MARCH 2022
CLASS OF
Pg. 6-7
Read the Senior Reflections through out the issue! Westminster Christian Academy
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STAFF
MANAGING EDITOR IN CHIEF MAGGIE LINDSTROM, SENIOR
Students
EDITOR: 800 SPORTING BROOKE HIGHMARK, SENIOR
CONTENT EDITOR EMMA HARRIS, SENIOR
Serving
BROADCAST LEADER IZZY TROST, SENIOR
BROADCAST LEADER ABBY JOHLERT, SENIOR
Students
BROADCAST LEADER TRISTON SCALES, SENIOR
BROADCAST LEADER ANNA FREGENE, SENIOR
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FEATURE EDITOR
PAWPRINT LIAISON
ELLIE JONES, SENIOR
HOPE LINAM, SENIOR
Staff Writer
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RILEY HEIRONIMUS, SENIOR
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ALEX WITTENAUER, SENIOR
STAFF WRITER
ANNA GRACE LIKES, JUNIOR
SYDNEY BRADLEY, JUNIOR
ALLI BISHOP, JUNIOR
MIA SCHEULEN, JUNIOR
AMILA PIERIS, SOPHOMORE
DREW CAHILL, SOPHOMORE
EVAN KOHN, SENIOR
JACOB BROWN, SENIOR
ELIJAH SCHMIDT, FRESHMAN
LUCY KNERR, SOPHOMORE
WILL DANA, SOPHOMORE
WILLIAM JINKINS,
LUKE RYAN, JUNIOR
SAYVA PHILIPS , SENIOR
NOLAN JONES, SENIOR
MADDOX ROSENBERG, SOPHOMORE
POPPY MCCAULEY, SOPHOMORE
MEGAN MOREY, SENIOR
LAUREN BORCHELT, SENIOR
CHRISTINA ENGLISH, JUNIOR
STAFF
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TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE THE GROCERY LABELS TRAP PG. 6 THE DARK SIDE PG. 7 TINY TRIPS BIG EXPERIENCES PG. 8 COFFEE CREATING COMMUNITY PG. 14
OPINION QUALITY OVER QUANTITY PG. 9 DEBT FOR EDUCATION PG. 11 BROADCAST SENIOR REFLECTIONS PG. 12 MY FINAL WORDS PG. 13 WESTMINSTER, IT’S BEEN REAL PG. 14 IT’S TIME PG. 15
SPORTING IT ALL LEADS YOU SOMEWHERE PG. 17 SIGNING OFF... PG. 18 GOODBYE WESTMINSTER PG. 19 MY FINAL WORDS PG. 20 NOW AND THEN CLASS OF 2022 PG. 21
4 TABLE OF CONTENTS
STAFF ED Past, Present, and Future We have now reached the end of the year, this year was the new normal without covid directly affecting the school year. The past couple of months have been nothing short of difficult for the school. But it has also been different then the last couple of years where masks, plastic glass, and an unknown disease took over the world. The students here at Westminster have made it through a whole lot in this year alone. The present climate is still battling grief and also the excitement of leaving this school year. Seniors are out in less than 72 hours and the other class have roughly a week and a half left to finish out their school years. So to the juniors get ready for a crazy fast ride which is senior year, sophomores hang in there you have done an amazing job so far and we are all proud of you all. Pain helps you grow and develop so hold strong to the Lord and each other. Freshman you all are about to start
the hardest year here at the academy, so belt up and be ready. To the 8th graders, highschool is not as scary as it seems. 7th grade has a nice 8th grade year! Now for some more specific 800 News changes as our two year Managing Editor In Chief Maggie Lindstrom ends her 21st issue, she will be moving on to college. She has deeply loved her time and opportunities to lead and manage 800 News this year and last and has more to say on page 14-15. 800 News will be undergoing more changes in a change in leadership with a rising senior Anna Grace Likes coming in as Editor In Chief and many other changes of which we are excited to share in the fall. We wish the seniors the best on their college adventures and can’t wait to see everyone else back in the fall! We hope you have enjoyed this years 800 News covering! See you all soon!
Signing off for the last time of 2021-2022 school year,
800 News, Maggie Lindstrom- Managing Editor In Chief (2020-2022), and Anna Grace Likes- Editor In Chief (2022-2023) contact us at 800news@wcatsl.org, if you have any problems or concerns.
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THE GROCERY LABELS TRAP
How can the labels found in grocery stores be misleading to good that the animals are not stuck in cages, but it is still not good that they do not have any room to truly walk around as customers? they please.
CHRISTINA ENGLISH Staff Writer
When people go grocery shopping, most likely, they will find some sort of label on their food that they choose to buy. These labels can range from being on meat products like beef or chicken to being on snack boxes like goldfish and teddy grahams. But what do these labels actually mean? How can some of these labels be harmful to society? Erin Brodwin from businessinsider.com was able to give a complete guideline to what some of the labels in grocery stores mean. Some of the more commonly known labels that she listed included ones like “all natural, organic, nongmo, cage-free, and gluten free.” Brodwin went on to explain that people often were confused as to what all natural meant, thinking that it meant “that it was free of artificial ingredients, pesticides, and GMOs.” This is far from the truth. In actuality, Brodwin says that “according to the FDA, the agency ‘has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives.” There is no meaning behind the term.
Brodwin explains that “gluten is the protein composite in wheat, barely, and other grains.” Most products that have a gluten-free label on them are for those who are allergic to gluten. Shreya from doseofwellnessblog.com explains a downside to products with a gluten-free label on them: “Sodas are gluten-free, that doesn’t make them healthy.” She then goes on to say that “[That] might be [an] extreme example but there are many more sneaky foods that can trick [people].” In general, when someone goes to a grocery store to buy food, they should be mindful of what they are buying and look at the labels on products carefully. If people do not do this, then very scary situations can occur involving food allergies. The people from theconversation.com explained how in November of 2019, there were nine alerts that were made by the Food Standards Agency recalling food allergies. Some of these products were, “Waitrose recalling its Carrot and Coriander Soup as it did not declare the fact that it contains barely and celery, Aldi recalling Breaded Chicken Steaks due to undeclared milk, and Mondelez recalling Cadbury Dairy Milk Little Robins because some products contained almonds which were not mentioned on the label.”
Brodwin then talks about the definition of the label organic: “According to the USDA, products that are ‘certified organ- For these situations, theconversation.com concludes that the ic’ can’t contain GMOs and should minimize pesticides and laws about labeling food allergies needs to be enforced more anything synthetic (i.e.: made in a lab).” They also “contain than they currently are. strictly organics.” However, Brodwin reveals that a review was created over a span of 50 years that compared organic foods with nonorganic foods “concluded that they were ‘not significantly different.’” There is no point in buying products that say they are organic when buying a nonorganic product is just as healthy. With non-gmos, Brodwin says that the meaning behind the label comes from products that “have ‘been produced according to consensus-based best practices for GMO avoidance.’” In the last decade, however, research has shown that GMOs are actually safe, so it is okay to eat foods that come from genetically modified crops. According to the people from ahealthiermichigan.org, products that have a cage-free label on them do mean that the animals (for example, chickens) have room to move around and are not cooped up in cages, but it “does not mean they have access to the outdoors or enough space to roam.” It is
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FEATURE
In what ways do the labels at grocery stores “trap” their shoppers? Photo by: Christina English
THE DARK SIDE...
It’s not easy going moving from the role of teacher to the role of administrator but it isn’t as bad as some believe
ELIJAH SCHMIDT
In addition to this, I sat down with Dan Burke, former fulltime English teacher turned 11th and 12th grade principal.
The Dark Side; A playful term used to describe teachers who become administrators. These teachers are going into the role of “the boss”. Making them separate and different from most in their community. But is this necessarily true? And if not what does the “Dark Side” look like? The entire Academic Team at one time held the role of full time English teacher
“A lot of my day is occupied with putting out fires,” Burke explained. His job is to investigate concerns from students, teachers, and parents. “When a decision is made, some people gain something, and others lose something,”
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The academic team has 4 members including the grade-level principals. Other senior level administrators oversee areas such as admissions and athletics. But it is the academic team that would seem to pull teachers into its ranks the most. One such person is Micah Gall. He works in the Upper School Office and is the Head of Academic Development. I sat down with Gall to talk about administration, and how he and his colleagues are perceived by students.
He explained that he tries to create a balance between many different facets. Juggling the interests of alumni, students, teachers, and parents all at once. “[…]it takes a special type of person who is selfless and willing to do what it takes to inspire people about something,” Someone who is in administration has to be a set-apart person. A leader who can hear the voices of those they serve and fight for them, while also preserving the institution they work for.
Lastly, I interviewed Kim Graham, 9th and 10th grade principal. A long-time English teacher Graham came into the role of an administrator later in life. “Rather than helping students directly, I was now supporting their teachers,” “I think that at every school in the world there has been a gap between administrators and students,” Gall stated, “the adminis- Graham elaborated. tration is seen as those who hold the line in certain areas.” “The people who teach and work at Westminster, we’re not just transmitting knowledge, we know that what we are He elaborated that the administration is trying to improve each student’s experience at Westminster while also upholding studying is a reflection of Jesus Christ,” Christian values. “‘To prepare and equip more young men and women to engage the world and change it for Jesus Christ’,” as he pointed to the framed Westminster mission statement.
When asked about whether students are angry about decisions made by the administration, Gall said this: “I know that certain decisions may frustrate students[…] but I don’t think it’s unfair that students feel frustrated by decisions we make,” Gall further explained that it is almost like parenting. He has to make decisions for the good of his children. “Sometimes that answer to these questions disappoint students, but as administrators, we understand,”
She compared her transition from teacher to administrator as such: “The usual terminology used is going to the ‘Dark Side’[…] the tendency and the fear is that people who make policy will forget what it’s like to be in a classroom with actual students,” Graham remarked that she certainly does remember what it’s like. She has been a mother, teacher, and administrator, if anyone has a good perspective it is her. Mrs. Graham may have gone over to the “Dark Side” but it isn’t as bad as some believe.
Micah Gall, Head of Academic Development and Kim Graham, 9th/10th grade princiapal. Image by: Elijah Schmidt
FEATURE 7
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OPINION
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY How to take care of yourself (and your expectations) during the summer of 22’
LUCY KNERR
ing that others are doing things that you feel you should also be doing, there is this internal sense that the romanticized days and nights of summertime displayed on instagram are the expectation rather than the exception.
staff writer
As such, the pressure to have “the best summer ever” may overwhelm the genuine pleasure that should come with the season. While it is good to do enticing and exciting things out and about in the world during break, it is also completely okay to just take time to rest and recuperate from the taxing school year. It is also not necessary to try and get every aspect of your life in order during the summer. Change and experience does not have to occur all at once nor during one season of Whether it be traveling, staying at home, or just driving around, life, especially one that is meant as a break (at least the expectation to “live life to the fullest” during this summer- from school). time season is becoming overwhelming. The main perpetrator The best way to combat these feelings of “summertime of this is of course social media apps such as Snapchat, instagram, and TikTok. Such apps are constant reminders of this ex- pressure” is to mostly just take your time. There is no pectation as shown through videos, photos, etc. While it is still rush to fix, change, do, or see anything during break. apparent that these social media platforms are used as an expose Taking one day at a time and living within the reality of the highlight reels of its users, it is still extremely difficult to presented before you is truly the best cure for the fast overcome the sensation of missing out and/or being left behind. paced society that has become the norm. Taking one day at a time also entails that, while there will be many opportunities opening to you, there is no need to take on As one scrolls through the countless photos of extravagant destinations and, more often, photos and videos of individuals every adventure presented to you. romanticizing regular day occurrences, there is an overwhelming sense of shame and sometimes even guilt. When recogniz- Overloading one’s schedule during this time is not uncommon, and burnout can still occur outside of educational environments. As such, it is important to be aware of one’s physical, emotional, and mental state. This will definitely help in also choosing when it is a time to rest and when it is a time to explore and try new things. From TikTok to Instagram, everywhere you look students are gearing up for the “greatest summer ever” … yet again. Unfortunately, along with the anticipation, there is also a rising pressure amidst the excitement. Because of the strange amount of devastating occurrences that have appeared this year, many have placed extremely high expectations on the 2022 summer to redeem and heal those affected by them.
taking the pressure off this summer season Illustration by: Lucy Knerr
OPINION
So, as the summertime is quickly approaching, keep in mind that the sunny skies and photogenic lies of social media do not require you to “live your life to the fullest”, especially if you feel like you need rest. Rest and recuperation is just as if not more important than having fun during the summer. In conclusion, just be sure to hold on tightly to the reality of the situation, that being the fact that this year has been unbelievably hard and that it is ok if you need to rest before the fun can begin.
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DEBT FOR EDUCATION Is going into debt for a college, worth it?
MADDOX ROSENBERG Staff Writer
Millennials, and others that followed, have heard most of the life to graduate highschool and go to college. “If you want a good job, you have to go to college.” If you get into a good college, you will make more money. The question I raise is, is going into debt for college worth it?
$66,300; Medical school debt: $201,490; Dental school debt: $292,169; Pharmacy school debt: $179,514; Veterinary school debt: $183,302. Finally, nursing school debt comes in three waves: $19,928: Associate Degree Nursing; $23,711: Bachelor of Science in Nursing; $47,321 Master of Science in Nursing (nerdwallet.com).
According to educationdata.org, “among today’s college students, 65% graduate with student debt. Between 39% and 50% of indebted student borrowers have loans from both undergraduate and postgraduate education. Among adults with student loan debt, 93% report borrowing to pay for their own education while 81% report borrowing to pay for a child’s When taking out any or grandchild’s loan, the interest rate education. First-genis the most important eration college factor. You are not students are twice borrowing, you are as likely to report buying money. Accordthey are behind in ing to educationdata. making student loan org, the average student payments. Graduates loan payment is $460 of private, for-profit a month. “The average institutions are more student loan accrues than twice as likely $26,000 in interest to report late student alone over 20 years”. I With an immense amount of debt, you might as well burn your money. loan payments’’. strongly encourage you to look Illustration by: Maddox Rosenberg at the tables on this website, to All in all, colleges are not get a better understanding on that different when it comes how much time and money it to education. The main difference between colleges is the takes to pay off a loan. status it brings to attendees. There is no point in going into years, and years of debt; paying thousands and thousands “Student loan borrowers in the United States owe a collective nearly $1.75 trillion in federal and private student loan debt as of dollars, just to go to college. The absolute first question when looking for colleges should be, “Can I afford it?”. Do of April 2022, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. not start the beginning of the rest of your life in an immense Louis” (nerdwallet.com). amount of debt. It will weigh on your shoulders for years. Starting your journey in hundreds of thousands of dollars in Student debt obviously varies based on the degree being obdebt can become an overwhelming domino effect that can tained. For example, the average debt for a bachelor’s degree haunt you for the rest of your life. is $28,950. This, as said before, varies greatly. For graduate One of, if not the most prestigious college, is Harvard University. The 2022-2023 cost of attendance billed and unbilled is $80,263-$84,413. According to nerdwallet.com, the maximum amount of student loans a student can receive for a private college, like Harvard, is $99,000 (nerdwallet.com).
school, the average debt is $71,000. Parent PLUS loan debt is $28,778. Law school debt: $145,500; MBA student debt:
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OPINION
A REFLECTION FROM BROADCAST Broadcast Leaders
Triston: As I reflect on the last four years
I’ve spent at Westminster , I have discovered what it feels like to be proud of myself. I have learned so much from my teachers and peers. The most crucial thing I think I have learned is that I am capable of so much more than I thought. With all the resources I have at my fingertips and a goal of success, I now know, I can do so much more than what every negative person in my life led me to believe. I have not only proved them wrong; I have also proven myself wrong. I really enjoyed broadcast class and just overall working with and representing 800 news as a whole. I think it was a great way to get me used to working in a film and business environment. Mr. Kim, Yousef, and VonderBruegge have been AV Medal. Photo by: Triston Scales extremely helpful and easy to talk to about anything I needed help with. My grades are a symbol of all the hard work and effort I have put into myself, my class, and my ability to learn new things. Without communication with my fellow classmates/team members or my instructors, I don’t believe I would have made it this far in school. When I communicate with these people I learn much more than I could have on my own.
Izzy: Broadcast has been such a reliable constant in my life and I am so grateful for it. Through it, I have found my voice, my passions, and my family. Mr. Kim pushing me to be a leader and be outspoken about my opinions has helped me develop and share my voice. I started Broadcast as a shy sophomore and am ending it now as a confident and self assured incoming college student. I have learned so much about myself since sophomore year too, all thanks to Broadcast. Communication is my passion and I would not have known that without taking Mr. Kim’s class. More than anything, this class has surrounded me with a loving and supportive environment. I am so blessed to have grown alongside my classmates in Broadcast. I have made deep and meaningful connections with everyone I share and have shared this class with. To Mr. Kim, and everyone else on the 800News team, I thank you for helping me grow into the person I am today. Abby: I have made several videos in Broadcast, but more than anything I have made memories. Being in Broadcast for two years has helped me develop my filmmaking and storytelling skills. I hope to pursue film in college and have been so blessed to be a part of Broadcast. I hope I can keep in contact with everyone I have made connections with because of this wonderful class.
SPORTING
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MY FINAL WORDS EMMA HARRIS Content Editor
For a year now, I’ve been dealing with a significant physical illness (POTS) and struggling with my mental health (although that has been a long ongoing struggle, the severity has greatly increased recently). One thing I’ve learned while coping with these illnesses- both physical and mental- is that hope can be a very dangerous, very hurtful thing. I will admit that I often feel teased by hope. I’ll have these emotional highs, these elated, joyous highs where I feel on top of the world, ready to tackle any challenge I may face, ready to throw caution to the wind, laughing for absolutely no reason other than life is grand. Colors seem more vibrant, and even a normal mood seems pale in comparison. I cannot tamper down these highs, nor can I prevent them, but I always can tell when they are approaching. However, after every up there comes a deafening down, a collapse into depression. Just as I can see the highs approaching, I can feel myself slipping into the lows, the crushing lows. I am desperate to stay in the high and I try everything I can do to stay there-- listening to exciting music, maintaining my smile-- but alas, I am powerless to the ascent. I hoped maybe this time was different, that I would get to stay in the high a bit longer. That I would avoid the low this time. That I would avoid the mood swings all together today. I thought today was going to be a good day. I’ll have good medical days, days where I almost feel normal, like I did before any of this. I’ll travel and run and bounce around with ease, ecstatic that I can move freely, and I almost forget that I am sick. Perhaps I’ll even have a good, almost normal four days. But no, my hope was once again misplaced. The following days are always the worst, the slap back to reality.
Be the flowers beneath the fence. Photograph by: Emma Harris
Sorrow is abundant. I will not pretend that this isn’t true, or that the pain isn’t really all that bad or even a little bit okay. Because it hurts a lot, and it’s not okay. It’s not okay, and I have found myself collapsing into tears many times now, crying “I can’t do this! I’m not strong enough!” I have found an anger at God, and the lyric by Manchester Orchestra keeps popping up in my mind every so often: “A disaster’s still a disaster no matter what Christian language you drag it through.” I am quite honestly reaching my wit’s end, and I feel like a complete child, helpless and weak, confused, and filled with anger knowing my situation isn’t fair. It isn’t fair, and I do not want to hope anymore.
But I just keep thinking back to a memory of mine. I was wandering through the Colorado woods, the watchful birch trees and canary yellow flowers abundant in my vision, and I was astounded by the beauty I saw. But I then noticed all the barbed wire fences dispersed amongst the trees, and I felt angered that the horrid looking constructions of man were taking over such an effortlessly beautiful forest. It was then Recently, my doctor thought getting off one of my medications I noticed something else: flowers rising up beneath a barbed would improve my POTS, and looking at the science behind wire fence. A natural reminder to have hope, that everything it, it made complete sense. I was extremely hopeful. But days will heal one day, and that I must persevere. Even if I won’t went by off of those medications, nights had passed without be okay until the day I reach heaven, I will be okay. I will be taking it, and there I was, still feeling dizzy and lightheadokay, and despite what it sometimes feels, God is here and ed, anxious as I am before a presentation, and having heart He is helping me. palpitations every time I walked; there I laid every night, legs pooled with blood, unable to sleep due to the discomfort and I am full of hurt, sorrow, anger, and my bones are filled with [sometimes horrid] pain I was in; there I stood reaching for a concrete. But I am also filled with hope, and it will stay that cereal bowl in the morning and as a result feeling a wave of way. I am going to be the flowers rising beneath the barbed extreme dizziness crash over me and fill my vision with spots. wire fence. There I was: sick, like a child who can’t help herself. A girl who’s incredibly passionate about art who was unable to walk through an art gallery. Helpless. No difference had occurred, and I felt angry at the world. I felt angry at myself for allowing myself to have hope. I felt angry at hope.
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FEATURES
COFFEE CREATING COMMUNITY The entrepreneurship class this year worked as a team to create an environment of community through the school’s student-run coffee shop: Pawprint.
ANNA GRACE LIKES Staff Writer
This year, Westminster’s senior entrepreneurship class found great success in Pawprint, the completely student-operated coffee shop located in the Hub. From working with finances brewing unique coffee drinks, this group of students runs every aspect of the business.
house, etc,” said Madison Doehring, senior. These events helped their brand become well-known in the community and allowed them to make money at events that students and their families would be present at. And, most importantly to their customers, they made some amazing drinks. Using Kaldis coffee, they crafted lattes, cold brews, drip coffees, and more. Some favorite drinks within the Pawprint staff were a honey lavender latte with oat milk (Doehring), vanilla latte with almond milk (Toretta), and the caramel frappe (Bequette). But they did not sell just coffee—Pawprint also expanded to sell smoothies, matcha, tea, and refreshers. Especially for underclassmen and middle schoolers, these drinks were ideal on mornings students could not get coffee before school on their own. However, teachers and students of all ages enjoyed the amazing variety of drinks from Pawprint.
Pawprint’s seniors are split into five teams: Finance, Operations, Marketing, Human Resources, and Community. “We collaborate with each other usually in specific teams at the start of class and come together to discuss different projects each group is working on,” said Luke Bequette, senior. They also had a group chat which they utilized often to stay conOverall, Pawprint’s team this year truly stuck to the comnected and work outside of class on Pawprint-related projects. pany’s mission statement: “making differences within the Westminster community through intentional relationships, Because of this connectivity within the team, Pawprint experi- creating a comforting atmosphere, and spreading joy one enced much more success this year than in previous years. “If cup at a time.” By moving to the hub and connecting to the it was the change of locations to the Hub or just the new staff community through more events, Pawprint made a name members, it worked. We created a lot of success and ultimate- for themselves and truly spread joy to Westminster. The ly created a fun, loving environment that not only we Pawprint community has loved seeing the evolution of their school’s staff can enjoy, but we can share that love and joy within our coffee shop over the years, and students and staff alike all enjoyed the joy created by Pawprint through this team of Westminster community,” said Kendal Toretta, senior. seniors. Originally started in 2017, Pawprint has evolved in major ways throughout the past few years. “This is my 3rd year, but Pawprint has existed for 5,” said Brian Maloy, business teacher. Former Westminster business teacher Jonathan Horn created the idea for Pawprint and led the class in its inaugural years, and after that he handed it off to Maloy to continue building this entrepreneurship class. From new teachers to location changes to different names, Pawprint’s evolutions have come with each new class of its senior entrepreneurs. Each new team works to troubleshoot and change aspects of the business that could operate better. Now, as the year closes out, the Pawprint team is proud of what they were able to accomplish. They expanded both their physical location and their outreach within the school. “We sponsored more events this year: the plays and musicals, donor events, had a booth at carnival, open
FEATURES
The Pawprint team poses by their storefront in the academic hub. Photo courtesy of Pawprint Coffee.
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IT’S TIME
My thoughts on my time here at WCA.
MAGGIE LINDSTROM MANAGING EDITOR IN CHIEF
With that, my 17 years of being directly a part of the Westminster community, it is time to say goodbye and move on. So with that here is my review of my time here as a WCA Wildcat. Westminster has been my home and refuge since my 8th Grade Year (2017-2018) in which your bubble is so small. Your classes are on an island separate from the upperclassmen. While others might feel isolated this drew me closer to my peers and teachers. And as a girl coming from homeschooling this was incredible for me. Of course like anything my grade started in middle school as sweet rosy cheeked children, but this faded quickly. It became apparent who were the partiers and who were not. I quickly did not fit the mold of those I was associated with. The quirky girl stereotype did not fit me. And I quickly began to understand that I did not fit most societal molds. After middle school I went into the whirlpool that is high school. Freshman year I had one of the best english teachers in the school, Mrs. Holliday. She taught me everything I know about writing and sincerely cared for me and my classmates. Her classroom had such a free and creative environment, and I loved this. And the cherry on top is that she recommended me for 800 News and I got the opportunity to be a staffer. Freshman year taught me a lot about my friendships and moving from my friends to new ones. As a freshman I also realized that it’s okay to be alone at times because you are not ever truly alone. God stays with you through hardships, changes, and the gusts of wind life blows your way.
2021-2022 Staff photo for the wildcat roar. Image by: Maggie Lindstrom
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Maddox left top corner, Elijah middle top, Anna Grace right middle, Christina Middle bottome, Lucy left middle, and Maggie in the center. this photo was taken during the first day of spirit week 2022. Image by: Maggie Lindstrom
Sophomore year was a whole different ball game. I had a new group of friends and was realizing a gap between me and my peers. I never was super involved with people over the summer and felt like I did not have a place with others. In addition to this I had switched to a more advanced academic career, and the people populating these classes were strangers to me. I also had to take a junior level Bible class which separated me from my grade. But little did I know this would be my saving grace as my teacher this year, Mr. Hughes. He was merciful and was incredibly knowledgeable about life and the bible. He was well rounded and shockingly intelligent. To this day I will never forget his in-depth lectures on the books of Genesis and Revelation. Mr. Hughes helped me understand the Bible better and grow in my walk. In my Sophomore year I also found refuge in the 800 News classroom. I had learned to enjoy writing and to be able to apply this in a class was astounding. In addition, having seniors to mentor me and set an example for my own writing was incredible. 800 News was one of the only classes that I truly missed during quarantine. And the weight that was on my
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ment was more sustainable with one person leading it. That person being me. I was not a perfect Editor In Chief or Co-Editor In Chief. I saw the staffers sitting in front of me as tools to complete tasks. My Junior Year overall was my best year at WCA because of the change in atmosphere I felt.
Photo taken on a girls night out with a few of the The Wildcat Roar girls. Image by: Maggie Lindstrom
shoulders as I was going to be a Co-Editor In Chief was insurmountable. Not knowing what the school year would look like and what being a Co-Editor In Chief was more ominous than I could anticipate. Luckily I gained friends my Junior Year who accepted me and empowered me. And broke away from a friend group for a while. And eventually 800 News came to realize that its manage-
The full 800 News staff took a Christmas photo. Image by: Maggie Lindstrom
FEATURES
As senior year came around I was ready for anything and constant fun. That is not what happened at all. I found that friendships were breaking left and right and the fun of being senior quickly turned into responsibility and pressure. I made my main goal to live and stay in the moment as much as possible. I feel that I succeeded in this goal. The light at the end of the tunnel was my newspaper staffers, Specifically Elijah, Maddox, Lucy, Christina, and Anna Grace. They all changed the way of which I lead the 800 News staff and they made me the person I am at the end of the year. Quickly, all of them become my “children” and I find that I had the honor of helping mentor and walk through this seasons dn year of life with them. So to Elijah, Maddox, Lucy, Christina, and Anna Grace thank you for letting me be a part of your school year and lead you all. To the rest of my 800 News Staffers, which in total was 53 people in the two years it was an honor to lead you all and know you. This year my staffers taught me that they were real people with real lives and that people are an investment which will keep on giving if you support them. Finally, VonderBruegge, the rock, the savior of 800 News, you are the best. I will never be able to explain in words the amount of help and impact you made on me. The words of advice and the constant support will stay with me forever. You are by far the only teacher who believed in me with no reason to. Looking back at why you took a chance on me to be the editor in chief or even the managing editor in chief, makes no sense to me. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity to be able to work and lead 800 News, thank you so much for this opportunity. Thank you so much for the support and for the confidence in me and I will come back to visit. Now, onward to the future, I know that there are a lot better days coming and that high school is not a great achievement. High School is just a moment of which we all have to go on from, and I am thankful for all the lessons and memories I have had. But, I am excited for the future; where I go and what I do. So, to all the underclassmen who are waiting for highschool to get out, just live in the moment and do what you need to do. Focus on the future when it is sitting at your feet. I wish Westminster the best and for now goodbye.
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WESTMINSTER, IT’S BEEN REAL What comes with working as a cast member at Disney?
ELLIE JONES Features Editor
Joining the 800News staff was never originally part of my plan. Writing was never my favorite thing to do, and English was never my favorite subject. From seventh grade until Sophomore year, English was one of my most difficult subjects in school. I wouldn’t score very high on any of my papers, and I always dreaded writing, it just simply was not my forte.
well-being. Mr. VonderBruegge demonstrated these qualities from the very beginning. He made it crystal clear to us that he cared about us not just as his writers, but as people. He always wants to see us succeed, and he is always in our corner, which is so comforting during times when you think all of the odds are stacked against you. He is always extremely honest with you, whether you want to hear the truth or not. However, this is just another example of how much he cares.
The greatest piece of advice that has been given to me during my time on the Wildcat Roar staff was to always write about something that I am passionate about, and something that really interests me. This is why this class However, when Sophomore year came around, I wanted has never bored me, and I constantly get excited to write to take on a different approach to English class. I wanted stories. I am given the freedom and opportunity to write about topics that I enjoy writing about, and this makes all to ensure that I took initiative and was proactive about the difference. I have grown so much as a writer over these my grades that year. I told myself that I would invest past two years. I have both succeeded and failed, both of more into the reading material so that I would produce better writing in the long run. With the help of my teach- which caused growth in not only my writing, but my charer at the time, Mrs. Thies, mixed with my better attitude acter as well. towards writing, I was able to conquer my negative Overall, I believe that this class has contributed to who association with English class. I am today. There have been ups, downs, and everything Later that year, I ended up falling in love with writing. I in between. I am so thankful for the relationships that I was constantly going back and re-reading my own work, have created over these past two years, and grateful for the hands-on writing experience that will benefit me for a making sure I corrected any little mistake. Something changed about my writing skills, however, it was not just lifetime. It has not been perfect by any means, but I would not have traded this journalism experience for anything in the fact that my grammatical skills were substantially the world. better, but I actually cared about what I was writing. This made all of the difference in the world. In April of my Sophomore year, I received an email that I had been recommended to join the newspaper staff at Westminster the following year. This was completely out of the blue, I was not expecting this at all. As reluctant as I was at first, I decided to jump out of my comfort zone and try something new. Newspaper is always the first hour of the day. Coming in on my first day in August of my Junior year, I was extremely nervous. I had never been on a “staff” anywhere before. This was all uncharted waters for me. However, I kept an open mind, and took the opportunity head on. In any class, the teacher makes all of the difference. You can always tell if they are passionate about what they do or not, and you can always tell if they care about not just how you perform in their class, but your personal
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SPORTING
Westminster Christian Academy
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IT ALL LEADS YOU SOMEWHERE HOPE LINAM STAFF WRITER, PAWPRINT LIAISON
As cliché as it may sound, the four years of high school really have gone by fast. You always hear people tell you to enjoy your time in high school because before you know it it’s gone with the blink of an eye. And it’s not that I chose not to believe them, but I never understood what they meant until I got here. Writing this with exactly seven days left in school, I feel nothing but blessed to have walked through the halls of Westminster. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to participate in and lead Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I am thankful to have been a part of this community, specifically on the softball, basketball, and soccer teams. I am thankful to have the parents that I do and for giving me the best education I could ask for. I am thankful to have had every single one of the teachers I’ve had from freshman to senior year. I am thankful to have had the chance to meet and become friends with not only my own classmates, but upper and lower classmen that I have interacted with.
years of my life because all of it has played a part in growing me to who I am today. Once again that may sound cliché, but it’s true. The Lord has strengthened me as a person and as a believer and I truly believe that every trial, situation, or hardship we are faced with should be embraced. I may not embrace those trials initially, but by doing so it makes them a lot easier to deal with. Looking back on the past four years, so many things have changed but they all have led me here, to senior year. The stresses of getting into college, overrated. I should have listened to the advice that practically everyone told me about college and I didn’t. However, here I am wrapping up my senior year and getting ready to attend the University of Arkansas in the fall, and I can’t help but be thankful. I feel prepared to enter a secular university after years of going to Christian school because I have been challenged with some very heavy things during some very formulating years of my life. I am excited for the new in every aspect of my future, so even though the end of this chapter can be bittersweet, we all have to move on at some point, and for me that time is now.
Even though I have had many, many highs here at Westminster, I have definitely had my fair share of lows. Following my freshman year I had to adjust with my brother heading off to college Signing off for the last time, and taking on the role of an only child. Facing the effects of being Hope Linam the constant source of attention for my parents. Halfway through sophomore year covid-19 happened and we had to isolate ourselves from friends and extended family. Although the calm and change of pace that covid brought was much needed, it also brought an unprecedented two years of rules, changes, opinions, guidelines, and so much more. Covid divided and still does divide people and no one can deny that. I am thankful that Westminster still allowed for us to do in-person school junior year, but at times the restrictions were frustrating. After a while, I just wanted it all to go away and for everything to go back to normal because the mental toil that it took was not always worth it. Amidst the craziness of covid in my junior year, I also had to start thinking about college, the ACT, scholarships, blah blah blah. And it sucked. Being the perfectionist that I am and not receiving the ACT score that I wanted was crushing. It felt like in that phase of my life that all that mattered was the score. I let it define me before I even took the test and I did not know how to cope. Thankfully, I had a wiser person than myself tell me that “in the midst of the busy, don’t forget to fix your eyes on Him. Tell Him your fears and worries and lay them at His feet instead of picking them up and carrying them around with you. Lay it down and trust. And remember, no one can and should do it all - you can only juggle so much before all the balls start to fall.” So that is what I did. I laid my worries, struggles, fears, and frustrations down and I started to trust. I would not change anything that happened to me over the last four
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SIGNING OFF...
A reflection of my experience on 800 News staff. in my work as an 800Sporting writer and editor, but I have also grown in my leadership abilities toward other staff members and classmates. I have learned how to delegate tasks to others while After being a part of the Westminster student newspaper, specif- also assuming responsibilities for myself, rather than letting my ically 800Sporting, for three years, I am sad to see this chapter desire for control cause me to save all of the work for myself. come to an end. However, my writing career is just getting I am truly grateful for my time on the Westminster Newspaper started, as I have decided to major in Journalism at Belmont staff, and I am thankful for the time and energy that Mr. VonderUniversity. Bruegge has dedicated to me as both a writer and a human beWhen I first joined the first hour Newspaper class, I felt shy and ing, pushing me to step out of my comfort zone, find my voice, trust others, and leave a legacy that I am proud of. overwhelmed. There were about twenty experienced seniors, each with distinct roles and exceptional talent. As a result, I had trouble finding my own voice, and I coasted through the first semester, hiding behind game recaps and feature stories.
BROOKE HIGHMARK SPORTING EDITOR
When second semester came around, I was forced to step out of my comfort zone. Being only one of three Sporting members returning, I was essentially the only candidate for editor. For the remainder of the year, Tommy Briner, then senior editor and current Journalism major at Mizzou, took me under his wing and taught me everything I needed to know about the position. Going into the fall of my junior year, the dynamic of class completely changed. With an entirely new staff and COVID obstacles, the atmosphere was stressful. Once again, I found myself retreating back to the comfort of feature stories and mediocre recaps while reading, revising, and editing another eight or so stories every other week. Luckily, at some point in the year, Maggie Lindstrom, then junior, and Mr. VonderBruegge introduced the concept of blogs. Initially, we viewed these as burdensome--just another writing assignment to check off the list. However, over time, I learned to love them. Finally, I was challenged to find my voice and tell my story through my platform. My blogs were titled, “On and Off the Court” and centered around my good and bad experiences with the sport of basketball. Some of my stories focused on burnout, leadership, and recruiting--all topics that I’ve been confronted with for almost my entire life. Crafting these stories became genuinely enjoyable for me, and I discovered that I had a true passion and talent for writing, especially about sports. After verbally committing to play basketball at Belmont University in December of that year, I began exploring what it would look like to major in Journalism and concluded that this was the right path for me.
Photo by: Margaret Lindtsrom
This past year, as a senior, I not only have been able to find joy
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GOODBYE WESTMINSTER EVAN KOHN
STAFF WRITER Hello Westminster, Thank you sporting, I was immediately attracted to the idea of sports coverage from the time I was a kid. During the 2013 national championship game between Florida State and Auburn I was in my living room making videos at halftime giving my opinions of the game at 9 years old. Fast forward to fall 2020, Gus and I took over Sportingwca we began giving halftime updates and game final videos. Although the team went 0-4 that year in a shortened COVID season, it still sparked my interest in sports news. The next year we lost a brother in Gus Duda, but Alex Wittenauer and Jacob Brown joined. We began making weekly predictions for the football season, these videos skyrocketed our popularity and began the rise of Sportingwca. From two years ago to today we gained over 350 followers and nearly reached a thousand. his experience has made me who I am today and I can’t wait to continue my sports Journalism career at Mizzou in the fall. Goodbye Westminster.
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Photo by: Maggie Lindstrom
MY FINAL WORDS
My story and final words at Westminster Christian Academy.
ALEX WITTENAUER STAFF WRITER
Over my time at Westminster, I have learned some very valuable life lessons. Through peer counseling and many athletic teams, I have learned a lot about myself. My faith has strengthened by learning more about christianity, and learning about other worldviews in preparation for our time in college. Through my time on the swim, football, baseball, and wrestling teams, I have learned a lot about teamwork and cooperation, and I feel that I will be able to take these valuable skills and apply them later in my life. When a group of people come together with a common goal, it is amazing to see what they can accomplish. In my career at Westminster I felt that I was not gifted in writing, and there was nothing I could do about it. That was until this year, I began writing for the 800 Sporting committee at school, and I found a passion for writing. I had never been interested in writing because frankly, I did not care what I was writing about. I found that writing recaps about my friends in the sports community, and controversial sports topics were interesting to write about, and I had become passionate about my pieces of writing. I was so intrigued by this type of writing that I became almost addicted to the story and focused on making it the best I could possibly write. Going to extreme lengths to find statistics and other information on the players, I had found a type of writing that I was educated on enough to be able to express myself. Instead of writing a lousy book report on The Outsiders or Romeo and Juliet which I did not understand, I found my strength in Sporting.
Photo by: Maggie Lindstrom
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NOW AND THEN CLASS OF 2022
Where are those 7th and 8th graade athletes now?
NOLAN JONES STAFF WRITER
The class of 2022 had great athletic potential since their 7th grade year. A large group of this class has been here since 7th grade, and we have also gained and lost athletic talent that would go on to have great highschool careers. Our seventh grade year, most kids took advantage of the system that allowed kids to play two sports during the same season. Two day practices and some good scheduling allowed kids who weren’t sure about their sport to try their hand at other ones. Come eight grade year, kids are pushed to choose one sport a season to prepare for highschool where it is very rare for kids to play two sports a season. Eight grade year sports success is not always significant, but for this class the athletic potential started to present itself in eight grade.
ball teams in our area. This run includes; handing chaminade one of their biggest point deficit lost in their house in a decade, coming back from a 15 point deficit in the first period against CBC (who would later be class 6 champs), and beating Vashon on their own floor (who would also later be champs in class 4). With just looking at two of the most popular sports at our school, and the individual athletes on those teams, the class of 2022 could arguably be the most athletic class in recent history and the near future. This claim does not even take into account the individual sport athletes and athletes on all teams. But if it did take into account all the other athletes in this class, it would be a very long article. The large number of college signings which was upwards of 20, does not capture the total athleticism of the class, as some of our athletes with highest accolades aren’t pursuing college careers.
Our seventh grade football team went 5-1 and the following year went 5-0 without CBC on the schedule. Recently declared at the senior celebration last week by Coach Decker, there is now an asterisk* on the one lost. The only loss of the season was to CBC who does not have a middle school, so their team was a select football team full of kids from various schools. These middle school football teams produced athletes that would impact WCA sports history, even though the team numbers and success did not last. Middle school football teams saw a number of around 25-30 kids and only less than 15 kids returned for highschool sports. There is no doubt that if we had more than a 4 game season junior season, running back LJ Minner would have set the career rushing yards record. The eighth grade “A” basketball team was all the talk for a while. With a 1 or 2 loss season that looked like it was going to be an undefeated season, this team stole the spotlight of middle school sports news and even highschool news as they represented the future of athletics at WCA. This eighth grade team would lead to runner-up finish their junior year, and a monumental season their senior year. Although this year’s team did not bring home any hardwear this season, this team could arguably be one of the greatest teams in school history. Five of the seniors on this team all had an impact on this team’s success, all were on that eighth grade team. Those five seniors; Casen Lawren, Sam Vestal, Matt Buchanan, EJ Williams and Caleb Thompson. This team ran the gauntlet of beating some of the best basket-
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2017-2018 Eighth grade basketball team. Courtesy of 800Sporting
SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR! (2021-2022 IS OUT!)
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