WG ECHO April 2018 Issue

ECHO

See pg. 4: “Students gather to protest gun law inaction” APRIL 2018 Volume 103 Issue 8 Photo by Cole Schnell

100 Selma Ave st. Louis MO 63119 WGECHO.org

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Table of Contents

ECHO

Students should support Best Buddies Teenagers need comprehensive sex ed Dr. Matthew Irvin to become principal Students gather to protest gun law inaction Parents Club holds historic senior lock-in Students, staff offer advice for improvement Evelyn Trampe elected next student council president Plagiarism leads to immense consequences Students find creative ways to prompose School aims to dismantle biases Women’s track encourages team-building, family Men’s tennis serves strong season with 3 early wins Men’s volleyball seek State title Coachella controversy creates debate Switching Gears: The Nintendo Switch’s First Year Review:‘Isle of Dogs’show cases bond between humans , pets

2018-19 ECHO STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Cole Schnell PRINT EDITOR: Ellie Marshall JUNIOR EDITOR: Elise Keller BUSINESS/ADS MANAGER: Trinity Madison VIDEO EDITOR: Evelyn Trampe SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: Rosa Parks OPINION EDITOR: Emily Stisser NEWS EDITOR: Ethan Weihl SPORTS EDITOR: Greg Frazier FEATURE EDITOR: Lindsey Bennett PODCAST EDITOR: Maeve Taylor ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Josie Krueger GRAPHICS EDITOR: Colin Shue ADVISOR: Donald Johnson

SOME MATERIAL FROM TRIBUNE NEWS 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.

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

Cover cutline: Man yells, “Get the f**k out of here” at Anu Akinyede, a student organizer of Students Demand Action at protest in front of the Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley’s office on April 20.

April 2018

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ECHO

Ellie’s Expression

Opinion

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Students should support Best Buddies Ellie Marshall Opinion Columnist

Students in the Special School District (SSD) need to be more included in dayto-day activities at WGHS. They are excluded from the rest of the student body, and that’s not fair.

Often times, some students in SSD spend most of the day in class with adult teachers and other students in SSD. According to the 2011/12 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, “Approximately 14.6 million children ages 0–17 years in the United States (19 percent) have special health care needs.”

This is a large group of students being excluded from the rest of the school.

Junior Francia Munoz is a big advocate for involving SSD students with students in general education classes. She is a part of the peer mentoring program, a group of students who help out in the SSD classrooms for one hour a day. It lets the SSD students befriend the WGHS students in general education classes and helps them feel more connected to the student body.

Through this program she has become very close with the students and teachers.

“I love being a peer mentor and the stu-

Photo by Ashli Wagner

Martez Marti passes a baton to George Zychinski in a relay at the 2017 Special Olympics. dents/teachers in the SSD are absolutely amazing,” Munoz said. “I’ve made such special bonds with students in the SSD.” To get more WGHS students involved with SSD students and make the special bonds, she has, Munoz has proposed a new club called Best Buddies.

“Best Buddies is a nationwide program/ club that help kids with intellectual/developmental disabilities. It helps make bonds

between general education high school students and kids in the SSD. We used to have something like it, back in the day, called ‘Circle of Friends,’” Munoz said.

“For Best Buddies at our school, we would meet once a week and talk about activities we would do with our buddies.

I think it would be a great way for many students in the SSD to get involved with school activities and make new friends.”

Editorial

Teenagers need comprehensive sex ed WGHS’ sexual education needs to become more prevalent and informative in high school curriculum. This story seems to be repeated over and over again, but still no changes are being made.

Students get their first introduction to sex education in sixth grade, and for most, that’s where it also ends. With the majority of people first becoming sexually active in high school (NBC News states the average age males lose virginity is at age 16.9 and females 17.4,) sex education needs to be more realistic and more common in high school settings.

Abstinence-only education does not work. A study by Advocates for Youth of abstinence-only programs showed “little evidence of sustained (long-term) impact on attitudes and intentions. Worse, they showed some negative impacts on youth’s willingness to use contraception, including condoms, to prevent negative sexual health outcomes related to sexual intercourse.”

Because teenagers do not receive proper information, they are more likely to get an STD.

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A study by the New York Times states, “American youth have the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases among wealthy nations.”

Each year about 20 million new cases of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are found in the United States, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “About half of these infections are in people between the ages of 15 and 24.”

With St. Louis being the STD capital of the United States, Webster needs to recognize that comprehensive sexual education is not only relevant, but necessary.

Through an ECHO poll, 49.4 percent of 77 students reported that sexual education in regards to STDs is unsatisfactory and needs improvement. One respondent said, “Students learn little to nothing in a small unit in a health class with a teacher that isn’t comfortable talking about the topic or knowledgeable about it in general. It is of the utmost importance that the teacher is comfortable talking about it, and therefore we need a teacher trained specifically in sex ed.”

April 2018

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News

ECHO

Dr. Matthew Irvin to become principal Cole Schnell Editor-in-Chief

Dominic Grosvenor Contributing Writer Dr. Matthew Irvin will become the new principal for the 2018-19 school year.

Irvin said he wants to be principal to have “an impact on a larger scale.”

Irvin is currently the associate principal of Lafayette High School of the Rockwood School District.

Irvin has also been a grade-level principal at the Lindbergh High School.

Irvin’s also taught social studies and P.E. at Kirkwood High School and New Trier High School in Winnetka as well as social studies at Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School.

Irvin said, “Helping make students thrive” is the most important part of high school, and that would require a different

approach for each student.

“I am confident that he is the right leader at the right time to move Webster Groves High School forward and into the future,” superintendent John Simpson said.

Irvin earned a doctorate in education from Lindenwood University in fall of 2016. He also previously received degrees from Missouri State University and University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Irvin got his principal certification from UMSL in 2015, which will expire in 2021.

Irvin said one of the jobs of the school is “to help student to become engaged citizens.”

In the past year, students have walked out twice. Irvin said students and administration “should have a conversation before any political action” during school.

The final decision was made the night of April 23.

The process of choosing the principal started with filling out a WGSD application online. Then candidates had to de-

Photo by Kevin Campbell/Kirkwood

Dr. Matthew Irvin was the Kirkwood Varsity football head coach from 201015.

scribe their perfect high school in no more than 250 words.

Then, there was panels, performance events and several interviews. The closing date for accepting applications was March 19. Irvin was chosen of 28 applicants to become principal.

On Feb. 13, principal Jon Clark announced he will retire on July 1.

Downtown St. Louis

Students gather to protest gun law inaction Cole Schnell Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Cole Schnell

Freshman Sarah Kaul chants as she marches around the Missouri Attorney General’s office.

April 2018

Students protested against gun violence in front of Missouri Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley’s office.

The organizer, Student Demand Action, chose this date because April 20, marks the 19th anniversary of Columbine High School Shooting.

At least nine WGHS students and over 150 students from other schools joined the protest.

WGHS Students Demand Action representative, Camille Mussman, said, “Getting an education without having to fear for our lives is our right.”

The protest involved multiple student speakers, a die-in and a march around the building.

Students Demand Action organized the entire event without non-student involvement.

According to its website, Students Demand Action wants legislation: • “Requiring a background check prior to the transfer of a firearm between licensed and unlicensed parties, • Prohibiting the private transfer of possession of assault weapons, 50 caliber rifles or large capacity ammunition magazines, • Requiring all firearms dealers to obtain a state license, requiring gun owners to obtain a license, register their firearms, and report lost or stolen firearms, • Limiting the number of firearms that may be purchased at one time, • Imposing a minimum waiting period of 72 hours on firearm purchases, • Significantly regulate the sale and purchase of ammunition, • Not allowing concealed carry within schools, places of worship, and public transportation.”

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5 Parents Club holds historic senior lock-in ECHO

Feature

Photo from Tyra Gallagher

Members of Webster’s class of 2017 participate in a hypnotist show at last year’s senior lock-in.

Elise Keller Junior Editor Class of 2018 seniors have endured four years of Webster Groves High School, and now they have the opportunity to be locked inside the school overnight as part of a 67-year-old school tradition.

The senior lock-in party will be after graduation on May 18.

The Parents Club website describes the night as “all about celebrating our graduating children in a safe and fun way.”

Connie Rhodes, senior, is eager to attend.

“I’m really excited, even if I don’t know how I’m going to stay up until 5:30 a.m. the next day. I hope that there is a lot to do to keep me awake, and hopefully I do not fall asleep because that is a possibility,” Rhodes said.

Crystal O’Loughlin, Parents Club member organizing this event, said, “It is sponsored by the Parents Club and is held at the high school. Check in begins at 10:30 p.m., and doors are locked at 11:30 p.m. This is an all night lock in that ends at 5:30 a.m.

There will be a lot of activities, including a casino, inflatables, DJ, fire pit and teacher dunking booth.”

A hypnotist will entertain students at 3 a.m. until a hot breakfast is served at 4 a.m.

During the night, students will have the opportunity to win tickets at the casino and enter those tickets in order to win prizes.

“Some prizes are Xbox, Beats wireless headphones, Kate Spade purse, hoverboard, camping gear, TV and more,”

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O’Loughlin said.

“Our Theme this year is ‘All things St. Louis.’ St. Louis food favorites will be served throughout the night,” O’Loughlin said.

The Parents Club is looking for parent volunteers for the event.

“The event is free to attend, and it has been very well attended in the past,” O’Loughlin said.

This will be the 67th annual senior party. The first was in 1951.

Parents started holding the event after two seniors died the night of their graduation the year before.

A 1969 St. Louis Post-Dispatch called it a way “to keep the kids off the streets and out of the joints.”

The parents wanted to stop the all-night drinking and partying and hold a supervised event to protect students.

A 1963 St. Louis Post-Dispatch said, “The affair began at sunset with the awarding of diplomas, ended shortly after dawn with a breakfast.”

Every year, the party is essentially the same, and this year’s event will have a lot of the same aspects that the first parties had.

“Parents would spend all night decorating; they’d give gifts, which you still do; someone would always come and read palms or do tarot cards,” Pat Voss said about senior parties in the past.

Another part of the first parties that has continued throughout the years is that the party is only open to Webster students.

“Originally, you could bring an outside guest, but that only lasted a few years,” according to Voss.

For the most of the party’s history, attendance has been free to students; however, the first party was $10 per student.

Most of these parties were held at Hixson, and students had access to the pool at Webster’s rec center.

The theme of the first was a marine theme, featuring 9,000 balloons that lined the ceilings. The entertainment included “continuous dancing to both conventional and rock ‘n’ roll orchestras and a variety of other diversions,” according to the 1963 PostDispatch.

Each year the directors of the party would try to create better decorations than the last.

One exceptional theme was the class of 1969’s riverfront theme, complete with a showboat crafted by a “committee of husbands,” carnival games and numerous old-fashioned shops.

One mother painted murals, another made a saloon with a swinging door, bar and popcorn machine. The cafeteria was made to look like a Victorian dining room with two golden and white swans, chandeliers, red wallpaper, antique furniture and balloons.

The parents club works hard to make sure this event is memorable for the graduates year after year, and seniors like Rhodes are excited to attend their last school event.

“I want to go because Webster Groves High School has been my school for the past four years, and it’s the last time I’m going to be there for something where I am a ‘student’ there. In addition, it is going to be the last time I get to do something with my class before we all go our separate ways. Yeah, we can all keep in touch, but it’s not the same,” Rhodes said.

April 2018

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Feature

ECHO Students, staff offer advice for improvement Josie Krueger Entertainment Columnist

As year 2017-2018 at WGHS comes to a close, students and staff reflect on the mistakes of the past and look to improve them for the future.

Teacher in the English department, Emily Pott, said the biggest problem at the school to be addressed are “cell phones…

Students need to challenge themselves to think in the moment.”

Counselor Ken Winingham said the school needs to improve “Communicating expectations consistently...One teacher expects something totally different from another teacher, and it’s hard for the kids.”

From a student perspective, senior Lidia Goben said, “When we do walkouts or protests, and we have discussions with the principals, they’ll say...‘yeah we’ll fix that; we’ll get on it’… but they never change anything.”

Similarly, sophomore Hannah Brown said, “Things are not taken seriously... Bullying is not taken seriously. I think the administration needs to stay more on top of things instead of pushing everything to the side, saying they don’t have evidence.”

Assistant principal Dr. John Raimondo said, “We are not only addressing (issues) when they happen but (asking) how do we prevent them? How do we educate our students and our staff to make sure that you know we are doing a lot of stuff upfront that

April 2018

would make this a welcoming, inclusive school?”

Students were able to share their opinion anonymously on an ECHO survey.

Two respondents said the most significant problem in the school right now is racism.

One student said, “I think that we need to talk about it more, just have conversation. Also, non-minorities need to speak the heck up.”

Another student who discussed racism said addressing this problem will “make WGHS feel like more of a community instead of chopped up cliques.”

Multiple students said a substantial problem at school is safety of students.

The respondent said, “I feel safe at Webster, but it’s concerning that so many people can sneak in and out of the school. I feel like anyone can just walk on in. I like the buzzer system idea.”

Raimondo said, “This year, we are really focusing on making sure that the school is as safe as it can be… We have developed a written plan… improving and updating it regarding making sure doors are locked/who’s checking them.”

Principal Dr. Jon Clark expressed, “I always worry about keeping WGHS a safe place for everyone. In saying that, I want to make sure students feel safe and supportive of each other. Respecting our diverse student body is essential—we learn from everyone, and it is my hope that we hear all voices.”

wgecho.org

Feature ECHO Evelyn Trampe elected next STUCO president Maeve Taylor Podcast Editor

After weeks of campaigning, junior Evelyn Trampe was elected student council president.

Before assuming her position as president, she first served as class vice president, then historian, and most of her junior year as school vice president. “[Trampe] has been very good at this since she was a freshman in high school,” Kristin Cole, student council advisor, said. “As a freshman, she was very driven and had a lot of new ideas and just has been very consistent all of her years here.”

“This year, you could find me at most every single one of our student council events or volunteering for more work,” Trampe said. “For example, for the homecoming dance this year, I fought for some more decorations.”

“I haggled moms on the Community Connect for cardboard boxes, bartered with the party city employees for a steal on balloons, worked outside in the dead of winter on a 10-meter-long banner until 3 a.m. for three nights in a row, cut and covered refrigerator boxes to look like buildings, and helped put my family Christmas lights up around Roberts gym,” Trampe said.

“Evelyn is very good at delegating when she needs a task to be completed,” Cole said. “She’s pretty calm, cool, and collected, just a very confident person that’s just really easy to work with.”

Trampe strives to do more as president.

“There are still many other things that I would love for student council to do. I think that we should have bigger theme dances, homecoming week---I want to get back to STUCO’s roots with decorations for these events,” Trampe said.

“Webster’s student life and student activities should be planned by students, which is why I really hope I can help work towards the students getting more control when planning dances, assemblies, and spirit weeks,” Trampe said.

“Currently students only have to go to three meetings to become a member, which isn’t the best because students will go to three meetings, become a member and never come back. I would like to make the membership process more of a process,” Trampe said. “I would like for there to be more opportunities for students to get involved in student council by having more service projects, fundraisers and bonding activities.”

“I would love to incorporate Red Ribbon Week into the school year,” Trampe said. “Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, and other drug and violence prevention campaign, and I would also love to help make our student council an Honor Council (the highest honor that Missouri Association of Student Councils bestows).”

In addition to student council, Trampe runs cross country and track, writes for the ECHO, volunteers with the interact club and is a member of DECA.

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April 2018

8

Feature

ECHO

Graphic from turnitin.com

Turnitin.com provides teachers with an “originality report” that shows them any places where the student’s work matches another student’s work or an online source.

Plagiarism leads to immense consequences Rosa Parks Social Media Manager

“Cheating” is a word that has been thrown around quite a bit in national news. At Webster Groves, a particular cheating scandal has been taking up the minds of students.

Turnitin.com described 10 different ways of plagiarizing, “Cloning, copying and pasting sections of text, changing certain words, paraphrasing from multiple sources, borrowing with no citation, combination of cited and uncited sources, mixing of multiple sources, citations to non-existent sites, no original work but with proper citations, similar structure and words.”

In AP U.S. History, some students have been accused of plagiarizing their recent essays by Googling the assignment online.

Students allegedly plagiarized entire papers or just parts of them.

On a recent survey, 26 of 46 Webster Groves students replied they had cheated on a quiz or test while in high school. Last year, 12 students were referred to the office for cheating and/or plagiarism, while this year, only six students have been referred (as of April 1).

The cheating levels have risen since 2015. In a 2015 issue of the ECHO, retired staffer Andy Kimball reported, “30 percent of students admitted to cheating on a test or quiz in the past year.”

About the consequences, assistant principal Dr. John Raimondo said, “This depends on if the student admits to the plagiarism.

The student receives a zero on the assignment which can have a significant impact on the grade. The parent is called by either the teacher or the principal. If a student does not admit this, the prin-

April 2018

cipal will discuss the evidence with the teacher and then hear the student’s side of it. A decision is made after this. If the student is also a member of the National Honor Society, the five members of the NHS faculty council are called into a meeting to discuss the infraction. A decision is made regarding dismissal from NHS based on the severity of the infraction.”

In addition to the school’s policy of a plagiarizing student receiving a zero on the assignment and being ineligible to join National Honors Society, if a student is caught plagiarizing for a second time, the student will be taken out of the class and receive a failing grade.

AP U.S. History teacher Martin Milstead tried to take an alternate route to the punishment of the incidents. Instead of reporting to the administration, he gave each individual class a chance to vote for what the punishment of the plagiarism should be. All students had to turn in their essays into Turnitin.com, although the ones who plagiarized had time to change what they had written, which is atypical.

One student who plagiarized in AP U.S. History said, “I was really anxious about [getting caught]. It’s s***** because we were coming up with our own punishments in class.” The student changed the essay before having to turn it into Turnitin.com, making the essay not seem plagiarized. The student received a C on the paper.

Milstead chose not to comment about the incident.

Junior Didi Simon said, “I feel really bad for Milstead because he does not deserve that.”

One student survey respondent said, “It’s completely dishonorable and unfair. The fact that someone could possibly cheat

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ECHO

their way to an A over someone working hard for a B+ is kind of disgusting especially since scholarships and college admissions depend on this stuff. Basically a cheater could steal opportunities from someone who worked hard. Interestingly enough, cheating seems most prevalent among the gifted and AP students.”

Another survey respondent said, “It’s really bad, and in college there can be serious consequences for this. I would never plagiarize, but sometimes it’s hard to avoid seeing a test ahead of time, if you know it’s available. You have to use your resources.”

While cheating is deemed as asinine by the general public, it happens for a reason.

Raimondo said, “High school students experience a lot of stress – academic and social. Stressful situations will not stop when they graduate. Students need to continue to learn how to effectively deal with stressful situations – taking short cuts and claiming others work as their own does not pay off in the end and can actually add to their stress.“ About why students cheat, junior Elijah Hyatt said, “Students are more worried about the grade than actually learning anything.”

About plagiarizing, an anonymous student said, “If I could do it again, I would probably try to make it more original, but I would still do it (plagiarize). I normally try to get ideas to start essays because that’s the hardest part of the essay for me.”

Plagiarism not only affects students high school academic careers, but it is taken very seriously in college.

At Truman State College, the punishment for cheating or plagiarism varies. It could be something small, like receiving an F on a paper, or something drastic, such as being expelled. The same punishments apply to most universities, although some have harsher punishments.

Princeton University has the same punishments as Truman except there is a possibility of a student’s degree being withheld.

Princeton’s website says, “Among the most important values of a University community are those involving academic integrity.”

About preventing plagiarism, Raimondo said, “Teachers need to continue to make it clear that there will be significant consequences for cheating.”

There are several other ways that cheating and plagiarism can be prevented. Some of these are simple, like making sure students don’t have writing on their hands, collecting phones before a test and making different versions of tests.

Turnitin.com is a useful site for grading papers, but it also allows teachers to check the percentage of similarity between a students paper and the papers that are on the internet already.

Back in 2012, 38 million student papers were put into turnitin. com, which found 156 million matches, according to Bestcollegereviews.com.

Raimondo added, “High school is a time that students continue to grow in their character and integrity. Developing good character will affect them the rest of their lives. We want our students to be leaders and persons of integrity. People will not follow leaders that they feel they cannot trust or leaders who take credit for work that they did not do. Leadership is not only about competence, it is about those they lead trusting them and feeling that their ideas are valued and credited to them.”

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Feature

Graphic by Rosa Parks

On an April ECHO poll, 54.2 percent of 48 students admitted to cheating on a test or quiz in high school.

Did you know....

•

In 2015, ECHO conducted a poll of over 100 students and learned: 39 percent of WG students had witnessed cheating in the previous year, 30 percent of WG students admitted to cheating on a test or quiz in the previous year., and 20 percent of those admitted to cheating more than once.

•

According to glass-castle.com, about 20 percent of college students admitted to cheating in high school during the 1940s, but today, 75-98 percent of college students surveyed each year admit to cheating in high school.

•

According to plagiarism.org, one third of high school students admitted to using the internet to plagiarize.

•

According to plagiarismsearch.com, U.S. News and World Report said 80 percent of “high-achieving” students admitted to cheating.

•

Also according to plagiarismsearch.com, U.S. News and World Report said 51 percent did not feel cheating was wrong.

•

According to plagiarismcheck.com, a Rutgers University study found that 12 percent of college students who cheat do so regularly.

April 2018

ECHO Feature 10 Students find creative way to prompose Emily Stisser Opinion Editor

From clever posters to crazy costumes, promposals continue to capture the high school heart. A promposal is a spin-off word of proposal, except it more relates to corsages, awkward photographs and the infamous party bus.

Each year, leading up to prom, upperclassmen brainstorm unique ways to ask a date to the coveted dance. A date could be classified as a friend or a partner, considering promposals are commonly used in both circumstances. A promposal is a unique, sometimes elaborate, approach in asking a date to the dance.

Anthony Brown and Marlena Milshteyn

Photo by Anthony Brown

Senior Anthony Brown’s promposal to sophomore Marlena Milshteyn. Musical references and puns related to Milshteyn’s choral passion.

Senior Anthony Brown asked sophomore Marlena Milshteyn to prom with a creative poster having to do with her passion for music.

Milshteyn is an active vocalist in multiple music programs at school. This is her first year in the A-Ladies a cappella group, as well as the choir program. Last year, she was in the Freshaires choir, this year moving up to Trebelaires choir. Her love for music, singing and choir were incorporated into the promposal.

Brown, as well as anyone else, knows Milshteyn’s passion for music, hence the creative poster. The poster included musical terms and symbols used in sheet music. Each symbol fit perfectly into the clever message. The sign read, “I’ve had to SCALE this back, you’re my FORTE so I hope this is CLEF-ER enough, prom?”

Milshteyn said, “We were coming home from a movie. It was super late, and he kept telling me to go look in the trunk. I didn’t know why! We get out of the car; it was pouring raining; we open the trunk, and there is a whole sign with music puns and my favorite flowers. It was cute because he isn’t a music person at all.”

Adding a personal twist is a common approach, usually resulting in a more personal connection in the promposal.

Regarding Milshteyn’s opinion on promposals in general, “Promposals are really cute, and I feel like you can put a lot of thought into them, and it shows your person how they care about you and what they know about you.”

The personalized promposal was a success, considering Milshteyn said, “yes!”

April 2018

Sammie Weber and Michael Pingel Senior Sammie Weber asked fellow senior Michael Pingel to prom in a unique and somewhat fishy manor. Weber and Pingel have been close friends since kindergarten. Their consistent friendship allowed for a fun approach to the specific promposal.

Pingel is an avid member of the fishing club, Photo from Sammie Weber considering it Senior Michael Pingel accepts Senior is one of his faSammie Weber’s promposal. “Weber vorite pastimes. and Pingel have been close friends Weber took up since kindergarten. Their consistent the challenging friendship allowed for a fun approach task of connectto the specific promposal.” ing of creating a fishing inspired promposal, which doesn’t necessarily seem easy.

Weber had an idea that would prove to be a promposal that blew Pingel out of the water.

A sign with a surprising twist served as a unique promposal during lunchtime. The sign read, “Out of all the fish in the sea, will you go to prom with me?” A few weeks after the promposal, Weber tells about her process and the surprise which led to be a key element in the success.

Weber explained, “I wore a fish costume and presented him with a sign. Moments before this I was awkwardly running down the music hallway in a fish costume. Many people who saw me in the hallway looked very confused.”

An unconventional element, in this case a shiny fish costume, can lead to victorious promposal.

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ECHO

11

Feature

School aims to dismantle biases Lindsey Bennett Feature Editor

Forming a new student-led group is one way the school is hoping to tear down racial biases and inequality.

No Place for Hate is a movement through the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). According to the ADL website, it is a nationwide campaign formed to tackle prejudice, bullying and intergroup conflict. The initiative is focused around empowering students, parents, teachers and administration to make their school a safe space for everyone. Over 1,600 schools across the country are using this model to create change.

Recent events highlighted at Webster show that work has to be done. A January ECHO article titled “Swastikas bring up topic of social injustice” described incidents during the school year that show students still looked through a biased lens.

Junior member Philip Freeman said, “That is a story that we can all tell, but there is also a lot of smaller stories, of microcosms of that, that happen in our school and personally affect someone but probably aren’t seen by a lot of people.”

Dr. John Raimondo was introduced to the program by a parent.

He decided No Place for Hate would benefit the school. Raimondo said the purpose is to “take a broad look at the school and then instead of talking about it, what can we do to make it a more inclusive place?”

To become a designated No Place for Hate school, the whole student body is invited to sign a resolution. It is up to the group to decide how to present the pledge.

The resolution is provided by the ADL and includes commitments like, “I will speak out against prejudice and discrimination” and “I recognize that respecting individual dignity and promoting intergroup harmony are the responsibilities of all students.”

The next step in the process consists of the committee creating and sharing three activities to the entire school. These activities should be centered around anti-bias and bullying prevention.

As of now, the group is looking at possible projects that work with the drama or art departments. Ideas include a skit where people are presented with different derogatory or hostile slights,

Photo by Lindsey Bennett

Sophomores Ethan Weihl and Jessica Peterson participate in discussion at the No Place for Hate meeting on April 17.

About telling personal stories, Dr. John Raimondo said, “To me that is the most powerful way to better understand how other people experience the world.”

snubs or insults and are forced to navigate those situations, much like a possible student’s everyday life.

Meetings began in late March, and the group is aware there is not much time left on the school calendar. It is more focused on how to start the 2018-2019 school year. Whether it is a welcoming event during the first week of school or the signing of the resolution, the members want students to grab ahold of the values they are conveying through their work.

“The main goal is to make sure that all of the students are keeping more of an open mind and they’re taking this initiative for themselves as a student and not just saying, ‘that group is doing it, they’ve got the handle,’” Freeman said.

Although the core committee is limited to 10-20 nominated students, there are still going to be ways for others to become involved. The projects that No Place for Hate implement require students coming forward with their own personal talents, such as drama, art or music to make the wheels turn.

Freeman said, “We want to bring everyone in as a community, so we can all take this movement together and create a good environment for everyone.”

Upcoming Events: Senior Awards Night - May 3, 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

17th Annual Jim Schoemehl Run for ALS - May 5 AP exams begin - May 7 Senior checkout begins - May 9 Statesmen Sports Awards - May 10, 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. wgecho.org

April 2018

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Sports ECHO Women’s track encourages team-building, family Ethan Weihl News Editor Women’s track is off to a winning season this year.

At the Charlie Beck Invitational at University City High School on March 31, both the JV and Varsity teams got first place overall.

Senior Jamie Tabron talked about the skill of the younger athletes on the team.

Tabron got second in discus and third in shot put at the Henle Holmes Invitational at Parkway Central High School on April 12.

“We have some good new talent,” Tabron said.

One of the “new talent” is sophomore Emma Kelley, who won in the 800 meters at the Charlie Beck Invitational and at the Henle Holmes Invitational.

“I like the speed part,” Kelley said.

Photo by Ethan Weihl Senior Britney Clark also said how much Sophomore Lauren Kelley begins her stretch of the women’s 4x200 meters at the she loves running.

Webster JV meet on April 17. “It was a great meet with good competition, we “I enjoy running fast and feeling fast,” went out there and ran our hardest and went away with a medal,” Kelley said.

Clark said.

Clark won the 100 and 200 meters at the Charlie Beck InvitaThe team members also talked about the close community the tional and the 200 meters at the Henle Holmes Invitational, and track team builds. has recently signed to run Division II track at Southwest Baptist “I like the sense of family,” sophomore Joí Johnson said. JohnUniversity. son added everyone supports everyone else, whether she’s havHowever, running isn’t just about speed. Junior Molly Nash, ing a good day or a bad day. who got second in the 400 meters said how running keeps people Senior Nicolette Schnettgoecke, who won the 3200 at the in shape, both physically and mentally.

Charlie Beck Invitational, said how track is a great way to meet Coach Heather Kelly agreed, “Running is a good fitness sport.” new people.

This is Kelly’s sixth season coaching track at the high school, The women’s track team has won over 40 individual races and but she is always excited to see what each season brings. two team meets. However, for a majority of the teammates, win“I like seeing how the team gels every year,” Kelly said. ning isn’t everything.

She also discussed the logistics of running at a tournament.

As senior Nicolette Schnettgoecke put it, the best part of run“It’s like organized chaos.” She added that there can be five or ning track is “having a sport where I can compete in something more events going at a time. There are almost 20 events total. I love.”

“It’s a sport where there’s so many things to do,” Kelly said.

Men’s tennis serves strong season with 3 early wins Greg Frazier Sports Editor Starting the season undefeated and consistent, men’s tennis competed against Ritenour, Hazelwood and Mehlville, winning all with the same 9-0 score.

From April 9 through April 13, Webster had a tennis match everyday for five days

April 2018

in a row.

Following the first match to start off the long week of tennis, Webster played Eureka, winning 6-3.

Francis Howell shutdown the Statesmen win streak 3-6. The day after Francis Howell left the Statesmen still recovering, and Lindbergh took advantage. Webster loss to Lindbergh 0-9.

Bouncing back on April 12, Webster took the win over Oakville 7-2.

There was a match against Parkway South, but it was cancelled. The Statesmen defended against St. John Vianney, 8-1, and Parkway North, 7-2.

Continuing the winning streak, Webster took down U-City 8-2.

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Sports

ECHO

Frazier from the Field

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Men’s volleyball seeks State title Greg Frazier Sports Editor Senior season. Men’s volleyball plays in an ever changing spring with scattered showers of grit, perseverance and optimism for State.

Reasoning behind senior season?

Nine out of the 13 players are seniors.

I ran the fraction, and seniors make up 69 percent of the Varsity lineup.

Outside of the statistic, this season has been quite special. Volleyball’s eyes are set on a State championship with a real chance to do so.

Senior four year player Ian Thompson said, “State is a possibility.”

Webster’s most dominant performance was its first game against Bayless. First set was 25-6, and the second set was a reflection of the first one (25-6). The Statesmen destroyed Bayless.

Following Webster’s initial win against Bayless, it won against Mehlville, playing a lengthy three sets.

St. Mary’s was the Statemen’s first lost, but they bounced back by taking down Lindbergh. The Statesmen lost to the Flyers last year.

Record as of April 26 9 wins 6 losses The Statemen’s next match was against St. Mary’s again. Webster was able to score a little bit more points; however, the final result was the same.

Next match was against Eureka. The first set was a close 21-25, and the second set ended 15-25. Webster’s record after Eureka stood at an even 3-3.

At the start of April, Webster faced the

Pioneers and had a much better performance this year as opposed to last, but the result was still the same.

Beginning of April, Webster’s record was 3-4. Statesmen had two full hefty sets against Ritenour and came out on top.

Lindbergh proved to be indomitable as the Flyers persevered on top over the Statesmen through three grueling sets.

Webster went on to win against Summit and then played another grueling three sets against Pattonville. The Pirates won.

On April 16, Webster played Affton.

After a grueling high scoring three sets, Webster persevered. First set was 18-25 (Affton). Second set was 27-25 (Webster).

Third set was (33-31). Affton proved to be formidable but wasn’t able to close out Webster.

Regardless of close games, this year’s roster will have a running for the State title.

Webster Groves Baptist Church Offers its

Congratulations to the

Class of 2018! wgecho.org

April 2018

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Entertainment

ECHO

Josie’s Journal

Coachella controversy creates debate

Photo by Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Beyonce performs at Coachella during weekend two on Saturday, April 21, 2018 in Indio, Calif. Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS © 2018, Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.

Josie Krueger Entertainment Columnist California, sunny days and partying are the typical words to describe the famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

However, due to a recent controversy involving the event’s owner, Philip Anschutz, the festival has been described as “antiLGBTQ” and “pro-gun.”

Coachella is by far the most popular music festival in the United States, this year especially.

With musicians like Beyoncé, SZA, Brockhampton, Kehlani and Kali Uchis performing, celebrating diversity through music is a main theme of the festival. If you watched Beyoncé’s performance, you know.

A shocking juxtaposition to these performers’ celebration of diversity, though, is the news that Anschutz has been donating to Republican politicians/organizations who are Anti-LGBTQ and pro-Gun. This controversy previously flared up during 2017 Coachella, but it was quickly forgotten after he denied the accusations, claiming they were “fake news” and saying, “I unequivocally support the rights of all people without regard to sexual orientation.”

However, there are accounts of donations being made to highly biased politicians as late as October 2017.

According to complex.com, “--the biggest donations were made through The Anschutz Corporation, which handed over about $138,000 to the National Republican Senate Committee.

The NRSC is an organization chaired by Gardner that aims to increase the Republican senate majority.”

Furthermore, Anschutz supposedly donated over $13,500 to other Republican politicians over the course of 2017.

Freshman Sophie Delay said, “The people who didn’t support (Anschutz) shouldn’t have gone (to Coachella). People aren’t re-

April 2018

ally bringing it up. You... have to make a big deal out of it for it to be recognized.”

Model and actress Cara Delevingne said in April 2018 on her official instagram page, “I still refuse to go to a festival [Coachella] that is owned by someone who is anti-LGBT and pro-gun.”

Junior Olivia Bickford said, “It’s really shocking because all of these celebrities who are activists for [equal] human rights are playing at this festival… it’s going against their morals.”

On the opposite side, a snopes.com article said, “An attorney at Hogan Lovells, a law firm that represents Anschutz Entertainment Group, confirmed to Pitchfork that the Anschutz Foundation stopped contributing to these groups after 2015.”

Anschutz wrote to Rolling Stone in January 2017, “Neither I nor the Foundation fund any organization with the purpose or expectation that it would finance anti-LGBTQ initiatives, and when it has come to my attention or the attention of the Anschutz Foundation that certain organizations either the Foundation or I have funded have been supporting such causes, we have immediately ceased all contributions to such groups.”

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ECHO

Entertainment

Electric Retrospective

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Switching Gears: The Nintendo Switch’s First Year Sean Mullins Technology Columnist To celebrate the first anniversary of Electric Retrospective, it’s only fitting to reflect on the column’s first installment, “Wii Will Miss U- Reflections on Nintendo’s Wii U,” and apply its thesis to the Nintendo Switch.

For newer readers, the article discussed how the Wii U was a fantastic system, despite its financial failings. While it deserves a second chance, it’s impossible to deny the flaws of the console.

The Wii U suffered from incoherent marketing that convinced the public it was a Wii peripheral, months-long gaps between major game releases, and a lack of third-party support or demographic variety, leading to its unfortunate demise.

Fortunately, Nintendo is the wildcard of the gaming industry, and the company knows how to make a comeback, if the Wii is any proof. The Switch, in its first year on the market alone smashed expectations by becoming one of the fastest-selling consoles in history. The Switch’s success can be attributed to Nintendo learning from its mistakes and improving in key aspects in which the Wii U failed.

The Wii U was a fantastic concept, having off-TV play and interesting game design with the GamePad, but the Switch takes this one step further. The console is a handheld tablet with two Joy-Con controllers attached, but when placed in a dock, it becomes a home console. The Joy-Cons can also be removed while the tablet is set on a flat surface with a kickstand.

In addition to the console, the Joy-Cons provide various controller options, even with just the two included with the system.

Two Joy-Cons can be attached to the Switch in handheld mode, placed in a Joy-Con Grip to mimic a traditional controller, or used in two hands like a Wiimote and Nunchuk. Single Joy-Cons can be rotated and used as traditional controllers, so friends can play together anytime using one each.

The Wii U’s advertising was usually only aimed at children, and early commercials didn’t properly showcase its status as a new console or its unique properties. Thankfully, the Switch’s advertising both markets the console to multiple demographics and demonstrates its selling points. Most of the commercials show the Switch’s multiple gameplay modes and the settings they work in, such as handheld mode for bus trips or tabletop mode for parties.

Consoles are nothing without games, and the Switch has an excellent games library appealing to various groups. First party titles like “Super Mario Odyssey” received critical acclaim as the best entries in their respective series, and indie games like “SteamWorld Dig 2” thrived on the Switch’s eShop. Ports of Wii U games like “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” and games from other consoles like “DOOM” are reaching a larger audience.

Third party support for the Switch is excellent, including games like “Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus” and “Crash Bandicoot: The N. Sane Trilogy” that developers would never have brought to Nintendo during the Wii U era. The Switch’s library also ap-

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Image from Nintendo

The Nintendo Switch took the Wii U's best qualities while improving upon its faults.

peals to multiple demographics--there will always be excellent child-friendly titles, but Nintendo provides more mature titles, even having “Bayonetta 3” as an upcoming Switch exclusive.

To avoid long gaps in release schedules, at least one major Switch game releases every month. Though its launch only had “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” and indie games like “Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove” as standout titles, the frequent release of major games in a variety of genres, from multiplayerfocused titles like “Splatoon 2” to single-player experiences like “Xenoblade Chronicles 2,” keeps consumers interested in the console.

As if the release schedule wasn’t enough to retain interest, Nintendo’s approach to DLC, based on the success of constant free updates to “Splatoon,” is being implemented in various ways.

This ranges from free updates, like new fighters in “ARMS,” to paid DLC, like the “Fire Emblem Warriors” content packs. Some games use both, like “Splatoon 2,” which includes free updates alongside the upcoming Octo Expansion, which costs $19.99.

Despite leaving the Wii U, Nintendo hasn’t forgotten the 3DS. Due to its affordability and games library, the 3DS will receive support through 2019 and possibly beyond, including a “Luigi’s Mansion” remake. Game Freak, who developed some of the 3DS’s bestsellers, hastily ditched the handheld ahead of Nintendo, but considering they’ve abandoned their biggest audience -ending an era with the disappointing “Pokemon Ultra Sun,” no less- they’ve made a mistake.

There are issues with the Switch, but most are minor or won’t affect all users. Some users have reported issues with ventilation that cause the console to slightly bend after extended use, and Joy-Cons sometimes have issues locking into place. Other issues can be easily fixed in the future, like how Amiibo and My Nintendo Rewards are underused.

A launch isn’t everything for a console, as even the last year of its lifespan is important, but the Switch is off to an impeccably strong start. Nintendo took what worked from the Wii U era like off-TV play and varied DLC, but fixed major issues like release gaps and marketing, making the Switch one of its most successful consoles ever in its first year alone.

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

April 2018

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Review

Entertainment

ECHO

‘Isle of Dogs’ showcases bond between humans, pets

Image from Fox Searchlight Pictures

Though Chief (Bryan Cranston) begins the movie as a stray dog afraid of humans, he grows close to Atari (Koyu Rankin).

Sean Mullins Technology Columnist Visionary filmmaker Wes Anderson, the mind behind “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” has another masterpiece on his hands.

Though it suffers in developing its cast, “Isle of Dogs” may be one of Anderson’s finest films yet.

In a dystopian future of Japan, the Kobayashi clan, which holds a centuries-old vendetta against dogs, sends all canines to Trash Island during a dog flu outbreak. The clan’s fear tactics turn Japan against man’s best friend, bar a small group of protesters who believe a conspiracy is afoot. However, the clan’s orphaned ward, Atari Kobayashi (Koyu Rankin), flies to Trash Island to rescue his beloved dog, Spots (Liev Schreiber).

Atari meets a pack of alpha male dogs who, despite not understanding his language, choose to help him find Spots, as he’s the first human to search for their pet. The stoic pack leader, Chief (Bryan Cranston), is reluctant to assist, being a stray dog with a bad history of human interaction, but he slowly puts his past behind him as he grows close to Atari.

While most character arcs are practically nonexistent due to a lack of screen time, especially two underdeveloped romantic subplots that amount to nothing more than puppy love, the movie thoroughly develops Atari, Chief and Spot. Atari struggles to communicate directly with the dogs due to the language barrier, but their character development shows through their inflections and body language, telling an emotionally gripping story that connects them as kin.

Although it helps the audience understand the characters’ emotions regardless of what language they speak, the approach to dog/human interaction gets too simplistic. As subtitles are mostly absent, Japanese dialogue boils down to short statements with bits of English thrown in, and the only complex dialogue is cov-

April 2018

ered by characters translating it into English. This forces Atari and other major characters to communicate with little more than basic expressions.

“Isle of Dogs” doesn’t talk down to its audience about its dark subject matter, as it gives a biting look into themes of fear and mistruth. The two themes fit together in various ways throughout the film, primarily with the Kobayashi clan’s anti-dog propaganda, but also in more subtle ways, such as Chief’s fear of humans and the rumors spread through the pack at multiple points in the movie.

Those familiar with Anderson’s previous work will recognize that “Isle of Dogs” shares its stop-motion animation style with another excellent film of his, “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” The movie doesn’t shy away from the gruesome details of the world it presents, and with the stunning detail in each character model to the desolate environments, it truly sells the grungy dog-eat-dog world (as in there are literal cannibal canines in the movie).

While the film handles its story maturely, it contains excellent deadpan humor as well. It isn’t forced into the movie for a cheap laugh, instead fitting in with character dialogue naturally. Aside from character-driven humor, there’s wordplay that will fly over audience members’ heads if they don’t pay attention, from a military-grade canine tooth to how the movie’s title, intentional or not, sounds like the phrase, “I love dogs.”

“Isle of Dogs” has its flaws, such as its underdeveloped cast and overly simplistic Japanese dialogue. However, the engaging story delivers in almost every other area, expressing its themes through the few characters that are developed. Combined with its visual flair and deadpan humor, “Isle of Dogs” is a treat for Wes Anderson followers, stop-motion animation fans and dog lovers alike.

“Isle of Dogs” is rated PG-13 and runs for one hour and 41 minutes.

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