Spirit Week -- The Wildcat Roar

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800 May Maryville Centre Drive, Town and Country, MO 63017 2021

Westminster

Christian

Academy

Issue

Westminster Christian Academy www.thewildcatroar.com

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BRING IT TOGETHER

Feburary

2024

Seniors lift the Spirit Week trophy in triumph. Photo by Ivey Wang.

Spirit week is the highlight of the WCA School year. Students look forward to it from August all the way til January. From the dances such as Boys Poms and Lip Sync, to the artistic projects like Art Board and Film, every student has a chance to leave the week with a good feeling. Every day ends in an assembly where class pride is at an all time high, each class hoping to beat out the rest. From dress-up scores to games like Tug-of-war and Ultimate Chicken, each assembly is always sure to hold intense hype and excitment from the Westminster Student Body.

Elijah Schmidt Editor-in-Chief

But beyond what goes on in the halls is what has almost become a tradition in and of itself, the tense rivalry between the seniors and junior. From long chants back and forth across the Arena to toilet papering each others houses days in advance of Spirit Week, this rivalry across classes became a spectacle in and of itself. Each day the juniors chose a different way to disrespect the senior walk-in. of God, is the same as hating the Lord.

From yelling “Andy’s Coming” and falling down on the bleachers, to screaming “The Star Spangled Banner” over the Senior walkin music the rivalry took on a life of its own.

So whether you are a student, teacher, parent, or alumni keep in mind that just because we compete Eventually though the toilet papering and bitterness ended when the juniors, during the final senior walk-in, cheered for their peers and have high stakes in these competitions, does as they did their final lap at WCA. It was a touching moment that transcended the inter-class rivalry and brought them all together not mean we have to dehumanize our competitors. for that one moment. Of course afterwards the competition continued and this timeless Spirit Week competive spirit came back, but Do as Jesus would do and love your brothers and for that one point in time, there was respect shown between upperclassmen. sisters in Christ unconditionally.

We have to show love and respect for each other in order to love our God. We are unable to have it both ways. While competition Now open up this newspaper and have a look at can be enriching and push people to do their best, it can oftentimes get out of hand and make us lose sight of what really matters: the drama, the carnage, and the euphoria that is: loving others as God loves them. We have to recognize especially at a Christian school that to not love those are made in the image Westminster Christian Academy’s Spirit Week.

Inside the Issue

Lip Sync pg. 4

Boys Poms pg. 6

Film Project pg. 10

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Westminster Christian Academy

ELIJAH SCHMIDT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, JUNIOR

CHECK OUT THEWILDCATROAR.COM

IVEY WANG

DESIGN EDITOR, JUNIOR

JOEY FENTRESS SPORTS EDITOR, JUNIOR

STAFF CARISSA MITCHELL STAFF WRITER

ANDREW CAHILL STAFF WRITER

GIDEON SCHWAMB STAFF WRITER

JOEY SCHLOSS STAFF WRITER

BELLA THIES STAFF WRITER

COCO FRANCISCO STAFF WRITER

ELISE SNYDER STAFF WRITER

BEN WOOLDRIDGE STAFF WRITER

SADIE SCHMIDT STAFF WRITER

MIA SCHEULEN STAFF WRITER

ISAAC BOSS STAFF WRITER

HUNTER CUNNINGHAM STAFF WRITER

GENEVIEVE SELK STAFF WRITER

RHOADS HALL STAFF WRITER

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Cowabunga!

Sadie Schmidt

Corinne Plumb makes her 5th appearance mattress surfacing It all started in seventh grade. Like any other person, Corinne Plumb, senior, signed up for her first spirit week game, mattress surfing. As the name implies, mattress surfing is where one person lays on their stomach on a mattress, while others make a human conveyor belt and pull the surfer over them. This is one of spirit week’s most unpredictable games depending more heavily on strategy than athletic ability, allowing an opportunity for any grade to win.

Expecting it to be one of the less intense games, Plumb was shocked to become the center of attention. Everyone assumed that Plumb would be surfing since her height made her most suited for the role, but she honestly didn’t think about it.

“I got down there and I was so confused because everyone was telling me to hold on tight, and then I realized I was surfing.” said Plumb.

With a horrified look and white knuckle grip, one click of Mr. Rohlfing’s camera and Plumb’s first surf was captured in infamy.

The next year, she signed up again. This time however, Plumb was prepared.

“I was pretty sure that I would be the surfer again because I did it the year before. I can’t say I was necessarily excited or nervous, I honestly just accepted it,” said Plumb Sure enough, she found herself surfing once more with another photo by Mr. Rohlfing to capture the experience.

“I think it’s crazy how I just became the designated surfer. I’m not mad about it, it’s honestly been way more fun than getting crushed to death underneath it.

I am sad about it being my last spirit week though, especially after looking back through all the photos,” said Plumb.

This year mattress surfing took place on Monday Unfortunately, the next year put a stop to Corinne’s career as COVID-19 took spirit week outside, cutting mat- along with chariot relay, tug-o-war, half court shot, dodgeball, and ultimate chicken. tress surfing from the roster. But next year (10th grade) Plumb was back again with another up close photo from Mr. Rohlfing showing off her re-appearance. Unsurpris- As seniors got ready for their last spirit week, Plumb ingly history repeated itself, and Plumb solidified herself emphasized the importance of participating. as the senior’s surfer as she did it again in 2023 with a close up shot of her on the live stream.

“I would encourage new students to just sign up for a game. The worst thing that can happen is you just Now, with her final spirit week fast approaching, Plumb- don’t do it next year. Who knows? You might even end up like me and start an unexpected tradition.” got ready to surf her last.

Corinne Plumb mattress surfing her sophomore year. Photo courtesy of Mike Rohlfing.

Corinne Plumb mattress surfing her senior year. Photo courtesy of Mike Rohlfing.

A Big Win On A Big Night

It is “Big Night” for Westminster and that means boys basketball.

The boys took on the Whitfield Warriors in this night of tradition for Westminster. Asher Amanuel and Devin Coulter got off to a hot start in the first half getting to the rim and drawing fouls. Whether it was Devin or Asher, all the free throws were dropping.

We also saw glimpses of our young talent. Both Will Powers and Darrell Crump knocked down shots from all over the court. Crump finished the half with 8 points.

Powers is now in a starting role and it is evident that he is going to have a huge impact and role going forward.

The Cats played great on the other side of the ball, locking it down on defense going into the half while holding Whitfield to 11 points. JD Robertson and Evan Montadon, a.k.a. Splash Bros, made there mark from beyond the arc. They combined for 28 points with 14 each. The Wildcats had a clear lead going into the 4th quarter and were in complete control.

JD Robertson, Junior, evades defenders as he prepares to go in for a layup. Photo by Joey Fentress.

The game started to get loose in the third quarter with Whitfield bringing it back to within 20 points. Dale Ribble, head coach, got the Cats to turn it around and keep pushing through the homestretch. The Cats were able to take this one home 69-30 and hope to continue this win streak into playoffs.

Rhoads Hall Evan Montadon, Junior, takes the ball down the court and calls a play. Photo by Joey Fentress.

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MEET THE LEADERS OF LIP SYNC Elise Snyder While Lip Sync is the most highly anticipated Spirit Week event, few people know what goes on behind the scenes. The people who understand the extent of the work and background of the routines are the Lip Sync grade leaders. Each leader uses a combination of their dancing experience and their personal vision to choreograph a dance to a theme of their choice.

The Lip Sync leaders are able to choose the theme of their grade’s dance. The freshmen’s theme was Cheetah Girls, the sophomores’ theme was Trolls, the juniors’ theme was Sing, and the seniors’ theme was Barbie.

“We really just liked [Cheetah Girls]. Last year we were thinking we wanted to do Cheetah Girls, in eighth grade, but we did Descendants.” said Zoie Hite, freshman Lip Sync leader.

“In middle school we didn’t have much control over ourselves, so, [...] we wanted to switch it up.” said Taniya Davis, freshman Lip Sync leader.

“Our [theme] is Sing. [...] I love the soundtrack, and I could envision a story.” said Arianna Henderson, junior Lip Sync leader.

Sophomore Lip Sync puts the finishing touches on their choreography Photo by Elise Snyder.

“Our theme this year is Barbie. […] [with] the big movie this year, I feel like there was so much media coverage on it. And it’s also a new thing and an old thing, which we know from our past things that the judges love old topics that they can relate to.” said Genevieve Selk, senior Lip Sync leader.

play the role of the enforcer, keeping the dancers in line and ensuring that they learn the dance.

While you don’t need to have dancing experience to join Lip Sync, most of the leaders have extensive dancing backgrounds ranging from ballet to hip-hop. Other leaders, while they have some experience,

“I did ballet for a year. I’m not really a dancer [...] I’m a gymnast.” said Hite.

Junior Lip Sync dancers after their last practice. Photo by Elise Snyder.

“I do cheer [and] I kind of dance a little bit.” said Davis.

“I’ve done dance since I was a little kid. I was on and off again. I started hiphop back up three years ago, [and] I was on the dance team last year. I [also] do competitive dance outside of school.” said Henderson.

“I used to be a gymnast [so] I can do stunts and stuff. Faith, the other leader, she usually choreographs it. I feel like I’m more of the, ‘I can get people in line, I’m not afraid to yell at people’.” said Selk With Lip Sync leaders coming from various dancing backgrounds, each grade’s choreography has a style that combines multiple genres of dance into one smooth performance. “[The style is] kind of like jazz and a little bit of pop, but mostly jazz. And then we have flips and stunts.” said Hite.

“It’s very much like a poms sort of thing [...] very arm movement heavy, [with] simple and sharp moves.” said Henderson.

“Hip-hop is probably the main [style], and jazz. […] We don’t do a lot of [stunts]. […] We try to keep it where it’s not just some people doing stunts.

We like to do dance moves that everyone can do.” said Selk.

While Lip Sync dances last under five minutes, the dancers and leaders put

scan for a surprise!

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Lip Sync Results

1st Seniors

2nd

3rd

Sophomores

4th

5th

Juniors

6th

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Westminster Christian Academy

THIS ONE’S FOR THE BOYS? The immaturity issue in Boys Poms

Bella Thies everyone wants to win spirit week, so when you have that drive to do well, you end up doing well.”

Taryn Cunningham, one of the leaders of junior Boy’s Poms this year, found that she actually enjoys leading Boy’s Poms due to the infectiously positive attitudes of her peers: “The boys are actually incredibly entertaining even though they can sometimes be really rowdy. They kind of make you forget about everything else that’s going on and they know have to have fun with it. Sometimes in lip sync its just this and this and this and the boys just know how to have fun with it.”

Personally, I believe that although there have certainly been some problems with Boys’ Poms over the years, As someone who has previously participated in the student-choreographed dance aspect of spirit week, I know that it’s fundamentally not that difficult to learn a two to three minute dance within a few weeks. Even though focusing on having a good time can hinder progress, as long as there is some motivation to learn the dance, it can be done. The real challenge in putting on Boy’s Poms performances lies within the tasks of the leaders, who have to create a soundtrack for, choreograph, and teach the dance to their peers. However, if the leaders of Boy’s Poms are fine with taking on the responsibility of the roles and dealing with the rowdy boys they have to teach the dance to, more power to them.

The Senior Boys Poms hoist up a dancemate as he performs a risky stunt. Photo by Bella Thies

Ever since Boys’ Poms was first officially implemented as a part of Westminster’s Spirit Week, it’s been one of the most difficult events for students to organize.

Between disqualifications, unfinished routines, and general disrespect towards the leaders for each grade, there are a host of issues that make Boys’ Poms performances extremely challenging to put on. These annually occurring issues raise a big question in the Westminster community with respect to the age-old tradition: Can a bunch of teenage boys actually put on a fully choreographed dance with a couple of weeks of preparation or does the temptation to goof off win the day?

Morgan McManus, this year’s leader for tenth grade Boy’s Poms, divulged some of the struggles she’s experienced with some of the boys she’s been coaching over the past few weeks.

“Last year it was the majority but this year there’s just a few. [There have been problems with] Panting, inappropriate gestures, they’ll show up forty five minutes late with chicken and food. And they’ll just play basketball all practice and just won’t practice.”

Susie Brown, Westminster’s director of student life, also gave me some further insight into some of the issues some grades faced with putting on their performances in previous years: “There was a year where a group chose not to do a dance and there was a year where there was a group wasn’t prepared to do the dance and so at the last minute four or five guys decided to do an impromptu dance.”

However, despite the various issues that have arisen over the years, many members of the Wesminter community still believe that the boys do in fact have the maturity required to put in enough effort to produce quality dances.

One anonymous Boys’ Poms leader stated that in her experience, the boys she coached actually showed the dedication and focus needed to produce a solid routine.

“I think they are mature enough. I think anyone can really do a dance like this as long as they just try their best, it’ll work out in the end. The effort has to be there,

Caden Collison, Senior, sways to the music as other Seniors follow his rhythm. Photo by Bella Thies

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Boys Poms Results

1st Seniors

2nd

3rd

Sophomores

4th

5th

8th Grade

6th

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Feburary 2022

Feburary 2022

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BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE SCENES Carissa Mitchell project, this is definitely a big change in WCA’s spirit week traditions for future years.

Apart from this, oftentimes the hours and work the leaders put in can be overlooked. It takes many hours, days, and weeks of planning, filming, and editing to create just one of these videos. It’s important to show appreciation for the hard work and dedication of all those involved.

“We had a tighter cast this year and we kinda just figured it out as we went. We started with a big plan of what we were gonna do [...] and we got down to casting and no one was around so we’d run through the commons after school grabbing people and be like, “Hey you’re gonna be in film project now” but I think it turned out well,” said Ben Atkins, Senior.

Similarly to the seniors’ search for actors, the sophomores also had a unique and unconventional approach to casting.

“I got asked during sixth hour [a day or two before filming] if I could act in it, so I said yes. […] Just being in it [was super fun] and making people laugh is what I love to do.” Blaise Baca, Sophomore.

Also, when asked about being involved this year in film project, the general consensus was one of positivity and joy.

From Left: Chase Borage, Junior, reviews Film Footage while Casey Heironimus, Junior, looks on. Photo by Carissa Mitchell.

With the hype around spirit week big events (Lip Sync, Boys Poms, Film Project, and Art Board), each grade seeks to bring the best they have to offer. Film project, a mere 5 minutes, can greatly impact a grade’s overall point total.

Apart from just the challenge of creating an engaging video, each year there are three things that are required to be in the film: a prop, character, and a line. This year, the prop is children’s pool floaties, the character is a choreographer, and the line is “If you do that again, I’ll scream.”

“Yeah so we didn’t get the elements that needed to be included until after christmas break but in order to speed up the process, we did start coming up with ideas and writing a script that could be edited later,” said Nevan Shively, Junior.

These “elements” seem to just appear. Unlike the themes for lip sync, boys poms, and art board which are decided by the students, it is a mystery as to who decides the film project elements.

“I’ve known [Susie] Brown for a while now and we have a good relationship […] so she came asking me to help [decide the requirements for a film project] this year” said the anonymous creator of the required items for this year’s film project.

“It was really fun doing the voice over [...] I really enjoyed it. I’m glad they allowed me to be a part of it,” said Nehemiah Oginni, Senior.

More than just the end product, the process is what makes this enjoyable. The time off screen spent together is just as memorable.

“It’s just a fun time to hang out with friends [... but] it was very cold on some of the film days, -7 [degrees]. That was brutal,” said Chase Borage, junior The memories made throughout Spirit Week, especially these special ones for those involved in any of the big events are truly unforgettable. Being able to connect with your grade and the wider WCA community is the ultimate goal.

“I just think our project is very fun and fun to watch […It’s] just simple and enjoyable,” said Cutler Fricke, freshman.

Spirit week is all about building school spirit and community and it is clear that has been accomplished by these cast/crew members of the 2024 film project.

Regardless of casting difficulties, freezing film days, and the sheer amount of time and effort needed to create film project video, across the board everyone was able to build community and participate in something fun.

After years and years of seeing so many film projects it is feasible that creating the required items for film project is nothing short of an honor, and although the creator’s name may not be disclosed, their expertise in this field can be assured.

On another note, this year for the first time in Westminster History, middle school has a film project video. They follow the same guidelines as set for upper school, although some additional help from teachers will be given. Regarding this, the community has differing opinions about this change.

“I don’t think they should have a film project. It was always like a rite of passage [to do film project] when you got to freshman year,” said anonymous, Junior.

While some are not very enthusiastic about middle school joining film project this year, others are fully supportive of this new change.

“I really like the idea of the middle [school] getting involved in the film project. As a leader on the project for a couple years, I know how difficult it can be to jump in with little experience. Having [them] jump into the process with some guidance is a great way to get them rolling for their high school career.” said Abel Tucker, Junior Regardless of the arguments that could be made for or against middle school film

The Wednesday Assembly watches the Freshman Film Project. Photo by Carissa Mitchell.

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Film Project Results

1st

2nd 4th

Juniors

3rd

Seniors Sophomores

5th

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Westminster Christian Academy

FEATURING WESTMINSTER ARTISTS Gideon Schwamb

them in order across their board, a veritable buffet of art. Their colored tableaus were all designed in the style of Eric Carle, the artist of the book, in order to stay as close to the source material as possible. A large, adorable paper caterpillar hung down over the board, the mascot of their book clearly on display. A butterfly was set above the scene, showing the caterpillar’s transformation and colorful ascent.

The middle school classes this year worked together to make a Harry Potter themed board. They pomped a massive field as their centerpiece, using a clever mix of lime green and yellow to really sell the effect. The right side of their board For their The Lorax board, the seniors really showed their creativity. The right side displayed a train modeled after the Hogwarts Express, the words Westminster was a massive forest, colorful and vibrant, the Lorax himself standing at the center.

Express detailed in gold on its front. The left side showed a hallway, complete with floating candles and teacher portraits. Large cardboard cutout of Harry Potter However, the middle section revealed a massive Thneed factory, using the trees as fuel for their polluting endeavors. The factory was not flat against the board, it himself stood in front of the board, tying it all together quite nicely. actually stuck out, giving it a three-dimensional twist. On the left was a dessicated The freshman class did an exceptional job this year on their Alice in Wonderland landscape, with a single dirt road twisting towards the horizon, showing the scale of themed board. Following their success last year, they produced a similarly stunning destruction. The trees were designed with colorful cotton balls and painted cardboard trunks, while the factory was made of mostly muddy brown paper, creating a piece. With a large number of students on their team, they were able to paint and real conflict between the vibrant color of one side versus the depressing lack thereof sculpt lots of details and characters for their board. They forgoed pomping the maon the other. A couple printed quotes from the book sat near the factory, warning of jority of the left and right sides, showing that the age-old tradition of putting tiny the dangers of pollution and ignorance of the environment. pieces of tissue paper into the wire slots is not necessary for a successful piece.

A massive keyhole was the border for a massive painted scene, showcasing many Overall, all grades did an exceptional job, and most decided to avoid large amounts places and characters from the book. They also placed some characters on top of their board, such as the Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit, along with a large title of pomping, which allows for extra time to work on details and painting. card that clearly stated their theme. A massive cardboard Alice was affixed to the right side, painted as though falling amongst various paraphernalia.

The sophomores this year showed great tenacity in their final few days of working on their Percy Jackson art board. Despite slow beginnings, they were able to pull their board together and really put their creative talent on display. They unfortunately had very few workers this year, likely stolen away by honors chem homework. However, they stayed true in the face of these hardships and went to work, painting replicas of the Statue of Liberty and the Arch, and painting their main character, Percy Jackson. They covered the sides of their board with paper, similar to the freshman, and designed murals representing the characters’ journey.

On their Very Hungry Caterpillar art board, the juniors this year tried a different approach from years past. They draped a massive cloth over their art board, instead of pomping the entire thing. This was a wise choice, considering their small workforce. They also focused heavily on painting and paper this year, with about a dozen painted foods and a pair of sculpted paper trees. These trees served as the frames for the board, with intertwined branches reaching overtop the board and around the edges. They painted every single food item eaten in the book and hung

Seniors work diligently on their art board as spirit week approaches quickly. Photo by Gideon Schwamb

IS THE SPIRIT WEEK WE KNOW DYING? A look into transparency, tradition, and competition

Since 1989, Spirit Week has been one of Westminster’s most cherished traditions, adored by students, families, and faculty and staff alike. Recently, however, the fierce competition between grades, as well as student scrutiny of the fairness of the week’s scoring, has tainted the purity of the year’s most loved event.

Isaac Boss

Since the event started, students from each respective grade have always scrutinized scoring procedures, and recently, the lack of transparency from spirit week administrators. For instance, up until the 2012-2013 school year, spirit week points, based on dress-ups, games, big events, and more, were tallied daily for the entirety of the student body to see. After that year, and until the 22-23 school year, that changed, and points were kept secret, only revealed to the student body at the end of the petition against other grades.” That, compared with the student body’s idea of what week when winners were announced.

Spirit Week should be, “beat the juniors” (or seniors), are conflicting ideas causing problems for Brown and the rest of the spirit week administration.

This year, however, public point tallying is back, much to the delight of the student body. Carissa Mitchell, junior, appreciates the fact that “nobody can point fingers In order to tame the dangerous and damaging aspects of spirit week, Brown and a at anybody and say that they’re messing with the points,” as has been done in the panel of Westminster staff deduct up to 50 points from each grade’s point total for recent past. each violation, which includes “pulling down or defacing decor” and “disruptions or disrespect.”

In addition to increased scrutiny over scoring, Susie Brown, Westminster’s director of student life and head Spirit Week coordinator, is concerned with the recent trend Regardless, anyone you talk to at Westminster would tell you the same thing: Spirit of behavioral issues relating to the ‘extracurricular’ activities involved with Spirit Week is the best week of the year at Westminster. In the future, though, should Week. For instance, in Brown’s mind, the longstanding Junior-Senior rivalry, which more steps be taken by students and administration alike to ensure that Spirit Week involves TP’ing, spiteful chants, and vicious competition has tainted what she and returns to being a safe environment for competition instead of a bloodthirsty innerWestminster believe Spirit Week should be. Westminster’s Spirit Week handbook grade rivalry? Depends on who you ask. states that “the purpose of Spirit Week is for class members to work together to build grade-level and school-wide community through vigorous but friendly com-

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Art Board Results

1st

2nd 7/8 Grade

4th

Freshmen

3rd 5th

Seniors

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HIGHLIGHTS

Feburay 2022

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Final Results Overall

1st Seniors

2nd 4th

3rd

Juniors Sophomores

5th

6th

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Feburay 2024

Farewell to Susie Brown!

One Final Spirit Week as Director of Student Life