Issue 11--The Wildcat Roar

April 2023 1 The Problem-Solving Issue

STAFF

Editing Staff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ANNA GRACE LIKES, SENIOR

800SPORTING EDITOR SYDNEY BRADLEY, SENIOR

BROADCAST LEADER AMILA PIERIS, JUNIOR

WEB DESIGN EDITOR ELIJAH SCHMIDT, SOPHOMORE

IMAGES EDITOR

MADDOX ROSENBURG, JUNIOR

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER ALLI BISHOP, SENIOR

2 STAFF

CHRISTINA ENGLISH

WILLIAM DANA

TARYN CUNNINGHAM

MIA SCHEULEN

AUDREY ROHLFING

JACK NELSON

EMMA FAIRCHILD

BEN ATKINS

SENIOR

SOPHOMORE

SENIOR

SENIOR

EMILY GRIEGE SENIOR

AHREN MUEHLEISEN

JUNIOR

JUNIOR

JUNIOR

JUNIOR

CORINNE PLUMB JUNIOR

SENIOR

NYAH KIM

ALYSSA GRECO

LAILA ANDERSON

JOEY FENTRESS

LUCY KIM

RAQUEL HERRERA

JIMMY MACDONALD

DREW CAHILL

JACOBI ROBINSON

SENIOR

SOPHOMORE

SOPHOMORE

JUNIOR

SENIOR

FRESHMAN

FRESHMAN

SENIOR

JUNIOR

STAFF 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE REFLECTIONS FROM OUR SENIORS PGS. 6-7 PLANT A GARDEN PG. 8 I LOVE WEARING PLASTIC BOTTLES PG. 9

OPINION IT’S NOT “PERFECTLY NORMAL” PG. 10 VULNERABILITY IN SCHOOLS PG. 11 NUCLEAR FAMILY: A CLEAR START TO FIXING OUR PROBLEMS PG. 12 AI AND SOCIAL MEDIA THRIVE, DOES JOURNALISM DIE? PG. 13

SPORTING FIRST WILCAT ALUM TO SCORE NHL GOAL PG. 15 THE LADY CATS PG. 16

CONTENTS

4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STAFF EDITORIAL

Healing, Changing, and Continuing the Conversation

For our final issue of the Wildcat Roar in this my extreme gratitude for having the opportunity 2022-23 school year, our staff decided to think to serve as Editor-in-Chief of 800 News this year. more deeply about problems our world is facing This amazing staff has worked so diligently to now, and each staff writer proposed solutions to learn and put together a product we can be proud of, and even when we faced challenges together, I the problems they considered. Though we are loved every minute of it. I will be forever grateful merely student journalists, we believe it to be of utmost importance to at least consider solutions for my time leading this team and for the impact they had on me—this role and the people around that will have a tangible and positive impact on the many problems plaguing society. We may only me became such an unexpected and immensely important part of my life, and I would not trade it be starting the conversation—but that matters too. Westminster’s mission is to prepare students for the world. to engage with the world, and if the students who have a platform for their voice at this school are Thankfully, I have the privilege of announcing not offering up solutions (or at least conversathat rising junior Elijah Schmidt will be stepping tions), then how do we expect to engage the minds into this role for the 2023-24 school year. Though of the rest of the community? it is bittersweet for me to leave and pass the torch, I have full confidence that Elijah shares the same We hope this issue can inspire you to think more excitement and passion for the job that I do, and sincerely about what the world needs, and that that the skills learned in his 2 years on staff have this community can continue the conversation prepared him well for the task ahead. of changing our world even after the school year ends and we start all over again.

Thank you to Mr. Vonder Bruegge, the staff of 800 News, and the entire WCA community for making On the topic of starting over, I just want to express this job worth doing.

Signing off for the last time,

STAFF ED

800 News and Anna Grace Likes, Editor-In-Chief

Contact us at 800news@wcastl.org if you have any ideas, questions, or concerns.

STAFF ED

5

Senior Staff Reflections

Anna Grace Likes

As my time both at Westminster and on 800 News comes to a close, it’s bittersweet to think back on all of the amazing memories. I have made friends that will last a lifetime in these beige halls, and I have learned so much both in and out of the classroom in my time here.

Specifically in this class, 800 News, I have grown as both a person and a leader, and the relationships and memories from working with this amazing group to put together a product we are proud of will stay with me for a lifetime. After 2 years and 22 issues, I’m sad to leave it all behind, but I am so excited to see what’s next and how WCA and 800 News have prepared me for it.

Christina English I can’t believe that the end of my senior year has already arrived.

Specifically with this class, to think that I’ve contributed to 22 issues over the past two years is insane. From witnessing Maddox and his shenanigans to staying up to midnight on big night for the spirit week issue, a lot of crazy things have happened in this newspaper class that I will never forget. Through newspaper, I’ve felt that I’ve been able to express my own opinions on certain topics and be able to talk about things that I’m interested in freely. I would like to thank Von for letting me have this creative outlet/freedom, and I would like to thank the 800NEWS staff for giving me memories that I will look back on for years to come.

Ahren Muehleisen Reflecting on the last 6 years at the beige palace, I’m grateful for the teachers and coaches who have guided me through them. It was definitely a long road with Covid thrown in the middle, but somehow ended up here. While I’m not sure how many people are actually reading this I have 3 things for underclassmen. 1, Enjoy Knerr’s class while you have it, there’s nothing else like it. 2, go on a Summer Seminar. It can change your life and create a bond that only sleeping in a tent together can create with your classmates. And 3, please don’t worry about grades so much. I made this mistake and sitting here now it’s only just a letter. It doesn’t define you. Rather than working towards a grade (or anything) as your goal, do all the right steps to achieve the goal. Focus on the process and the results will follow. Peace out everybody, trust the Lord and trust the process!

6 OPINION

Emma Fairchild I have spent the last six years of my life driving to Westminster at 7:30 in the morning and leaving at 3:00 pm. I have learned a lot over the years in the classroom, but like most my favorite memories have been found outside of the classroom. Getting to dress up with all of my classmates and compete against other grades during spirit week, cracking jokes with my friends during lunch, and just hanging around in the hallway have made my time here so worth it. My teachers have always wanted me to succeed and never fail to show that. I am so thankful my parents sent me to such an amazing school with such a loving community.

Emily Griege I have loved being a part of the school newspaper this year!

It has been really cool to be more invested in the sports I don’t play. I have gotten to write about incredible achievements for sports I had never really payed attention to. It was fun to make everyone aware of what is going on in sports that they might not be aware of. Newspaper was a great class thanks to Anna Grace for making it so fun!

THANK YOU TO THIS STAFF FOR MAKING THIS YEAR ON 800 NEWS GREAT! I LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU ALL! -ANNA GRACE OPINION

7

Too Many People, Not Enough Gardens

With food security becoming an increasing issue in our world, a garden is a great way to counteract food insecurity on a small scale.

Ahren Muehleisen Staff Writer

As of right now, food security is a real issue in the United States and the world. According to the World Food Programme, about 828 million people in the World currently don’t know where their next meal will come from (www.wfp.org). This is due to many factors such as overpopulation, poor use of land, increased appetites, and deforestation.

The World just passed 8 billion in population. Trying to feed this many people while using the land responsibly is a real challenge. America’s increased hunger for meat has also been a problem with cutting down forests to make room for cattle farms and corn fields. We are losing massive amounts of forest in order to implement cattle farms and crop fields. Which, while not all bad, we need trees for oxygen output and carbon dioxide sequestration. At the current rate we soon will not have forests left due to farming.

Also, much of this land, in turn, is used irresponsibly and actually hurts the environment by farming it. Americans consume almost 220 lbs of meat per capita per year, which is almost 20 lbs more than any other country (chefstamp.com). Again, while A simple backyard garden.

Photo by: Ahren Muehleisen this is not bad on a small scale, feeding all of America this amount of meat is costly. It is immensely straining our resources and also taxing other country’s resources to support us. farming, there could be a very simple solution that would make an impact on a large scale. Plant a garden.

Originally, farming was intended to support one’s community.

Before it was A garden is a great way to revert back to the traditional way massively of farming and improve the environment and your community industrialsimultaneously. If every family planted a garden, that would ized, farmers cut down dramatically on the costs of food production for fruits simply grew and vegetables around the world. If every family cut down crops and their costs by even 10% on produce every summer, it would fruit for their be a huge difference in farming and effect on the environment. neighbors It could be as simple as going down to your local nursery and and commu- picking up some herbs to grow. It is also a delicious way to get nity. This fresh produce. One of the most satisfying feelings is eating a way, all of juicy tomato or cucumber that you know grew up from your the money dirt. Or, eating a big meal with your family that you know that went you grew and it wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t plant a into the garden. While this can’t change the world, it can definitely have crops stayed in the community and was, therefore, self-sustain- a positive impact on the environment, even on a small scale. ing. This had much less of an ecological and economical impact So next time you have some dirt in your backyard or are bored, on the world and was ultimately a lesser impact. While it’s not plant a garden, the world might just be better for it. possible to go back to that way of life and dramatically change commercial

“

“Originally, farming was intended to support one’s community”

8 FEATURE

I Love Wearing Plastic Bottles How plastic bottles are being used to make clothing.

Christina English Staff Writer

5.25 trillion pieces of plastic waste are estimated to be in the ocean, with 70% of it sinking into the sea, 15% floating in on the ocean’s surface, and 15% ending up on beach shores. Not only that, 8.3 million tons are found in the ocean yearly (condorferries.co.uk).

for clothes and shoes, an even bigger difference can be made if there is a way to get these materials to smaller, local clothing companies. Whether it be shipping the clothes and shoes themselves or sending the fabrics for these companies to use, having companies both big and small around the country participating in making and selling clothes made out of plastic materials starts a trend in both fashion and ocean preservation.

It’s both crazy and saddening how much plastic waste is being discarded into the sea year after year. However, people all around the world are finding lots of different ways to solve this Using plastic bottles to make clothing is one out of the many problem regarding plastic waste in the ocean. One of these ways ways people can help save the oceans from the despair they’re is turning plastic into articles of clothing. already facing; it helps us wear sustainable clothes, and it helps the ocean heal from decades of damaging plastics.

The process of turning plastic bottles into clothing is not too difficult to accomplish. Ambleoutdoors.com.au gives a list of eight steps that explain how the process works: “Plastic bottles are collected for recycling, caps are removed and bottles are sorted by colour, the bottles are cleaned and sterilised to remove any nasties, the plastic is dried and shredded into small flakes, [the] flakes are melted and extruded (squeezed) into yarn, the yarn is spun into thread, the thread is woven into fabric rolls, [and the] fabric is cut and sewn to create new clothes.” Through these steps, it can be proven that the results are not only saving the oceans but are also sustainable. If we could distribute this practical fabric to bigger clothing companies that don’t make their clothes with recyclable materials, a big difference can be made regarding plastic in the ocean.

There actually are already a few larger clothing companies that are beginning to make their clothes with plastic bottles. One of these big clothing companies is Patagonia. On their website, patagonia.com, they state that “this fall, 69 percent of all [their] materials will be derived from recycled materials,” and how they hope to “use only renewable or recycled materials in [their] products by 2025.” They’re trying to accomplish their goal by partnering with different companies, such as Bureo in Ventura, California, and with scientists to learn more about what exactly is being put into the ocean and how they can take these materials to be made into clothing.

Not only are clothes being made out of plastic bottles, shoes are being made with them too. One of these companies is Veja. Veja has a project called the Veja Project, where, on their website (project.veja-store.com), they state that they not only use plastic bottles for their shoes, but they also use “Brazilian and Peruvian organic cotton […and] Amazonian rubber.” Through Veja, it’s now easier to see how there are so many ways to use plastic bottles in apparel manufacturing.

Seeing how plastic bottles are made into fabric and then used

A Patagonia jacket made of plastic bottles.

Photo by: Christina English

FEATURE 9

It’s NOT “Perfectly Normal”

Kids are being fed sexual content in school and online, and it needs to stop.

Elijah Schmidt Web Design Editor

Sex: a highly controversial and polarizing topic for centuries. In some cultures it is heavily discussed, and in others the conversation about sex is shunned. But a new phenomenon is taking place in the United States where children and young teens are being brought into this conversation. This is wrong and morally murky, but what is actually going on?

Since 2003, TeenVogue has been publishing as a spin off of the publication Vogue. They kept printing until they went fully online back in 2017. This is a publication meant to be targeting a young audience of minors—pre-teens and teens—yet the articles that come out of this publication often have intense, provocative, and sexual content that introduces these adolescents to age-inappropriate sexual experimentation. Many think Photo by: Elijah Schmidt explicit content like this comes from the deep, dark corners was an uproar of parents who wanted this book, “It’s Perfectly of the internet, but major, reputable publications are making Normal,” taken off of the school library’s shelves. this type of grooming highly mainstream. No wonder there is a growing epidemic of kids and teens addicted to porn and sex—it’s being spoon fed to them by a prominent media outlet. “My concern is for unsupervised children having this book in And this is not a unique instance—there have been many other their hands,” said Patsy Huntsman, New York parent, “It says this is not a how-to manual. Well, I’m telling you if this isn’t a articles and many other publications which push the same highly sexualized content. It is everywhere, and increased social how-to manual, I don’t know what is.” media access only makes it easier for younger and younger kids But Superintendent Lou Goscinski had a different take: “I think to reach inappropriate, eye-catching content—especially when it what we’re seeing nationwide is an assault on public libraries and public school libraries,” Goscinski said. “I think it’s part of is on a reputable and well-known site. the political times we’re in right now.”

In addition to the media, the books inside of schools are becomMost parents and people who want to protect kids, though, do ing more and more targeted and sexualized. One book entitled “It’s Perfectly Normal” by Robie H. Harris, originally published not see this as an assault on libraries at all—they see it as an assault on children. There are simply certain things children in 1994 and remastered in 2021, is a prime example of a condo not need to be exposed to. If a movie has nudity or foul sistent grooming of children. According to the front cover, the language in it, we rate it “R,” but when a book illustrates the book is rated ages 10 and up, yet it reads and seems more like intimacy of sexual intercourse for non-educational purposes, it an instruction manual for sex targeted at young children. is recommended for ages 10 and up.

What I cannot figure out is why this is necessary for 10-year-old children? Why are we showing this to young kids who are just I did a book search on the St. Louis Public Library’s website growing into their bodies? And why is this not seen as grooming and this book is apparently on the shelf. In fact, there are three separate versions available for hold at the library. It is mind bogby this author? Robie Harris has also written similarly sexual gling to me that this book, and aforementioned Vogue articles, books such as “It’s So Amazing!” and “It’s Not the Stork!”. are out there for kids and young teens to readily find. When will Even if one does not hold the Christian faith close to their heart, we stop enabling predators such as Robie Harris and TeenVogue from stealing the innocence of children and teaching sexual it should be apparent and obvious that this is wrong. Young children are being shown nearly pornographic imagery for other exploration to 10-year-olds? purposes than scientific education, and these authors and jourMy solution would be to boycott institutions that give a dime nalists are getting away with it. to this author for her works and to make calls to your representatives urging them to do something. Kids are the future of this However, not everyone is silent about this growing evil. According to WGME News, at a school district in New York, there country, and we cannot allow them to be preyed upon.

10

OPINION

Vulnerability in Schools

Has the judgment that students feel become a problem?

Raquel Herrera Staff Writer

In an ideal scenario, when a student arrives to school, they should feel as though they had entered a welcoming safe space.

The place they have just arrived at has people that support them and peers that encourage them...but this is just a best-case scenario.

When described by older generations, high school is seen to be a challenge mainly because of the social aspect.

From exaggerations to interviews, the social aspect and “hierarchy” of high school is not a new concept. The majority of teenagers will and have dealt with feelings of judgment during their high school career.

During the time of high school, it becomes a common feeling that leaving the safety of your home, you arrive at school with full exposure.

Image representing the exposure students feel while at school.

Image by Raquel Herrera

crowd, look, or persona. She describes its restrictive properties and harmful viewpoint. She comments on how it becomes inappropriate due to its constrictions on an individual’s identity.

Kathyrn Lai, writer from Ripple Foundation, comments off of personal experience: “limiting authenticity and stunting identity formation, the implications of a social hierarchy restrict behav- Anthony E. Wolf, a clinical psychologist and author of several ior deemed inappropriate by punishing those who engage in it” parenting books, writes, “the constant sense of being judged is a normal part of adolescence. Out there in the world of school you (Lai). feel very vulnerable […] the constant teenage nightmare: being an ostracized, ridiculed thing standing out there with everybody Lai gets at the common idea of attempting to fit into a certain watching” (Wolf).

Wolf describes what he believes to be a fear for adolescents. The nightmare of being singled out for all to judge and assume. This idea of the feeling, nightmare, or fear being normalized or common is disconcerting. No doubt, students do not hope to “leave the comfort of their homes” for vulnerability at school.

As this information is analyzed, the question comes into mind, can this issue be solved?

An ideal environment for all students could be described as welcoming, supportive, and inclusive. Harsh judgment and exclusivity causes feelings of inferiority, negativity, and inadequacy. It is up to the individual student if judgment becomes their default thought process.

The “teenage nightmare” from Anthony E. Wolf’s perspective.

Image by Raquel Herrera

OPINION

11

Saving the Nuclear Family

Putting the American family back together is the first step to healing the country.

Maddox Rosenberg Image Editor

Many problems in America, such as behavioral issues and higher imprisonment rates, can all be traced back to the lack of fathers present in homes according to fixfamilycourts.com.

A lack of respect for fathers in the media, the feminist movement, and the decline of Christianity in America are all factors in the fall of the nuclear family and the rise of single-parent homes. A traditional nuclear family is a family consisting of a married couple and their biological child(ren) living together in one household. The advantages according to study.com, “are financial stability, strong support systems for children, and pro- Image: Maddox Rosenberg Traditional values, marriage, and religion are going declining in recent years. viding consistency in raising children”.

One could say that single family households are not necessarFirst, according to census.gov, “almost a quarter of U.S. ily bad, and that can be true. Crediting everydayhealth.com, children under the age of 18 live with one parent and no other “single-parent homes now report higher incomes than in the adults (23%).” The majority of these single parent homes are past.” This article also states there could be a more unique bond homes with only mothers—no fathers. The issues of the lack between the single parent and their child[ren] than with two of fathers in homes can be shown in the statistics of prison parents. inmates, school report cards, and more. The increase of single parent homes can be attributed to many things, but one aspect of A modern feminist might say that it is a good thing to dethe declining number of nuclear families is the lack of respect construct marriage. But in this scenario within a marriage, a for fathers in the media. A 2016 BYU study “found fathers were feminist can bring a different perspective to the relationship. An positively portrayed by the media less than half the time they article from Virginia Tech states, “Couples described feminism were on screen”. as influencing their beliefs about equality within marriage by providing standards for interaction and motivating women to Next, the modern feminist movement has been more detrimen- demand appropriate treatment and men to demand more from tal to family values than fighting for equal rights. The original themselves in terms of relationship work.” feminist movements did a great number for equal rights for women, but this new wave is all about empowering women to Some would state that marriage is an outdated concept. They be self-reliant. Instead of preaching that men and women work could also claim that Christianity is an outdated religion that is well with each other, and both have their pros and cons for discriminatory against gays and women. Believing in science everything they do, the movement pushes women to try and do has instead become popular and mainstream, famous non-behistorically manly jobs and activities. According to a Universi- lievers have come out of the closet, and in TV, film, and the ty of Chicago study, when a wife makes more money than her media, non-belief is in style and reaching a critical mass. husband, the marriage is 50% more likely to end in divorce. The issue when the movement pushes for women to act more manly, As individuals, we need to open our eyes to what we are being and do more manly things, is there will be a lack of mothers and given. Be critical of the things you hear and read because the less parental care for the coming generations. creator may not have your best intentions in mind. We need to revert back to traditional ideology because many individuals Finally, the decline of Christianity and Christian values in in our generation will miss out on family because of the things America even in the past decade, shown in an article by the Pew they were told in the media.

Research Center, comes with some problems. It is no secret that in today’s society, hookup culture is seemingly more respectOverall there are issues arising against family values. Fathers ed than lasting relationships. With more promiscuity and less are being painted in a bad light, women are being convinced to commitment, why are people surprised when people care about work for a career rather than family, and Christian values are family values less? With a decline of Christian values, shows an disappearing in front of our eyes. A nuclear family provides betincrease of childbearing coming out of wedlock. According to ter financial stability, presents a disciplinarian to the child[ren], fixfamliycourts.com, 1.5 million babies were born to an unwed and shows many more benefits. mother.

12

OPINION

AI and Social Media Thrive, Does Journalism Die?

fall of journalism.

“The media industry is already beginning to experiment with AI-generated content. Tech news site CNET used an AI tool similar to ChatGPT to write dozens of articles — though the publisher has had to issue a number of corrections — and BuzzStaff Writer Feed has used tech from the ChatGPT maker to generate new Are you majoring in communications? Yikes, good luck! forms of content like quizzes and travel guides” (ChatGPT may JournAre you majoring in communications? Yikes, good luck! be coming for our jobs. Here are the 10 roles that AI is most While digital news readership is steadily increasing, it is not likely to replace). increasing nearly enough to offset the decrease in print newspa- Technology such as AI has the ability to analyze, collect, and per distribution and readership. According to the Pew Research dissect media like no other. This heightened sense for data has Center, digital news site visits have increased from around 8.2 quite the upper hand on human intelligence. I’m sure if I were to million in 2014 to 13.8 million in 2020, but print newspapers type on the topic of dying journalism into chatGPT, I would be have seen a massive decline from their peak readership in 1973 able to generate a better article than I’ve written here. at 63.1 million. As of 2013, their circulation was at 40.7 million Sooner rather than later, technology was bound to take over the and still rapidly declining. It is hard to deny the statistics, but speed of journalism; but real journalism has something that AI why is journalism dying at a time when people need it most? In will never be able to provide; authenticity and credibility. Real a world of corruption, dishonesty, and politics, authentic jourjournalists are one of us, and if they are proven to be a trustnalism should be flourishing. Instead of true success and respect worthy source of information, we can count on them to always to the field, social media posts from Tiktok and instagram are be more authentic than AI. Through interviews, live news, and deemed our most trusted and respected source of news. photojournalism we know the news we are digesting comes straight from the source.

Journalism is a business of the people. Its humble origins come In order to save journalism, we must remember what journalism from the mission and desire of allowing people to know what is is built off of. Journalism’s obligation is to the truth, and its loygoing on in their world. Press is the backbone of our society— alty is to the citizens. In essence, it is a discipline of verification, our rights to press are explicitly stated in the first amendment— and citizens, too, have rights and responsibilities when it comes so how can we just let something that is part of our history die to consuming and verifying news. Most importantly, journalism so suddenly? provides a forum for criticism and compromise. Authentic journalism provides an open door for discussion—it is not just here “Humans hunger for news. We want knowledge beyond what to explain the facts, but experience them with you. AI is cold, we can gather using our own senses. We want narratives, facts, impersonable, and does not provide an empathetic side. events, people, back stories and the ideas from beyond our Before we decide to allow journalism to fall to the creation doors. We want to understand, and we want to escape our isola- of AI and ChatGTP, think about what is at stake. It is not tion. The mass media tries to satisfy this hunger” (A History of just someone’s job, it is society’s livelihood as well. Without Journalism). authentic journalism in its many forms, communication and civilization takes a beating as a whole. It is our language—it’s Humans have an innate desire for honest, authentic, and perhow we connect. If we allow the world’s most essential forms suasive journalism. The principles and cores of communication of the basic human need to communicate to die, what is left for show up in one of the earliest works of Western Literature : The us? Before we label journalism just a boring, old newspaper Odyssey. Odysseus’s son is on a quest for his father and has we must look into the true ethics of what it would mean to live a need for news in order to accomplish this. We see the core without it. We must save journalism. values of communication; persuade, transmit, and entertain.

Journalism is not just the Sunday newspaper, it is our language.

Journalism does not require a set structure, it simply exists for the better of public knowledge.

Alyssa Greco

As technology advances, so does journalism. Journalism is no longer the paper boy on the sidewalk yelling “papers for sale”; it has evolved to our advantage. As of the 21st century, journalism became available online in just the click of a button. If I were to go onto the internet and search “March 2023 current events” I’d have a million articles in front of me to choose from.

People assume due to technology journalism must be thriving, but ironically enough technology has slowly become the down- Journalism is slowly beginning to die off.

Image by: Elijah Schmidt

OPINION 13

April 2023

Lady Cats Keep Rolling pg. 19

14 SPORTING

First Wildcat Alum to Score NHL Goal Cole McWard scores his first NHL goal in his second game.

Emily Griege Staff Writer

Cole McWard was a stand out hockey player during his time at Westminster, where he was a crucial part of the back-to-back state championship winning team. Cole is a very dynamic defenseman that controls the defensive zone while also being a thread on offense. He is a two way player that always has an influence on how the game goes. Cole only attended Westminster through his Sophomore year before leaving to play Junior hockey in Chicago in order to get recruited to play in college.

He was very successful in junior hockey and proceeded to move up the ranks through college and now into the NHL. On Saturday April 8, 2023, McWard scored his first NHL goal for the Vancouver Canucks in just his second game with the team. Cole is a powerful defensemen that played two seasons at The Ohio State University. This year, Ohio State lost in the second round of the Frozen Four Tournament, and just ten days later he signed his first two-year entry level contract with the Canucks. Just three days later, he was skating his rookie lap and getting ready for his first ever NHL game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Cole McWard skates with the puck in the state championship game.

“Cole is a very special player and very easy to coach. His Photo Courtesy of The Founfation competition level was off the charts and he controlled the game every shift he was on the ice. He was also a perfect balance of humble and confident,” said Westminster hockey coach Dean In his first professional game, Cole recorded 14 minutes of ice time and a blocked shot. It was a great way for him to experiPenberthy. ence what it’s like to play in the NHL. Obviously it is a huge adjustment moving from college to the professional level.

Everyone is bigger, faster, and stronger and you have a lot less time to react. Cole was able to adjust to the change of pace quickly and in just his second NHL game he got the Canucks on the scoreboard nine minutes into the game. Cole used his powerful shot from the blue line to notch his first professional goal. In that game, Cole recorded one goal, eleven minutes of ice time, and two blocked shots. Each game Cole plays, he gets more and more comfortable on the ice and he has potential to make a big impact in the seasons to come. Unfortunately, the Canucks missed the playoffs this season, so Thursday April 13 was Cole’s last game of the season.

Cole now has the off season to come back home and get ready for next year. Since he signed a 2-year entry level contract, he will begin playing somewhere in the Canucks organization whether that be for the NHL or AHL team. It was great for him to get some experience in the NHL before the end of the season, so now he knows what to expect and what he needs to do to be ready for next season.

Cole McWard talks to his linemate during the state championship gamePhoto courtsey of The Foundation.

SPORTING 15

The Lady Cats

Westminster girls soccer is making a statement

Sydney Bradley Sporting Editor

The girls soccer team started their season 6-1, only losing to John Burroughs in the battle of Metro League unbeatens. In their first game the Cats took on the Francis Howell North Knights at home. The Cats capitalized on defense and the knights were only able to score once.

Emma Ballew saved six of seven shots she faced to earn the victory in goal for Westminster. On the offensive half the field seniors, Elizabeth Clawson and Ashlyn Lane, each scored a goal, as well as juniors,

Team huddles up during the game Photo courtesy of yearbook staff

Libby Wessels dribbles the ball up the feild Photo courtesy of yearbook staff

Ellie Reel and Lydia Bailey scoring a goal each. Clawson and Carolann Muschick (senior) combined for 3 assists.

The then went on 4 game winning streak beating MICDS 2-1, Clayton 2-0, Pattonville 3-0, and Notre Dame 1-0.

In their recent game again Parkway West, the cats battled past the longhorns beating them 2-1. Our key offensive players were Lydia Bailey and Kelsey Muschick who each scored one goal. And Ashlyn Lane who assisted both of those goals. Emma Ballew was credited with the victory in goal for Westminster. The Cats will take on the Laude Rams at home Friday at 4:15.

Emma Balew kicks the ball away feom the goal Photo courtesy of yearbook staff

Libby Wessels dribble the ball up the feild .

Photo courtesy of yearbook staff

16 SPORTING

AD 17