ECHO
September 2015 Volume 101 Issue 1 100 Selma Ave st. Louis MO 63119 Photo From Elise Palmquist
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the Table of Contents ECHO Pg. 3............................................................Men should be feminists Pg. 4................................Trump succeeds despite unorthodox style Pg. 5..........................................Lack of supervision cheats students Pg. 6..........................................School receives letter, changes logo Pg. 7.......................Driver charged with involuntary manslaughter Pg. 8-9........District, community plans recovery from S&W failure Pg. 10-11...........................................New teachers come to Webster Pg. 12......................................Authors speak to WGHS community Pg. 12......................Feminist Coalition members give voice for change Pg. 13.....................................................Bennett from the Bleachers Pg. 14............................Cashel enjoys last season with son, seniors Pg. 15...................................Drama department to perform Hamlet Pg. 16...........................................................Sushi Station isn’t fishy
2015-16 ECHO STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Jack Killeen JUNIOR EDITOR: Andy Kimball BUSINESS/ADS MANAGER: Ashli Wagner OPINION EDITOR: Abby Botan GRAPHICS EDITOR/NEWS EDITOR: Jake Collins SPORTS EDITOR: Bennett Durando FEATURE/ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Irene Ryan VIDEO EDITOR/ WEB EDITOR: Caroline Fellows CIRCULATION EDITOR: Kadifa Tabakovic ADVISOR: Donald Johnson SOME MATERIAL COURTESY OF AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEWSPAPER EDITORS/MCT CAMPUS HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER SERVICE The ECHO is a monthly publication of the newspaper staff of Webster Groves High School, 100 Selma Avenue, Webster Groves, MO. To contact staff members, call 314-963-6400 ex. 11157 or write wgecho@wgmail.org. Unsigned editorials are the opinion of a majority of staff members; signed articles are the opinion of the writer. Letters to the editor of 300 words or less are welcome; submit letters by the 10th of the month to wgecho@wgmail.org, or room 155. All letters must be signed, although the name may be withheld from publication if requested. The ECHO has the right to edit letters for publication as long as intent remains unchanged. The ECHO is a member of SSP, Quill and Scroll, MJEA, JEA, MIPA, NSPA and CSPA.
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The ECHO FAMILY The ECHO Family helps make the ECHO possible. To become a member of the ECHO Family, please contact Ashli Wagner at abwags99@gmail.com. Thanks to all of our members! Julianna Fellows Bret Waelterman Peggy Smegner Curtin Family Melodie Carroll Kathy Whaley Laurie Murphy Tom and Mary Ann Schafer Webster Groves Baptist Church Zychinski Family
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Editorial
Men should be feminists
Photo from Olivier Douliery/Abaca Press/MCT
Feminist leaders and activists demand Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund, be removed from his post during a protest in front of IMF headquarters in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, May 18, 2011. (c) 2011, Olivier Douliery. Distributed by McClatchy/Tribune Information Services. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie defines a feminist as a person who believes in the social, political, economic equality of the sexes. People have a warped understanding of what it means to be a feminist. It isn’t that difficult to understand. Feminists want equal rights. Feminism is for everyone; anyone can support feminism. Supporting feminism in no way makes a man any less “masculine.” “Some people ask: ‘Why the word feminist?’” Adichie wrote in her book ‘We Should All Be Feminists.’ “’Why not just say you are a believer in human rights, or something like that?’ Because that would be dishonest. Feminism is, of course, part of human rights in general - but to choose to use the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and particular problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that it was not women who have, for centuries, been
excluded. It would be a way of denying that the problem of gender targets women. That the problem was not about being human, but specifically about being a female human,” Adichie wrote. Women have a still standing history of experiencing sexism (oppression of gender/sex) and misogyny (hatred towards “womanly” things and femininity). In third world countries like India, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, etc. women are rejected an education for simply being a female. According to Elite Life, nine out of 10 women are illiterate in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is said to be the hardest place to live as a woman. As a woman, many of them go through hardships on their way to school like acid being thrown in their faces. Women are forbidden to learn with boys, making it hard to actually find a school nearby. Also, rape isn’t just a women’s issue;
it’s everyone’s issue. Women who live in America have a 25 to 26 percent chance of being raped in their lifetime which is one in four, according to The Hathor Legacy. In rape cases there is often a snarky comment like, “She was asking for it.” No one asks for rape. Wearing a short skirt shouldn’t make a woman a rape target. Being intoxicated shouldn’t make a woman a rape target. Being in a vulnerable situation shouldn’t make a woman a rape target. Being a woman shouldn’t make a woman a rape target. Men have a one in 10 chance of being raped in their lifetime, and most men don’t report it in fear of being made fun of or not being taken seriously. No one should have to be in fear of being sexually violated walking home from work or even at a party. It’s not something someone should have to do. Feminism is actually beneficial for men because it shows their support for the women’s rights considering feminism wraps itself around gender equality. We still have places where women are denied basic rights, and men often ignore these issues and the fact women need voices to amplify their wants for equality including America. Men deny women’s oppression because it’s not as harsh compared towards those who live in third world countries, whose oppression may be worse. Men have misconceptions when it comes to oppression in the third world countries. One is that women who don’t live in first world countries are more oppressed than those who do, making them irrelevant, which is completely false. Men should show support for all women and help improve all of the oppressive situations women all go through. Another is that women who live in first world countries don’t face oppression at all, which is again false. Men still live in a patriarchal society and to assume that it’s disappeared when women are still denied basic rights is ignorant. There are pressing matters that men need to address and fix. Men shouldn’t ignore feminism because after all...it’s their issue as well.
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Opinion
Trump succeeds despite unorthodox style
Photo Credit: Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/TNS
2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at the City Club of Chicago to a sold out crowd, Monday, June 29, 2015 in Chicago. Trump discussed everything from immigration, Miss Universe, and “The Apprentice” to business. (c) 2015, Antonio Perez. Distributed by McClatchy/Tribune Information Services.
Caleb Bolin Contributing Writer Donald Trump has gained increasing support from Republican voters in his campaign for presidential office despite having made several nasty comments about various groups of people. The latest poll shows Trump with 28.5 percent of the backing when compared to the rest of the Republican field, with Ben Carson in second with 18.8 percent of support. Neither Trump nor Carson are career politicians. Normally, a presidential candidate would suffer after making the kind of comments about Megyn Kelly, Fox News reporter, and Mexicans, among other people and categories of people, that Trump has made. However, when renowned political experts and journalists have speculated that Trump would crash and burn, he has seemed to defy the laws of political
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gravity and fly higher. On Meet the Press on Aug. 23, discussion about Trump echoed this belief that he is defying the laws of political physics. Amy Walter, National Editor of The Cook Political Report, said, “All of our assumptions have sort of blown up in our face.” Jon Ralston of The Las Vegas Sun, also on Meet the Press, said of Trump, “No one wants to say, including people in our business, the real answer, ‘I don’t know.’ Nobody knows.” It is true Trump’s campaign has surpassed the expectations of many. The same political commentators and reporters who have repeatedly predicted Trump’s downfall have repeatedly been proven wrong. The truth is, like Ralston said, nobody knows how Trump’s campaign will play out. Journalists and political experts alike have been too quick to try and predict Trump’s catastrophic end. The fatal error in the predictions of the
media and political commentators is they treat Trump like a politician running for president. If Trump were another candidate who was running for office, maybe he would have succumbed to the outcries at his politically incorrect, and insensitive, comments. Trump is no politician, and his comments have only made him seem more genuine. Those who support him are tired of politicians and tired of being too “politically correct.” Those who are opposed to him find his off the cuff remarks to be a liability. Junior Olivia Dell, Trump supporter, said Trump would fix the country by, “Getting rid of illegal immigrants, and fixing crime and jobs.” Dell, like other Trump supporters, likes that he is outspoken and tough on immigration and fiscal issues. However, she said his closed-mindedness and stubbornness are also weaknesses. Junior Easton Culver, who opposes Trump, said, “[He is] decisive, strongwilled and rich;” however, Culver added, “[Trump] is sexist, homophobic and stuck in the past. Trump doesn’t represent the nation’s values.” Trump speaks his mind and speaks it honestly, and he comes off as “real” to voters. After all, as insensitive as his comments about Mexicans and others were, his words were his own, and nobody else’s. Besides being the front runner for candidate, Trump’s celebrity and bold remarks are also drawing attention to the Republican Party and the issues that face our country. After having Trump on the first Republican Debate, Fox News got its highest ever ratings for any presidential debate, reaching 24 million viewers. The big questions remaining for Donald J. Trump and the GOP won’t be answered any time soon. Will Trump receive the Republican Party nomination? It is far from decided. Will Trump win the election? Perhaps the media and political experts should stop comparing Trump’s campaign to that of a politician and realize that Trump is unlike his contemporaries or any who have run before him.
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Kimball’s Konception
Lack of supervision cheats students
Andy Kimball Junior Editor After being in school for a month, students will receive more tests and quizzes. As students dread their upcoming assessments, they will take shortcuts and do something all too common at the high school, cheat. A male honors student said it is “very easy” to cheat at the high school. The same student added he had seen students cheat in the past saying, “(Students cheat) in a lot of different ways: people get tests from other people; people write down notes and hide them.” He added sometimes students take answer keys and study/ show them to other students before the test. “I’ve seen kids take things off teachers
computers and put them on flash drives; and the teachers don’t even realize it,” he said. The same honors student also admitted to cheating himself, saying he had even asked the person next to them for an answer and not been caught. “I’ve cheated by knowing the questions that are going to be on the test, and that going into a test, a lot of kids know the questions (to the test),” the student said. An ECHO poll of over a hundred students showed that over half of the students have witnessed cheating firsthand and that about 39 percent had witnessed cheating multiple times over the past year. In the same survey over 30 percent of students said they had cheated in the past year on a test and/or a quiz, and 20 percent of those said they had cheated multiple times in the past year. This shows cheating is a problem at the high school. Webster needs to ensure that all students maintain academic integrity. Also, the fact that students cheat is unfair to students who have to work hard to get good grades while others just take the easy way out. A solution to this problem is to have more supervision during tests. It is very hard for one teacher to supervise a class of 20 or more students at a time during a test. A way to have more supervision for a
Willie’s Comic
Did you know... c39 percent of WG students have witnessed cheating in the past year c30 percent of WG students admitted to cheating on a test or quiz in the past year c20 percent of those admitted to cheating more than once cAccording 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 test is to have a teacher aide or a substitute teacher come in to supervise a test with the teacher. This will make it easier to monitor all students in a class and therefore harder for a student to cheat. More importantly it will ensure academic integrity and fairness for all students at the high school.
By Jack Killeen
September 2015
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School receives letter, changes logo Andy Kimball Junior Editor Bennett Durando Sports Editor WGHS had a new look, and it was used as the face of a new “Super-Fan” phone application and on 1,200 student handbooks before the school year. The issue is, this is Webster Groves High School, not Austin Peay University. The creator of the Statesman App, senior Sam Cashel said, “I changed the face, color and made (the logo) into a Webster version to avoid copyright.” Austin Peay emailed the activities office on Aug. 10, about the now ex-Statesman logo. The logo was changed on the Statesman App on Aug. 25. According to activities director Jerry Collins, “(Webster Groves High School) asked Austin Peay about the logo, and
Photo by Andy Kimball
Photo from mshsaa.org
This year’s student handbooks had this logo, which the high school will no longer use.
The high school has gone back to this Webster Groves logo.
they said they would rather (Webster Groves High School) not use our variation of their logo, so rather than push the issue and risk further action, we decided to go back to the top-hat for now.” Principal Jon Clark said, “We asked permission from Austin Peay, and they didn’t feel like we made enough changes, and we’re com-
pletely with them on that.” Clark added, “I mean personally I’ve always liked the top-hat” and “We feel the same way in regard to our logo, like if someone, locally of course, tries to use our logo, we usually can’t let that happen.” About a future logo, Collins said, “I’ve heard possible ideas of voting for a new logo, possibly a survey. The vote for the new logo could even be on the app (Statesman Sports App).” “Sam and I have each had ideas from over the summer about logos,” Collins said.
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After 8 months
Driver charged with manslaughter
Photo by Alex Ring
According to the police incident report, the car Willie Green was driving hit Xander Wohlstader’s at the intersection of Chouteau and Jefferson Avenues on Dec. 31, 2014.
Bennett Durando Sports Editor In the aftermath of the fatal car crash that injured (then) WGHS junior Emma Casey and killed Casey’s boyfriend Xander Wohlstadter, Belleville, IL resident Willie Green was charged with first degree involuntary manslaughter. Green was also charged on two counts of armed criminal action, one count of assault in the second degree (operating a vehicle while intoxicated resulting in injury) and one count of leaving the scene of an accident.
According to the probable cause statement from the St. Louis circuit attorney’s office, blood tests conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol showed Green’s blood alcohol to be .162, more than twice the legal amount. The crash occurred at 9:33 p.m. on New Year’s Eve when Green ran a red light at the intersection of Chouteau Avenue and South Jefferson, colliding with the Mitsubishi Lancer driven by Wohlstadter, 20. Casey was riding as a passenger with Wohlstadter. According to the probable cause statement, Green was traveling at 55 mph when he went through the light and ran into Wohlstadter’s vehicle. The zone’s speed limit was 35 mph. The circuit attorney’s office alleged, “…the defendant (Green), while under the influence of alcohol caused the death of X.W. by colliding with a vehicle in which X.W. was an occupant when operating a motor vehicle with criminal negligence in that the defendant was violating electrical signal or driving above the posted speed limit, and X.W. was not a passenger in the vehicle operated by the defendant.” Wohlstadter was declared dead at the scene of the crash, while Casey went into a coma for 13 days afterward but survived. Casey said the charges, while late (eight months after the crash), were fair. “It’s good someone’s being held accountable, but I don’t want people to have any pent-up anger toward Willie Green,” Casey said. “You may have anger or stress at Willie Green, but that’s not going to change what happened.” Casey, who also suffered injuries to her skull, rib and pelvis, has since celebrated her 17th birthday and started her senior year at WGHS. “It’s a good feeling, senior year, my last year… and my teachers have been really great, given everything that’s happened,” Casey said.
News in brief... ECHO staffers named NSPA finalists National Merit honors 4 seniors Senior Irene Ryan and graduate Aerin Johnson were listed as finalists in the National Scholastic Press Association’s 2015 Story of the Year and 2015 Picture of the Year respectively. Ryan’s story “McCaskill proposes bi-partisan anti-rape bill” was a finalist in the Diversity category. Johnson’s photo of the Ferguson protest at WGHS was a finalist in the News Picture category. Winners will be announced at the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Orlando Nov. 12-15.
Four seniors, Travis Williams, Gavin Turner, William Johnson and Michael Hayes, were named National Merit SemiFinalists based on their PSAT scores. Semifinalists represent fewer than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
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District, community plans r District delivers cuts Jack Killeen Editor in Chief Following the failure of last school year’s S&W proposition, the Webster Groves School District has made changes to cope with the loss of expected taxpayer dollars. From laying off staff members to cutting construction plans, the district is looking for spare change wherever it can find it. Its 2015-16 budget plan projects a savings of $1.5 million. It’s nothing new for Webster to have cutbacks; last year the district withheld 10 percent of department budgets, eliminated a part time director’s position and increased cafeteria prices, as well as other money-saving tactics. This year departments face another budget cutback of 5 percent while Central Office faces 10 percent. “The idea is to keep it as far away from the students, so that you don’t feel the effects. That’s always been the goal,” communications director Cathy Vespereny said. “I think that, for instance in the high school, there’s some new faces that you aren’t seeing from these retired teachers that aren’t coming back.” Retired positions without a replacement include a fine arts coordinator, communication arts and math teachers, a technology software coordinator and a preschool co-director. Because of cuts, the high school’s total staff list is four members shorter. As a result, students may notice an increase in class sizes. Principal Jon Clark estimated student to staff ratio is up by one since last year—now 22.5:1. “My goal is always to keep it around 22 [students],” Dr. Clark said about the ratio. “I spent a lot of time with [John] E. Thomas and counselor [Karen] Verstraete keeping that balance.” Until another levy is passed, the district will continue making budget savings. About whether another levy would come up, Vespereny said, “No one has talked about when we go to the voters, and that’s when we’ll have more money and be able to not have to do some of these things. We could go anytime we want, but there has been zero talk about April, and you would have to know by now because there’s certain deadlines you have to meet, as far as getting your ballot wording to the county.” Students should not only look for what has changed in the district but what hasn’t changed. Steger still shares a building with Computer School, Moss Field remains the football field it was last year, and Clark School’s building space holds steady. According to Vespereny, this year’s sixth grade class is unusually large. Had Prop. W passed, sixth grade would have moved to Hixson, helping reduce its class size problem.
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2015-2016 Budget savings Total Savings= $1.6 million
Non-Staff Reductions Reduce Professional Development Allocations: Money used for teacher training e.g. learning how to use SmartBoards Eliminate Tuition Reimbursement: Money used to help pay for teachers to go back to school for further degrees. Employees share Insurance Premiums: 10% match, originally 0% match. Reduce Department/Building Budgets: 5% Dept., 10% Central Office Reduce extra work days Librarian/Counselor: Days worked before/after school year reduced Eliminate A+ Schools curriculum work: Dr. Yeggins no longer doing curriculum work Reduce Administrative position at preschool: Only 1 preschool director opposed to last year’s 2 Administrative salary (100%) to Ambrose Family Center: Money from preschool and Adventure Club paying preschool director’s salary, not district Staff Reductions Reduce Aides by 10% Reduce Supplementals 5% HS & 10% MS: Money for teachers volunteering to do more in school (e.g. sponsoring a club) reduced Eliminate Facilities Management Position: Assistant Administrator in Buildings and ground dept. moved to technician position Eliminate 1.5 Custodians in district Tech Software Coordinator Retired- position not filled Full Time non Tenured Teachers 4 non tenured teacher contracts not renewed Part Time non Tenured Teachers Fine Arts Coordinator (Retiree) HS- Non Tenured Math (Cut) HS- Communication Arts (Retiree) HS- Math (Retiree) Teachers Resigning/Retiring 3 teacher positions resigning/retiring not filled Vespereny said, “I think that it was too much, and I think it wasn’t that the people didn’t like what we’re doing or think we’re doing a bad job, I think they just were not ready to shell out that amount of money.”
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recovery from S&W failure Parents, board discuss S&W Irene Ryan Feature/ Entertainment Editor
“One of the ways in which the community has traditionally supported our schools is by approving tax and bond measures, and as we all know that didn’t happen last time” school board vice president Amy Clendennen said. Webster Groves School District parents, board members and educators met in the PV commons on Wednesday, Sept. 2, to discuss the failure of last year’s tax levy and bond issue, Propositions S&W. Roughly 100 attendants participated in groups to discuss why the bond and levy didn’t pass, what it would take to get new ones to pass and ways for the school board to better communicate successes, Photo from Cathy Vespereny and failures to the com- Alfred Abotsi and other community members meet with district board members on Sept. 2, in the munity. PV Commons. Among other things, residents discussed why they did not pass Propositions S&W. Parents were asked what their impressions of the district were. Responses ranged Overall, parents seemed to be disappointed with the level of from “a reason to move to Webster Groves” and “a well-rounded communication from the school board. Parents also did not feel approach with engaged parents” to “stuck in complacency” and informed about the significance or necessity of the bond issue, “strong, but not advancing at the level we think it should.” which would move the Steger Sixth Grade Center over to join Parent Jen Sauter said of the district, “My impression is that Hixson Middle School. people move to Webster and agree to pay higher prices for homes Parents also felt they should be more informed about what the because it’s a good district. That’s why I live here. My impres- district does on a regular basis financially and what it does to sion is also that we as a community have a challenge because we save money. don’t have a lot of retail; we don’t have a large tax base besides Moving forward, the survey also suggested the school board our homes. Taxing the people that live here is the really only should use “a variety of channels to share more detailed comway to make money for our schools.” munication with the entire community.”
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New teachers come to WGHS Rasnic teaches ‘independent learners’ Cole Schnell Contributing Writer Beth Rasnic, academic lab teacher, said, “Be independent learners.” Rasnic doesn’t want her students to be consumed with homework and school work, but to be involved and independent learners in and out of school. Rasnic, a retired stay-at-home mother of two teens, was a permanent substitute here last year and has hopes of becoming a counselor. Rasnic has a counseling degree from UMSL and a background in business. Rasnic wants her students to have out-of-school hobbies. Her hobbies include reading, running and biking. She frequently visits Queeny Park in her biking and running routes. If Rasnic weren’t a teacher, she said, “I would like to work with the homeless youth, finding them homes and developing programs to assist them to overcome their obstacles and thrive in the future. I also would like to work in the Peace Corps.” Rasnic added she would work with a variety of people and cultures all
Photo by Cole Schnell
Beth Rasnic talks to one of her academic lab students.
over the world. Webster Groves is home to Rasnic, having lived here for her first 22 years. She said she wants the first impression of her to be “despite that I am soft-spoken and quiet, I am creative and can be fun.”
New teacher discovers love of science
Photo by Ashli Wagner
New chemistry teacher Lisa Sylvester talks to her chemistry class about past experiences.
Julia Karsteter Contributing Writer Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but carbon, the element that fills diamonds, is a science teacher’s best friend. Specifically, chemistry teacher Lisa Sylvester, who said carbon is her favorite element. Sylvester is a new resident of St. Louis and of Webster Groves High School. She moved here about a year ago from Virginia
Beach, when her husband got a position at Barnes Jewish Hospital in the neurosurgery department. “The Big Barnes,” she calls it. She recalled the time when she first visited St. Louis during a ridiculously hot summer, while her husband was here doing research. “My husband was like, ‘Yeah, I think we should go to Barnes.’ I was like, ‘Oh, really? It’s so hot there!’ but it hasn’t been that bad, actually.” Sylvester then chose to come to Webster Groves when she learned about the school system and wanted to send her two children here. Sylvester decided to be a teacher because while she liked chemistry, she thought her old lab work job was too dangerous and had inconsistent hours for her to stay in, especially with her growing family. She then moved to teaching, first starting in Newport News, Va. Sylvester first realized her interest in science when she took a science class in college and met a classmate who provided her more in depth knowledge about it. This led her to switch from her then music major, making music a hobby instead of a career, and eventually leading her here to WGHS.
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Social worker comes to teach at WGHS Zach Sheets Contributing Writer Jazz and music of all types is what ac lab teacher, Katie McGuire throws her extra time into. McGuire attends concerts once a month. If not, McGuire is at home practicing instruments like the piano, the guitar or the ukulele. Other musical events like the Jazz Festival here in Webster are where McGuire likes to spend free time. She recently attended the Foo Fighters concert, which happens to be one of her bands of interest, McGuire said. As one of the new ac lab teachers, McGuire said she’s very excited to start at Webster Groves High School and has heard nothing but great things.
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McGuire said, “I’ve wanted to work here for a while; actually I applied six times before I got the job,” McGuire said. McGuire’s college background includes degrees in history and communications at Webster University and Photo by Zach Sheets Mizzou University. Experience in social studies, algebra and geometry are what McGuire hopes to use to her advantage to help educate students but said she also has experience in being a social worker, teaching middle school math and working with people who have dementia. McGuire said she hopes to teach math here.
Teacher joins WGHS, coaches volleyball Page Kimzey Contributing Writer St. Louis born and raised, new ac lab teacher and JV volleyball coach, Molly Dean, joined the Webster Groves High School community this summer. “My last semester I studentPhoto by Page Kimzey taught, but this is my first time actually teaching,” Dean said. Dean got her first degree in secondary social studies education
and student-taught at Southern Boone in Ashland, MO. Dean is going to graduate school at University of St. Louis to earn her master’s degree in mathematics. One thing Dean wants is to teach social studies or math at Webster. Dean would also like to continue coaching volleyball and get involved with an after school activity like student council or another club. Dean played volleyball throughout high school for Parkway West High School. Being a teacher has been her dream job: “All throughout high school, I knew this is what I wanted to do, and being able to coach volleyball is a big added bonus because I love doing that.”
Math teacher experiences new region Scout Hornkohl Contributing Writer In addition to being new to the math department, Emily Lesher is also experiencing a different region of the country. Lesher grew up in the mountains of New Jersey. After graduating high school, Lesher attended Virginia College as an undergrad, studying to become an engineer. Then she became involved with a project that would create night vision goggles, which “kids say is really cool, but was actually not good,” she said. This is where Lesher discovered she belonged in mathematics. She switched majors and received her masters at SLU. Next, Lesher worked as an instructional assistant. The courses for freshmen were taken online, so her job was to be there in person to help when students needed it. Now, settled with a new position, Lesher has a full schedule. Leaving around 6:30 a.m. each day is difficult, but this makes her free time all that much more meaningful. Lesher’s favorite activities include gardening, making her own
clothes and playing with her poodle puppy Hokie. Lesher grew up with poodles, and her heart went out to little Hokie when she decided to rescue him. Lesher’s parents and father’s family moved to Dallas, and now she travels frequently to Photo by Scout Hornkohl visit. The best part is Hokie is the perfect size to fly with her. Not all of Lesher’s family is far away. Her mother’s family lives in St. Louis, so there is always support when she needs it. Lesher enjoys the Missouri summers, but the winters are not a favorite of hers. Lesher enjoys her new position, but like all teachers, she faces difficulties while teaching. She said the hardest part of being a teacher is “remembering when you used to be here.” She said sometimes it is easy to forget the students are learning this material for the first time.
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Authors speak to WGHS community part of the Save the Date: “Write You Are” Trivia night on Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. at the Webster Groves Masonic Hall. The proceeds from this event will help fund the winter All Write Festival, which is a weeklong celebration featuring local authors and students’ written work. It Photo by Aerin Johnson will begin Feb. 24, English teacher Amie Keane sells All Write Week T-shirts 2016. outside the Little Theater between presentations last year. “Right now we All Write Week was Feb. 24-27, 2015. are focusing on Jonathan Franzen, the Kadifa Tabakovic silent auction item Circulation Editor collection and the Brian Selznick fund raiser, and then after these events we will English teachers are collecting items start booking authors,” English teacher for baskets to be silently auctioned as Rita Chapman said.
Franzen, Pulitzer prize winner and WGHS alumnus, spoke to seventh hour classes on Sept. 17, in the auditorium. “Jonathan Franzen is a Webster graduate and a celebrated author, award winning New York Times Best Selling Author, so we are excited about that,” English teacher Katie Guymon said. Franzen also sold and autographed his new book “Purity” the same day at 7 p.m. at the Best Bank Books store. Admission was $35, and it included a copy of the book. “An Evening with Brian Selznick” occurred in the auditorium on Sept. 24, at 6:30 p.m. Selznick spoke about his newest book, “The Marvels.” This event was sponsored by the Novel Neighbor, and some proceeds went to the WGHS All Write. “We are building on our successes from last year by expanding the days of the festival and getting new writers,” English teacher Steve Leftridge said.
Feminist Coalition members addresses dress code Ashli Wagner Business Manager Seniors Rebekah Perman, Gianna Metzger, Jenny Perkowski, Annie Bryan and teacher Kristin Moore founded the Feminist Coalition, which meets every other Tuesday at 7:20 a.m. in room 284. The club’s priority was to create activism in the school for gender equality and to educate people about what feminism means and what it means to be a feminist. Seventy-five people attended the first meeting to talk about how to advertise the club with ads and posters. The club plans an after school speaker series where different people come to the school to educate equal rights and LGBT rights. On Oct. 3, the club plans to have a fund
raiser with puppies at Eden Seminary Field. Gateway Pets is lending the club puppies, and people can pay $5 for five minutes with a puppy. All of the proceeds will go to Lydia’s House for abused women and their children. The coalition plans for the fund raiser to be 1 p.m.-3 p.m. One change already seen by the club’s activism regards the dress code. Senior Annelise Kerr-Grant thought WGHS’s dress code was unfair and targeted towards girls, she said. “It’s innately sexist how the dress code was targeting short shorts and strappy straps and low cut shirts,” Kerr-Grant said. Boys don’t have as many dress code rules and a boy wearing a low cut tank showing off his pectoral wouldn’t get called out, but a girl wearing a tank top with spaghetti straps would get called out
in front of the class. “One it’s inappropriate, and two it should be against school rules,” KerrGrant said. In order to change the dress code KerrGrant had to take multiple steps. She first wrote a letter and asked vice-principal John Raimondo if she could hang her letters around as a passive aggressive note. Raimondo instead arranged a meeting for Kerr-Grant and senior friends Bryan and Mia Berg to talk with administrators. That lead to another meeting with more students and more diversity to talk with teachers and administrators about what should be changed and what was wrong with the dress code. This went throughout the summer, and by the beginning of the school year the school had a new dress code.
Follow @WGECHO for more news updates! September 2015
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Bennett from the Bleachers
Columnist looks back at 2014-15 sports
Bennett Durando Sports Columnist Well in case you missed it, it’s a new school year, bringing new sports seasons here at WGHS. We’re already well into the 2015-16 year, but before we get too far in, let’s take a look back at the successes of teams last year. While every program at the high school had its great moments last year, we have here a ranking of the five teams whose success in their 2014-15 campaigns will be remembered most at WGHS in the years to come. 5. Men’s Basketball This team had such an incredible season, one can almost overlook the cruel fashion in which it ended. Men’s basketball makes this list because it posted yet another 20 win season (24-6) under head coach Jay Blossom, who recorded his 400th career win during the season. The team won its first 17 games versus in-state opponents, and went to Florida for a top national tournament and had success against some of the best teams in the country, going 2-2. In addition, the team graduated six seniors, two of whom will play Division 1 college ball this year (Alex Floresca at San Diego, Stephen Harris at Austin Peay). Oh what might’ve happened if a District Championship ref had counted to five correctly…. 4. Football Again, we have a team that had its life taken in impossible fashion. A year after an unprecedented run to the Final Four, the football team was loaded and a top force in Class Five. It seemed bound for another deep playoff run when, with a seven-game win streak (7-1), it
prepared to host Ladue in the District cluded 12 shutouts and held all opponents Championship. The streak seemed safely to a combined total of one goal. headed toward eight in the second half The team also graduated Maddie Pobefore quarterback/kicker Jack Fox and korny, now playing D-1 soccer at SLU. Ladue erased a 28-6 deficit for a stunning It had just as much championship po34-28 win. tential as the sport’s male counterpart, Like the men’s basketball team, devas- but another of Webster’s best teams met tating as the season’s ending was, it was its end in heartbreaking fashion; this one a spectacular year for the team, which in the State semifinal when Notre Dame also graduated star receiver and defensive de Sion capped a comeback with a gameback Cam Hilton. winning goal at six minutes to play. Hilton can now be seen playing SEC 1. Men’s Soccer football as a safety for Mizzou. The State Champs are the obvious 3. Men’s & Women’s Track choice for most successful team at WGHS It’s impossible to rank either of these last year. Their historic run after never teams over the other after their perfor- having won State and not having won a mances at State last year. district title since 1987 has them down in The women’s team took fifth overall at the history books already (John Conley the meet, with (then) junior Carolyn Ross hoisting the trophy backwards is becomwinning the State title in the triple jump ing an increasingly iconic image in the event. Stacey Lambkins, in her last State WGHS community). meet, took second place in the 100-meter In a series of dramatic playoff games, hurdles and broke a school record with her (then) junior Sheriden Smith scored late five-foot, three-inch high jump that earned game-winning goals twice, including his fourth place. two goals in the last 15 minutes of the The men’s squad was equally impres- State semifinal to beat Smith-Cotton 4-2. sive, most prominently in the 4x800 relay, It doesn’t hurt either that former ECHO as Tyler Lawson, Lucas Bennett, August feature editor and cartoonist Willie ZemBont and Billy Howells ran for a school pel scored the eventual winning goal on record and a State championship. his header in the State title game. Lawson medaled in two other events to The team may not be done; returning 12 help cement his and the team’s place in seniors, there’s certainly potential for a reschool history. peat (see story by Jake Collins). 2. Women’s Soccer The sports year already in progress will This team may fall short of the number hopefully produce more memorable moone spot on this list, but the 2015 women’s ments and teams that can make a push to soccer squad may have been one of the bring WGHS a State Championship. most dominant teams in any sport WGHS has ever seen. It was led by (then) senior goalie Charlotte Kennedy and a lockdown defense that produced 24 shutouts… in 27 wins The Webster-Kirkwood Times keeps you in touch with your community on the season. in print every week and online all the time. At the peak of Check out our all new website: the team’s amazwww.timesnewspapers.com ing season, it was now with major league sports headed to the Final coverage from columnist Rob Rains Four in the midst Make a difference in your community: of a 13 game winShop first at locally-owned stores! Presenting Sponsor of the Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival ning streak that in-
NO MO' #FOMO!
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ECHO Cashel enjoys last season with son, seniors the
Sports
Photo by Jake Collins
Webster players senior Mick Hanrahan, junior goalie Will Sprick and senior Trey Paloucek collide with SLUH players senior Matthew Frein and senior George Haman off a SLUH free kick. SLUH took the win 2-0 over Webster.
Jake Collins News/ Graphics Editor “Are we really going to talk about our seniors already?” Tim Cashel men’s Varsity soccer head coach said. His team has most of the same faces he saw last season. Losses include goalkeeper Sam Craig, midfielder Jogi Shimotomi, defender Willie Zempel, midfielder Wesley Wride and midfielder Daniel Gomez. At the end of the year he will lose 12 of his players, including his son, Sam Cashel. “As we get older and go our separate ways I hope that soccer can be something that bonds us together,” Coach Cashel
said. “I will miss all the kids a lot.” Coach Cashel knows the players well as most of them spent most of their childhood years at the Cashel household. “It is sad in both respects (as a coach and parent),” Coach Cashel said. Webster isn’t just rivals with Kirkwood anymore. “The guys look forward to the SLUH game and some of the other teams that we play yearly,” Coach Cashel said. “It’s one of those games that is just always good soccer.” Webster lost to SLUH 2-0. “It was a hard fought game; we were in it the whole way through,” senior Mick Hanarhan said. Another loss at the end of this year will be the team’s managers, seniors Max Cha-
Upcoming Webster men’s Soccer Games
10/7 Kennedy, 4 p.m. @ Chaminade 10/12 Chaminade, 4 p.m. @ Selma Field 10/14 Kirkwood, 4:15 p.m. @ Selma Field 10/15 Affton 4 p.m. @ Affton 10/19 McClure North 4 p.m. @ McClure North 10/21 Ritenour 4 p.m. @ Selma Field
September 2015
nitz and Will Conerly. ”They have a crazy amount of value to us.” Coach Cashel said, “They do a great job of making things flow easier, at both practice and games.” The Webster Groves soccer club (first grade- seventh grade) is also run by Coach Cashel. “There really is no end to coaching for me... especially last season, since our season went so late there was about a week of overlap between the programs,” Coach Cashel said. He coached some of the players on this year’s Varsity team through the same program. Following the loss to Lindbergh, Webster went on to win the next four games including a double overtime victory over St. John’s Vianney (2-1, 2 OTs) on Labor Day weekend. Webster’s home games are broadcast on a low power FM station, KWRH-LP. These games are on 92.9 FM, or on its website, www.radio63119.org. All dates and times for games that will be on the air are located on its website. Past games are also available to listen to there.
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Drama dept. to perform ‘Hamlet’
Photo by Cole Schnell Junior Rowan Van Horn rehearses his role as Claudius for the upcoming performance of “Hamlet.” The play will be Oct. 22-24, in the auditorium.
Caroline Fellows Web/ Video Editor After last year’s comedies “Rumors” and “10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse,” the drama dept. will present the Shakespeare tragedy, “Hamlet,” Oct. 22-24. “We have not done a Shakespeare play in our season since I started teaching here,” director Todd Schaefer said, and he welcomed the challenge of producing a
complex production. “Performing Shakespeare is terribly difficult. It’s very rigorous for the actors to do it, and so for the challenging aspect I think it’s definitely worth it,” Schaefer said. The drama department will not present the full-length, four- hour play, but a cut version to be performed in about an hourand –a- half. Schaefer originally saw this production at the Black Cat Theater in Maplewood, which was cut by Jason Cannon and his wife. This version cuts
out the political aspects of “Hamlet” and pretty much anything not directly related to Hamlet’s revenge plot. In WGHS’s adaptation, a female plays Hamlet, a casting decision made by Schaefer and drama teacher Sarah Romanowski long before the auditions. “We needed more opportunities for females to carry the show… and [Hamlet] is definitely a part you can do a gender switch on. We can make it work.” “This will hopefully be the start of a tradition where we dive into Shakespeare so that our student body who is involved in Shakespeare gets exposure to the Elizabethan dramas,” he said. Schaefer added the drama dept. should produce a Shakespeare at least every eight years, if not four. “It’s a terribly important part of our theater history,” Schaefer said. The cast features junior Hannah Leatherbarrow as Hamlet, junior Loren Kahrhoff as Ophelia, senior Kate Arendes as Gertrude, junior Rowan van Horn as Claudius, senior Justin Comegys as Polonius, senior Nick Suber as Horatio, junior Jacob Noce as Laertes, and senior Dylan Martin as Ghost. Other cast members include sophomore Kate Becker, freshman Joe Castleman, freshman Tea Gardner, senior Annelise Kerr-Grant, junior Bridget Kahrhoff, junior Molly Kurtz, junior Lily Newsham, senior Alec Reeves, senior Jonah Schnell, junior Miles Umbaugh and sophomore Elliot Williams.
Upcoming Concerts 10/2 Joywave 8 p.m. @ The Firebird 10/5 Royal Blood 8 p.m. @ The Ready Room 10/7 Father John Misty 8 p.m. @ The Pageant 10/13 Chance The Rapper 8 p.m. @ The Pageant 10/17 Grace Potter 8 p.m. @ The Pageant
10/19 Passion Pit 8 p.m. @ The Pageant 10/20 Mac Miller 8 p.m. @ The Pageant 10/30 Mat Kearney 8 p.m. @ The Pageant 10/31 21 Pliots 8 p.m. @ The Pageant 11/17 Ben Folds 8 p.m. @ The Pageant
September 2015
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Review: Sushi Station on a roll
New restaurant offers signature dishes
Greg Frazier Contributing Writer
Sushi Station is great for experienced and inexperienced sushi eaters, offering a wide selection for locals, and Webster students can get 10 percent off if they show their student I.D. Most customers are young couples and families, who can be heard making positive remarks, like, “Thank you, that was terrific.” The establishment has a humble setting. The walls coated with wood paneling. It serves authentic Thai and Japanese cuisine with the signature “Old Webster” sushi rolls. These include salmon, tuna, yellowtail, asparagus, gobo and honey wasabi mayo and costs $12 with the appetizers at $4.50. The different entrees amaze customers who try them. The location, 29 North Gore Avenue, is particularly convenient because of its easy accessibility to local schools and families who come into Old Webster to shop and dine. This is a good alternative to the popular Drunken Fish because of the wide selection of signature sushi like the Old Webster, as well as the great location and most definitely the service. The owner, R.J. Xu, is from Thailand and studied Japanese Cuisine there and California. In mid-February, he went to Japan at the peak of fishing season to visit the numerous shops at the shore.
Photo by Greg Frazier
Sushi Station brings in the East with authentic Thai and Japanese cuisine. Its logo represents the colors for the Japanese flag.
“You could smell the freshness off of the fish,” Xu said. Xu looked forward to the Old Webster Jazz and Blues Fest and hoped to receive plenty of customers.
Photo by Donald Johnson
Sushi Station’s appetizers include sashimi (fresh raw sliced fish): $5 for five pieces, $18 for 10 pieces and $35 for 20 pieces.
September 2015