Issue 10--The Wildcat Roar

April 2023

Out With the Old, In With the New pg. 10

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

CHRISTINA ENGLISH

SENIOR

TARYN CUNNINGHAM SOPHOMORE

WILLIAM DANA

JUNIOR

MIA SCHEULEN JUNIOR

AUDREY ROHLFING SENIOR

JACK NELSON JUNIOR

EMMA FAIRCHILD SENIOR

BEN ATKINS JUNIOR

EMILY GRIEGE SENIOR

AHREN MUEHLEISEN SENIOR

CORINNE PLUMB JUNIOR

NYAH KIM SENIOR

ALYSSA GRECO SENIOR

JOEY FENTRESS SOPHOMORE

RAQUEL HERRERA SOPHOMORE

LAILA ANDERSON FRESHMAN

LUCY KIM FRESHMAN

DREW CAHILL JUNIOR

JIMMY MACDONALD SENIOR

JACOBI ROBINSON

JUNIOR

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURE

GMO FOODS: NECCESITY? PG. 8

ACT SCORES ARE BORING, BUT YOU AREN’T PG. 9

OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW PG. 10

A NEW OBSESSION: CHESS PG. 13

ANYBODY WANT TO GO BACK TO BREAK? PG. 14

HOLLYWOOD GLORIFICATION PGS. 6-7

LIVING IN A TARGETED SOCIETY PG. 11

MAKING EVERYONE SAFE FROM ANY STRESSOR MAY JUST BE UN-SAFE IN ITSELF PG. 12

SPORTING

WILDCAT TENNIS TAKES DOWN MICDS PG. 17

START OF SPRING SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS PG. 18

WESTMINSTER’S ACHIEVEMENTS PG. 19

WHY DO I PLAY? PG. 20

ROCKET RECOVERY PG. 21

CONTENTS

Hope for Renewal

As the school year winds toward a close and we at 800 News complete one of our last issues of the year, it seems to be that everything and nothing is happening simultaneously. STUCO officers for next year were selected, new iPads are rolling in, seniors have college acceptances in, spring sports are in full swing, and the community prepares to finish out the year. We seem to be getting ready for what’s next, but that also means that we are in a period of waiting with the same old tests and assignments.

Many students around this time of year are tired and weary at the thought of finishing the quarter and starting anew yet again this summer, and the weeks that stretch between now and May (or late April for seniors) seem to drag on endlessly. Christians around the world, though, have just celebrated a very important period of waiting this Easter season. Last week, we as a Christian school celebrated Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection to save us all from sin and suffering.

But, He did not rise immediately, and there was a period of intense waiting which occurred where it all seemed hopeless.

While our circumstances now are certainly not as dire as they were 2,000 years ago on this weekend, our attitudes are reflective of that period of waiting. We prepare the way for what is to come next, but we also tend to dread not knowing what is truly coming our way as we try to keep going.

However, while part of this weekend signified waiting, it also represents hope. That is what Christians believe this is truly about—our entire faith is built on the foundation of the hope we were given when the stone rolled away. This hope should also be remembered moving away from this break that meant so much more than just a 4-day weekend. As a community that claims to be built around this miracle, we should let the hope it gives us guide us out of any waiting, dragging-on slump and help us to hope for better.

Hollywood Glorification

People, and even entire fanbases, are quick to become upset with celebrities for failing to speak on important current events.

“If I’ve got something to say, I’ll say it, but I don’t want to be dragged into it,” country artist Dolly Parton told The Guardian last year. “I don’t really like getting up on TV and saying political things. I don’t even want to make a deal out of it, but I want people to know I’m my own individual self.” (Celebrities who don’t talk politics: ‘Nobody cares’ | Fox News).

Parton was being interviewed about her thoughts on the 2020 election, and fans quickly became angry or even upset with Parton for her lack of clarity and detail, leading fans to believe she is not not using her voice as a celebrity by speaking up for what matters. Dolly states she does wish to share her concerns regarding the election, since the election brought quite the divide to the political parties and union of America as a whole. She has the ability to make a difference and bring in listeners due to her massive fanbase, but she chooses to stay quiet—why is that?

Dolly Patron is not the only celebrity to ever receive backlash for failing to address big, political issues. Celebrities all across Hollywood are shamed for being passive with such questions, and often are labeled as “uneducated.” People with the privilege of having a big influence on America should take advantage of that to make change, but who are we really asking this of? People such as Dolly Parton are famous because they are entertainers, not political science majors.

“In recent years, popular culture and political activism has very much blended together. Some people champion this and are excited to see celebrities with privilege speaking out about social issues, certain political figures and movements across the globe. However, many believe that actors, musicians and athletes should stay away from politics because they lack adequate qualifications and speak out for the purpose of branding” (Celebrities should use their platforms to discuss national issues | Opinion | the-standard.org).

It is easy for Americans and people all across the world to view celebrities as role models. They are performers who are constantly seen in the public light. They are held accountable for their actions like no other due to news sources and media all across the spectrum. It is easy for people to forget these people are human too, despite their multi-million fan base and net worth. It is human nature

to praise celebrities and expect pristine behavior from them. When a celebrity makes a mistake, though, they receive far more backlash for this than any of us would due to the public light. These people should not be what you are basing your morality off. Fans are quick to be upset with their lack of contribution to social issues, but are we even doing the same?

The moral of the story is this. Fans should not expect greatness out of people who are in the public eye purely for entertainment purposes. They have been media trained to hold their tongues on various Hollywood dramas, not the various controversies hurting America. They are paid to be entertainers, not political activists. Expecting this out of celebrities is why America faces the issue of performative activism today, which is doing more harm than good.

The issue of glorifying celebrities does not just stop at politics. Generation Z is the only generation to be exposed to personal technology such as cellular phones since birth. Parents have a tendency to become angry with celebrities for inappropriate behavior—after all there are kids watching these people in the media they are exposed to daily--expecting them to be their kids’ role models.

“For Vanity Fair’s June 2008 cover, Annie Leibovitz photographed then-15-year-old [Miley] Cyrus in nothing but a sheet. Then a Disney star on “Hannah Montana,” Cyrus faced immediate controversy for posing so scandalously. At first, the “Malibu” singer caved to the backlash and issued an apology” (Miley Cyrus’ 11 biggest scandals through the years).

Singer And Songwriter Miley Cyrus is best known for her childhood as a Disney star on the show Hannah Montana. She has always been in the public eye, but her audience did consist of younger viewers. People expect her to be a role model for their children, but why are we choosing celebrities to teach children morals? Once again, people like Miley Cryus are in the public eye to prodive laughter and entertainment, not raise children to be upstanding citizens. Before ridiculing celebrities for their wild behavior, think about what you are asking of these people. Just because they are famous does not mean they are here to set an example for the entire world.

Before we decide to ridicule celebrities for their vagueness on various topics, it is important to think about the pressure they are facing when addressing any issue. No matter what they decide to say or do, people will have both negative and positive remarks. It is not anyones responsibility to set an example for you, your parents, or your children. Celebrities do not sought out fame to be an example for the next generation, but to do what they desire and provide baseline entertainment.

While history repeats itself time and time again with celebrity scandals, there are still some redeemable qualities that we can admire in celebrities, for example: Selena Gomez. Selena Gomez has been in the spotlight from a very young age, starring in Barney. Quickly, Gomez became a Disney Star as the main character in Wizards of Waverly Place. After her Disney debut Selena got involved in the music industry, and even made her own makeup brand Rare Beauty. She has been a huge advocate for mental health and body image. She does this while opening up about her bipolar disorder and lupus.

“She pointed to examples of body positivity and conservationism. Celebrity mental health advocates and those who’ve gone through recovery like Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, and Michael Phelps are also helping break the stigma around mental illness, prioritizing their mental health and seeking treatment. Recently, the Olympics and other notable competitions have brought the issue of professional and student-athlete mental health to the forefront.” (Are Celebrities Good Role Models for Teens? - Embark Behavioral Health ).

This is an example of a celebrity who uses their place in the limelight to speak on something they should use their platform to speak on. Because struggles with body image and mental health are relevant to her and others’ personal life struggles, they can and should use their standing to raise awareness. Something like politics, though, is a completely different story. Because most of these stars have no real experience in the world of politics, they should not speak on political or moral controversy merely in the name of justice or activism to clear their name.

Due to how susceptible Generation Z is to the media, celebrities are commonly role models to people. We see them in the public light all the time, so it is natural to develop a fixation with these people. There are a lot of people out there who would be amazing role models, but no one is focusing on these people because they are not always in the public light. Celebrities are not necessarily good role models, but they are accessible. There is good in everyone, but it is a matter of who wants to spend their time advocating for the good of people and the world. The people we spend the most time hearing from are the ones that have an effect on our lives, and that means that if people spend a lot of time consuming media those people will affect them more, which is so much more prevalent in this generation than any other. There is a fine line between looking up to people and making them role models: chose wisely. Role models should also be the people directly affecting your life experience, like friends, parents, teachers, and others who actally interact with you and do not simply have a highly public platform.

GMO Foods: Are They A Neccesity?

GMO foods pose benefits for farmers and consumers in the current day, but no one knows the long term effects.

Crops have been revolutionized in the last 30 years to change to resist pests and diseases and make the crops grow better. These changes to crops have obvious benefits to the crops like growing better and yielding more, but what we do not know is the long-term effects of consuming genetically-modified organisms (GMO’s) and also how they might affect the future of crops.

GMO’s were created in order to compensate for a growing population and increased appetites around the world. With the amount of people in the world today, the traditional farming methods cannot cut it anymore. Scientists and farmers alike needed something to provide food for the exploding populations on earth, and GMOs were it.

A massive part of America’s economy and land revolves around farming and agriculture. For generations upon generations, farmers have grown crops to support their family, community, and other animals. Companies like Bayer have worked for years to modify crops and plants to become more favorable to higher yields. For example, Bayer has been working to make “Short Corn,” or genetically modified corn stalks to grow shorter in order to avoid being knocked over by wind gusts in the field, therefore surviving better and growing more corn per acre. According to the Corn Farmers Coalition, “Farmers today grow five times as much corn as they did in the 1930s – on 20 percent less land. (www.aei.com). This is beneficial to farmers and the environment because the land is able to be used more efficiently and they have less crop loss.

Another big project that Bayer has developed is “Roundup-Ready Soybeans.’’ These are soybean seeds that are already resistant to a pesticide called Glyphosate, or Roundup, so that a farmer can spray a field to kill all of the weeds without actually killing their crops. This creates higher yields and less weeds and unwanted plants in the field. These are just two examples of genetically modified crops that scientists

and geneticists have been working on over the past years to improve crops and generate more food for the world.

In the current day, the GMO crops appear to be all good. They make farming more efficient and are in some cases cheaper. Farmers can get more bang for their buck while buying less chemicals and getting a higher yield. There are even some crazy GMO foods out there like Never-browning apples, and Cancer fighting tomatoes (Kansaslivingmagazine.com). What is unknown is the long term effects of these foods. In the relative span of things, they have not been around for very long. We don’t know the long term effects of eating them or of eating animals who eat them. We are changing crops that have been around for a long time and have been proven to work for us being grown the traditional way. That being said, there is a rigorous process to get these GMO crops on the market. It takes scientists over 10 years from initial planning to being on the market to get these approved through tests and trials. So while the testing provides some comfort, we still are unaware of what the effects will be over the next century.

In general, GMO’s are a good thing as of right now. They allow farmers to grow more crops per acre, and use less chemicals in the process. It even allows us to have some exciting new foods that we never thought possible. They provide a solution to the world’s growing population issue and increase in hunger. But what we do not know is how these will affect the future of farming and eating. Messing with food and DNA that has been around for centuries and changing the whole make-up of the food is a potentially dangerous process. So this begs the question: How far will scientists go with these crops, and what will our diet look like in the coming decades?

“ What we do not know is how GMO’s will affect the future of farming and eating.

ACT’s Are Boring, But You Aren’t!

Why high schoolers should write college applications that are more interesting.

On March 1st, 2023, most colleges offering a regular application were starting to close up shop, signifying that the process is now officially over. In the meantime, seniors everywhere are awaiting responses to the applications that they worked essentially all of high school for. But is this lengthy college application process even worth doing, and is there another way to apply for college than the standard resume and essay?

Some people say the college application process is flawed and that there is another way to apply. They state how talking about your passions or something that you are interested in depth will give you the exact same guarantee to getting into college as regularly applying with essays and boring lists of extracurriculars.

There are a number of different ways that the college application process is corrupt. One of these ways is the manipulation of ACT and SAT scores. There have been multiple cases across the United States of people cheating on the ACT and SAT that are getting federally charged. One of these instances is the case of William Singer, which was detailed in the 2019 Netflix documentary The College Admissions Scandal.

William Singer is a college counselor who had a consulting business. He is the mastermind behind helping 50 wealthy and elite families get their kids into ivy league schools by creating false test scores and faking athletic statuses. According to Isabel Thottam of higheredconnects.com, he did this by coordinating a dishonest testing practice: he either had someone to take the test in place of the student, or had the student take it with a bribed test monitor, or with the monitor changing incorrect answers after the student finished the test. Situations like these, while rare, make it hard to decipher between applications that are true and ones that are fake. It also makes applications more competitive than ever, which means rising college freshmen need to outshine others more than they are already attempting to do. However, what some people have been arguing in recent years is to instead focus on the things that each student is actually interested in versus only analyzing their academic scores. That way, the colleges that they are applying to are able to get to know their applicants a more personally and are not fed the same mundane lists of achievements.

One of the people who believes in assessing interests over academics is Cal Newport, an American author and professor at Georgetown University. Newport explains that “exceptionally impressive accomplishments are rarely planned out in advance,” and how they normally follow the pattern of “the student [choosing] something that seems interesting, the student

[following] through and [completing] the pursuit, and the student [surveying] the new opportunities this makes available,” (calnewport.com). By following this cycle, juniors and seniors in high school can develop activities that they are truly interested in for their college applications. This cycle can also be a destresser for high schoolers applying for college since they don’t have to worry about a huge list of academic and extracurricular goals that they have to accomplish in order to get into their desired school.

This process has been proven to work. Newport told the story of a girl named Olivia who wanted to go to the university of Virginia, but did not meet the school’s typical rigorous academic and extracurricular standards. Despite this, she decided to apply for the full-ride scholarship that Virgina offered.

Olivia had a gigantic passion for marine zoology, and she had a lengthy conversation with the committee that was interviewing her for the scholarship about it. The committee was so impressed by Olivia’s genuine interest that they gave her the full-ride. Newton described this whole situation as Olivia “[rejecting] the list quality hypothesis,” and instead embracing “the interestingness hypothesis,” (calnewport.com). In other words, Olivia put her passions over her academic and extracurricular ‘lists’ and was rewarded for it.

While there are many flaws within the college application process, there are ways to overcome these flaws, one of them by being yourself. Colleges should know who students are as people, not merely academic statistics. This method of showing passions and interests over academic scores and extracurriculars has been proven to work for different individuals, and there is hope of this method being able to spread across the country and used more in the college application process.

Out With The Old, In With The New

Everything you need to know about Westminster’s upgraded iPads coming soon.

Anna Grace Likes

Editor-in-Chief

It’s official: after three long years of glitchy, clunky, 7th Generation iPads, Westminster is finally trading them in for an upgrade. For the 2023-24 school year, all Westminster students will be given a brand new 10th Generation iPad with a new case. These iPads are in the testing stages right now, with a few students around the school using them. I currently have the opportunity to test out one of these iPads, and I have a list of everything you need to know about the benefits and challenges of this new technology before it’s in your hands.

Quick Setup Time

Often when new technology is introduced, people worry that it will be tedious and challenging to set up, often fearing that valuable information might be lost in the transfer process. But, as Mr. Vonder Bruegge walked me through setting up my new iPad, I was surprised at how easy and quick it was. From the time I turned it on to the time I was ready to use it, only 5-10 minutes had passed, and all of my information from my old iPad easily transferred over.

Upgraded Case with Touchpad

While the new cases are essentially an upgraded version of the same navy blue ones on the current iPads, they have a few features that set them apart and make them much more desirable. The most exciting part is the touchpad at the front of the keyboard, which makes these iPads feel more similar to using a laptop. You can switch between using the touchscreen and clicking to scroll with the touchpad, which I like better when typing. Another beneficial aspect of this new case is its durability. While seemingly lighter than the former case, it is also more of a hard, plastic shell than a rough fabric material, which is helpful for spills and drops.

Same Apple Pencil

One of the reasons that this iPad was chosen was because it is compatible with the same Apple Pencils the old ones were. One caveat is that, for the older generation Apple Pencils to charge with the new iPad, students will need to purchase a $9 adapter so the pencil can connect from the iPad to the charging cord into the Apple Pencil (which I purchased from Best Buy). While not ideal, this was the only scenario where we could get an updated, faster model and keep the same accessories we already use.

Touch ID

Similarly to newer iPhones, these new iPads do not have a home button, opening up space for a larger and more sleek screen. Despite the lack of a button, these devices have touch ID

technlogy that students can use instead of a password. Simply go into settings, enable touch ID, and it will guide you through setting it up. This new touch ID is located on the top powrer button, which makes it super easy and quick to login.

Faster model, same security slowness

Though this iPad model is quicker and experiences less glitches in the actual software and loading times, the same security checkpoint slowness still persists. Because of the system that the school uses to filter searches and protect the devices, this adds an extra step or two when it comes to making a Google search. This also means that the same filters prevent students from going on certain websites and finding images, which was one of the main complaints concerning these school-issued devices. While this is annoying, it would not go away no matter what device is used—whether it be a laptop or an iPad.

According to Scott Vonder Bruegge, Director of Educational Technology and Curricular Innovation, these devices will likely be given out at the end of the current school year so that students can become acclimated with them as they study for finals. Since there will inevitably be some challenges trying to set up over 900 students with new iPads, the tech department is working on streamlining setup for everyone. Though it’s still an iPad and not the laptop that many want, this upgraded model provides the best and most cost-effective solution to the technological struggles that the majority of students expressed in 800 News reporter Ben Atkins’ survey just a few weeks ago.

Living in a Targeted Society

Advertisements have been enforcing problematic stereotypes on society.

In a modern day America, our happiness becomes determined by others, whether we intend for it to happen or not. Before someone can decide how they view themself, they have to first look at what others have. Based on what their neighbors possess or do not possess, an individual decides that they are not satisfied with their life.

This is often the scenario that companies play into in their advertisements. With the help of the internet and new technologies, the average person can be exposed to up to 10,000 ads in one day. Oftentimes, these advertisements emphasize negative feelings the majority of people tend to have in order to market their product.

Here are 12 examples of harmful, unrealistic advertisements:

1. This ad by DOVE, was banned for its racist video

2. In this ad by Volkswagen, common gender stereotypes were enforced in this banned ad

3. In this ad by Arnott, a biscuit and food company, stereotypical “woman” behavior is the basis of the video

4. The ad made by Valspar represents stereotypical women’s values

5. A Kendall Jenner Pepsi ad brought about a lot of controversy on its message.

6. Gillette presents unrealistic standards on what its product can provide to you.

7. Dove received a lot of controversy from its racist message.

8. Axe enforces gender stereotypes.

9. H&M’s ad was banned for having a racist product.

10. Nivea received backlash for its racist tagline.

11. Reebok makes a bold ad based off of male clichés .

12. Trident Gum presents unrealistic standards for their product.

With the use of stereotypes, companies cause consumers to go in the mental circle of trying to fit into the same harmful stereotypes that have troubled society over the past decades.

Dinyar Godrej from the New Internationalist, an award-winning magazine with global coverage, comments that “advertising today has little to do with introducing a new product or describing an existing one’s virtues. It has everything to do with images, dreams and emotions; stuff we are evolutionarily programmed to engage with but which is, almost without exception in the ad biz, fake” (Godrej).

Advertisements are often found to be aggressively targeted towards a certain audience. One of these targeted audiences is children. Children cannot identify the intentionally twisted images that advertisements have making them more susceptible to it. Dr. Dean Blumberg from UC Davis Health Children’s Hospital describes how “digital advertisements are increasingly targeting children when they play games, go on social media, use apps [...] these ads may harm children by leading to childhood obesity, hurt their self-image, and increase use of tobacco products” (Blumberg).

Advertisements use psychological pressure to feed into feelings of inadequacy. Most times, these advertisements inaccurately portray their product and confuse customers. With little thought given to how harmful these messages can be, companies only seek to improve their image and promote their product.

Making Everyone Safe From Any Stressor May Just Be Un-Safe In Itself

Antifragility is defined as a property of systems in which they increase in capability to thrive as a result of stressors, shocks, volatility, noise, mistakes, faults, attacks, or failures. Our bones and muscles are antifragile. More stress equals the more durability and strength. This principle can also be applied to feeling and emotions.

The term was coined by author Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his book titled Antifragile. He gives some examples of antifragility: “The phenomenon is well studied in medicine, where for example Wolff’s law describes how bones grow stronger due to external load. Hormesis is an example of mild antifragility, where the stressor is a poisonous substance and the antifragile becomes better overall from a small dose of the stressor. This is different from robustness or resilience in that the antifragile system improves with, not withstand, stressors, where the stressors are neither too large nor small.”

The larger point, according to Taleb, is that depriving systems of vital stressors is not necessarily a good thing and can be downright harmful to its ability to overcome and thrive.

For example, astronauts while in space for large stretches of time reported a decrease in bone density. Without gravity pulling and pounding on their bodies, their bones did not have to work as hard. This phenomenon, though, applies to more than just the physical body.

The old saying: “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words shall never hurt me,” first appeared according in a book called Eothen in 1830.

“The rhyme is used as a defense against name-calling and verbal bullying, intended to increase resiliency, avoid physical retaliation and to remain calm and good-living”(Wikipedia).

Emotions are antifragile. The more “abuse” one takes, the less it affects that person. But nowadays, society is told to never hurt

people’s feelings because it will result in harm to them. This is opposite to the antifragility model and mindset.

Because of the decreased resistance people are taking to their feelings, the more and more sensitive people are becoming. It is the same principle as the astronauts that lose density in their bones after not experiencing gravity for a while; the less emotions are pushed, the less one can take.

In an article published by the CDC, they state that “bullying can result in physical injury, social and emotional distress, selfharm, and even death. It also increases the risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, lower academic achievement, and dropping out of school.” It goes on to claim that“youth who bully others are at increased risk for substance misuse, academic problems, and experiencing violence later in adolescence and adulthood. Youth who bully others and are bullied themselves suffer the most serious consequences and are at greater risk for mental health and behavioral problems.”

Obviously, bullying in its full form is not the answer to the fragility problem because of the genuine harm it causes kids. But, to overcome the weakness that is prevalent in all aspects of American culture right now, people must be less focused on whether someone’s feelings might be hurt when interacting with each other. Emotions and feelings are antifragile, but the less they are tested, the easier feelings can be hurt.

To step away from the fragile world, we as a society need to be a little more honest to each other. In order to get back to a world where “words will never hurt [us],” society must embrace the anti-fragility model when interacting with one another to build a resistance to extreme sensitivity and cancel culture.

“

“Depriving systems of vital stressors [...] can be downright harmful.”

-Nassim Nicholas Taleb

A New Obsession: Chess

Chess Has Exploded In Popularity

Not everyone knows how to play chess, but everyone knows what it is, especially recently. Chess has exploded in popularity across the nation, including in Westminster. The game has taken over people’s pastimes, and whether it’s on a board or on a phone, people want to play.

“I have noticed chess becoming more popular recently… I only started getting more serious just about a year ago,” says Chase Borage, Sophomore.

Chess is a game with simple rules. Each player has the same pieces which can move in the same direction, and the goal is to put the opponent’s king in a position where it can no longer escape. It is so basic, yet it is still incredibly complex in practice.

After just four moves, “there are 71,852 distinct chess positions,” according to chess.com.

Such intricate gameplay challenges players to strategize several moves ahead of time, weighing the worth of each piece. A player can sacrifice a piece in the hopes that it will put them at an advantage, but their opponent will be trying to outsmart them at the same time.

“I enjoy the fact that it makes you think about the move your opponent will make,” says Borage.

Chess requires a lot of patience, time and effort. Much thought has to be put into every single move. You can even study chess outside of playing it. All these characteristics are shared with schoolwork.

The difference is that chess allows you to exercise your logical mind without the stresses of a deadline or a grade. You can push your mind to its logical limits, thinking many steps into the future, while realizing that the game has no long term consequences, unlike a test or presentation.

You don’t have to be a genius to enjoy chess, though. You can simply play for fun.

“I like chess because I suck at it. It gives me a place to go,” says Jack St. John, Junior. “Also, It’s a great time killer,” he says.

Playing chess affects more than just the pieces on the board, though. The constant competition and mindset of chess requires you to never give up hope, always fighting for victory. This mindset is useful almost everywhere.

“It is almost a metaphor for life. You have to make your best move, even when the position is lost,” says Borage.

Chess benefitsmore than just a mindset, though. The competition in chess is best with a human opponent, which can result in new bonds between the players.

“It’s a two player game, so you have fun with an opponent,” says St. John.

Chess is in the running for the most popular time killer at Westminster today, and it does not look like it is fading away anytime soon.

“

There are 71,852 distinct chess positions [after four moves],”

-chess.com

“

It is almost a metaphor for life,”

-Chase Borage, Sophomore

Anybody Want To Go Back To Break?

While we can’t go back in time, we can at least relive some of it. To help you get back in the Spring Break mood here are a few of the iconic poses of break to take you there.

Ahren Muehleisen

Staff

While a large majority of the student body went to a beach for spring break, some unfortunafte people did not. They missed out on fun, sun, and beach pictures. Images editor Maddox Rosenburg and I are here to recreate the best picture poses of spring break for those who miss their trips or the Instagram posts from them.

Pose

#3

This pose is another instant calssic with the arms around the back. Good form for this pose consists of arms close to the neck, cheesy, smiling faces from both people, and hips popped yet again. This fun side hug is an instant Instagram classic. Feel free to add a pipe wrench so you can be funny like Maddox.

Pose

#1

This is your key pose for spring break photos. The hands around each other’s backs while smiling back at the camera really brings out the eyes in both people. Do this pose over a scenic view, or on a deck for best results to show the background and how much fun everyone is having. More likes are guaranteed if Maddox’s water jug is not included.

Pose

#2

Everyone has seen it. This one consists of hands on knees with a hip-pop and a smile. Holding a wrench lets folks know you are not in a sorority. But then again Maddox, we already knew that.

Pose #4

This pose is possibly the most vital pose to spring break photos. The hands interlocked while smiling with a goofy grin are the key ingredients to this pose. This shows how much fun you are having on spring break while also giving every one of your Instagram followers a question of why the heck are you posing like that. It’s a similar question from having your 5 gallon water jug in the background which makes people ask “Maddox, why do you always have to remind us you’re hydrating?”

Pawprint: Spring Menu Review!

Last Friday, Pawprint gave the Westminster community the opportunity to taste their new drinks, and this is my honest review.

Anna Grace Likes

Pawprint’s first Cupping event in the hub was a success! To launch their spring flavors, the Pawprint team decided to give the community a chance to sample each drink if they wanted. For $2, you could try 3 drinks, and for $5 you could try all 6. With a variety of drinks from fruity, caffeine-free lemonades to espresso drinks, cold brew coffees, and teas, there’s somethng on the spring menu for everyone. I opted to pay the $5 for all six drinks, and if you didn’t get the chance to, here’s my review after trying all of them:

Blackberry Cheesecake Latte—6.5/10

This latte is different from any other coffee I’ve had before! The combination of sweet blackberry and cheesecake flavor in a coffee was worth trying, and if you enjoy an extra-sweet kick, this is your new spring drink!

Strawberry Lemonade Refresher—10/10

If you’re not craving a chilly, frozen treat but still want that same strawberry lemonade flavor as the Frozen Strawberry Lemonade, this is the perfect light spring drink! Reminiscent of my favorite Starbucks refresher but lacking the caffeine, this refresher is the best mood-booster!

Peach Iced Tea—9/10

Cold Brew w/ Vanilla Cold Foam—8/10

This drink was a strong start to the tasting (literally—stronger coffee than I’ve had from Pawprint before). If you like sugar with your coffee instead of coffee with your sugar, this drink’s for you! The Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew from Starbucks has been one of my go-to’s for years, and I have been loving cold foam on all my coffee lately, so this was perfect for me. It had a perfect amount of sweetness and coffee flavor.

Frozen Strawberry Lemonade—10/10

This summer-y slush is perfect for warmer days coming up, and I see it being popular for an after-school pick-me-up! Strawberry lemonade is always a favorite flavor combo for me, and it was a cool and refreshing way to brighten my day without any caffeine. It was both sweet and tart, but not overpowering.

Almond Joy Latte—8/10

I love a good iced mocha, and this drink added an extra level of flavor that I loved. It had a hint of coconut, but it was subtle enough that even friends of mine who don’t like coconut enjoyed this drink. On the sweeter side, the Almond Joy latte tastes exactly like the candy it’s named after!

Simple and sweet, this fruity, sweet tea is great for those who don’t love coffee but still want a fun, caffeinated drink to start (or end) the school day. I can see myself getting this tea after school to revive me before starting work or homework. Not fancy, but delicious!

Wildcat Tennis Takes Down MICDS

The Cats had an amazing victory over MICDS for the first time in years.

Westminster tennis has always been pretty good at tennis, but for while the team has been missing one thing: A win over MICDS. MICDS is a very tough tennis team that has dominated the court for years. This year it was different. Despite losing 5 players after last season, the Wildcat tennis team is looking great at the beginning of this season. They had a 6-3 sounding win versus Chaminade, and then turned their attention to MICDS.

Knowing that beating MICDS’s top 2 players would be hard in singles, Sophomore Alan Walker and Senior Tyler Collison knew that they had to capitalize in doubles. Unfortunately, Collison broke his strings in warmups and was forced to play the match with a racket that was not his. Despite the setback, the two played well together, eventually tying the game at 8-8 and heading into a tie-breaker. This was a huge win for the Cats in doubles because both Collison and Walker ended up losing tough matches in singles.

Freshman Owen Legters and junior Drew Cahill also teamed up to play a great doubles match. Out of the gate, Cahill was not playing his best tennis, and the duo was down 2-6. Since the matches end when one team wins 8 games, Legters and Cahill had to lock in. They gained momentum after winning a couple games in a row and didn’t look back, winning five straight to lead 7-6. After giving up one game, the duo finished the match taking two games and winning 9-7 in a great comeback victory. Every match counted for the Cats, so this was a must-win match. The comeback seemed improbable, but not impossible.

Calvin VanHeest played a long singles match. It was back and forth with both VanHeest and his opponent playing very well. In the end, VanHeest won by staying consistent. Much like how Tyler Collison plays, VanHeese holds back on hitting the ball extremely hard, but he will get the ball in everytime. He is athletic, so he gets to every ball on the court and seemingly effortlessly hits back over the net. It’s very frustrating to face players like these because it is almost impossible to beat them. Calvin’s win played a huge role in beating MICDS.

Freshman Noah Suthar won a big singles match for the Wildcats. He faced an opponent with a speedy serve. Suthar battled

with his opponent and won handily. His match brought the total WCA wins to four which tied MICDS. Noah is a freshman who quickly rose in the rankings. His forehand is immaculate and his confidence on the court is unmatched. The Cats are going to look to him to win some big matches later in the season.

With the team versus team score tied at 4-4 it was up to Mason Wittock to win it and clinch the victory for the Wildcats. He took an early loss with a group of MICDS students chirping him from the sideline. However, he put the chatter into the back of his mind and locked in. Eventually beating his opponent to beat MICDS. Victory was sweet for Wittock in that environment and it gave him tons of confidence. “It meant a lot to win and look over to all the MICDS fans knowing that we had beat them,” replied Wittock when asked about the match. As Westminster continues on they will rely on wins from players out of the top five like Mason.

This was an overall team victory. Many people will say that tennis is an individual sport and that there is no team aspect bigger than doubles. While this may be true for the professionals, highschool tennis is a huge team sport. Beating the other team’s number one player means nothing if they lose the rest of their matches. Beating MICDS is a huge win for the Wildcats as they start the season off 2-0 and look to expand on that.

“ It meant a lot to win and look over to all the MICDS fans knowing that we had beat them”

-Mason Wittock

Start of Spring Sports Highlights

The best moments in the first week of spring sports.

Baseball

The baseball team won their first game of the regular season last Thursday beating Parkway Central 12-9. Senior Crawford Hall started out the game pitching for the cats and pitched four innings. Junior Mason Fricke and sophomores Cal Leighton and Jake Keane each pitched an inning after that to secure the win for the cats. Junior Cameron Schlegl also stepped up to get the cat’s going. He went 3 for 4 with 4 RBIs. The team was thrilled to get a win and is looking to turn the corner after a tough start to the season.

Lacrosse

Girls lacrosse won their first game 5-4 over Kirkwood with a lot of support from underclassmen. Sophomore Cadence Jefferson scored two goals and sophomore Lochlan McGowan also added one to the teams total. Brooke Brasfield and Natalie Bradshaw contributed to the team playing strong defense throughout the game. Senoir Anna Niekamp recorded a hat trick Wednesday in a tough 10-12 loss to Visitation, and Molly Kate Bugh and Kennedy McGowan each scored 2 in the same game. The young team is looking strong to start the season and is looking forward to playing some tough competition.

Soccer

The girls soccer team started off hot, going 2-0 at their home opener. Their first game was an easy 4-1 win of Francis Howell North. In their second game they played MICDS in a high tension game after MICDS beat them in the district championship last year. The Cats had a 1-0 lead for most of the game, but MICDS was able to tie it in the second half. The game extended to overtime where senior Ashlyn Lane netted the game winner for the cats. Ashlyn was coming off an ACL tear, and it was evident that she was eager to get back on the field. She scored 2 goals in her first two games back and she is going to be a key player for the team this season. The Cats were very excited to get some revenge on MICDS and are ready to see where this season takes them. “It’s really exciting and motivating to start off this season strong, and with this win on our back it is definitely going to help our momentum as we start to face harder teams as the season progresses” said Lauren Sowers, senior.

Tennis

Boys tennis beat MICDS for the first time in years to bring their record to 2-0. Number 1 doubles Tyler Collison and Alan Walker won in a tie breaker. Their match was a battle from the start, but in the end they beat the dynamic MICDS team. Number 3 doubles had an amazing comeback. Drew Cahill and Owen Legters were down 2-6. MICDS was two games away from taking the match, but the Westminster pair gained some momentum and ended up winning 9-7. With a singles win from Calvin VanHeest it was up to Mason Wittock to clinch the win for the Cats. He showed up in a big way with an 8-6 victory. The tennis team is looking very strong and is working to keep up their success as the season progresses.

Volleyball

Boy’s volleyball won their first game against Parkway North in five sets. The team is very young this year, and sophomore Benji Mitchell is a dominant hitter that helped lead the team to the win. He will continue to be a strong part of the team’s offense. Sam Avazado served 8 in a row in the fifth set to help claim the win. Boys volleyball is another young team with a lot of potential this season.

“It’s really exciting and moivating to start off this season strong, and with this win on our back it is definitely going to help our momentum as we start to face harder teams as the season progresses”

-Lauren Sowers, senior.

Westminster’s Champions

Many championship wins are gathered by the Wildcat sports teams.

The Wildcats baseball team is currently Class 5, district 3. The other schools in our district include Chaminade College Prep, Ladue Horton Watkins, Lutheran South, Parkway Central, Parkway North, Rockwood Summit, and Webster Groves. Out of these schools, only Chaminade, Rockwood Summit and Westminster hold a state championship title. Rockwood Summit has 1 state championship from the 2012 season and Chaminade has 2 from 1992 and 1998. With Westminster’s 4 state titles, this puts them with the most out of any other school in our district combined.

Winning a State Championship is something that almost every highschool athlete desires. For some schools this is easier than others. The Westminster Wildcats are no stranger to winning in athletics. Since 2010, Westminster has won 16 state championship titles. The 2 team sports that have been most successful for the Cats are baseball and girls volleyball. Starting in 2011, the Westminster Baseball Team went on to win 4 straight state titles. When the state title run started, the baseball program was in class 3 but then later after winning 2 titles back to back, the team was moved into class 4 where they continued their run. As for the Volleyball team, they earned their first state championship in 2012. They achieved their next title in 2021. They then proceeded to repeat what they did in the previous season in 2022 and achieve back-to-back titles for the school. To continue, Westminster has 60 final 4 appearances and 87 district championship wins. Again, the 2 most successful team sports have been baseball and volleyball with them totaling 26 combined out of the 87 titles.

The way the playoffs work is, once the regular season has concluded, each school is seeded based on their performance and

record from the regular season games. Each team will play their first round game which is an elimination game. The bracket will continue until only 2 teams remain and those 2 teams will play for the district championship title. Once the championship game has concluded, the team will move onto the quarterfinals. Including the quarterfinal game, the team must win 2 games of bracketplay to make it to the state championship game. Once all the games are concluded, the 2 teams remaining play for the state championship title.

The 2022-2023 athletic season has been good for the Cats. So far, the Cats have won 5 Championships. In the fall, the Volleyball team, Softball team and the Girls Golf team all won district championships. In the winter, both the Girls Swim team and the Boys Basketball team won their district. Although winning a district championship is a big accomplishment for any team, for the Boys basketball team, Girls Swim team, volleyball and softball team decided that just winning their respective district was not enough. The Basketball team moved on and made it to the quarterfinals. The softball team made it to the final 4 and surprised everyone by bening an underdog for the season. As for the Girls Swim team and Volleyball team, they both won the State Championship match earning the State title. This was Swim’s first ever state title in school history. Along the way, they also broke 8 state records and multiple school records. And for Volleyball, they started the fall season off well and won their second consecutive State Championship.

Why Do I Play?

I started playing volleyball when I was nine years old and from that point on it has stuck. Quitting softball, basketball, and soccer, I told my parents that volleyball was now my sport. Just the next year, I found myself signing up to play volleyball with High Performance St. Louis. This was one of the top two volleyball clubs in Missouri. HPSTL was going to prepare me in becoming the most competitive and skilled player that I could be and for the next level; college volleyball.

come with teammates, coaches I’ve known since I was 10, or the competition of volleyball. Whether practice is three hours or one hour, being surrounded by my teammates makes me happier than any other moment. There is no bond like the bond created by sports. Being able to be serious and compete on the court, but best friends off the court is an unbeatable feeling.

Clearly, when I was younger, I dreamed of playing for one of the best Big10 schools then continuing my volleyball career at the national level. As time went on, playing at the collegiate level was not something I saw in my future. The biggest year for recruitment is your 16’s year. The stress of creating videos, emailing coaches, and doing school research was daunting to me. My coaches reaching out to colleges for me or telling me about camp invites sparked little excitement in me.

So why would I spend countless hours and amounts of money playing a sport I have no interest in playing at the collegiate level? Because I love it.

I say that, but then I rethink to myself, “do I really love it?” The honest answer is that I am not sure why I continue to play. Do the laughs outweigh the tears? Or do the constant nagging pains outweigh the freedom of no more workouts and practices?

The “freedom of no workouts and practices” does not

Not only do dinners with my teammates make the best memories, but being able to work as hard as I can in every game is a tremendously rewarding feeling. There is nothing better than a long, back-and-forth rally, then ending it with a kill down the line. As a hitter, I spend my time repeating, “left… right, left” over and over again to gain points for my team. I do my blocking footwork on repeat to be the best I can be.

So… why do I continue to play this sport regardless of my own personal contemplation? The good times will always outweigh the bad. The medals wrapped around my neck,

I’ve been playing club volleyball for nine years, but have no intention of playing college ball. Here’s why.

Rocket Recovery

Senior Ashlyn Lane makes a quick recovery, and is in full swing for her final soccer season

Sydney Bradley 800Sporting Editor

During that Cats revenge game against MICDS, Senior Ashlyn Lane was able to get back on the soccer field after a season-ending injury last year.

“I tore it [her ACL] playing soccer and got surgery at the end of October,” said Ashlyn Lane, senior.

Unfortunately because of her injury, Lane wasn’t able to finish playing with her club soccer team this past summer and, coming into her senior year, she didn’t know if she would be able to play again. Most of the time, when an athlete tears their Anterior Cruciate Ligament, they can’t play during their upcoming season because of recovery time. An ACL tear recovery time is generally eight to nine months.

“I was taken away from a lot of things that I loved to do like play at the end of my club soccer season and play basketball my senior year,” said Lane.

Generally, after surgery it takes about six to nine months of physical therapy before an athlete is ready to return.The full range of motion should be restored and all of the balance, strength and endurance should be back before the athlete returns.

“I worked really hard at physical therapy almost everyday. It was not easy but I made a full recovery in 4 months and I’m so grateful that I have the opportunity to still play soccer my senior year,” Lane commented.

In the girls second game, The Cats were up 1-0 and led for most

of the game. But MICDS was able to tie in the second half. The game extended into overtime and Ashlyn netted the game winner for the cats. Coming off of an ACL tear, you could tell she was eager to get back on the field. She scored 2 goals in her first two games back and she is going to be a key player for the team this season.