800 News: The Wildcat Roar - February 2021

FEBRUARY 2021

DEPRESSION IS NOT PRETTY; STOP ROMANTICIZING IT Pg. 6

Westminster Christian Academy

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800 NEWS MANAGING EDITOR IN CHIEF MAGGIE LINDSTROM, JUNIOR

CONTENT EDITOR EMMA HARRIS, JUNIOR

CO-EDITOR OF 800SPORTING MARTYBRINER, SENIOR

CO-EDITOR OF 800SPORTING BROOKE HIGHMARK, JUNIOR

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

COLIN RING, SENIOR

EMMA SMITH, SENIOR

2 STAFF

NOLAN JONES, JUNIOR

CJ FRANCOIS, FRESHMAN

ST

STUDENTS SERVING STUDENTS

TAFF

S G S

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

MOOREA ATKINS, SENIOR

KAITLYN BUTLER, JUNIOR

SAM VESTAL, JUNIOR

STAFF WRITER BEN KNISLEY , SOPHOMORE

HOPE LINAM, JUNIOR

ELLIE JOHNSON, JUNIOR

ANAGI PIERIS, SOPHOMORE

STAFF WRITER GUS DUDA, JUNIOR

STAFF WRITER

STAFF WRITER

EVAN KOHN, JUNIOR

ELLIE JONES, JUNIOR

STAFF WRITER

ANDREW CAHILL, FRESHMAN

STAFF WRITER LAUREN BORCHELT, JUNIOR

STAFF 3

CONTENTS

FEATURE

WHY I’M STAYING LOCAL FOR COLLEGE PG. 7 WHAT IF [.....] ACTUALLY HAPPENS? PG. 9

ROMANTICIZATION OF MENTAL ILLNESS AMONG ADOLESCENTS DISTRACTS US FROM THOSE WHO TRULY NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION. PG. 10-11 MEET THE CLASS OF 2022 PG. 17-18

4 CONTENTS

OPINION

NEWS

CATS VS. DOGS

RPS RECAP

WHAT JOBS YOU CAN GET AS AN ARTIST.

WHAT IS SINGAL?

PG. 6

PG. 13

THE ART OF BUYING & RESELLING RARE SHOES PG. 14

THE ANIMAL YOU’RE WEARING WAS SKINNED ALIVE PG. 16

PG. 8

PG. 15

BLOG AD PG. 20

SPORTS

FCA’S IMPACT PG. 22 SAFER AT HOME...TO AVOID CONTACT TRACING PG. 23 WCA ATHLETES WON’T LET INJURIES DEFINE THEM PG. 22 WILDCAT SHOOTOUT CHAMPIONS PG. 23 COMEBACK KIDS IN OUT PG. 24 FOUR FEWER WRESTLERS WILL GET THEIR SHOT THIS YEAR PG. 25 JACK POWERS: IVY LEAGUE BOUND PG. 26 WESTMINSTER SWIM TEAM DOMINATES AT CONFERENCE MEET PG. 27 MARTY PARTY PG. 28 WESTMINSTER SPORTS NETWORK MAKING A DIFFERENCE PG. 29

CONTENTS

STAFF ED

STAFF ED

THE SNOW NEVER STOPS! As many of you know, these past two weeks have been a little crazy for everyone. With the snow coming down and giving us two days off and a day of online learning, alongside our other planned days off, it has been a little tough to keep the hard working momentum up. I know this, because me being a student, I have been feeling tired and wanting more days off. But I have realized something: It is productive to have a few days off now and then to prevent burn out of school. But too many days too close together leaves us with a lack of motivation and more of a tiredness or slowness.

In these “And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:13.

The call of the Lord has not gotten tired. It is not that we are called to never get tired, but never tire from the good. I know that school at many times does not seem good, but we have school for a purpose. It’s a place to go and build relationships, a place to learn about God’s beautiful and wonderful creation. School is not always easier or fun, but that is life. That is the world we are going out into, we need to learn from getting tired and understand that it is alright to have a rest, but there are days that we need to get back on our feet and work. We need to trust in the Lord and know both that he is doing things we cannot see and understand that everything has a purpose.- even when it does not seem purposeful. So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, we shall never tire from the good. I wish you luck as spring break begins to close in on us. Use your break for good and enjoy the time off, but come back with more motivation to finish school strong.

Sincerely, Maggie Lindstrom, Managing Editor In Chief and the rest of 800 news!

STAFF EDITORIAL 5

CATS OR DOGS?

Dogs, on the other hand, are seen as dependent and loyal and always ready to please - the ultimate best friend. In our house, the mere mention of the word, “walkies” generates a wagging tail and excited dog, even if she had just been sound asleep. Once trained, a dog is a beautiful thing. They are loyal companions, great walking companions, a great asset to your home security system (even if they bark at Bambi). There are There’s a big question that has been in debate for decades, and everyone seems to have lots of social things for dogs and dog owners to do together. On the practical side of a different opinion: cats or dogs? But what are the facts and reasons for each side of the dogs, they do require walks and outside time in any weather and multiple times a day. argument? Why would one person choose cats over dogs, or dogs over cats? Is it the Also, depending on the size, a large dog can be a more expensive animal to feed.

LAUREN BORCHELT Staff Writer

way they were raised, or what animal they grew up with, or is it simply based on their love for one or the other?

So how do you ultimately compare the two royals of the domestic pet world? In America, 67% of households currently have at least one pet. Of those, 53% Most people, when asked about cats, react passionately one way or the other. Maybe have dogs and 35.7% have cats. Most of the dog owning households have one dog they met a cat at a friend or family’s home, and the cat lashed out and reacted negativelywhile the average of the cat owning households have 2 cats. Missouri is one of the top which scared the person. The reason for this could be for a lot of reasons. First of all, ten dog-owning states in the country. Statistics are grand but that still doesn’t tell us people don’t know how to react to cats if they’ve never met one before. A small animal which is better. Our house has both (four cats and one dog plus an endless stream of is taking a nap quietly, and all of the sudden a big human comes up to it with big scary foster kittens). Some homes have none. Which is better? The answer is up to your own preference. Do you need a lower maintenance snuggler? Get an adult lap cat. Do you hands coming at its face. That can scare the cat and cause them to get startled and defensive. Cats can also react badly if they were abused in their life. My cat, for example,want a high energy walking buddy? Get a border collie. Are you allergic to everything? was abused when she was a kitten, and does not readily trust people other than our Get a fish. Above all, do your research about dog breeds and cat behavior. The scary family. Another way they could see cats badly is if they are in public/outside, and meet stories you hear and possibly experience about “bad” animals so often come from a feral cat. Feral cats are typically wild; wild cats have no trust in humans and they only animals who have had bad experiences with people. think in fight or flight mode.

Go to the shelter and meet with the animals and find the fit that is right for you. This In the same way, people can see dogs in these similar situations and also then see all is your companion, your family and your responsibility. The pet you find can be the greatest gift to you and you can be the best gift to them! dogs as scary and viscous animals. Dogs can be different in a few ways. One way is some dogs are much larger than cats. They can be the size of a human and therefore human hands aren’t as scary as they would be to small dogs or cats. A lot of people can also be frightened of dogs because of their size or aggressive bark that can be startling to someone who does not own or know much about dogs. Some dogs aren’t trained, making them seem more aggressive or hostile, and that can scare many people.

In both the cat and dog scenarios above, most of the reasons for fear stem from the animals and humans having bad interactions in the past. As one heavily involved in animal welfare, it is imperative that any animal be well socialized and trained. Yes, even cats can be trained to have decent manners. A well trained animal is a well liked animal. Further, an animal who has been exposed to people, love, handling and positive social interactions from an early age will be most often be a well socialized and likeable animal. We have two big, black cats who have been well-socialized since they were bottle fed and people who insist that they hate cats find themselves smiling even just a little when Bart and Lance come around.

Cats are commonly seen as independent, mean, untrainable animals who don’t care about people. While I cannot speak on behalf of all cats, I can however say this is not always the case. Cats can be trained-in face three of my cats sit, do high fives, come when called, and jump on command. In my experience, cats DO care about people.

They are always with me when I am not feeling well and are vocal and interactive with us- indicating when they want affection, attention, to play or to eat. Indeed, cats can be more aloof and do choose when they want to be affectionate. Theirs is a more subtle form of attention and affection but it is still sincere. On a practical level, there is no walking or letting out required, but there is still the issue of litter box cleaning. Cats are more independent and can be left alone for longer periods of time.

Photo By: Lauren Borchelt

6 OPINION

WHY I’M STAYING LOCAL FOR COLLEGE MOOREA ATKINS Staff Writer

every once in a while! It’s not that I’m nervous about making it on my Starting my college search was really hard, as it is for nearly everyone. own, but I do like it here. I like being familiar with people and places.

I had no idea what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, or even where If I’m being honest, I really don’t like change all that much. The idea of to start. I remember the thought of college seemed so overwhelming moving out of town is just not something I’m looking for yet. And for until I did some careful thought and consideration. Without further ado, anyone else like me, that’s perfectly okay. here’s three things that helped me decide why staying local was the So logically I have chosen a university nearby. One right across the best option for me. street from my high school, in fact: Maryville University. I plan to study a combination of art and technology (Interactive Design) there, Location and to be quite honest I couldn’t be more excited. Looking at colleges The first thing that I thought about was if I wanted to leave Missouri. can be really difficult, but I think if you are honest with yourself and what you want, you can narrow your options down quickly. There are While the thought of leaving for another state does sound fun on many great options out there, you just have to decide what is best for one level, another part of me doesn’t want to leave. I’ve been lucky enough to have traveled to many places across the country, yet every you. time, after a couple weeks on the road, I wanted to go back home to the familarness of the Lou. St. Louis is great because it does have quite a few colleges nearby like Webster, Maryville, or Lindenwood. Even as you go out of the city, some great state schools are only a few hours away like Truman, Mizzou, or Missouri State.

Student Debt Loans I knew pretty much immediately that paying off student debt loans years after college was something I did not want to do. So that meant I had to figure out how I could reduce the cost, and that’s where I realized the genius of staying local. In-state tuition is very affordable in most state schools, but I had already decided I wasn’t interested in state schools. After some research I realized room and board can be expensive.

Commuting to a school closeby can reduce costs dramatically, so I’m opting to commute at least for my first year.

Personality Ok, here me out here - I enjoy staying put

A couple reasons why I’ve decided to stay local for college, and some things to think about when you begin your own college search. IIllstration by: Moorea

Atkins

OPINION 7

ROCK PAPER SCISSORS TOURNAMENT RECAP ANAG PIERIS Staff Writer

The contestants, Mr. Rohlfing, A.V. team, and Student Council (STUCO) put a lot of time into this production to raise school spirit. “The Rock Paper Scissors tournament was the biggest tournament that I have experienced as a rock paper scissors player. Everyone who was there deserved to be there”, said Kaitlyn Mann, a sophomore, who represented the 10th grade in the tournament. The Rock Paper Scissors (RPS) Tournament aired the week of January 25-29, with a combination of live and recorded elements. Due to the flexibility of the game, any student was welcome to participate and see where the wins and losses would take them. “It was really fun to be there because the audience got really into it and started cheering for their favorites. It was a way bigger extent than I expected and really cool.” said Abby Johler, a junior who worked in the Audio Visual Team during the event. The winner, seventh grader Miranda Barnes, also earned a in addition to a specially crafted rock-paper-scissors trophy to commemorate the accomplishment. In addition to a surprise invitation for those who lost the preliminary rounds, even more of the WCA student body directly participated in the event by filling out prediction brackets for the tournament, the most accurate of which earned $50 for the student. Ultimately, Gavin Tonkin, eighth grader, Evan Kohn,, eleventh grader, and Andrew Gorline, ninth grader, , outlasted the competition for second place, third place, and fourth place, respectively. Finally, congratulations for first place go to Miranda Barnes, seventh grader. Thanks to all of the effort put in behind the scenes to make the RPS Tournament a success, one can only imagine the amazing productions to come!

Photo by: Anagi Pieris

8 NEWS

WHAT IF [...] ACTUALLY HAPPENS? ANAGI PIERIS Staff Writer

Ear-piercing alarms come to life at every corner: Atterntion! There is an intruder in the building. Please evacuate the building or hide and be prepared to defend yourself if necessary. There are no adults in sight.

It is after school. What are you supposed to do? For many students, the school drills were regarded as nothing more than a safety net or inconveniences we could all do better off without, until an accidental intruder alarm went off several weeks ago, and the theoretical suddenly became very tangible.

Clearly, COVID-19 modified many school traditions, however Westminster Christian Academy (abbreviated to WCA) remains just as committed to developing school preparedness for emergencies like intruders, fires, and tornadoes safely. For instance, here at WCA, all visitors are still required to sign in/out, every entrance is locked from the outside during the school day, and an anonymous tip line is available for reporting any concerns. Officer DeWitt, the resident security officer at WCA, draws upon 33 years of experience to protect the school and students.

“You are safe here...you don’t have to worry...I and everybody else in the building really takes safety seriously and we don’t want you to be fearful for your safety here. [Secondly,} be aware of your surroundings: if you see something wrong happening or if you think something wrong is going to happen, don’t be afraid to say something,“ said Officer Dewitt. Currently, 80% of American schools prepare for potential tornados, fires, or armed intruderds with a permanent trained law enforcement officer besides the customary drillls. Polce officers in schools deter most incidences of violent crime and already 35% of American K-12 schools have adopted security resource officers or some variation therof.

Generally, all the drills practiced are equally urgent and need to be taken seriously. “[W]e do the drills so we can put our plans in practice, in a practice kind of environment where nerves aren’t so high, and you know, when your adrenaline is high, your cognitive ability is diminished...hopefully [you can] commit some of those practices to memory without really having to think much on them,” said Officer DeWitt

already gained.

During emergencies, a student’s role is to obey their teacher’s instructions promptly and in the meantime, to focus on academic studies. Ideally, a ‘hear nothing, see nothing’ mindset will be just as foreign as neglecting schoolwork in favor of indulging speculation.

At the same time, should students actually find themselves confronted with a suspicious incongruity, the more details provided about people, places, and names, the better.

While some may wonder why school-wide drills are even necessary, crowd-sourced tipline information is a crucial preventative measure one can take for the protection of such a massive campus and student body. Using the WCA website link, students can share concerns anonymously knowing every tip is investigated and contributes to the continued safety of Westminster. In the end, while they must be adequately prepared for the potentialities we anticipate in school drills, students need not permit the remote possibility of a worst case scenario to infringe unduly on their peace of mind.

ARMED INTRUDER RESPONSE A GUIDE TO SURVIVING A LETHAL THREAT

RUN

HIDE

FIGHT

CALL 911 WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO

ACT AGGRESSIVELY

INCAPACITATE THE SHOOTER

THROW OBJECTS

YELL AND CALL FOR HELP

Worry about unanticipated disasters or security breaches is natural, but it is important to remember the relative peace and security our nation ARMED INTRUDER RESPONSE GUIDE enjoys was bought in blood precisely to insure that future citizens may “There’s always something to be learned from any kind of drill, or false alarm in this case, or even from real situations, be able to thrive and live without fear. Dwelling on ‘what if’s’ of the [these] were no different,” said Officer DeWitt. Illustrated future defeats the purpose and diminishes the value of what we have by Officer DeWitt WHEN SAFE, CALL 911 TEACHERS AND STAFF USE SCHOOLGUARD TO SEND/RECEIVE UPDATES

GIVE INFO TO THE OPERATOR

FOLLOW POLICE OFFICER’S INSTRUCTIONS

SHOW POLICE YOUR EMPTY OPEN HANDS

FEATURE 9

DEPRESSION IS NOT PRETTY; STOP ROMANTICIZING IT

KAITLYN BUTLER Staff Writer

There exists a major difference between the ordinary, human experience of negative emotion and disordered thinking and “Suicidal people are just angels ready to come home.” functioning. These responses per se to typical hardships— namely, grief of the loss of a loved one, butterflies before an “Her eyes ran out of tears so she forced her skin to cry inimportant job interview, disappointment after unexpected stead.” results, or even low self-esteem—do not meet the standard for psychiatric mental illness. More often than not, they “It hurts, but it’s okay… I’m used to it.” pass after a reasonable amount of time, while conditions like major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder These quotes are not hard to come by scrolling through Insta- (GAD), bipo“Statistics show that, over the gram or Pinterest. Just sad teenage angst, right? Embodied in lar disorder, dimly lit, black and white photos with beautiful gloomy cap70% increase in self-harm post-traumattions, shared and liked by adolescents who feel they can relate ic stress disin a period of two years (selfha with the torment of depression, anxiety, or trauma. order (PTSD), of teens who reported a Majo or obsesThe problem? This is not depression. This is not anxiety. This sive-compulincreased by 37% and the num is not trauma. sive disorder inpatients after cutting thems (OCD) must I do not mean to downplay patients who truly suffer with have persist- 285% (Schrobsdorff,2016) (Cam these issues; in fact, my intention is the opposite—to raise ed for a time bers declare a need for asse awareness about the implications and consequences of glamparticular to orizing mental illness and how it influences consumers of such the illness urge for an academically base “depressing” media. As someone with multiple psychological in order for the unmonitored glamoriza diagnoses, on behalf of everyone else who has sat in the a trained psychiatrist’s office desperate for a solution: it is ignorant and psychiatrist health disorders on social m disrespectful to glorify what has damaged us for the sake of to give a diagpainting your natural, teenage, human sadness as something nosis. beautiful.

Anxiety, for example, is actually a normal and beneficial exOn various social media platforms, mental illness is displayed perience that signals the brain’s fight-or-flight response when through poetry or art with the claimed purpose of removing danger arises; anxiety is disordered when the patient sufstigma or reaching out to others who deal with the same fers persistent and debilitating worry, often from situations hardships. The flowery quotes, aesthetically-pleasing artwork, that typically do not warrant a fearful response, according or even engaging television dramas draw a dangerous kind of to the APA. When symptoms such as shortness of breath, positive attention to eating disorders, forms of depression and insomnia, palpitations, fatigue, appetite changes, or difficulty anxiety, and self-harm. concentrating on anything but the anxiety impede one’s daily life and functioning, a licensed psychiatrist can then make a proper diagnosis (hence the term “disorder”).

But this strays far from the grave reality of these illnesses— life-threatening, medical illnesses.

What we see in the media disregards the gravity of these illnesses and instead beautifies them—depression without According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the crushing weight of waking up every morning, anxiety mental disorders are recognizable by “sustained patterns of without the terrifying inability to breathe, OCD without symptoms that negatively affect a person’s behavior, cognithe torment of the never-ending compulsion cycle, eating tion, or emotional balance. […] For a person’s symptoms to disorders without the resulting serious mental and physical be considered clinically significant, they must interfere with deterioration. We surround them with an aura of delicacy, a the person’s academic, professional, or social activities to a beautiful fragility, wistful helplessness, a glamorous tragesubstantial degree” (“Mental Disorders”). Medical emotional dy—arguably a crucifixion complex. disorders must cause disarray in one’s thoughts or feelings in order to have been correctly labeled, and any state falling short of “disorder” cannot be rightly diagnosed.

10 OPINION

But the misleading “portrayal of depression as hauntingly beautiful or suicide as poetically tragic” can often invalidate the crippling pain experienced daily by teen sufferers of mental illness (Buonomo). Normalizing anxiety or depression by reducing it to conditional sadness or worry only furthers the stigma surrounding seeking professional help.

It increases the gap between adolescent patients and their community, discouraging them from confiding in a trusted adult or reaching out for clinical assistance. And it inaccurately displays their illness as a typical teenage emotionally unstable cry for attention.

Researchers at the University of Lebanon conducted interviews with various students to uncover the harmful effects of social over the last decade, there was a media posts that romantielf-harm in 10 to 14-year-olds cally portray ars (selfharm.co.uk). The number depression, ed a Major Depressive Episode self-harm, and eating nd the number of girls treated as disorders. ng themselves has increased by According to their 016) (Campbell,2016). Such num- report, the teens labeled Illustration by: Kaitlyn Butler d for assessment as well as an the artistic ally based resolution addressing depictions of mental illness glamorization of some mental as “aesthetic” n social media” (Jadayel et. al). yet reacted with fearful hesitation to real photos of, for example, self-harm: note the glamorization. And one participant, a nineteen year old diagnosed with major depressive disorder, explained that “the seemingly deep and poetic imagery on social media definitely contributed to aggravating [his] mental health problem” (Jadayel et. al). It encourages sadness, isolation, and hopelessness. It directly encourages that which has kept suicide as the second leading cause of death among adolescents.

“I found lots of pictures, specifically drawings which depicted mainly depression and self-harm. And that’s how I was driven to suicidal thoughts. The pictures were all driving me to believe Open dialogue about mental and emotional health is of ut- that I was alone and that I most importance, but we must be sure to approach it in the correct and effective way. Acknowledge the validity of those didn’t belong socially. The who fight a daily uphill battle against their own brain and seemingly deep and poetdirect them to seek help, but do not downplay the gravity of their illness as if it were a teenager’s artistic effort to seek ic imagery on social media attention. Otherwise, the ravaging fire of the beautified illnesses will only continue to burn and consume as the media definitely contributed to agwillingly feeds it. Let us take concrete steps to manage and extinguish the flame—to save our teenagers. gravating my mental health problem.”

OPINION 11

WHICH ANIME HEROES WOULD WIN IN A FIGHT? THE DYNAMIC DUOS FROM MY HERO ACADEMIA AND HUNTER X HUNTER GO HEAD TO HEAD ELLIE JOHNSON Staff Writer Anime is a beloved type of television that originates from Japan, yet it is rather popular in the U.S. as well. Two of the most popular anime are MHA (My Hero Academia) and HxH (Hunter x Hunter), and both include fighting as a central component. It would be a curious endeavor to compare the strong main characters and hypothesize who would win in a fight. To do this, we must first understand the main power sets of each fighter. They will be analyzed based on their anime television show appearances, not their entire manga.

To begin, Izuku Midoriya is the main protagonist of My Hero Academia with his famous quirk ‘One For All.’ Quirks are what they call powers in the MHA universe. One For All allows him to stockpile an enormous amount of raw power, allowing him to significantly enhance all of his physical abilities to a superhuman level. This results in unbelievable levels of strength, speed, agility, and durability. Having the ability to control how much power he gives off and in what part of his body, Midoriya’s powers are very versatile. However, of the four fighters, he is the least practiced with his abilities. He also is extremely well educated in battle strategies and has a talent for creating plans and analyzing his opponents.

Also from MHA, the second member of team one, Katsuki Bakugo, has an explosion quirk. This allows him to secrete sweat from the palms of his hands and ignite it on command, creating powerful explosions. Unlike Midoriya, Bakugo has a very strong grasp on his quirk’s applications. He can use his power offensively, defensively as a shield, and even harness his explosions to propel himself through the air extremely quickly. His one flaw is that he grows angry often and can disregard his plan or act irrationally.

and Bakugo who learned in a school. However, Gon is very naive and reckless, getting himself way in over his head in many situations.

Lastly, Killua Zoldyck has countless abilities that make him one of the most powerful hunters in the HxH world. He is a well trained assassin who has been trained since birth to take up the Zoldyck household and be the best assassin in the world. Aside from all of his assassin abilities, he uses Nen as well, harnessing electricity with it that he uses in various ways, including Godspeed, a state in which he stimulates his nervous system and increases his speed drastically, even though he already was extremely quick. Out of all four fighters, Killua easily has the most experience by far. The only flaw is Killua’s attachment to Gon and how his electric powers can drain rather quickly.

Both pairs of heroes are extremely powerful and have fascinating skill sets and powers, but if they were put head to head who would come out on top? After analyzing each character’s skills, it would likely be Gon and Killua that would be victorious. Their usage of Nen and well-paired abilities would be too much for the MHA duo to handle. It would be suspected that Gon would go up against Midoriya as they have similar skill sets, and it would be a very tight battle. While they fight, Killua would dispose of Bakugo rather quickly with his insane speed and assassin techniques; although, Bakugo could put up a fight if he did not let Killua get close enough to him to rip his heart out, which is one of Killua’s most efficient moves to kill an opponent that he learned during his assassin training. Nevertheless, Killua would then move on to help Gon and, with both Gon and Killua working together, it would be unlikely for Midoriya to pull out a win.

Next, the first member of team two, Gon Freecss, has many abilities, including enhanced senses, stealth, and physicality, as well as the ability to use Nen. Nen is the ability to harness one’s life energy in various ways, which he uses to enhance his physical abilities. When a normal person is attacked with Nen they will die very easily, but for the purposes of this conversation this will not apply to people with quirks. He has a very large amount of wins under his belt in combat considering his quick ascent to the 200th floor of Heaven’s Arena. In comparison to Midoriya and Bakugo, Hunter x Hunter vs My Hero Acadamia art. Image by: Ellie Gon has been given more opportunities to truly fight in the real world and Johnson has learned what works for him through trial and error, unlike Midoriya

12 OPINION

ARE THERE JOBS FOR ARTISTS? EMMA SMITH staff writter

We have all seen the modern art that sells for a million dollars to a museum near you. But that’s not every artist’s fate. Only a few artists get their work in museums. So what about everyone else?

Some of the most successful jobs for artists are in illustration, and graphic design. In the age of technology, technological or digital art is successful. Digital art is a wide range- it can be anything from drawing with a stylus instead of a pencil to photoshop. A good example of digital art would be animated movies where characters are drawn out on computers.

ever seen a business logo that’s graphic design.if you have ever seen a truck with pictures on it thats graphic design.

Graphic design jobs include package designer, web designer, and user interface. Package design involves designing the packages in which brands put their products. As companies will always be Packaging their products it’s a solid job with a solid pay. Web design is graphics designed to be viewed on an electronic device. It’s extremely competitive and the pay does not match the skill level it requires. User interface involves making sure that the final product of an app, website, or software is pleasing to the eye. This job has a significantly higher pay than the other jobs in graphic design, but takes a lot of work.

Illustration is a great option for people who love to draw.

Both Graphic Design and illustration give artists a wide range of job Illustration gives more creative freedom than graphic design opportunities. It just depends on what you want to do. because it allows you to create your own characters. I’m not saying that an illustrator doesn’t have to follow the request of their client, but they can easily but their own signature twist on their art. The job of an illustrator is to take a client’s idea and put it into picture form. They can capture an idea while still incorporating a bit of their style. Illustration is mostly about telling a story through art. Sometimes illustrators tell their own stories and sometimes they tell their clients stories. A career in illustration can be extremely competitive. There are a lot of different paths you can take. For example, courtroom illustrators are not often played much, but as their job is to chronicle court Proceedings it is important they have a degree. On the other hand, comic book illustrators make a lot more money, but the business is extremely competitive. A job in illustration takes a lot of work, however a successful illustrator can make a lot of money.

Graphic design is better for people who enjoy typography, which is kinda like arranging letters and print, and lettering.

Unlike illustration graphic design is not about drawing, or painting. It’s About neat, organized and aesthetically pleasing images. Graphic design is often used by businesses. If you have

Illustration by: Emma Smith

OPINION 13

THE ART OF BUYING AND RESELLING RARE SHOES

CJ FRANCOIS Staff Writer

Many people have very rare and expensive shoes, but where do they get them?

Shoes: to many, just two things on your feet but, to some people, they are a whole business. The shoe industry is always booming because of a high demand for rare shoes. Many musical artists want to buy these shoes, so that they can wear them in their music videos, or out in public. Shoes are a huge statement in the music world, because many of the shoe brands know people who are an artist that buys their shoes.

Rare shoes are not just bought by music artists, however. Normal people can sometimes buy these rare shoes on websites. Some people know people who can get them these rare shoes.

They buy them for a low price and resell them for a higher price to make money.

They usually only do this with rare or hard to find shoes. Rare shoe brands include Nike, Adidas, Yeezy, and Louis Vutton. Prices for these shoes can climb to over 1,000 dollars.

But how do the sellers get these shoes? Some wait in line on the release date of the shoes and some get them from executives that work at whatever shoe brand they work at. The executive may sell them to the buyer for a good price if they want quick money. This is how the seller makes a profit. Most, however, buy them off of websites like eBay, StockX, or Flight Club. These websites are huge in the shoe industry. Websites like Flight Club have non-negotiable prices. Ebay and StockX have prices that can be talked down from the asking price. They bid on the shoe until the buyer and seller agree on the price. If they don’t agree on the price, the seller does not sell the shoe and waits for a more profitable offer.

Illustration by: Emma Harris

the shoes and some get them from executives that work at whatever shoe brand they work at. The executive may sell them to the buyer for a good price if they want quick money. This is how the seller makes a profit. Most, however, buy them off of websites like eBay, StockX, or Flight Club. These websites are huge in the shoe industry. Websites like Flight Club have non-negotiable prices. Ebay and StockX have prices that can be talked down from the asking price. They bid Overall, shoe sales are a pretty successful business. Everyone wants shoes that on the shoe until the buyer and seller agree on the price. If they don’t agree on are comfortable or look the part, so buying and reselling rare shoes is a pretty the price, the seller does not sell the shoe and waits for a more profitable offer. easy way to make money quickly. It does take skill, though. You must know how to give someone a fair deal, while still making a steady profit. If you are buying Overall, shoe sales are a pretty successful business. Everyone wants shoes that the shoe, it’s important to know the retail price of the shoe. If it’s an unfair price, are comfortable or look the part, so buying and reselling rare shoes is a pretty don’t bother trying to buy it. This is why you should use caution when selling and easy way to make money quickly. It does take skill, though. You must know how to give someone a fair deal, while still making a steady profit. If you are buying buying shoes. the shoe, it’s important to know the retail price of the shoe. If it’s an unfair price, don’t bother trying to buy it. This is why you should use caution when selling and Rare shoes are not just bought by music artists, however. Normal people can sometimes buy these rare shoes on websites. Some people know people who buying shoes. can get them these rare shoes.

They buy them for a low price and resell them for a higher price to make money.

They usually only do this with rare or hard to find shoes. Rare shoe brands include Nike, Adidas, Yeezy, and Louis Vutton. Prices for these shoes can climb to over 1,000 dollars.

But how do the sellers get these shoes? Some wait in line on the release date of

14 NEWS

THE END OF WHATSAPP AS WE KNOW IT

over to Signal.

Duffy also explained that Signal has collected financial investments from the incredibly wealthy CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk. This immediately boosted their company, along with making a name for themselves. However, ELLIE JONES everything new and improves does not come without its glitches. “On Staff Writer Thursday, Signal tweeted that verification codes for new user sign-ups Privacy: an aspect to life that every individual values over most anything might be delayed ‘because so many new people are trying to join Signal else. That feeling of security, and knowing what you want to stay private right now (we can barely register our excitement),’” said Duffy. Furtherwill most definitely stay private. Recently, Signal, a messaging app, was more, Signal ended this fluke promptly, and were soon on their way of released by famous security researcher Moxie Marlinspike and roboticist receiving more and more incoming customers.

Stuart Anderson. Marlinspike is the current CEO of the app along with Brian Acton, the co-founder of WhatsApp, another similar application to Although a new app, Signal is an abrupt punch in the face to WhatsApp. Signal. Acton made the decision to depart from the WhatsApp team back You cannot mess around with privacy. If people believe in the slightest in 2017, and decided to use his genius energy into Signal. According to that their information is not possibly being kept private, you better bethe Indian Express, Acton has invested over 50 million into this modern lieve they are going to jump ship quickly. This is the fault of WhatsApp for creation. posting confusing messages about their terms of service. Privacy cannot be questioned.

According to journalist Clare Duffy, for CNN Business, “...people are increasingly concerned with safeguarding their private information.

Why do people even care about privacy anyway? There are countless However, this particular bump in Signal’s usership comes in the wake reasons. Individuals are more concerned with the possible effects of confusion over an updated terms of service notification from Faceof not having privacy. What kind of confidential information could be book-owned encrypted messaging service WhatsApp.” By definition, leaked if certain data was not kept in the dark? The consequence could when information is encrypted, it scrambles itself until it reaches the be debilitating if the wrong person’s information became known to correct person. No one that is not supposed to can view the message. the public. Besides, everyone should be given the right of privacy and This ensures that the data is kept secret and out of the hands of the solitude. Obviously users began to not feel their data was not being kept wrong person. Numerous customers are baffled due to the so-called “imprivate anymore, even if they were just confused on what the new policy proved” terms of service regarding WhatsApp. Instead possibly putting consisted of, why take a chance when Signal is absolutely going to keep their privacy at risk, they have instead turned all of their security issues everything 100% private?

Illustration by: MaggieLindstrom

OPINION 15

THE ANIMAL YOU’RE WEARING WAS SKINNED ALIVE EMMA HARRIS Content Editor

A rabbit receives a strike to its skull before she is shackled by her back legs and hung upside down, where her throat is then slit and she is skinned. A racoon is slammed into the ground in effort to kill it and, even though the attempt was futile and the creature remains conscious, it is skinned. A fox is beaten to death with clubs so that a man or woman might adorn his skin as some trendy scarf, hat, or gloves. It sounds like it comes from some twisted dystopian novel, doesn’t it? It breaks my heart to tell you that every single one of these descriptions are incredibly real, non-isolated, and happening at this very moment, taken straight from an article by Human Society International, “The Fur Trade.”

If you’re thinking all of this is too cruel and outrageous to believe, if you think I’m exaggerating, if you think these articles are distorting the facts in any way for shock value, go look it up yourself; one quick google search will bring up hundreds of photos- videos, even- of the abuse and violent slaughters of these innocent animals. The innocent animals brutally sacrificed for the sake of something that is, at the end of the day, completely and utterly meaningless. They’re not going to be used as vital food, but consumeristic trends. This issue doesn’t need any shock value added to it; it speaks for itself. Fur farming is a disgusting, vile, depraved monstrosity that uses downright cruelty and torture to produce what exactly? Trendy clothing? A nice rug? A smal, cutesy bobble on the top of your winter hat?

It is sickening how this goes on, and not only goes on, but isn’t banned in some countries, meaning the barbaric mistreatment and slaughter of

There are many different methods of execution, all of them creatively cruel and disturbing; to say that they are inhumane is an understatement.

Snakes, for example, are blown up like balloons, starved so that their skin these animals receives no punishment and invokes no consequences. doesn’t stretch, and hung up like the clothes they’ll soon be in order to be There is nothing stopping these people from continuing their atrocious acskinned. Due to their incredibly slow metabolism, they are still able to feeltions besides morals some people clearly don’t possess. In the U.S., states are not required to ban it, and only California does. In China, Canada, the pain of being skinned, even if they are killed beforehand.

Russia, and a shocking amount more, fur farming is also allowed.

It’s not only the deaths of the animals that are heinous, but their lives and days leading up to their slaughter. They suffer, crammed into small So how can we fix this? Do not buy or wear any fur or snakeskin- even if cages where they are trapped and confined for their whole lives, unable it was your great grandmother’s and the damage has already been done (by wearing it you could be subconsciously promoting and normalizing it). to take more than a few steps back and forth. Not only is being contained like this miserable, but the close conditions make parasites and Do not buy from companies that don’t have an explicit no fur policy- this diseases spread through the animals like a wildfire. Animals will have information will be accessible online. Finally, you can sign petitions to broken bones that go untreated, their tails chopped off, and sometimes make this blatant abuse illegal and punishable. Don’t let this continue. will either be suffocated or crushed to death while being transferred between locations. None of the animals are properly fed or hydrated. All of them live with “fear, stress, disease, parasites, and other physical and psychological hardships,” states the PETA article “Inside the Fur Industry: Factory Farms.”

Even faux fur coats aren’t safe to buy. You think you’re buying a faux fur coat, but even if the clothing is labeled as so, some retailers lie and say the fur is faux when in reality it isn’t. What more, you might think you’re buying something like mink skin or faux fur, but you could be wearing a skinned puppy or cat. Yes, that’s right, a skinned puppy or cat. In Southern China, dogs and cats are used in fur farming, and in 2005, PETA uncovered a trade and discovered that some of the dogs and cats “had been on the road for days, transported in flimsy wire-mesh cages with no food or water. Animals were packed so tightly into cages that they could not move” (“Inside the Fur Industry: Factory Farms,” PETA.org).

16 FEATURE

Animals are slaughtered for the sake of fashion. Illustration by: Emma Harris

WINNER VS SKILL

versity of Toledo in college and was the 22nd pick in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft.

In 2017 as a rookie, Hunt led the league in rushing yards and was a pro bowler. That year DREW CAHILL the Chiefs were eliminated in the playoffs by the Tennessee Titans in the wild card round.

Staff Writer Kareem was a top tier running back again in 2018 until he was released by the Chiefs. He Having skill does not always mean you are a winner. A lot of the time skill and winning would have probably been a top five running back, at least a top 10 that year. Again the goes hand in hand, but not always. There are many players that had amazing stats, yet Chiefs were eliminated in the playoffs, this time by the Patriots. After being released by they failed to win. There are also players, and even teams that may not have skill, but the Chiefs, Hunt became a backup running back for the Cleveland Browns. they win.

The Yankees have had a huge payroll for a long time. This means that they have had the Many players like Lebron James, Micheal Jordan, Tom Brady, and Babe Ruth all have most expensive people on their team. In other words, the Yankees have had teams of huge skill for years and years. Since 2009, the Yankees payroll has been in the top three highest skill. They have won awards like league MVP and are current or future Hall of Fame athletes. They also have won multiple championships and playoff games. Winning and payrolls every year except for one year. Yet they have not won a world series since 2009. skill can go together but there are some examples of teams and players that are one or They have built teams on great players with plenty of skill, but they haven’t cared too much about playing well as a team. They were great for years, and now they are declining the other. as an organization.

Russell Westbrook, a 9 time all star basketball player, has averaged a triple double for three seasons, a double double for one season, and now is close to averaging a triple double this season with the Wizards. This means that Westbrook has averaged over 10 points per game, over 10 assists per game, and over 10 rebounds per game for three seasons, and averaged over 10 points and over ten assists for one season. Yet Russell has never won an NBA finals. Furthermore, each year that he averaged a triple double, his team didn’t make it past the first round of the playoffs, because all Russell wants is to have the best stats, he doesn’t care so much about winning.

Sometimes teams may not have a lot of skill, but they want to win. We have seen this a lot at the college level during march madness. Teams like UMBC have beaten the top teams without skillful players. In 1986, 14 seed Cleveland State beat the three seed Indiana Hoosiers. Cleveland State did not have players with skill, but they wanted to win and they knew that Indiana thought this game would be easy.

These paragraphs prove that skill does not mean winning, and winning does not mean skill.

Kareem Hunt was an exceptional player for the Kansas City Chiefs. He could catch well for a running back and he was very agile and athletic. He played football for The Uni-

FEATURE 17 Illustration by: Maggie Lindstrom

MEET THE CLASS OF 2022 ELLIE JONES Staff Writer

Photo by: Ellie Jones

Madison Doehring, this is her 4th year at the academy, starting in 8th grade. She mostly enjoys traveling to new places and being active with friends and family. For those of you who are not familiar with her, swimming is her forte. She began to swim during the summer before entering Westminster. She only swam for her club team for one year, then realized it was too big of a commitment combined with the other sports she was involved in at the time. These days, she exerts her sole focus in the pool, and enjoys most of her time there. “Personally, I love the team aspect the most, as well as being able to be challenged and pushed for better times in my races. I love the coaches and my teammates and the team environment that swimming offers is pretty hard to beat,” said Doehring.

Photo by: Ellie Jones

Emma Yost, the entrepreneur herself. She is one of three siblings, both of which attend the academy. Nora 7th, and Grace, senior. Over quarantine, Emma and her three sisters created a Christian based family business called June + Co. They run their mini company solely from Instagram, and in September, KSDK wrote an article covering their business and the story behind it. The jewelry is stunning, and the best part about it is that it is incredibly affordable. Emma has always been interested in entrepreneurship and marketing, and hopes this ring business is a great starter for what is to come in the future. “I would love to live in Europe. It’s full of art and beauty in the architecture! I’ve always wanted to travel a lot, so I would love to visit many different places,” Said Yost. She has a fascination with the outdoors and hiking, many of her friends would describe her as adventurous and eager to explore.

LJ Minner, star player of the football team. From the age of seven, he has never given up the sport. He also is a part of the track and field team, he also used to play lacrosse and was a part of the wrestling team. This year, he is on varsity football, first year on varsity basketball, and third year on the track and field team. He is the youngest of four siblings, three brothers and one sister. While he does not have time for many hobbies combined with his schoolwork and athletics, “I like to draw during my free time. It relaxes and calms me,” said Minner.

18 FEATURES

Photo by: Ellie Jones

Jacob DeMaggio, new student at the academy this school year. Before attend- Photo by: Ellie Jones ing Westminster, he attended Webster Groves High School. The main reason he made the decision to switch school was because he also had family members who graduated from Westminster. Twins Izzy and Evie Cunningham are his older cousins who graduated in 2020. They talked highly about the education and curriculum, which made him eager to try it out for himself, because he cares about what he learns. He is the middle child of two siblings. He is involved in two sports, diving and volleyball, he has played both of these for four years now. “I enjoy hanging with friends, reading, video games, and hammocking,” said DeMaggio.

He has a natural love for science because it relates to the world around us all.

Photo by: Ellie Jones

Avery Surber, star soccer and tennis player. She is the oldest of two younger siblings, Lily, 11, and Addy, 14. During her free time, she enjoys being with her friends and spending as much time with them as she can.

The dual sport athlete rarely has time for any other hobbies other than her club team, combined with schoolwork. “My biggest accomplishment was having the opportunity to travel to state with one of my best friends, Hailey Colley, for tennis,” said Surber. She sometimes fears that she won’t live up to her full potential, along with failure.

which and her They run an article nd the best rested t starter art and ove to visit Caleb Legters, most commonly known for being Señor Legters’ son, Photo by: Ellie Jones s and hik- along with being a member of the varsity soccer team. He has two explore. siblings, an older sister, Alyssa who is a Westminster alumni, along with his younger brother, Owen, 7th, at Westminster. His soccer career began when he was just five years old, and he has fallen in love with the sport ever since. Specifically, the members of his team are his personal favorite part of the entire program. Most of his closest friendships began on the wildcat soccer team. Some other interesting facts about him that some of you may not know is his strong desire to live on the beach one day. He would choose warm weather over cold any day. He also shared some details about his possible career path. “Career wise, I love science, especially medical and biological sciences, so I think that it would be awesome if I became a doctor or scientist of some sort,” said Legters.

FEATURES 19

20 800 SPORTING

Westminster Christian Academy

800 SPORTING 21

THE PURPOSE OF FCA AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE COMMUNITY. MARTY BRINER CO-Ediitor Fellowship of Christain Athletes is an organization founded to “lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church.” The community that has been cultivated around this mission is very special. FCA huddles are a safe place for student athletes to meet once a week to grow in faith and be in fellowship with fellow believers.

FCA works to achieve their mission through group devotionals led by student athletes.

The lessons weave faith and sports together to cover an array of topics to help athletes grow in their faith through sports.

“FCA helps me realize even more how much we truly need God in our lives and while playing sports, and it is also a great place to be with God for an hour and a half if you’re having a very busy and non-stop crazy week,” said Molly Kate Bugh, freshman.

In addition to being spiritually rejuvenating, FCA is a great way to meet new people who Sam Vestal, junior, Luke Beachy, junior, and Matthew Kincan help you grow spiritually. ney, senior enjoy fellowship with one another.

Photo by: Marty Briner “The FCA community is special because it’s a ton of different kids from a ton of different grades who play a ton of different sports. The kids who go to FCA are also always willing to talk or help you whenever you need it,” said Bugh.

Dan Petke, Westminster FCA sponsor, teacher, softball, and baseball coach, agrees.

“The students that are part of the FCA community are what make it special. Seeing students grow in their faith through FCA is a huge blessing to my family and why Tuesday nights are one of our favorites times of the week. There is a lot of wisdom among Westminster students, and being able to witness students encouraging, challenging and holding one another accountable is an incredible privilege,” said Petke.

FCA’s culture and impact on the Westminster community would not be possible without the leadership of Dan Petke. Petke has been involved in FCA at Westminster for eight years and is widely admired by his players and all who attend FCA because of his evident commitment to his students and his faith.

Petke takes the mission of FCA a step further and sees the meetings as an opportunity to reach beyond the Westminster community.

“As a coach, my mission field is the baseball and softball field. Playing Westminster could be the only encounter a member of the opposing team might have with Jesus, and we take that very seriously at WCA. There is a reason God has gifted us with athletic abilities, to glorify Him and further His Kingdom. FCA serves to help student-athletes work through what it means to glorify God through whatever sport they play and be an ambassador for Christ with the talents and abilities they have been given,” said Petke.

Dan Petke, teacher sponsor, engages in conversation with students at FCA. Photo by: Marty Briner

22 800 SPORTING

With FCA’s strong mission, Petke’s leadership, and the eager athletes, the club is continuing to make a significant impact in and around the community.

SAFER AT HOME...TO AVOID CONTACT TRACING

HOPE LINAM Staff Writer

Due to the high possibility of contact tracing leading to quarantining, a majority of winter athletes have decided to temporarily switch to online school until the end of their seasons. Currently, there are six athletes from the boys basketball team, eight athletes from the girls basketball team, and one wrestler partaking in this strategy.

“I miss being able to fully interact with my teachers and classmates. I am very lucky though that I do not have to do online school by myself. My friends and I meet up at different coffee shops and different houses each day to make online school interesting, but I still miss being able to interact with my teachers,” said Reilly Brophy, junior.

Online school is going to look different for each student, and what is liked by some may A common theme amongst the online students is the fact that they get to wear whatever be disliked by others. But, overall, these athletes are willing to commit to online school they want and sleep in longer. But, even with those positives, there are still some negative for as long as it takes so that they don’t get contact-traced at school. parts of online school.

Contact tracing is the process of identifying people who may have come into contact with an infected person or people. Westminster takes into consideration how far students’ desks are to evaluate who gets sent home if a student tests positive.

“The worst part is some classes definitely aren’t meant to be taken online like ceramics.

It is good considering the circumstances, but I would definitely rather be in school for a class like that,” said Lawrence.

Of course, online school will have a different feel than in-person school because of the fact that students are learning from behind a screen, but for most students, it’s manageable.

With online learning, it is important to maintain a routine to keep a sense of normalcy since COVID-19 causes stress and constant changes in the way people go about their lives.

“The teachers do a really good job of making online school as similar to regular school “I get up every morning and get ready like I am going to school in order for it to feel as as possible. It can be harder at times to pay attention because there are more distrac- normal as possible,” said Brophy. tions, but overall it works well,” said Casen Lawerence, junior.

The majority of the online athletes have been doing online school for four weeks now and Even though teachers do the best they can to make the learning experience for online are adjusting to their new routines, atmospheres, and schedules at home. students as beneficial as possible, students still miss out on the personal connection with their teachers and other students.

Brophy participatig in school from her kitchen.

Photo by: Brooke Highmark

800 SPORTING 23

CATS FALL TO FRANCIS HOWELL CENTRAL IN SEMI-FINALS GUS DUDA Staff Writer

The final game of pool play was against MICDS. In order to clinch a spot in the semifinals, the team needed to win this game by at least two goals. The Cats took a quick two to The Westminster hockey team had a rough start to the regular season. Through the first zero lead within three minutes of the first period, but the Rams had an answer and struck ten games, they had a record of one-six-three. With this record, it was looking as if the back quickly to make it two to one. This was pretty much the tale of the game, as each team would trade goal-for-goal. However, with about ten minutes remaining in the team would barely leak into the Wickenheiser Cup tournament and even the chance of falling to the Founders Cup. However, on Thursday, January 27th, something clicked third period, the Cats found themselves tied five to five. Caleb Bross, junior, came to the between the players, as they defeated Lindbergh seven to five. From here on out, they rescue shortly after and tallied his fifth goal in the past two games. Morici came in clutch with twelve seconds remaining and sealed the deal. Final score: seven to five, Cats. won the last six games to complete the season at a record of seven-six-three. This included a dominant five to one win over Rockwood Summit, a Challenge Cup team, on senior night. These last six games were crucial to building momentum for the playoffs After a few short days of preparation, the Cats headed back onto the ice to take on and giving the Cats a decent seed in the Wick.

Francis Howell Central in the semifinals. The first game was a battle from the drop of the puck to the sound of the buzzer. Despite the Cats having 28 shots on goal, a mere one The Cats were awarded the seventh seed in the Wickenheiser Cup and placed in a pool goal was scored in this game, as Brett Robinson of Howell Central scored his 38th goal with Ladue (two seed), Clayton (ten), and MICDS (fifteen). Ladue was the first scheduled of the season in just fifteen games. Final score: one to zero FHC. game and the beginning of the Cats playoff journey. This first game was a battle from the drop of the puck. Emily Griege, sophomore, and Maksim Bely, the opposing goalie, The next game, including a mini game afterward, were both must-wins in order to matched save-for-save until late into the second period. With one minute and twenty advance to the next round. The Cats were the dominant team from the drop of the puck. seconds remaining in the second, Tyler Deutsch tipped Kiran Varadachari’s shot to make After a solid first period with no scores, the Cats had a minor breakdown, letting in two the score one to zero, Rams. The Cats fought hard for the rest of the game but could not goals in the first two minutes of the second period. However, the team was not going to find a way to put the puck in the back of the net. Final score: one to zero, Ladue. give up as they battled back and scored four straight goals. Bross had himself quite the third period and scored a hat trick in just fifteen minutes. Final score: six to three, Cats.

The Cats then took on Clayton and were eager to win this do-or-die game. Once again, the first period was quite actionless, as the score was zero to zero leading into the A victory in the ten minute mini game is what the Cats’ season depended on. The team second. However, five minutes into the second, Zack Kilgore, junior, buried a slap shot was tired after playing an entire 45 minutes prior; however, they were eager to move on. to put the Cats in the lead one to zero. Just minutes later, Joey Morici, freshman, walked The opening minutes were looking promising, as the Cats controlled the puck in Central’s Clayton’s defense and put the puck top shelf over the goalie’s shoulder, making the defensive zone. With eight minutes remaining in the mini game, the Spartans were given score two to zero. From here, the Cats were fired up and everyone in the arena knew a penalty, and the Cats were awarded with a crucial power play. The power play was not what the outcome of this game would be. However, the referees seemed to have a what they expected, or needed at that, as Brett Robinson took the puck coast to coast different plan and awarded the Cats six questionable minors through the entirety of the and scored a shorthanded goal. From here, the Spartans scored twice more, sealing the game. Nonetheless, they pulled out the win. Final score: four to one, Cats. deal with an empty netter. Final score: three to zero, FHC.

Emily Griege reaches for a save.

Photo by: Nolan Jones

24

FOUR FEWER WRESTLERS WILL GET THEIR SHOT THIS YEAR NOLAN JONES Staff Writer For the returning wrestlers, this year’s postseason is looking a little different. In years Kirk Briden had a tough one as well in the championship match, taking second in the past, everything during the year led up to a sixteen-man district tournament. Each class 160 pound weight class. Both will see the third place finisher in their weight class from would have four districts of sixteen teams. In order to clinch your ticket to the dance, district one in their first match at sectionals. you had to be in the top four in your District.

Ben Van Zee, senior, grabbed third place with a last second take down in overtime in the Due to COVID, however, the state has changed the postseason in an effort to reduce the 145 pound weight class. Mark Stump, senior, also took third in a nine to zero victory over his opponent from Sullivan. number of people together at the same time.

Consequently, MSHSAA added a sectional round in between districts and state to reduce the number of wrestlers in the state tournament from sixteen to twelve, meaning four less wrestlers will qualify for the state tournament; this allows the tournament to be completed in one day rather than two.

Lincoln Chimento, senior, Roger Jinkins, sophomore, and Jack Maher, sophomore, all took fourth place at their weights; 182,195, and 220, respectively. These three will be fighting an uphill battle at sectionals, having to face off with the winner from district one, in their first match.

The team had a strong showing at the district tournament on Saturday, February 13th, The team qualified eight of the ten wrestlers they had competing including one champ, two runner ups, two third place finishers, and three fourth place finishers.

Going into districts, the wrestlers were seeded for the tournament based on their season. Similarly, for sectionals, the wrestlers will be seeded based on their finishes in the district tournament.

Nolan Jones, junior, had nothing to lose Saturday. Because of a weird year with COVID and possibly other reasons, Jones simply had to manage not getting thrown out of a match in order to move on to sectionals, as he only had four wrestlers in his 138 pound bracket. Jones won both of his matches, making him the champ and putting him in a good spot for the sectionals tournament.

The Cats are in class two district two this year, and this year, two districts feed into a sectional. Therefore, the four qualifiers from Westminster’s district will go into an eight man tournament with the four qualifiers from district one.

All five seniors hit the medal stand that Saturday. Brett St. John, senior and returning state qualifier wrestling at 152 pounds, came up short in a one point match against Sullivan’s Ty Shetley for the championship.

The Cats look to qualify more than their lone qualifier last year. The eight sectional qualifiers have two weeks to prepare to fight for their opportunity to travel to Independence Missouri and compete for a state title.

Ben VanZee wrestling in his senior night match.

Photo courtesy of Mike Rohlfing

25

JACK POWERS: IVY LEAGUE BOUND Cornell signee represents football program well

COLIN RING Staff Writer Jack Powers, senior, has been a mainstay on the football team for the last four years.

The 6’4, 285 pound offensive lineman who has found a passion terrorizing opposing defensive lines was recently a third team All-State selection this year for class five.

Jack’s successful career came to an end this past fall, culminating with him signing to play for the prestigious Cornell “Big Red.” While many athletes struggle to balance the school workload with athletic competition, Powers has thrived in the world of academia, holding a cumulative 4.5 grade point average. These grades have not come easily either; he has taken some of the hardest classes Westminster has to offer. From Dr. Shaw’s AP Chemistry and AP Physics course to BC Calculus, Jack has consistently tested himself in the classroom and performed exceptionally well.

“Especially early on in high school, I devoted myself entirely to academics and this has really given me a strong position when looking at higher academic schools,” said Powers.

Powers, shown here with his mom, Dee, credits his supportive family with helping him achieve success on the field and in the classroom.

One of the biggest reasons Powers has worked so hard from an early age is because his Courtesy of: 800 News Archives dream, becoming a college football player, was contrived at the beginning of his high “I always knew from the start that this sport was the one that perfectly fit me. At the school career. start of High school when I first realized that my time was becoming limited, I realized that there was no way I was going to be able to stop playing after my senior year,” said Powers.

Likewise, while so much success doesn’t come easily, as he admits that he has “had to miss out on a lot of social events mainly because football workouts or practices have overlapped,” Jack would not have gotten this far if he didn’t have fun while on the journey to achieving his dream.

“One main life lesson I have learned is to always enjoy what you are doing. Football and life as a whole can really drag on unless you completely invest your mind and soul into what you are doing,” said Powers.

When asked why Powers chose such an academically rigorous school like Cornell that does not offer athletic scholarships like other Division 1 schools, Powers admits that he fell in love with the school, the football program, and their academic opportunities.

Powers recently signed his letter of intent to play for Cornell University Courtesy of Cory Snyder

26

“Cornell as a school is incredible. They are large for an Ivy League school, at 16,000 undergrad, and this was attractive to me because I have always been in smaller private schools. Their college of agriculture and sciences is also number one in the nation. Their football coaches also showed extreme interest in me for a long time and I really felt loved up there,” said Powers.

This has been the second consecutive year that the football team has produced an Ivy League signee as the 2020 graduate, Benny Anderson, is a football player at Yale.

MARTY PARTY

Girls basketball celebrates Marty Briner on Senior Night in a game against Clayton.

BROOKE HIGHMARK Co-Editor of Sporting Margaret Briner is truly loved by her team. Being the only senior on the roster as well as a captain this season, it was only fitting that she was made the spectacle of the night.

Marty, better known as “Mart Mart” to her team, contributed seven points to the Cat’s large 59 to 21 win, including an impressive and-one off of a wing jump shot. On the defensive end, she grabbed four rebounds and picked off two steals.

All season long, Briner has been a part of the starting lineup, playing a three guard or forward throughout the game. She has also been a significant factor in rebounding and free throws for the Wildcats, shooting 86% from the line this season.

“Marty’s versatility, toughness, and selflessness are some of the many things which make her an outstanding athlete. Marty is willing to do whatever it takes for not only the team to win but her teammates to be successful. Her ability to defend in the paint and score on the perimeter make her a tough matchup. She crashes the boards every possession and has an edge to her game which is really special,” said Coach Kat Martin.

Off the court, Marty has made an impact on her younger teammates through her positive attitude, spiritual wisdom, and servant’s heart.

“Since my freshman year, Marty has always been someone who I can feel safe going to for advice or comfort. She will lay down her life for any of her teammates and constantly reminds me of the joy that drew me to basketball in the first place” said Reilly Brophy, junior guard.

Marty Briner runs down the line during starting lineups.

Photo by: Courtesy of Westminster Communications Briner has been a part of the girls basketball program since her seventh grade year at Westminster, another testament to her commitment to the school and the sport. Even when adversity strikes, she never gives any less than 100% in every drill, game, or activity.

After graduating Westminster, Marty will be attending the University of Missouri for college where she currently has interests in graphic design, psychology, and business.

Marty Briner stands with her mother, Jennifer, father, Shawn, and coach, Kat Martin.

Photo by: Courtesy of Westminster Communications

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WESTMINSTER SPORTS NETWORK MAKING A DIFFERENCE Students and administrators working together to make live streams interesting.

SAM VESTAL Staff Writer

Creative students and well-known teachers are working side by side this year for the teacher at Westminster who is known for his “dad joke of the day.” While he doesn’t livestream broadcasts of Westminster sports games, specifically basketball, in order to exactly incorporate many “dad jokes” into his broadcasts, his dry style and humor is give listeners an interesting and entertaining experience. enjoyable to listen to when he calls the games.

This year’s athletic events have been completely different from past years. Because of the limitations on the amount of spectators allowed at the actual event, many schools have been forced to live stream their games in order to allow all people to have the opportunity to watch the games. Some schools simply post the recording after the game, but others go the extra mile to have play-by-play audio announcers. While watching games from home is definitely not as interactive as being in the stands, many of the new announcers around the St. Louis area have stepped up to the challenge and made live streams equally as interesting as the real thing.

Some schools allow passionate students to take charge and voice the play-by-play of many of the games, while other schools keep administrators and teachers in charge in an effort to keep their live streams more professional. There are certainly various ways to go about this “issue,” but rest assured that Westminster is doing the best they can with the task at hand.

Westminster’s broadcasts are often unique and quite different from most other schools in the St. Louis area. Our commentators change with fluidity almost every game, making spectators eager to see who is going to be calling the current game. Sometimes, the announcers are two teachers or administrators, while other times they consist of two students; sometimes there is even a combination of students and administrators, which definitely makes for an interesting call.

While all of the announcers are appreciated and loved by many people, there exists some favorites amongst the Westminster community. For example, Todd Zell, a math

Collison announcing the WCA vs. Priory game.

Photo by: Hope Linam

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“When Coach Snyder and I work together it’s pretty easy because we know each other pretty well. He understands my goofy sense of humor and plays along and even feeds me some lines,” said Zell.

Mr. Zell is a great announcer who not only does a great job announcing the game, but he also offers detailed insight about the team and individual players.

Another well-respected announcer is only a sophomore but does an exceptional job behind the mic. Tyler Collison is often very involved in the play-by-play and does a superb job of keeping up with the fast paced games before him.

“I have always loved to talk, and I would consider myself pretty witty and quick on my feet, so announcing seemed like it would be a natural fit for me...I hope everyone listening and watching has enjoyed the game even more with our announcing, and I hope they find it adds an exciting extra element to the game,” said Collison, sophomore.

Without the help of student and staff member announcers, the Westminster basketball games would be quiet and surely not as interesting to watch. Not only is it entertaining to watch and listen to the announcers, but it is also encouraging to see how well students and administrators can work together to accomplish the task at hand. While this year’s athletic season has offered its challenges, it has also allowed for some new opportunities. Hopefully, next year, fans will be able to pack the gyms, but even as we move out of this difficult season of life, we hope to see the continuation of our live streams in the future along with the amazing announcers that go along with it.