRINT EDITOR: Riley Mullgardt JUNIOR EDITOR: Cole Schnell BUSINESS/ADS MANAGER: Evelyn Trampe VIDEO EDITOR: Ashli Wagner SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: 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.

January 2018

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

Ellie’s Expression

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Legalizing marijuana would benefit U.S. Eleanor Marshall Opinion Columnist Making marijuana legal would greatly benefit the United States economically and politically. It would also increase safety for its citizens.

This doesn’t mean I’m necessarily promoting the use of marijuana, rather explaining the advantages of its legalization.

The first issue with marijuana being illegal is the number of people in jail for it, especially people of color.

According to the ACLU, “Marijuana arrests now account for over half of all drug arrests in the United States. Of the 8.2 million marijuana arrests between 2001 and 2010, 88 percent were for simply having marijuana. Nationwide, the arrest data revealed one consistent trend: significant racial bias. Despite roughly equal usage rates, blacks are 3.73 times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana.”

If marijuana was legalized, there would be fewer nonviolent offenders in jail, meaning Americans would pay less taxes to fund prisons. Police officers could focus on stopping violent crimes instead of people with a few grams of marijuana.

“Here (in the Netherlands), you don’t have to go to jail if you’re a marijuana smoker,” American psychologist Art Lecesse said. “The goal is to try to keep young people in particular away from the criminal drug environment that may get them involved with the harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin.”

Public domain photo from Wikimedia Commons

Marijuana like that pictured is legal for purchase in nine states and the District of Columbia.

According Department of Agriculture, marijuana is one of the nation’s largest cash crops. This means economically, it makes sense for legalization. State and local governments would gain a significant tax revenue from regulating sales.

It will also create safe, legal jobs for people who will pay their taxes and contribute to society, discouraging drug dealers.

All of these taxes could go to important things like public education and the military.

Finally, legalizing marijuana will make its consumers much safer. Product testing is becoming a requirement for legalized marijuana markets. This means no one will blindly use dangerous laced drugs. When marijuana isn’t laced, it is safer.

“In terms of its acute and long-term effects, marijuana is a remarkably benign drug,” Lecesse said.

Dr. Els Borst, the Dutch minister of health, said cannabis does not have serious health risks.

“People have died from tobacco and alcohol, from heroin, from cocaine, but never from (overdosing on) cannabis,” Borste said.

Excessive homework negatively impacts students Evelyn Trampe Business Manager Kirkwood High School has decided that for the weekends following Feb. 16, and March 9, teachers will not assign homework assignments in an attempt to help lessen stress among students and teachers.

With pressures to get good grades, excel in extracurriculars, do well on placement tests and to get into top notch colleges, high school students are more stressed than ever.

Kirkwood High principal Michael Havener realizes this. “We need to make sure we allow [students] time to take a breath and, for lack of a better word, reset throughout the semesters and quarters,” Havener said to stltoday.

According to NBC news, the American Psychological Association found students are on average more stressed than adults, “[having] reported [stress levels of] 5.8 on 10-point scale, compared with 5.1 for adults.”

The APA also found, “30 percent of teens reported feeling sad or depressed because of stress, and 31 percent felt overwhelmed.

Another 36 percent said that stress makes them tired, and 23 percent said they’ve skipped meals because of it.”

Researchers from New York University’s college of nursing found the principal coping method students use to deal with

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stress is substance use, specifically alcohol and marijuana.

Through a survey NYU found, “Over the 30-day period preceding the survey, 38 percent of students reported getting drunk and 34 percent of students reported getting high on an illegal substance.” These numbers are two times greater than reported national normative samples.

Along with students using unhealthy coping methods to deal with their stress, stress often also leads to other mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Because of these disconcerting statistics about stress among students, it is in Webster’s best interest to do something in an attempt to lessen stress among students.

In an ECHO poll of 100 students 37 percent reported having a 5 stress level on a scale of 1-5. On the same scale 45 percent of students reported a level 5 of school contributing to their stress.

The effectiveness of homework has been debated for over 100 years, but a research study conducted by Duke University found homework is only beneficial to high schoolers if the work is less than two hours a night, however, 53.5 percent of 100 students surveyed by the ECHO report having over two hours of homework a night.

Because of this Webster should take a page out of Kirkwood’s book and also try a couple of weekends without homework, assess the effectiveness of reducing stress, and go from there.

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Opinion

Op-ed

ECHO

School needs to be more environmentally aware Rosa Parks Feature Editor Earth is dying. Contrary to the beliefs of the 45th President, global warming is real, and it’s killing the earth at a petrifying pace.

According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), “16 of the 17 warmest years in the 136-year record all have occurred since 2001, with the exception of 1998.” This is a frightening and shocking statistic, but sadly, it is true.

Webster Groves High School may be small, but it still leaves a giant carbon footprint. The high school needs to do more to conserve energy and greenhouse gases. There are many things the community at the high school can do to help out.

Inside the cafeteria, there are much fewer recycling bins than trash bins. Recycling helps to reduce the amount of pollution and diminish the amount of trash that gets dumped into landfills and water sources. “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” is a saying that has been pummeled into student’s brains since first grade; it is about time the students begin to follow this mantra.

Materials that can be recycled include plastic, paper, aluminum and many others. As easy as it may seem to just throw all food remnants or containers into the recycling, putting items such as glass and candy wrappers actually hurt the environment and can cause the other recyclables in the recycling container to be thrown away.

Senior Kevin Drexl said, “There are parts of the school that are overheated. I think the energy usage between the old and the new building is really not good. We aren’t using [energy] properly.

There is also a lot of food wasted.”

The school has a budget but spends money on expensive and unnecessary things, like the new soccer press box, new weights in the weight room and other things that are wants and not needs.

Being more eco-friendly is a need that is not being addressed or focused on.

The school needs to put more emphasis on taking care of the earth. The school currently has some solar panels, a roof garden (that is rarely used) and various plants around the school. The earth is going to die even faster at the rate the high school is wasting materials and energy.

Composting, using recyclable dishes and school supplies and even starting a garden will help. If a student wants to do something simple to help the environment, using a reusable lunch box, or even having meatless Mondays each Monday can help.

Science teacher Greg Wieland said, “The district, and especially the high school, tries to be environmentally friendly. During my time here, it has made recycling simple for students and staff, has encouraged teachers to use less paper and installed solar panels. The entire mind-set of the school has shifted from considering recycling a hippy fad to it being accepted and promoted by all.”

The school, students, and staff must do better to protect the existence and well-being of the earth.

January 2018

Photo by Rosa Parks

A recycling can that features ripped instructions sits isolated on the third floor. Materials that can be recycled include plastic, paper, aluminum and many others.

Although Wieland thinks the school is improving, he said more can be done. “More education about what should and shouldn’t be put in recycling bins would help. Also, I think there’s room to improve in the cafeteria. One thing students could do to increase the school’s ‘green-ness’ would be to reestablish an active Environmental Club.”

There is always room to improve, and the high school has a lot. Students who care about the future of their own lives and others need to start paying more attention to how their lazy and clumsy actions cause havoc on others.

The time for change is now, but nothing is going to change unless someone actually tries to change it.

Got an Opinion?

Express yourself with a Letter to the Editor wgecho@wgmail.org wgecho.org

5 Principal wins outstanding administrator ECHO

News

Ashli Wagner Video Editor Troupe 191 nominated principal Dr. Jon Clark for Missouri outstanding administrator. He was given the award Jan. 14, at the state thespian conference.

The award calls for “outstanding dedication to theater students, going above and beyond what was necessary, and just showing the arts are an important and valued experience,” according to senior Elliot Williams.

This year’s state thespian conference was at the Marriott Grand Hotel in downtown St. Louis Jan. 11-13.

During the conference, students from high schools and middle schools around Missouri went to different workshops, performances and informational sessions throughout the day.

“He was nominated because of the whole remapping of the whole drama department and just finding us a place,” drama teacher Todd Schaefer said about why Clark was nominated.

Part of the requirements for the nomination were at least two recommendation letters from the school.

Williams’ wrote one letter that said, “He didn’t have to see our shows, sing our praises in person or go above and beyond to encourage others to see it too, but he did, and this speaks directly to his love of theater and its enriching qualities.” “ It was an honor. I’ve always been very close with the thes-

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Photo by Simon Moore

Principal Jon Clark accepts his award for outstanding administrator from junior Trinity Madison Jan. 14, at the annual thespian conference at the Marriott Grand Hotel.

pians, and I was also just very surprised,” Clark said about being nominated and winning the award.

“Dr. Clark has always been supportive of our productions.

A really cool thing he does is he doesn’t really censor both the language and the topics of our productions unlike other schools that have to go through a community on their school board for anything that goes on stage. His allows us to bring adult themes to our audiences that they really deserve to see as young adults,” Williams said about why he thinks Clark is an outstanding administrator.

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News

ECHO

Photo by Ashli Wagner

Community members walk through Webster Groves during the Martin Luther King March on Jan. 14.

Community marches to honor MLK Natalie Johnson Social Media Manager Rock Hill and Webster Groves community members met at City Hall at 4:30 p.m. for the 23rd Annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration.

Sunday, Jan. 14, brought a light snow flurry and temperatures averaging 22 degrees, yet supporters of MLK’s dream marched down Elm Avenue, into Rock Hill, and into Steger Sixth Grade Center. Dr. John Simpson, superintendent, said the number of people that endured the weather to march “says a lot about the care in this community for the cause.”

The march route was blocked off by police to ensure safety.

At Steger, other people joined the marchers for a dinner provided by local businesses and churches, and the crowd headed into the auditorium for a service titled “Can You Hear Me Now?” The service began with a “call to unity” led by the Reverend Vickie Gray, pastor at Unity United Methodist Church. She read aloud to the audience: “The ultimate measure of humankind, ac-

cording to Martin Luther King, Jr., is not where we stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where we stand in times of challenge and controversy.”

The crowd responded with “O God, we pray, give us courage to be counted among those who will work for justice.” Gray then led the community in “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which she described as the “National Negro Anthem.”

After an invocation, Simpson welcomed everyone to the event, briefing the community on why they gathered.

“Tonight we gather to honor and celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most influential leaders this world has ever seen… a man who dedicated and ultimately lost his life fighting for major transformations in people’s hearts,” Simpson said.

The keynote speaker was The Reverend Dr. Craig Howard, the Transitional Leader of Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery. Howard urged the community to stand up for what is right, and be strong in times of trouble.

The Avery Spotlight Singers sang two songs. WGHS A Cappella sang “MLK” by U2, featuring soloists juniors Nicolaus Braun and Gold Kaanagbara.

First year teacher joins math department Sean Mullins Graphics Editor

Teacher Tony Huynh joined the math department this month in his first teaching job. He recently graduated from UMSL with a degree in mathematics and a minor in computer science.

Huynh is replacing math teacher Emily Lesher, who left WGHS due to personal matters. He plans to stick with the curriculum and continue from where Lesher’s classes left off, though his teaching style may differ.

While Lesher’s classes previously had frequent homework, Huynh’s classes have optional homework and daily quizzes over

January 2018

work from the previous night. Huynh said he understands students may be busy on certain nights, thus the homework is optional so as not to affect them much. However, he said as long as students understand the concepts taught, they should perform well in class. If not, they can come in for help.

“I’m available every day before and after school, so if they come to me for help, I’ll be more than willing to help them,” Huynh said.

Huynh’s teaching has resonated with the math department, according to math department chair Suzanne Fillion.

“He’s doing a great job for a young teacher,” Fillion said. “He came into a difficult situation and is making the best of it.”

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ECHO

News

Students march for women’s rights

Photo by Greg Frazier

Seniors Olivia Brotherton, Aubry Buckman, Lauren Henry and Leor Shomroni participate in the women’s march in downtown St. Louis on Jan. 20.

Caroline Fellows Editor-in-Chief For the second year in a row, thousands gathered in downtown St. Louis for the women’s march. They marched from Union Station the Old Courthouse, holding signs and chanting.

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There were 8,000 people at the Jan. 20, march, and some of them were Webster Groves High School students.

“I think it’s super important that people go out and join together in this act of solidarity because it shows others that this is a big issue, that we care and that we are willing to protest and fight for these rights or this equal treatment,” freshman Sarah Kaul said.

Senior Aubry Buckman also attended the march.

“Though it was known as the “women’s march,” the goal of the group was to speak for all minorities who must fight for acceptance into our current society,” Buckman said. “This goal will remain the same until each and every group is represented as people of this country.”

The 2017 march was the day after Donald Trump’s inauguration, and people carried signs predominantly in protest of his policies.

This year, along with these types of signs, people marched to spread awareness of sexual harassment and rights of minorities.

“My goal in marching was to inspire and empower women and other minorities to go beyond voting: to make calls to Missouri representatives, run for office and come together to create a more diverse government,” junior Bella DeArmitt said.

DeArmitt arrived early and got a special opportunity.

“I got the march early and ended up being asked to be a part of one of the drum circles boosting morale and providing a base for chants,” DeArmitt said.

SENIORS AND THEIR FAMILIES are invited to Picture yourself in college where you can achieve your goals without spending all of your hard-earned money. Take a peek during this event specially designed for high school seniors: • Learn about all that’s available at STLCC • Meet the faculty and staff • Choose a breakout session that’s right for YOU View all event topics and RSVP at stlcc.edu/seniorsnapshot

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SENIOR SNAPSHOT OF STLCC FEBRUARY 28 5:30 - 7 P.M. STLCC - Meramec 11333 Big Bend Rd. Theatre

January 2018

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Feature

ECHO

Marketing II seniors a Riley Mullgardt Print Editor Josie Krueger Entertainment Editor “This trip made me more excited and ready for my future than I have ever been. I can’t wait to pursue my career in the marketing field,” senior Claudia LeSage said.

Webster’s Marketing II class departed for a six-day field trip to New York City on Jan. 9. While there, students had opportunities to meet with major companies in New York City and talk with their employees.

Starting at Metal Mafia, a body jewelry and piercing company, students met the company owner, Dale Parris.

“The highlight of the visit was the announcement of the jewelry design contest the kids had entered before we arrived,” counselor Karen Verstraete said.

Seniors Anna Bussler, Claire Purchelli, Katie Winkleman and Aubrey Buckman were the contest winners.

“Metal Mafia was really great. We talked to Dale, who we had been in contact with a couple months before the trip. Anyone in Marketing II could work in a group or by themselves to make a line of navel rings for Metal Mafia. We had to give the story

Photo by Britney Clark

Senior Sam James peers from the Empire State Building overlooking the city.

January 2018

Photo by Karen Verstraete

Seniors Anna Bussler, Claire Puricelli, Katie Winkelmann and Aubry Buckman are accompanied by owner of Metal Mafia, Dale Parris, after being awarded $200 for their winning jewelry line.

behind the jewelry as well as argue to why it would be successful for the company’s spring launch.

“We presented our ideas to Dale and his team through the use of Skype and email. When we met them in New York, they told us the winners. We got $200 to split in our group and an additional $200 donated to the DECA program,” senior Anna Bussler said.

Then the students took the subway to The Legacy Agency, a global sports marketing agency, that represents NFL, MLB and PGA players.

Marketing teacher Kara Siebe, German teacher Brent Mackey and nine students got stuck in an elevator for around an hour.

Senior Will Tegenkamp said, “The buzzer started going off around 15 minutes into being stuck, and it didn’t stop until we got out. It got super hot, and nobody had cell phone service, so we couldn’t contact the tour guide for a while. (Senior) Will Scheipeter claimed to be claustrophobic and said he was going to start freaking out if we didn’t get out soon.”

To finish the day, everyone went to Madison Square Garden for a New York Knicks versus Chicago Bulls basketball game.

“The game was really fun and exciting since it went into double overtime. No one knew what celebrities were there until we saw their faces on the big screen. We saw Matthew Broderick (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”) and Ansel Elgort (“The Fault in our Stars”). It was really cool,” senior Andrea Ramillano said.

On the second day, students visited the Today Show and some students were on TV. Later that day, they visited Live Nation, a global entertainment company. They met senior vice president of Premium Seat Sales, Bryan Dockett.

At the end of the day, students could pick to go to either Broadway show of “Wicked” or the “Lion King.”

Day three brought students to hear from 2012 Webster graduate Katie Stack who is in the Masters of Public Health program at Columbia University. They also met the AT&T vice president/

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ECHO

Feature

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attend annual NY trip general manager of the New York office, Brian Gonterman. Their last trip for the day was visiting the 9/11 memorial.

“It was amazing, very moving and emotional. The people who contributed to making the whole memorial happen did a great job,” senior Sam James said.

A Statue of Liberty visit started off their final day in the city.

Senior Karlee Scholtes said, “The statue itself was pretty cool but smaller than I expected it to be. My favorite part about it was seeing the skyline of the whole city.”

For dinner, the students went to Blue Smoke, where the owner was not-so coincidentally from St. Louis and the owner of Shake Shack. Knowing a Shake Shack had been newly opened in St. Louis, he gave each student a $10 gift card. Then, the students ice skated at The Rink at Rockefeller Center.

Senior Tierney Wiggins described their last night in New York City as “bittersweet. It was kind of sad for all of us because we

Photo by Kaelin Dooley

Seniors Marcus Thompson and Brian O’Loughlin represent WG by making the letters with their fingers on top of the Empire State Building.

realized it was our last year together. The food was amazing.

It was an amazing experience. It was just really sad to realize we only have a couple months left together, especially since we grew up together.”

Photo by Kara Siebe

Nine students and two teachers get stuck in an elevator for over an hour. “It got super hot and nobody had cell service,” senior Will Tegenkamp said.

Photo by Karen Verstraete

Marketing II students gather for their final photo in the big apple at Rockefeller Center. “It was such an amazing trip. By the end of the trip we were all sad to leave, but so excited for what the future held for us,” senior Allee Clendennen said.

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January 2018

ECHO News 10 Program awards 5 students for research

Photo by Donald Johnson

Juniors Ciyanna Mahan, Aysha Grey and Teona Adams receive awards for researching their history. “I think it is really important that we remember our past and let that guide our actions in the future,” Adams said.

Cole Schnell Junior Editor Proud Past Inspired Future sponsor Chuck Reynolds announced junior Aysha Grey and junior Teona Adams as the grand prize winners at Steger during annual MLK celebration on Jan. 15.

Proud Past Inspired Future is a program for sophomore and junior African American students to learn about their pasts.

“I think it is really important that we remember our past and let that guide our actions in the future. Being proud of my history and my heritage is really important to me, and being given an opportunity to express the love of my history is really nice,” Grey said.

Participants are awarded based on presentation of what they learned. The grand prize winners were awarded a four-day trip, April 20 through April 22, to the Washington D.C. with one

January 2018

guardian, respectively and Chelsea Center organizers Julie Burchett and Dana Miller.

After multiple meetings to prepare for their trip, they will leave St. Louis for Washington D.C. and then visit the new National Museum of African American History and Culture, MLK memorial and meet with legislators. Grey and Adams said they are very excited for the trip.

The students will reflect on their trip and create a film to present at a reception honoring interracial dignity on May 2. The reception is open to all community members. The students will receive credit through the Chelsea Center.

Two first runners-up, sophomore Erica Richardson and junior Fanuel Achinda, were awarded $200 and second runner-up, junior Ciyanna Mahan, was awarded $100. All awards, including the trip, are being paid for by Laura and Chuck Reynolds.

“Every junior, sophomore who is black needs to do it (Proud Past Inspired Future) because you might surprise yourself (and win),” Adams said.

There were only five applicants. Burchett said she hopes for more Proud Past Inspired Future participants in the future.

All participants answered reflection questions, researched their past and presented their research through several different media, like poetry and other writing, to a community judging panel made up of volunteers and the donors.

The panel reviewed the presentation and the reflection question answers to choose the winners.

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ECHO Feature 11 School continues its combat against segregation Cole Schnell Junior Editor In 1956 after Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, KS, ruling, Douglass High School was closed, and resident black students started at Webster Groves High School in the fall.

Simone Cunningham, academic lab teacher and WGHS alumna, Class of 2007, said, “It was a cultural shock for some of them (Douglass transfer students); some of them still weren’t wanted.”

Brown v. Board of Education stated separate schools for black and white students were unconstitutional.

VICC program, started in 1981, gives city students a chance to transfer to suburban schools and vice-versa in an effort to desegregate.

In November 2016, the VICC program board, which is composed of superintendent of participating schools, voted to extend the program for the last time and end the 36-year-old program in 2024.

Senior Jamie Tabron, VICC transfer student, said the school is “definitely” segregation, but it isn’t “intentional...Segregation now is more so out of habit.”

Tabron said to start to change the climate students have to “get out of the comfort zone of not talking about it...The ones who are suffering, like me, who are uncomfortable everyday.”

Webster Challenge is a program for black students to help

Photo from WGHS Archives

Drama department’s first predominantly African American cast presents “A Raisin in the Sun” in 1969. In a effort to diversify the drama department, Troupe 191 elected its first diversity officer, Trinity Madison in 2017.

them succeed and to close the race achievement gap.

Webster Challenge meets monthly to troubleshoot academic problems, learn study tips, meet with advisors and provide resources. Webster Challenge plans a trip to visit four colleges for any interested students on April 9-10.

We Welcome You to join us in fellowship and worship Upcoming activities: • NAMI Family to Family at Webster Groves Baptist Church (Wed nights).

Classes start Feb. 21, at 6:30 p.m. and end May 9.

Registration is required. For more info please contact 314-962-4670 or visit www.namistl.org/programs.

• Thursday night Open Court Basketball begins Feb. 22, at 8 p.m.

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Sports

ECHO

Female wrestler fights obstacles Elise Keller News/Opinion Editor

Junior Sydney Ward is a student athlete who stands out because she is the only female on Webster’s wrestling team.

Ward has wrestled for two years and considers her greatest accomplishment in wrestling to be “just sticking with the sport when things got difficult.” Despite a lack of female representation within the wrestling team, Ward enjoys her role on the team.

“It doesn’t feel weird or anything because all the guys are pretty cool with it. It just feels like I’m with a bunch of peers, not really a bunch of guys,” Ward said.

Ward competes in matches just as often as her male teammates and feels accepted by her team.

“I don’t see her any different because she is a girl. She is a great addition to the team and brings a lot to the table,” said Ward’s teammate Alex Smith, sophomore.

“She is not treated any differently by the wrestling team. She is super close with a lot of the wrestlers and has a great attitude. I’ve never seen her be put down because she is a woman.

She is super nice and welcoming and super easy to talk to. She wrestles like anybody else and is wrestling to perform and to win. She has a great mindset of what she needs to do when she steps on the mat,” Smith said.

Ward does, however, still face obstacles because the sport is

so heavily male dominated.

“Guys are a lot stronger-- even lighter guys-- in their arms and everything,” Ward said.

On the roster, Ward’s name is posted under “Boys Varsity Wrestling” because a women’s team doesn’t exist. “[The team] is considered co-ed because there’s not enough girls to make a girls’ team, but it’s primarily male dominated, so [it’s a] guys’ team,” Ward said.

Although Ward wouldn’t change her experiences, she would want “to get [wrestling] more widespread to girls. A lot of girls don’t even know about it. ” To any girl who has an interest in wrestling, Ward said to “definitely do it!”

“I really enjoy the feeling of hard work and the concept that through practice you compete-- not against a teammate but with them. It might seem like a sport where you must make an enemy out of your opponent, but I see it as an individual going through the same journey; both wanting to win and helping you grow win or lose,” Ward said about what she enjoys about wrestling. “(Wrestling forms) a great bond with other wrestlers because you’re the only people who really understand the sport and the struggles and victories it brings. I feel lucky to see this and I wish more girls knew about the sport so they, too, could have such bonds with one another,” Ward said.

Mini cheerleaders perform at halftime Eleanor Marshall Opinion Columnist It’s a regular women’s Varsity basketball game. The players are filled with adrenaline and covered in sweat. The fans are anxiously watching.

The buzzer goes off signaling half time. It’s time for the cheerleaders to take the players’ place on court.

However, it’s not just the cheerleaders. They are accompanied by around 75 elementary school children.

On Jan. 25, the WGHS elementary school children learned cheers, jumps, and songs from the WGHS cheerleaders.

“We teach them four or five cheers so that they can cheer with us during the game or perform for halftime,” senior Sophie Crank said.

“We also do little fun games like ‘little Sally Walker,’” junior Lily Partridge said.

Although it’s a lot of work, the cheerleaders enjoy running mini camp.

Junior Charlotte Marshall said, “ I enjoy getting to work with kids and teaching a new generation of cheerleaders how to do something I love.”

“It’s super fun to see all the little kids get excited because they

January 2018

Photo by Greg Frazier

Junior Carly Hayes grasps the hands of two mini cheerleaders at the Parkway North football game on Oct. 27.

get to cheer with the big high school cheerleaders. It really just makes me happy to see little kids enjoying cheer and having a fun time with their friends while their still young,” Crank said.

“I like seeing the little girls faces when they get to perform in front of people. They get so excited and it’s so cute,” said sophomore Abby Moehlman.

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ECHO

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Sports

Frazier from the Field

Men’s basketball travels to tournaments

Greg Frazier Sports Columnist

Traveling is usually associated with vacationing, but the men’s basketball players are not vacationing, they’re competing.

Before traveling to Memphis, TN, Webster had already won against Maplewood (74-62), Lee’s Summit North (63-43) and Northwest Academy (54-47). Webster was 3-0 going up against No. 3 ranked high school team in the nation Memphis East (TN.).

The Statesmen were only ranked 13.

The game was streamed on ESPN 2. The expectations were high for Webster to perform, but without senior Courtney Ramey who was out because of a injured wrist, the team was incomplete.

The game ended 45-80 Memphis East.

Webster came back home to play against Fern Creek, KY, in Robert’s Gym. The Statesmen proceeded still with Ramey out.

Webster lost 34-52. Two days after the loss, they experienced another loss in Florida at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena against Hudson Catholic High (52-84). Webster would lose one more match against Mountain Brook (59-73) before being able to break it’s four loss streak against Canterbury (60-51).

Finished with Florida, Statesmen hosted Marquette on Jan. 4, in Webster. The game was opening night for Ramey. Senior SLU commit Carte’Are Gordon and Ramey layed down a combined 37 points. 15 Ramey, 22 Gordon. The Statesmen stepped over Marquette (73-43). Webster visited Wheeler, Georgia at Wheeling Jesuit University. After a four-loss streak came a flip flopped four-win streak, they defeated Wheeler 75-62.

Traveling back to Missouri but in a different city, Jefferson City, to play Christ the Child HS (NY), at the JQH Arena (64-45).

After a swift win, Webster was preparing for it’s biggest opponent since Memphis East in Tennessee, Oak Hill Academy. Oak Hill Academy (26-0) was the No. 2 team in the nation according to the USA Today Super 25. They’d meet in the semi finals on Jan. 12.

Unfortunately for the Statesmen, the result was the same as before, a loss for Webster (62-73). Following the Oak Hill loss, Webster would play Brentwood Academy on Jan. 13, for the third place title in the JQH competition. Back-to-back losses for the Statesmen as Brentwood Academy score three points moreover Webster. The result was 60-63.

For Webster’s final destination, it reached Springfield, MA, to play against Mount Vernon (NY). Ramey and Gordon paired up again to drop a combined 57 points out of the highest scored game so far 90. The end result was Webster 90, Mount Vernon 75.

Head coach Jay Blossom said, “It (traveling) was tiring but an unbelievable experience for the boys. A lot of them have never been on an airplane or seen the ocean when we went to Florida (Dec. 21 - 23). We’re still not done though. We have some big teams to face, Vianney and CBC.” Blossom is right. Vianney is looking like Webster’s biggest

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Photos by Greg Frazier

Webster plays against Marquette Thursday, Jan. 4, in Roberts Gym. Webster won 73-43.

adversary. It upset Chaminade (61-53) and have a redoubtable lineup. Vianney’s Colin Braun averages 20 plus points per game.

Vianney’s C.J. Paul with Vianney’s Josh Kleinheider both have 10 points plus averages too. Vianney is a force that the Statesmen should encounter cautiously.

The rest of the season is comprised of regular season games.

Webster’s record is 13-5.

Feb. 2 8:30 p.m.

Belleville West at O’Fallon Feb. 8 7 p.m.

Parkway West at Webster Feb. 9 7 p.m.

Summit at Summit Feb. 15 7 p.m.

Vashon at Meramec CC

January 2018

14

Entertainment

Josie’s Journal

ECHO

Social media users advocate for sexual assault survivors Josie Krueger Entertainment Columnist Amidst the growing movements such as “#metoo” and “Time’s Up,” survivors of sexual assault and misconduct have bravely come forward to share their experiences.

Growing exposure to sexual assault stories has been met with support and opposition. A wave of awareness is crashing over and slowly eroding the years of cover up to expose and treat the continual and critical issue of sexual assault and abuse.

Issues of sexual assault are addressed using platforms/events like the Golden Globes, but one of, if not the most important platform in this day and age to extend support for this movement is social media. Social media apps like Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr and Facebook are essential to this movement because they enable everyone from the president of the United States to high school students to share their thoughts, opinions and experiences in the same way.

There are many ways to advocate for and support survivors of sexual assault and abuse throughout movements like “#metoo” and “Time’s Up.” Here’s some of the ways to help survivors share their experiences or non-survivors extend support to survivors if they want to help.

First, if you are a survivor, do not be afraid to share your personal experiences, but only if you are comfortable with doing so and think it will help you heal.

To non-survivors, do not push someone to share their story if they are not comfortable doing so.

Kristin Moore, Feminist Coalition sponsor, said, “We can encourage them to feel safe enough to tell their stories if they want to, but it’s not for us to judge if the person is not in a place where they are ready or want to do that, so pressuring all survivors to join the movement or be vocal about it- that’s something that has to come on their own terms within their own healing process.

Use it as a platform to support survivors when they are ready to tell their stories not to judge those who aren’t ready.”

There are ways for non-survivors to support survivors also.

One is to send out messages that may be indirect but are meaningful and important for a survivor to hear.

According to YWCA representative, Christina Meneses, essential messages for rape and other sexual assault survivors to receive include “I’m sorry this happened. It’s not your fault. You don’t have to go through this alone. You didn’t deserve this.”

Additionally, an effective way to send messages of support to survivors is to intervene as a bystander when something insensitive is said.

Kelsey Burns, crisis advocate at Safe Connections, said, “If you hear someone make a rape joke, or if you hear someone question folks that are coming forward, just do a bystander intervention… saying things like, ‘I don’t think that’s funny,’ or just not laughing…that way, when someone you do know… is affected by this… they’ll hear you saying the jokes are not okay

January 2018

and be more likely to come forward.”

Lastly, social media is a global communication system where someone can contact a person or group that he or she might not be able to reach otherwise.

People in need may not be aware of the different ways they can contact an organization.

The most prominent and accessible way is to call an emergency hotline. Regional, national and global organizations have emergency numbers for people who are in need of assistance or information pertaining to sexual assault.

For example, the organization YWCA, dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women has a Rape Crisis Line at 314-531-7273 for the local St. Louis area.

Organizations like YWCA or Safe Connections also have nationwide locations, and most people can find one in their local area.

Therefore, another way to extend support and help is to share the phone number, address, and other information about these organizations on social media. Someone who needs this information might see it at the right time, and otherwise people will know where they can go back and find it.

Overall, there are many ways to advocate for, support, and encourage survivors of sexual assault through social media and in everyday situations.

ECHO

Entertainment

Electric Retrospective

15

Review: ‘Pocket Camp’ fumbles mobile transition Sean Mullins Technology Columnist Nintendo’s foray into mobile gaming succeeded by scaling down beloved games for mobile while retaining the key elements of their predecessors. However, its latest mobile release, “Animal Crossing Pocket Camp,” is missing the wrong elements.

Animal Crossing games focus on doing everything at the player’s pace. As the player moves into a town of anthropomorphic villagers, they can fish, catch bugs, dig for fossils, decorate their home and talk to neighbors at their own leisure. Ingame events have a daily schedule, and certain events and store hours occur at different points in the day, making its fantasy world of adorable animals feel down to earth.

“Pocket Camp,” on the other hand, focuses on a loop of finding items to give to villagers, receiving furniture materials, and making furniture to attract villagers to one’s campsite. The daily cycle is cut to three hours, and it shifts which villagers the player can do chores for. While villager chores existed in earlier games, they were previously optional, as the player could make money through other means.

These changes make “Pocket Camp” less of a relaxing getaway and more of a typical feedback loop for a mobile game.

The three-hour cycle and chore-based progression removes the aspect of going at one’s own pace. Additionally, customization is pointless, since the game only incentivizes getting furniture that other villagers want at the player’s campsite. Even if it didn’t, the furniture and clothing selection is limited.

The graphics are mostly taken from “Animal Crossing New Leaf,” with a few new models and characters. As long as assets were taken from “New Leaf,” its phenomenal soundtrack should have been taken as well, as the new music isn’t as memorable.

Since “Pocket Camp” runs on a three-hour timer, its few music tracks become very repetitive, as songs alternate with ingame events.

Connectivity issues plague “Pocket Camp” long after launch.

All of Nintendo’s mobile titles thus far require internet connection, “Pocket Camp” included. For some inexplicable reason, even in areas where wifi connection is stellar, the app often shows error messages and usually forces itself to restart. This doesn’t occur with Nintendo’s other apps, so it may be a server issue, but these issues should’ve been fixed by now, two months post-launch.

Like many mobile games, “Pocket Camp” is freemium, a freeto-play game with ingame currency purchased with real money- in this case, Leaf Tickets, which can speed up construction.

However, the amount of Leaf Tickets required to do so is so astronomically high that they’re ineffective. The maximum ticket purchase- 1,200 tickets for $39.99- is the same price as two copies of “New Leaf,” a full Animal Crossing experience.

Recent Animal Crossing games have had excellent multiplayer, but player interaction in “Pocket Camp” is surprisingly limited.

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Image from Nintendo

“Animal Crossing Pocket Camp” takes the player out of the franchise’s usual rural setting for a job running a campsite.

Players can only visit other campsites without truly interacting with other players, and most interaction is done through Market Boxes, which can be used to sell items to other players. While this can be helpful, it would be much more useful if players could sell rare materials, let alone interact directly with others.

Multiplayer aside, other major features from past games are missing. Custom clothing prints would’ve allowed players to express their artistic side and could’ve worked easily with a smartphone touch screen, given that was the control scheme in “New Leaf.” The museum, which allows players to track different fossils, bugs and fish they’ve found, is also absent. While updates will bring new content, nothing substantial appears to be imminent.

Ironically, an Animal Crossing game exists that would have worked well on mobile. “Happy Home Designer,” released in 2015 for 3DS, used “New Leaf” gameplay but focuses on customizing villagers’ houses however players see fit. While the game didn’t have enough content to warrant a $39.99 release, as a freemium game, it could have worked, while still retaining more of Animal Crossing’s key elements than “Pocket Camp” does.

“Pocket Camp” did as advertised, being a scaled-down Animal Crossing that focuses on the series’s key elements. However, unlike Nintendo’s other mobile titles, especially “Fire Emblem Heroes,” “Pocket Camp” disregards what makes Animal Crossing so fun. While the game is enjoyable for a bit, it quickly becomes a loop of chores with no good incentive. Hopefully Nintendo’s next mobile title can see the forest for the trees.

“Animal Crossing Pocket Camp” is available on iOS and Android for free with optional in-app purchases.

Go to the Electric Retrospective blog at https://electricretrospective.wordpress.com for more game reviews and news. New posts release every Tuesday.

January 2018

16

Entertainment

Oscars so white, Globes so black

ECHO

Hollywood stars launch ‘Time’s Up’ movement Caroline Fellows Editor-in-Chief Golden Globes host Seth Meyers stepped on stage and addressed the audience. “Good evening, ladies and remaining gentlemen,” he said.

Meyers’ quip was in relation to the absence of actors, directors and writers who had been alleged with cases of harassment and assault.

On Jan. 1, over 300 Hollywood women working in film and television publicly announced “Time’s Up.” The initiative addresses systemic inequality not only in Hollywood but around the world.

The group’s goals include to help less privileged women protect themselves from sexual harassment, to establish legislation that penalizes companies that tolerate sexual harassment, to achieve gender equality in Hollywood and to request that people wear black on the red carpet at the Golden Globes on Jan. 7.

This last goal has already been achieved. Actors and actresses lined the red carpet dressed in black at the Golden Globes to stand in solidarity and spread awareness of the Time’s Up movement. Several actors and actresses took to social media to spark the movement and multiple Golden Globe winners addressed the initiative in their acceptance speeches.

Willie’s Comic

January 2018

Nicole Kidman, who won best actress in a limited series for her role in “Big Little Lies,” spoke about her character and the connection to Time’s Up. “This character that I played represents something that is the center of our conversation right now: abuse,” Photo by Allen J. Schaben/ Kidman said. “I do believe, Los Angeles Times/TNS and I hope we can elicit Oprah Winfrey backstage change through the stories at the 75th Annual Golden we tell and the way we tell Globes at the Beverly Hilton them. Let’s keep the converHotel in Beverly Hills, CA, on sation alive; let’s do it.”

Sunday, Jan. 7.

Oprah Winfrey received the Cecil B. deMille Award, which recognizes “outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.” She is first black woman to receive the award.

Winfrey spoke about both racial and sexual inequality.

“For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men, but their time is up. Their time is up,” Winfrey said.

Comic by Ashli Wagner

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