The 800 News - Issue 4, January 2019

JANUARY JANUARY2019 2019

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Rewiring Intelligence Pg. 12-13

estminster Christian Academy

The Death of Free Speech I f Htt Pg. 14-15

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Is St. Louis “Better Together” Pg. 22-25 y

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THE 800 STAFF

THE 8

EDITOR IN CHIEF ISABELLA FRANCOIS, JUNIOR

PRINT EDITOR NATALIE FORD, JUNIOR

SPORTING WCA EDITOR THOMAS SCHULTZ, SENIOR

MEDIA EDITOR BENNIE ANDERSON, JUNIOR

NEWS EDITOR GABE CARADONNA , SENIOR

FEATURE EDITOR AMANDA ESPY, SENIOR 2 STAFF

800 STAFF

STUDENTS SERVING STUDENTS

OPINION EDITOR ASHLEY MOLLENHOFF, SENIOR

QUICK READS CLAIRE SANDAN, SENIOR

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR ALLISON EICHENLAUB, SENIOR

IN DEPTH EDITOR AVA BIDNER, JUNIOR SPORTING VISUAL EFFECTS EDITOR PEARSON

GEORGES, JUNIOR

THE 800 STAFF TOMMY BRINER • ZACH CANCILA • ALEX CHEN • LEA DESPOTIS • DYLAN ELIAS • LAUREN FLEMING • EMMA GORE • JOURNEE HENRY • COLE HINTZ • AVA HOLLMANN • JOEY KEANE • CAROLINE MEGOWN • SYDENY MOORE • MAX NELSON • JIMMY OBERTOP • MEGAN ROCHE • KOBY SCHMER • NATHANIEL SEMS • REBEKAH SEMS • GRACE SKILJAN • GRIFFIN THOMAS

STAFF 3

CONTENTS

OPINION

FEATURES

IN DEPTH

THE DEATH OF THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH PAGE. 14-15 FINDING YOUR IDENTITY PAGE. 21

WHAT PRINCESS LEIA AND I HAVE IN COMMON PAGE. 8 HOMIE ADVENTURE PAGE. 9 MIDDLE SCHOOL SPEAK PAGE. 10 REWIRING INTELLIGENCE PAGE. 12-13

IS ST. LOUIS BETTER TOGETHER PAGE. 22-25 THE WHOLE FINALS FIASCO PAGE. 17-19

4 CONTENTS

SPORTS GIRL’S BASKETBALL PAGE. 30 BOY’S BASKETBALL PAGE. 31 WRESTLING PAGE. 32 ULTIMATE CHICKEN PREVIEW PAGE. 33 BLAKE SWENSON PAGE. 34 HALF LACROSSE/HALF SWIMMING PAGE. 35 ALEX LEMONADE PAGE. 36-37

CONTENTS

STAFF ED

STAFF ED

2019: THE YEAR OF YOU As you scroll through Pinterest and Instagram, you see dozens of photos and quotes filled with inspiration and motivation for 2019. Self-improvement, mental and physical health, exercise, diets, and a million other ideas and goals for a new you in 2019 flood your inbox and Instagram feed.

Resolutions and goals can be beneficial for one’s emotions, happiness, success, and health - if they are executed correctly and are supported by motivation and desire, as well as the necessary means to meet the goals. You have to admit that you have set a New Year’s resolution at some point in your life, whether it be to eat better, exercise more, save money, get better grades, read the Bible more, or learn a new talent, and after a few exciting weeks of dedication and hope, you found yourself stuck back in the shuffle of life, a continuous loop of busyness, stress, and worry - and your resolutions for the year were gradually forgotten and pushed to the side. And then the next year rolls around, and the whole cycle of empty goals and short-term success happens again. And then again. Now, maybe this isn’t you. Maybe you are one of the very few who can set a goal and stick to it - and not just for a few weeks. But for the rest of us, we set mostly unattainable, overwhelming goals that are not backed by the full desire to reach them, and this leads to us dropping them before January even comes to a close and experiencing a sense of failure and loss.

According to U.S. News, “By the second week of February, some 80 percent of those resolution-ers are back home with a new kind of remorse staring back at them in the mirror – the remorse of disappointment.”

So why do all of these admirable goals fail after just a few short weeks? U.S. News contributor Joseph Lucian explains that “it’s important to recognize that outside-in solutions such as dieting, joining gyms and so on are doomed to fail if, other than your well-intentioned resolve to change, you’ve done nothing to enhance your capacity to either sustain motivation or handle the inevitable stress and discomfort involved in change. Saying this differently: Unless you first change your mind, don’t expect your health goals to materialize.” In reality, it’s the whole idea around New Year’s resolutions and the pressure that accompanies those monstrous January goals that seems to cause so many people to fail. Choosing broad goals such as “get in shape” or “eat healthy” do not facilitate success. The key, according to U.S. News is to “think small,” “build self-trust,” “invent challenges,” “cultivate optimism,” and “develop critical awareness.” Most importantly, goals should not be confined to the month of January. We should constantly be in a growth mindset, setting goals and keeping ourselves accountable for our success. Keep a list -- not in your mind, but an actual handwritten list -- and carry it around with you (in your planner, wallet, pocket, whatever). Set personal goals, professional goals, and relational goals. Don’t force yourself to stay in the realm of health and exercise. Think about your mental health, your happiness, your friendships, your sleep, your faith, and your hobbies. Set long-term goals, short-term goals, weekly goals, and daily goals. Create effective action steps that will lead you to success and fulfillment. Don’t get overwhelmed, and don’t give up if you miss a day or realize you have not been keeping a goal. Just start again the next day. Don’t wait until next January to improve your life or health or happiness. Get in the mindset of constantly setting goals for yourself and actively working to fulfill them. It’s not about the New Year’s resolutions. It’s about improving your self-discipline and caring enough about yourself to desire continual self-improvement.

STAFF ED 5

perfect before the big week.

WE HAVE SPIRIT; HOW ‘BOUT YOU?

It’s time for the best week of the school year, Spirit Week!

GRACE SKILJAN STAFF WRITER

Its that time of year again where students of Westminster bring out their most outrageous outfits in an effort to gain points for their grade.The 2019 Spirit Week is just around the corner and Westminster is beginning preparations. With a different theme everyday, Westminster is already coming up with plans for their costumes and outfits that will be within the schools dress code.

Leader of Junior Boys Poms, Sophia Mullen said, “Everyone is pumped for Spirit Week, and boys poms are working really hard; I think we have a good chance of bringing home a win this year.” Spirit Week is a time for bonding with your grade. Competing against the rest of the school forces the grades to become closer than ever in an effort to win. Supporting each other in different games and celebrating wins strengthens bonds and friendships between classmates. Grade loyalty is a big factor during Spirit Week, especially for the Juniors and Seniors. The competition for all grades is intense and the friendly rivalry between the Juniors and Seniors is no exception. Last year’s Seniors won Spirit Week and this year’s Seniors are looking for their own win, but the Juniors are determined to give them a run for their money.

Spirit Week Days: Day 1: Class Color Day Day 2: Nations Day Day 3: Meme & Vine Day Day 4: B i b l e D a y Day 5: Blue & White Day Everyone looks forward to the shorter classes, fun outfits, and the competitive games that come with Spirit Week, but most people are excited about the extra activities such as lip sync, boys poms, art board, and film project. Students have been working hard to come up with original routines and ideas to present in front of the school. With practices already happening, Westminster is vigorously preparing for performances and presentations in less than a week. The leaders are doing their best to get everything

6 NEWS

The junior girls lip sync took second place last year. Photo By: Lauren Bohlmann

Unlike the Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors, the Freshman are experiencing Spirit Week by themselves for the first time. They are responsible for leading their own activities, and they have a lot to do if they want to keep up with the older grades. Savannah Duncan, Freshman said: “Me and my friends are all really nervous for lip sync, but we are having fun and can’t wait to see how it goes!” Spirit Week requires a lot of hard work and dedication, especially from the leaders of activities, but it all pays off for a week of crazy fun. Westminster, get ready for Spirit Week 2019.

SERVICE WEEK

Juniors Bennie Anderson and Justin Fuller are paving the way and implementing service into Spirit Week.

CLAIRE SANDEN

QUICK READS EDITOR

Juniors Bennie Anderson and Justin Fuller have started a new service project for Westminster students to participate in during Spirit Week. Here’s Justin Fuller’s take on the new project:

1) What inspired you guys to start this? As we were sitting at a diner counter one night, it occurred to us that high school was almost over, and that we hadn’t done much to truly benefit the school and our community. Struck with this realization, we promptly took to brainstorming ideas which could work, and this one seemed to be the most engaging and impactful concept.

2) How is the point system going to work? Much like dress down days, the point system will work by taking a ratio of coats given per student in each class. The class with the highest ratio will be awarded points at the end of the week as a reward for their passion for giving.

3) Is it just coats we should bring in or is there anything else? Coats will be the only goods counted for points, but students are encouraged to bring other goods such as hats and gloves. The coats should be new or gently used.

4) Will we bring in coats every day or is it just certain days? Coats can be donated at any time throughout the week through Thursday, and at the end a grand tally will be taken for each class.

5) Is there anything else students should know about this? The one thing students should know going into this is that while we have been blessed with many provisions in life, many families will not be playing in the snow this winter, as these months prove to be the hardest for those in our poor communities. This is an opportunity to not only spread school spirit, but give the gifts of the Holy Spirit as well, hence the name, Gifts of the Spirit.

“We enccourage everyone to donate and make a difference in people’s lives. Everyone can make a difference!” NEWS 7

WHAT PRINCESS LEIA AND I HAVE IN COMMON REBEKAH SEMS STAFF WRITER

Personality types describe how different people interact in situations and what makes them have those unique traits

with a group of people. It is the way in which they gain energy, while someone who is extroverted rechargers around a group of people. It is interesting to see how introverts and extroverts interact. For example, my mom is introverted but my dad is extroverted. It is often a challenge when they are at some sort of social event because after a few hours my mom is ready to leave while my dad is just getting started. This is a common issue between couples of different letters.

Intuitive refers to how someone processes information and their surroundings. As opposed to sensing, intuitive is more subjective thinking and deals with looking into the unknown or the Personalities are a unique part of each person’s life and impact future. Sensing is more practical and deals with facts, details, major areas in relationships. In my own life, I have taken perand descriptions. sonality tests such as the Myers Briggs 16 Personalities. What I have found out about different personality types is intriguing. Someone with the intuitive trait is more likely to obsess about the future and imagine how they want life to be even if it is not The Myers Briggs test uses a list of questions for people to necessarily practical. A Million Dreams, from the musical the answer in order to find out what the four letters of their personGreatest Showman, is a wonderful example of someone with a ality are. The letters deal with how people spend their time strong intuitive trait. Thinking and feeling are just as they sound and are fairly self-explanatory. Thinking people are able to think more logically about issues. While feelers are more emotional and take things much more sensitively. My dad, again, is different than my mom in this area too. My dad is thinking and approaches issues with confidence and a solution to each problem. My mom, is a feeler and much more sensitive and emotional toward difficult issues. Judging and perceiving deal with the lifestyle in which people live their lives. The judging trait can sound like “judgmental” but actually has nothing to do with judging other people. It simply means that a person with judging quality likes to have a plan and stick to it while someone with the perceiving trait prefers to go with the flow and deal with situations as they pop up. The Myers Briggs test has 16 different combinations of letters for 16 different personalities. It then gives the test-taker a long and detailed description of their personalities including their gaining energy (introversion (I) or extroversion (E)), how they strengths and weaknesses, how they respond in relationships, act process information (intuitive (N) or sensing (S)), how they as parents, careers, and other famous people who have the same make choices (feeling (F) or thinking (T)) and finally the personality. For the free test click here. lifestyle in which they live (judgment (J) or perceiving (P)). Personalities can change, however, as people grow older and Each one of these letters determine what personality type a per- encounter different circumstances. For the most part, though, son has. I am an INFJ which means I am introverted, intuitive, personalities stay in the same arena and don’t have drastic feeling, and judging. The Myers Briggs tests also give percent- changes. When people choose to use the strengths of their perages for each letter so that the test-taker can easily see what sonalities, others will be the piece that betters their weaknesses. percentage of each characteristic they are. Personalities create the unique person that makes each human who they are. Introversion means that people prefer to be alone rather than

8 FEATURE

A HOMEY ADVENTURE

The pros and cons of doing online school at home versus the pros and cons of attending Westminster Christian Academy and what I’ve learned.

Rebekah Sems Staff Writer

My paddle slices through the clear, blue water of the Baja. Red cliffs jutt out at odd angles, emerging from the water. I glance behind me to see my sister paddle the kayak along with me as we push the pedals of the kayak to glide across the smooth, glassy surface of the water. My brothers race each other in their kayaks ahead of us while splashing each other and poking

a year while allowing my brother and I to take a break from unnecessary stress and enjoy going on more trips, learning new skills, and directing our energy in more than one area of life. Nathaniel spent most of his days sleeping in, working out, and playing baseball while I used my time to take guitar lessons, voice lessons, and tennis lessons.We also enjoyed traveling to places like Mexico, Florida, the Dominican Republic, Arizona, Washington D.C.,Chicago, and were able to visit my older siblings in college. However, while we had all this time on our hands, I often found myself bored and not totally sure what to do next. Taking classes online meant there was a tiring amount of reading and responsibility to complete all the assignments in enough time with little to no help. Nathaniel and I had to learn how to manage our own schedules in order to complete our school work and do our other activities. Online school is a wonderful way to enjoy a freer schedule and creates many opportunities to focus energy elsewhere, but it can be very limiting socially and requires creativity to meet new people and form friendships. Westminster (or any other school), on the other hand, provides a chance to be surrounded by people constantly which can be overwhelming at times. However, I learned in my year away that the teachers, classroom setting, and schedule of school was actually helpful for me. I found that I liked the organization of a schedule and the direct contact with a teacher instead of through a screen.

Sea-kawayking in the Baja. Photo By: Rebekah Sems

at jellyfish. Spending a week in Mexico sea-kayaking was not what I imagined for the month of January, but when my Dad gave the trip to our family as a Christmas present, we jumped at the thought of escaping the dreary winter of Saint Louis. While camping out on beaches at night and kayaking during the day was not necessarily my forte, I enjoyed the chance to try something new and different that would not have been possible a year earlier when I was still attending Westminster. Being homeschooled allowed for my family, and I to go on trips without the stress of having to do catch-up work. Growing up I was homeschooled until I went to Westminster in seventh grade where I attended for two more years. After my freshman year, however, my parents made the decision to step away from the stress, and restricting schedule of school and instead try online school for my brother, Nathaniel, and I. The plan was to try this new way of education for at least

After our year of online school, it was time to make the choice about what we wanted to do next. The year that we had chosen to try homeschool had come to an end and the option of going back to Westminster was looming before both my brother and I. In the end, we chose to head back into the private school system. My year off was beneficial in many ways and allowed me to take a step back and realize that as important as school is in my life, sometimes it can be equally as beneficial to take a break. I was able to enjoy a freer and shorter school day as well as begin preparing myself for college where I will have to be responsible for managing my time and schedule. I’ve learned a lot from both attending Westminster and doing online school. What I have come to discover is that both have benefits and downfalls. That being said, I am very grateful that I took a year off and for the gift my parents gave to me and my brother. They wanted to help us make memories that would last forever and allow us to see the bigger picture of life, which is that school can take over at times and strengthening different skills, meeting new people in different circumstances, and experiencing new adventures will be what we really hold onto.

FEATURE 9

MIDDLE SCHOOL SPEAK AMANDA ESPY STAFF WRITER

Asher Emmanuel, point guard of the seventh grade basketball team has been a huge asset to the team helping them keep an undefeated so far. Emmanuel previously went to kirk day school and plays on the Knights club team which has helped him attain the skills he has now.

also is a role model for his younger siblings who are 7 and 9 years old. His 9 year old brother also plays basketball so he is able to bond with him through the sport and help improve his skills. Emmanuel plans to play in high school hoping to make the varsity as a freshmen. “If given the opportunity I would really enjoy playing in college some day” said Emmanuel. Basketball is just one of the many reasons Emmanuel is enjoying being a new WCA student. He also is involved in soccer and his favorite thing has been getting to meet new

The 7th grade boys basketball team sits on the bench, intensely focused on their game. Photo by: Ashley Gordon “The season has been super fun so far and I have real enjoyed getting to know friends better by playing with each other” said Emmanuel. The team won their first tournament and have not lost a game since. Currently they are 4-0 showing potential for a solid season. “I like how the coach makes the practices fun, but still pushes us to get better” said Emmanuel. Not only is Emmanuel a strong basketball player, but he

10 FEATURE

friends. “It has been really cool to meet a lot of new people and form new friendships. I really have enjoyed this season because I have gotten closer with different people through basketball” said Emmanuel. So far the future of WCA basketball is looking bright. Come support the seventh grade team at their next game at MICDS at 8 pm!

TEACHER

TEACHER SPEAK ALLISON EICHENLAUB ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

DEANA VANDEGRIFF DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC OPERATIONS

DEANA VANDEGRIFF IS DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC OPERATIONS. SHE HAS BEEN WORKING AT WESTMINSTER FOR 14 YEARS. Q: DID YOU PLAN TO BE A TEACHER WHEN YOU WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL?

A: WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL I WANTED TO BE A NEONATAL NURSE. THE WAR ON DRUGS WAS A BIG CULTURAL ISSUE AT THE TIME AND LOTS OF BABIES WERE BEING BORN DRUG ADDICTED DUE TO DRUG ABUSE BY THEIR MOTHERS. I WANTED TO DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING I COULD TO HELP THEM. I DIDN’T THINK ABOUT TEACHING UNTIL LATER ON BUT I’M NOT SURE WHY. I LOVED ALL MY TEACHERS WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?

A: WHILE IT IS HARD TO PICK JUST ONE, I THINK I’LL GO WITH THE SIMPLE STATEMENT THAT “FEELINGS AREN’T FACTS.” IT MIGHT SEEM SMALL BUT THERE ARE SO MANY TIMES THIS TRUTH HAS HELPED ME THROUGH A TOUGH SITUATION. OFTEN TIMES WE FEEL ALONE OR LIKE WE ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH BUT HOW WE ARE FEELING ISN’T REALLY THE TRUTH OF THE SITUATION. OUR EMOTIONS ARE A BLESSING BUT CAN ALSO BE A CURSE SO WHEN THINGS ARE HARD IT’S GREAT FOR ME TO TRY TO SLOW DOWN AND SEPARATE OUT WHAT’S TRUE FROM HOW I’M FEELING.

Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?

A: I LOVE TO SPEND TIME WITH MY FRIENDS AND MY FAMILY. I HAVE A 3 YEAR OLD NIECE AND A 5 YEAR OLD NEPHEW THAT I ADORE AND ENJOY SPOILING. I LIKE NFL FOOTBALL, PUZZLES, TV SHOWS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL SOMETHING AND DESSERT. I RECENTLY FINISHED MY MASTERS DEGREE AND AM ACTUALLY MISSING SCHOOL A LITTLE. I AM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I WANT TO PURSUE NEXT IN THE LEARNING CATEGORY.

Q: WHAT IS SOMETHING MOST STUDENTS DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

A: I THINK MOST STUDENTS WOULD BE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT EVEN THOUGH I’M NOT A CLASSROOM TEACHER, THEY ARE STILL THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY I’M AT WESTMINSTER. EVERY TIME WE HAVE TO MAKE AN ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION, “WHAT’S BEST FOR KIDS?” IS THE PRIMARY QUESTION WE ASK. EVEN WHEN I HAVE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT DRESS CODE OR COMING TO SCHOOL ON TIME, ITS BECAUSE YOU AND YOUR EDUCATION ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON WHY I’M HERE.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY?

A: ONE GREAT MEMORY FROM MY CHILDHOOD WAS SPENDING A WEEK EVERY SUMMER WITH MY FAVORITE AUNT AT HER HOUSE OUT IN THE COUNTRY. SHE LIVED IN A SMALL TOWN AND THEY HAD A COUNTY FAIR EVERY JULY. I WOULD GET TO GO FOR THE WEEK AND I WOULD SPEND THE FIRST SEVERAL DAYS DOING CHORES TO EARN MONEY AND THEN THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS SPENDING ALL MY MONEY AT THE FAIR.

FEATURE 11

REWIRING INTELLIGENCE

As we enter an Artificial Intelligence revolution, society can expect groundbreaking changes that will shake the world. The stirring question remains how to address this pivotal development.

LEA DESPOTIS STAFF WRITER

automation will be infused in much more technology, blurring the boundary between what is real and what is synthetic. According to a survey conducted by the global accounting firm PwC, this year alone 20% of 1,000 business executives surveyed plan on implementing new AI in 2019, enterprise-wide. If these ambitious plans reach fruition, many U.S. companies will use AI enhancements throughout entire establishments. Technicians now envision a future of not just one AI, but thousands, each specializing in complex tasks. Forbes Technology Council extrapolates that data management, business processes, information technology (IT) services, customer support, and many other sectors will witness automation via neural networks and machine-learning-based solutions. Synthetic media will also make an appearance, with the adoption of powerful new tools to create highly realistic computer-generated imagery. In many cases we won’t even know it’s there – as machine learning services work stealthily in their clouds, controlling everything from power networks to distribution logistics and financial transactions.

Photo By: Pexels

Today we stand at the juncture of a revolution where the product of our own inventiveness has the ability to alter the course of history. In an era of smartphones, Amazon Alexas, and Google assistants, there is no doubt technological advancements have cast rippling waves and driven generational shifts. But unfolding in the new year, the tech industry projects that the development of modern technology will lay the groundwork for upcoming breakthroughs that will further change the world as we know it. Many innovations are expected to reach the market in 2019, but software experts forecast the dominance of one

12 IN-DPETH

catalytic invention: Artificial Intelligence. Last year alone, a paradigm of AI-driven devices hit mainstream, as digital assistants infiltrated technology in devices like your GPS system or Amazon recommendations. The creation of these algorithm-driven machines possess the capability to sense, comprehend, learn language, and mimic many aspects of the human mind, producing the shocking potential to supersede human capacities. As of last year, however, the experimental stages of AI have concluded, and the tech world expects to deliver ground-breaking productivity improvements and widespread deployment of AI. Plunging into near future, AI-led

As these new technologies covertly invade our everyday lives, they promise to disrupt the way our conventional organizations operate. The networked artificial intelligence intends to revolutionize our societal structure, sweeping through every industry from healthcare and business to agriculture and marketing. They will rewire the world in ways we cannot even imagine. “As a technologist, I see how AI and the fourth industrial revolution will impact every aspect of people’s lives,” said Fei-Fei Li, professor of Computer Science of Stanford about the recent development of AI.

In a rapidly-changing landscape, the verdict remains inconclusive as to the long-term impact of AI development. As AI proliferates at an exponential rate, the incorporation will undoubtedly interfere with the workforce—whether it creates jobs, eliminates them, or even both. In the current digital revolution, it becomes increasingly important to adapt accordingly and design programs and policies to aid citizens in appropriate education, career, and retraining pathways.

As the future portends the unimaginable, mankind carries a heavy burden of responsibility. While the progress of Artificial Intelligence will depend upon the mindset of future generations, the potential at this point rests in our own hands. For now, we, as a Microsoft AI commercial so profoundly states, “have more power at our fingertips than entire generations that came before us.” So here is the pressing question: “What will you do with it?”

However, time will tell whether these “smart” machines will complement or replace human capabilities. Veering towards a future with sophisticated logical systems that surpass human intelligence, skills that are the most uniquely human and irreplaceable will become valuable assets in the 21st century. This alone has critical implications across fields of education. To prepare for the unforeseeable future, our society must cultivate transferable skills that include communication, problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, and creativity. These personal attributes differentiate individuals and represent qualities that will make employees marketable in the future economy. “Soft skills are going to be the hard currency in the job market as AI and Tech takeover some of the jobs that can be performed without people,” said Bernard Marr, analytical specialist and author. Society is also poised to grapple with ethical challenges that arise from the development of AI. Technicians, researchers, activists, and even lawyers already emphasize the need for transparency with AI and the implementation of ethical boundaries and regulations to avert catastrophic outcomes. The employment of judgment and values, and the free will to make real, human decisions, should be prioritized to navigate uncharted ground.

Photo By: Pexels

IN-DEPTH 13

asks out a shorter woman.”

THE DEATH OF FREE SPEECH How the United States of America lost its voice.

BENNIE ANDERSON MEDIA EDITOR

This is not to discredit sexual harassment or those who have been sexually harassed or assaulted. However, this statement, to me, a 6’4 270 pound man, is alarming and ridiculous. As ridiculous as this may be, this is just one example of what can happen when we start to see an infrignement on our Freedom of Speech, but, more importantly, freedom of opinion. One of the founding principles of the United States of America was to create a place where we can talk and express our uniqueness freely and openly. That we can talk about sharing our differences and opinion with one another. That’s just simply not the case anymore.We have these “safe spaces” which, at their heart, are a good idea to people who need to have a place where they can go and feel welcome. The term “safe space” is defined as “a place (as on a college campus) intended to be free of bias, conflict, criticism, or potentially threatening actions, ideas, or conversations.”

The society that we live in has become so focused on making sure that we appease the masses. We’ve come to try and accept this and make everyone feel safe, which is a good practice. But at what cost? While our society attempts to appease everyone, it actually appeases no one. In this world, for me, it’s like walking on eggshells. In everything I say, do, tweet, or post, I have to make sure that I don’t offend anyone. If I do, I’ll end up like Kevin Hart and be forced to quit my dream job after a tweet from my distant past comes out where I say I don’t want my son to be gay.

14 OPINION

Junior Justin Fuller had this to say about being politically correct, “I feel that it’s important that people are able to have important discussions about these topics because without people sharing different ideas and viewpoints, real change cannot happen.”

That does not really sound like a safe place to me. To me, it sounds more like an emotional shield protecting those who are not strong or courageous enough to stand up for what they believe.

According to this definition, a safe place is a bunker where people go in retreat so that they can feel comfortable in their own skin and/or reject the notion that their beliefs might be wrong Part of this has to do with society’s ten- What’s the point of even having an dency to make everyone feel accepted opinion when all you’ll have to hear and cared for. Accepting and caring for is someone say, “that’s a microaggresothers are good things, but when they sion”? are taken to the extreme, problems can occur. Then, the entire conversation gets shut down. A microaggression is defined Recently, a deposition from the former as “a direct, subtle, or unintentional Vice Chancellor at Mizzou surfaced discrimination against members of a where she says, “That it can be consid- marginalized group.” ered sexual harassment when a tall man

An example of a microaggression is being followed around a store by a worker simply because of my race or my size. Not when someone has an opposite viewpoint or criticizes my stance on a particular subject matter. One example of a microagression was when I was in a store in Chesterfield Valley. I walked in, looking to find a pick for my hair, but left feeling victimized simply because of my race and size. The cashier proceeded to follow me throughout the store, questioning why I was there. She was clearly on edge and nervous about my patronage at this particular store. Because of our inability to contribute to positive conversations about important topics and issues that make people uncomfortable, society has suffered. Instead of actually addressing problems, we hide behind this veil of protection to hide our own insecurities and the fear of being wrong in our beliefs.

World-renown author George Orwell had this to say about the importance of freedom of speech: “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” Orwell brings out a valid point that remains true to this day, which is the importance of maintaining individualsim in society. If we can’t share our differences, then how can we possibly expect to connect and relate to those who are different than us? If we are constantly feeling censored or presured to say what is correct, then we lose the one thing that makes this beautiful country what it is: freedom.

I strongly believe that if people had the courage to speak up for what they believe is right, the ignorance that we see in today’s society simply would not exist.

“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” - George Orwell OPINION 15

WESTMINSTAGRAM

Westminster Christian Academy

Wednesday

Thursday

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

7:55-8:45

7:55-9:10

9:30-10:45

8:50-9:35

Chapel 9:15-9:45

Advisory 10:50-11:05 A Lunch Period 4 11:05 - (2nd Floor) 11:30 11:10 Period 4 12:25

MON/TUES/FRI

magwessels 70 degrees on monday. snowed in on friday.

Period 1

Period 2

Period 2

Period 3

Period 3

9:40-10:25

9:50-11:05

Period 4 10:30-11:15

A Lunch Period 5A 11:15 - 11:2011:40 12:05

16th Birthday

Period 5B

11:4512:30

B Lunch 12:05 12:30

Period 6

12:35 – 1:20

11:35- 12:50

B Lunch 12:25 12:50

Period 7

12:55-2:10

Spirit Assembly

Spirit Assembly

1:25 – 2:10

16 ENTERTAINMENT

Period 7

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A Lunch Period 5A 11:05 - 11:1011:30 12:25

Period 5B

2:15 – 3:00

2:15 – 3:00

carolmegown saving babies>> herniated disc

Period 1

Washington D.C.

(1st Floor)

11:3512:50

B Lunch 12:25 12:50

Period 6

12:55-2:10

Spirit Assembly

2:15 – 3:00

COMMUNITY NIGHT @ 6:30

THE FINALS FEUD

What do finals really do to students, and are they a good idea overall?

AVA BIDNER

IN-DEPTH EDITOR Pure exhaustion. Anxiety. Stress. Worry. Caffeine. Sleep-deprived brains. Study guides and notes galore. And test after test after test. The worst week(s) of the year, but you power through with the knowledge that if you just get through your finals you will be compensated with a much-needed break, whether it be Christmas or summer. We all hate them because of the stress and anxiety and exhaustion they cause, but what do finals really do to us? Are they truly intended to torture students, or are there real practical applications behind them?

in biology not only connected to each other but also, more importantly, how they pointed to the existence and role of our Creator.

Now I’m the first to say that I dread finals week, and I would be filled with pure joy if the school system removed midterms and finals from the curriculum, but recently I have experienced a change in heart.

Mrs. Butterfield’s “capstone” question caused me to consider the importance of finals in addition to their clearly evident flaws. I believe most high school and college students would agree that many schools do not administer final exams in the most effective method. There is no doubt that finals cause stress, anxiety, mental health problems, and cramming, in addition to an overwhelming emphasis on the importance of a single grade.

As I walked out of the classroom after my honors biology final (which I had probably studied at least 10-15 hours for), I paused to talk to a few of my classmates and my teacher, Mrs. Butterfield. I was exhausted from studying and testing, but I knew I had done well, and I was in a good mood, my brain full of thought, because of one of the questions on the test.

“My goal was to stretch student thinking and for it to be a moment of ‘wow’ for my students, both to reminisce on how hard they have worked through each unit and on how perfectly our God designed life. I hoped this question would bring students both a sense of accomplishment as well as worship of our Maker,” said Mrs. Butterfield, eleventh grade biology teacher.

“I think a big problem with finals is that you have a ton of big tests all at once, so you have to cram all the content into your brain and then you end up memorizing it and not understanding. I also Of course, I will not reveal the content think [one of] the negatives of finals is that you have to start studying early, on the exam, but I will tell you that it made me reflect deeply on the purpose but I found it hard to do this because of of finals, and my opinion has changed all my other homework,” said Kharis because of it. Mrs. Butterfield not only Perona, freshman. asked us to recall information about cellular respiration and DNA and The main reason behind the history lipids and all of the other material we of finals is to encourage students to covered during the semester, but she remember all of the material from also prompted us to contemplate how the whole semester, not just the most all of the bits of information we learned

recent chapters, and to ensure they are adequately prepared for the next class or semester. Final exams are designed to be cumulative and to test students’ abilities to compile all of their knowledge and to understand the connections and broader application of the material to their lives. In an article from The Washington Post, Jay Matthews, the education writer and columnist, supports this: “In my experience, exams motivate students to review what they have been taught, a key to the learning process.” I’ll admit that if we did not have final exams, I would probably never look back at the material I learned in August or September, and therefore, I would miss the opportunity to view the connections and the true continuity between all of the separate units. In an article from The Boston Globe, Keith O’Brien interviews Robert Bangert-Drowns, dean of the school of education at the University at Albany SUNY, and he states what his research on finals and their national decline revealed: “There’s nothing magical about finals, Bangert-Drowns added. They can be arbitrary and abstract — an inauthentic gauge of what someone knows. Research, by Bangert-Drowns and others, shows that frequent testing is more beneficial. And yet, many still find value in the final exam. It might be stressful, even terrifying, but it has the singular power to force students to go back over material, think critically about what they have read, review hard-to-grasp-topics once more, and even talk about the subject matter with classmates and instructors — all of which enhance learning.” In reality, it is difficult to deny this incredibly valid reason for the existence of finals. However, this in no way proves that any school, including Westminster, is executing finals in a healthy and beneficial way for both teachers and students. Final exams, in both high schools

IN-DEPTH 17

“My goal was to stretch student thinking and for it to be a moment of ‘wow’ for my students, both to reminisce on how hard to the semester and from making those connections in the material. they have worked through each unit and on necessary But, there may be an alternative to trafinal exams that preserves the how perfectly our God designed life. I hoped ditional benefits of finals and attempts to avoid this question would bring students both a the negatives. of the problems with finals is that sense of accomplishment as well as wor- One the format is rigid and intimidating, for students who simply do ship of our Maker,” said Mrs. Butterfield, especially not test well. A possible resolution to this issue is offering multiple substieleventh grade biology teacher. and colleges across the United States, generally take place over a span of two weeks or less in December and May, and they usually mark the end of a class or a semester. Depending on the class and the professor, high school finals are usually between 10 and 30 percent of the final class or semester grade, and this percentage often rises to 50 or even 75 percent in college. Regardless of the personality of a student, these high percentages are bound to cause stress, piling immense pressure on students and causing one grade to determine the success or failure of the student in a class.

focus and carefully manage their time because they have to study for four or five finals in just a few days. With such a short time period and exams in vastly different subject areas, students often struggle to do anything more than cram the necessary information.

Michael Baumann, a mid-level bureaucrat at one of Canada’s universities with a PhD from the University of British Columbia, offers a solution to this issue in an article in University Affairs: “As a first and embarrassingly small step towards a sensible testing system, I suggest that university administrations offer at least two final exam dates “Finals can definitely be beneficial in for each course (e.g. one at the end of that they require students to culminate the semester and one at the beginning their knowledge of that semester. On of the next). Of course, the first and the topic of execution of finals, it seems second (and subsequent) tests would that there’s not much you can do to need to be different from each other. relieve that final crunch stress, since all Having multiple dates should ease if finals have to be taken at the same time. not end many of the negative effects of I know a friend whose school doesn’t the current system.” require them to take finals unless they are below a B in the class. I believe Perhaps, as Baumann suggests, inthis may motivate students who don’t creasing the gaps between final exams perform well in testing to do better on or offering multiple exam dates would their school work so they can still get a decrease some of the unavoidable good grade, but this might have the side stress of trying to study in such a short effect of not properly preparing them amount of time. for college testing,” said Vaughan Goff, sophomore. Some universities and high schools are choosing to greatly minimize final As Goff mentioned, the other major exams or even eliminate them all flaw of final exams is the intense sched- together. This may prevent students ule, causing students to divide their from having a much-needed conclusion

18 IN-DEPTH

tutes in lieu of a final exam, such as a final paper with a challenging prompt, a large final project, a socratic-style discussion, a class presentation, an independent study, or maybe even a personal conversation with the teacher or professor, depending on the course. This would allow students to choose a path that would best represent what they learned in the class and to still reflect on the continuity of the material, as well as discovering a way to relate the information to their personal lives. In addition, stress would be greatly eliminated as students would have a greater chance to achieve success while still producing high quality work. If a student is particularly creative, he or she could choose to make a video as a cumulative capstone project for the class, while another student who excels in writing could opt for writing a paper. And people like me who are better at formal tests could still choose to take the final. This solution certainly is not perfect, and it will likely never happen without extreme dedication from administrators, teachers, and students. So, what can students do in the meantime to increase their performance on finals and better the whole experience? “I really stress that students need to learn as they go as opposed to study for a test. Obviously, reviewing material is necessary, but if students could spend

their 50 minutes in class purposefully to learn those whole 50 minutes, and learn that material again when they go home that night, then there is very little studying that needs to occur for a unit test because they actively learned each day of the unit. Then, when the time for the final exam comes, the material is already understood, it just needs to be refreshed. A big factor for this is self-awareness. Students need to be self-aware enough to know when they confidently understand something and

when they are confused about something. Finals are a daunting task when you didn’t understand the material to begin with. This also means taking notes on what you didn’t understand to begin with. When a test is passed back, mark it up with the areas you were confused on and address them then so that you don’t have a pile of misunderstandings to address at the end of the semester. Lastly, students need to intentionally plan how they are going to spend their time, especially during

FINAL EXAMS THE CONS:

the stressful time of finals, and if they actively plan, they can be more intentional about how much time they give to preparing for each test (and more intentional about getting good sleep),” said Mrs. Butterfield.

THE PROS: T H E D E B A T E

Helps connect the material from the whole semester Reveals continuity Forces students to review material Helps prepare students for next semester Conclusion to the semester or class Helps students reflect on the cumulative nature of the material Can see God's design

Exhaustion A n x i et y. S t re s s . Wo r r y. E xc e s s i ve c a f fe i n e S l e e p - d e p r i ve d b ra i n s The schedule C a n d ef i n e t h e w h o l e c l a s s g ra d e Not e n o u g h t i m e w i t h fa m i l y and friends Me nta l a n d p hy s i c a l h e a l t h

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FAME IS OVERRATED ASHLEY MOELLENHOFF OPINION EDITOR

Spoken from celebrites themselves.

normal everyone would think it was not acceptable. When it is a celebrity no one thinks twice. The life of a celebrity is lonely. Everyone wants to meet celebrities with the intention of bragging rights. It’s rare that people actually get to know a celebrity because they are only focused on the pictures and evidence. People can become so wrapped up in the image of the celebrity that they

The lights, the cameras, the screaming fans. Celebrities have a lot to deal with. Being a celebrity is thought to be the fulfilling to the human need for power. However Justin Bieber a pop singer who got his stardom in 2009. Now today he has 103 million instagram followers and is worth 265 million dollars. Yet after all this success Justin Bieber said to NME, “I would never wish this upon anyone.” Bieber just wants to make music. He explains, “You’re in your hotel room and there are fans all around, paparazzi following you everywhere, and it gets intense. When you can’t go anywhere or do anything alone you get depressed.” This is just one example of what it is like to be famous. The stardom is limiting. Selena Gomez has the most followers on instagram. She could be classified as one of the most famous people in the world. However what lies beneath is her struggling and feeling alone. She canceled her Revival Tour. She explains why to Vogue, “My self-esteem was shot. I was depressed, anxious. I started to have panic attacks right before getting onstage, or right after leaving the stage. Basically I felt I wasn’t good enough, wasn’t capable. I felt I wasn’t giving my fans anything” Gomez’s supporters love her, but the fame and the pressure causes her to be blind to the love of her fans. Gomez appears confident and effortless on stage. This goes to show most of the fans have no idea what is going on behind the scenes. Lady Gaga is outstanding at putting herself out there and ruling the stage but just like most other celebrities she misses the normal life she used to live. “I miss people. I miss, you know, going anywhere and meeting a random person and saying ‘Hi’ and having a conversation about life. I love people” She cannot just meet strangers anymore because everywhere she goes she has no privacy. People only want to make a point to talk to her for selfish reasons. George Clooney explains the reality of being famous, “I haven’t walked in Central Park for 15 years.” This is because he knows he will get mobbed. The celebrity life is explained to be in simple terms as miserable. Daniel Craig hates how everything he does could go anywhere, “They think it’s their right to take a photo of me and I find that incredibly intrusive. But every phone has a camera on it, so how do we stop it? We can’t.” It is invasive to them but they cannot stop him. If people kept taking pictures of the

20 OPINION

Justin Bieber performing in Rosemont, Illinois.

forget they have a personality and real feelings. This is what makes the celebrity life so lonely. No one cares enough to act like they are a normal person.

“I would never wish this upon anyone.” - Justin Bieber

FINDING YOUR IDENTITY

There is more to who you are than school ALLISON EICHENLAUB ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

take the focus off yourself and put it on to others. Mackenna Marshall, a senior at Parkway Central who attends my youth group said, “I still remember the first day Allison approached me and started asking me questions about my life. I could tell she was really interested and wanted to form a relationship with. Ever since then, we have been really close, and it all started with her going out of her way.” Personally, I have seen a big difference in my life after getting really involved in my church youth group. I have seen how impactful it is to invest in people I didn’t really know before. I have felt way more connected in my church and I feel like I belong in a place greater than myself. I

Members of E-Free youth group posing at their church camp. Photo by: Allison Eichenlaub

School may seem like the only part of our lives, but really there is so much more than who we are at school. People might judge us based on our school lives, but there is way more to life than grades. Life outside of school makes us who we are. Grades don’t define us, even though it may seem like they do because of all the time we spend at school. Grades are not inherently bad, but we can’t let them consume our minds. When that happens, we turn grades into an idol and start focusing on them only. We also need to remember that there is more to people than what is shown at school. People may seem shallow at school, but there is so much more behind their story. You don’t know what is happening in one’s life, and something as simple as a smile can truly have a great impact on ones day. You may think you know a lot of people at Westminster, but how many people do you TRULY know? Take some time and invest your time into someone that you don’t know. You will be surprised at how much you learn about others when you

have made deeper friendships with people I have “known” for 6 years, but I didn’t really know their whole story. Who doesn’t love relating with people who you never thought you could get close to? It is a great experience that really opens you up to see others. I have found myself actively serving my community and giving back to my church because I have a group of people to do it with. Doing service projects and giving back to others makes me realize how small I am in a big picture. We are here to serve others and take the focus off yourself. Focusing on others can make your day so much greater. When you actually put others before yourself, it brightens your heart and gives you a joy knowing you helped others. Hannah Rupprecht, a senior at my church and Westminster, says “I have also gotten more involved recently at church and it brings joy to my life because I have great friends outside of school. Finding a group of people that are passionate about serving really helped me change my mindset.”

OPINION 21

IS ST. LOUIS “BETTER TOGETHER”?

A look into the details of the proposed city county merger and whether it is the right choice for our city. ISABELLA FRANCOIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

On August 22, 1876 St. Louis voters cast their ballots and it was decided that St. Louis City and St. Louis county would become separate entities with separate governments. Today, 143 years later, this issue is finally being revisited with the “Better Together” initiative. In order to better understand this issue, it is important to understand the circumstances of that fateful vote in 1876. At the time, St. Louis city was much larger than St. Louis county as the city had a population of 310,864 while all the other municipalities had a combined population of 31,000. Business leaders in the city felt that that the Missouri legislature as well as the county government was burdensome to their business propositions. Also, they did not want their tax dollars to be used in county as the county was mostly just farmland at the time and so it seemed like a waste of their money. So, supporters of the split formed a special committee called the Board of Freeholders and not only proposed that the city and county become separate but they also wanted to expand the city borders, tripling the area of city from to include Forest, Carondelet and O’Fallon parks. The new area of the city would be 61.37 squares miles, which was all the land that the politicians in 1876 thought St. Louis would ever need. When the vote finally took place, it did not pass at first because “although city residents approved the split 11,878 to 11,525, [...] countians trounced it 2,617 to 848, for an overall “no” margin of

22 IN-DEPTH

1,416 votes” explained reporter Tim O’Neil in an article titled “How the ‘Great Divorce’ of St. Louis City and St. Louis County started” in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

municipal governments. “The [...] absence of a cohesive governmental structure left a void, and many smaller governments formed to fill it. This is why the 1.3 million people who call St. Louis home are served by 115 local governments, which include St. Louis City and County, as well as 90 municipalities and 23 fire districts. The costs associated with funding all 115 governments (excluding airport and water service fees) have reached a staggering $2 billion per year” explains the Better Together website.

$2 billion a year is spent on funding municipal governments, many of which Supporters of the split rushed to court, have less people than our high school citing voter fraud and after much delib- of around 1000 students. In fact, aceration, pro-city judge Judge Thomas cording to the census information listed Gantt decided that a total of 5,068 for the 88 municipalities on the St. ballots, most of them “no” votes, were Louis County Website 19 out of the 88 fraudulent due to eraser marks, which municipalities or 22% of have less than therefore led to overall victory margin 1000 residents. That means that Westof 1,253 of “yes” votes. In March 1877, minster could (in theory) become its the city finally was declared indepen- own municipality with its government, dent and although there has been many and receive some of the $2 billion propositions to reunite the city and the dollars in funding given to municipal county, they still remain separate in governments each year. Maybe then 2019. we would be able to pay off some of our debt or repaint the walls a different shade of beige! As aforementioned, the goal “Better Together” initiative is the unite the city and the county into one entity under However, when asking whether a city one government, and also grow the county merger would be worth it for community. It is backed by the city the everyday citizen, the question is not mayor Lyda Krewson and County Ex- if it would save money, but how that ecutive Steve Stenger, and is directed money saved would benefit the people by Democratic operative Nancy Rice of St. Louis directly. Throughout my and financed by financial executive Rex research, I have found that the money Sinquefield. saved in a city county merger will be beneficial for the people of St. Louis if it is used in three main ways. “Over the past 18 months the [Better Together] task force has hosted seven public forums, held hundreds of stake- First, the money saved by eliminatholder meetings and received more ing the municipal government should than 1,200 online surveys in an effort to be used to lower taxes for the citizen gather community input.” said director because without a municipal governNancy Rice. ment, excessively high tax rates such as property tax and sales tax (which are The main issue that the Better Together determined by the municipal governinitiative wishes to tackle is the lack of ment) could be lowered. unity, the inefficiency, and the wasting of money that comes from having many For example, according to the docu-

ments provided by the Better Together data library such as the most recent financial and budgets reports from the municipalities of Ladue, Ferguson, and Town and Country there is a vast difference between tax rates in different municipalities. In Ladue, where I live, the property tax rate is 0.76% with 26.90% of the general revenue or $4,520,958 being generated by property tax. The sales tax rate is 8.363% and sales tax generates 25.82% of the revenue. In the city of Ferguson, where the median income is $138,804 less than in Ladue the property tax and sales tax are actually more, as they are 1.40% and 8.613% respectively. Then, in the city of Town and Country, where the median income is $162,500 compared to $40,000 in Ferguson there is no property tax and the sales tax rate is 0.08% percent. These tax rates are not logical, efficient, or what is best for citizen because they simply cause more of a divide between wealthier municipalities and poorer municipalities. So, by merging the city and county and operating as a united government, tax rates would be standardized and lowered for all people, which as been seen in other city county mergers such as in Louisville, Kentucky. “One of the major selling points routinely touted by merger proponents was that “taxes [would] not increase” for county or city residents. The Louisville Metro government has kept this promise. The Urban Services District, [...] actually saw its rates decrease since the merger, from $0.3764 per $100 of assessed property value in 2003 to $0.3666 in 2012. Former county residents likewise saw their property tax rates decrease over time, from $0.128 per $100 in 2003 to $0.1255 in 2012” explained Jeff Wachter, an independent researcher hired by The Abell Foundation, in his document entitled “A 10Year Perspective of the Merger of Louisville and Jefferson County, KY: Louisville Metro Vaults From 65th to 18th Largest City in the Nation.” Also, another benefit of merging the city and county would be that St. Louis as a whole would be a more appealing city for comData describing the issues involved in the city-county merger. Data courtesy of: the Better Together Data Library

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“SIMPLY COMPLETING THE MERGER HAS BEEN A POSITIVE SELLING POINT TO BUSINESS EXECUTIVES AND SITE-SELECTION CONSULTANTS, [...] BY DEMONSTRATING THE CITY/COUNTY SUPPORT TO MAKE THIS TYPE OF (OFTEN DIFFICULT AND POTENTIALLY PAINFUL) CHANGE, LOUISVILLE METRO PROJECTS A VIBRANT COMMUNITY LOOKING TOWARD ITS FUTURE”

-Jeff Watcher, author of a study on the merger in Louisville panies to base their operations in, as it will increase the economy while also making the city seem more progressive and unified. This benefit is also seen in Louisville, Kentucky, as their economy and business growth increased after the merger. “Not only will the merger make the city more appealing to business executives, but it will also make it easier for them to meet with government officials to set up their business because there will be more consolidated leadership, as again seen in Louisville.

St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones and county combine there will be less said on Facebook that her concern crime per capita as therefore St. Louis “has nothing to do with the possibility will gain a better reputation. of losing my position” and expressed concern that “a) fire and school districtsCBRE Managing Director Jeff Kaiser remain untouched and b) what does said on Twitter that the move is “long equity look like in all of this?” she said overdue and much needed in order to in a post. move our region forward.” However, simply by mentioning the Again, evidence that a city-county mergpossibility of losing her position, Jones er benefits the city as a whole is seen in showed that she does have some fear Louisville, where has thrived ever since. about losing her position, which is a rightful concern. “The merger demonstrated the city and

county were capable of winning support In the same way, John Lamping, a for change to the governance structure. “The merger removed additional layers former state senator from St. Louis As a result of the merger, Louisville County, said on Twitter (quoted in the Metro now occupies the position of of government, streamlining business St. Louis Business Journal) that the recruitment and creating a “one- stop 18th largest city in the nation, up from amendment would have “no chance” the 65th largest city in the country. shop” at the Louisville Metro governof passing locally. He predicted the ment. For example, when recruiting Beyond the data-driven assessment of “masters of the universe” will spend employment numbers and government Genentech in 2005, the city’s leader$20 million or more on a campaign “to spending, one goal of pro- merger advoship was able to bring all of the relevant officials together in one meeting to convince the rest of the state that they cates has been unequivocally achieved: talk through the project, allowing Lou- know best.” Lamping also called the Louisville has been propelled onto the isville to beat Genentech’s recruitment move “a coup,” and said an opposition national landscape more prominently, campaign would have to be “grassand relocation timeline by six weeks. due to its larger population” concludes roots.” As Steve Higdon, former president of Jeff Wachter. GLI, explained it, “the process of working with clients is the exact same. The But, on the other hand there are other Overall, merging the city and county process of working with government is members of the St. Louis community is a divisive issue but it will only make much easier,” said Watcher. who support this campaign because not sense if it benefits the common person, only will it benefit taxes and business, the everyday citizen not just politicians However, by “removing additional lay- but it can truly benefit St. Louis as or businesses. If the money saved is a whole if done correctly. When the ers of government” many people who used to lower taxes, benefit the econocity and county merge the population my, and increase St. Louis’s reputation work in municipal governments will will increase, while crime rates will be out of a job, which creates strong as whole then the proposition is worth it decrease as there are less crimes in the and St. Louis is truly “Better Together.” opposition from municipality mayors county and more people so if the city and other employees.

24 IN-DEPTH

A map showing the municipalities in St. Louis. Photo Courtesy of: St. Louis County Living Magazine, 2004

IN-DEPTH 25

ON BEING WOODEN The sucessful cross country team and the secrets to their repeated triumphs in the sport

AVA HOLLMANN STAFF WRITER

This is the stuff teams are made of. According to John Wooden, if a team has industriousness, friendship, loyalty, cooperation, and enthusiasm in their foundation, they will have success. The Westminster sports teams who have these traits are the boys and girls cross country teams. While there were state podium finishes from the boys several years ago, there was a unique team dynamic for the 2016 and 2017 teams in particular. Blake Elder, class of 2018, mentions that the line blurred on who the singular team leader was, so the large group of juniors, and the next year, seniors, became a varsity team with several leaders.

meets with them did leave somewhat of a void. But, since they wanted the state title so badly, they all led together,” said Parres. When the time came for state in the 2017 season, the boys’ sights were set on the podium victory. And though they fell short of their goal, AJ Lloyd, class of 2018, says it was not without a fight.

COOPERATION

“At state, we finished in seventh place. I believe that we let the pressure get to us, which affected us mentally. However, though it was difficult to manage, “In 2016, Brendan Grbcich and I were we had the best summer of our lives co captains, but since we were the same when it came to training, and then we age as everyone, it was really hard to had some outstanding races throughget anyone to listen to just us. In 2017, out the season, including a dominant Evan Parres was the official captain, District win,” said Lloyd. but since he wasn’t able to run, all of the seniors, plus juniors Will Leonard After the season ended, the 2018 one and Matthias Jowdy, stepped up as loomed ominously. With the majority far as leadership. As a result, we were of the varsity team graduating, Matthiall really good at keeping each other as Jowdy, class of 2019, and a herd of accountable,” said Elder. underclassmen were left to carry the legacy of qualifying for state as a team, Evan Parres, class of 2018, gives his whatever place they may end up with. perspective on his unique leadership But Jowdy, solo in his leadership of the situation. new team, was, according to Parres, more than ready for this challenge. “In 2017 I was the captain, but I didn’t actually run any races. I did as much “I never sat down with Matthias and as my injury could allow, but the fact told him how to lead the team; he’s a that I wasn’t running the workouts or natural leader and I didn’t need to tell

him stuff he already knew. He later proved this by being the captain of the successful 2018 team comprised almost entirely of underclassmen. To be honest, I didn’t even know if they’d qualify for state, and they got 9th, which was a definite testament to Matthias’s leadership,” said Parres.

The boys cross country team after the varsity’s district win, in 2017. Photo Credits: Isabella Francois

26 IN-DEPTH

“Coming from a team with a majority of seniors to being the only senior, I learned quite a bit about leadership from them. As one of the last few connections between the two teams, I tried my best to keep the cross country traditions alive and pass them on to the underclassmen so that the team will participate in them for years to come,” said Jowdy.

each other,” said Strothkamp.

The 2018 boys cross country team after the Jefferson Barracks Cross Country meet. Photo Credits: Isaeblla Francois

When it came to the preparation for the 2018 season, Caleb Moellenhoff, sophomore, gives the perspective of one of the underclassmen on the 2017 and 2018 teams.

it goes by quickly,” said Jowdy.

The boys cross country squad is not alone in their fruitful legacy; their gender counterpart, the girls cross country team, has also experienced tremendous “When the current underclassmen came highs, lows, and ultimately, growth in in as a freshman, in 2017, we saw how the past few years to make them a wellmuch the 2018 senior class cared for oiled machine as well. each other and the sport, and it was instilled in us. It turned out, with our By 2017, there was something humexceptional meet and State performing in the girls XC squad, according mances this past season, hard work and to leader Rachel Strothkamp, class of dedication to the team and sport are the 2018. simple formula for a winning team,” said Moellenhoff “At the end of my senior year, we

INDUSTRIOUSNESS

When the 2017 season came to a close, the girls had lost two varsity runners, and leaders, from their already-small squad. However, it soon became obvious to Strothkamp, and leader Kathryn Kramer, class of 2018, that there was someone who was already prepared to lead the girls come the next year- Amanda Espy. “Every leader brings something unique to a team, and I was excited to see what that would be for Amanda. Having run with her the past two years, I knew that she was an incredibly motivated, hard-working, and loyal teammate and athlete, so it was obvious that she would be very successful as a leader,” said Strothkamp.

LOYALTY

“I knew Amanda was fully capable of the job, as she has such a strong bond with all the girls and can connect with each of them. Since she has such a great work ethic and is so good at had all overcome so many mental and encouraging, she is able to motivate evAccording to Colin Ring, sophomore, physical challenges together, and as a eryone to become better in a graceful, the boys on the team attributed much result, had a much stronger bond. Hav- sweet way,” said Kramer. of their winning culture to their leader, ing gone on so many long runs with Matthias. nothing to do but talk to the people, we Besides being an outstanding team were allowed to get to know each other member and given two great examples “Everyone respected his experience, on another level. Not to sound cheesy, of how to lead the team, Espy was also as he was the only runner to have but we had all pretty much become best looking toward the future of the team competed on varsity the year before. friends and we genuinely loved running and the end of their season. Also, Matthias is very good at making together by the time the 2017 season “One change from the previous year is everyone feel comfortable, no matter ended,” said Strothkamp. that at the beginning of August, we sat how good they are at running, and that down as a team and set personal and really contributed to why the whole Another aspect of the team, which team, not just the top runners, bought would continue to live on in the girls’ team goals. Because of those goals, we were always working towards someinto the program,” said Ring. practices, was the weekly devotions. thing and knew that every practice and meet was important to help us reach it,” As a last farewell to the 2018 season “Our team really grew spiritually and entrance to the 2019 one, Jowdy because of our weekly devotions, and said Espy. gives advice to the new team. they didn’t feel formal or superficial. Instead, everyone was free to talk about Besides being goal-oriented, Espy “My advice to the runners next year things they were going through or add made sure to continue to incorporate and in the years to come is to stay com- to the devotion that was given. It was Christ in practice as well. mitted to their work and each other, in also nice that this time was just for “As a team, we continued to be very and out of season, but also remember to athletes and not coaches, because it enjoy their time in high school because allowed us to be a lot more open with verbal about our faith and having

FRIENDSHIP

ENTHUSIASM

IN-DEPTH 27

God be the number one thing we were running for. I wanted to focus on reminding everyone that their worth and value to the team was not based on how well they run, but their identity in Christ and that the team has their back,” said Espy. But squads and leaders do not last forever. Fortunately for the returners, and any new runners in the 2019 season, Espy has some valuable advice for them. “One of my biggest pieces of advice to future leaders is to get to know your teammates on a more personal level. Taking time to really get to know each runner individually helped me to be able to lead them to the best of my ability in the future. Everyone is different, and you have to know the right way that each person needs be led, pushed, and encouraged,” said Espy. Even more than her advice, Kinsley Lawrence, junior, says that Espy’s imprint on the team, even the program, will be left by the sheer example she gave the girls. “The example that Amanda has set for everyone on the team will be remembered for years; she has shown all of us what humility and grace looks like, and her passion for life and determination to succeed has shown to be applicable in every aspect of her, and now our, life,” said Lawrence. Amanda Espy, Matthias Jowdy, the leaders before them, and all of the members of the WCA cross country program have truly exemplified what a Christian, let alone remarkable, athletic team should look like. While this did not come without grueling weather, high-pressure meets, or difficult workouts, the team endured. In fact, they did more than endure- they flourished. With that said, running cross country certainly requires a select caliber of a young man or woman. To be ruthlessly dedicated first to God, then each other, and finally themselves seems to be something that only those crazy enough to love running in the first place can do. And though they’re too humble to admit it, the boys and girls cross country teams have, are, and will continue to be the most consistent breeders of athletic excellence in the hallowed halls of the Academy.

The 2017 girls varsity cross country team at Spanish Lake park after their fisrt district win, and third consecutive qualification for state as a team. From left to right: Ava Hollmann, Isabella Francois, Kathryn Kramer, Rachel Strothkamp, Ashley Moellenhoff, and Amanda Espy. Photo By: Kinsley Lawrence

The 2018 varsity girls cross country team at Spanish Lake park after their second consecuitve district win, and third consecutive qaulification for state as a team. From left to right (top): Ava Hollmann, Ashley Moellenhoff, Amanda Espy, Pamela Mueller. From left to right (bottom): Lily Duda, Kharis Perona, and Isabella Francois. Photo Credits: Kinsley Lawrence

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GIRLS BASKETBALL CONTINUES ITS SEASON-LONG STREAK OF SUCCESS Girls Basketball is holding tough with some of the best competition in the area.

TOMMY BRINER STAFF WRITER

With a record of 11-5, Girls Basketball is continuing to prove their legitimacy as they become more and more of a complete, all-around team. After hanging with both Parkway Central (who they lost to by 29 points last year) and Parkway North, two of the top girls teams in the area, the only thing the Wildcats were frustrated with was that they weren’t able to close either game out. They simply didn’t have the size to match up with Central’s two post players, who average a combined 22.8 points per game, but then against North, Brooke Highmark, Kristen Keys, and Kiley McKee combined to shoot just 10-37 from the field and the Wildcats fell short by six points.

“We played well against Visitation,” said Lottmann, “They aren’t an amazing team, so we went out and did what we were supposed to.” Thursday’s matchup Timberland, a much bigger school, was no different. Timberland had a record of 2-12 entering the game, and Westminster’s offense was no match for the Wolves. Kristen Keys and Kiley McKee combined for 28 points, and the Wildcats ran away with a 35-point victory, 59-24. Friday’s game against Principia gave the Wildcats their third win of the week. Although the Panthers are 8-5 on the season, the level of competition they’ve faced has been subpar. The Wildcats should won at home by a score of 56-21 on “Basketball Fights Cancer” night, which supports childhood cancer research through Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and boosted their record to 12-5 for the season. Seventeen games in, Girls Basketball is performing as well as they could’ve hoped to before the season began. They’ve been to two tournament championship games and won one. They’ve beaten teams they lost to last year, and hung around with teams they got killed by. They have nine games remaining on the schedule until Districts, and they should be favored in all of them except against Kirkwood, their final game of the season. “I kind of expected our season to be like this,” said Kiley McKee, “We have a good record, but not too good.” As the season continues, new players have become more and more important to the team. Carlie Vick, the six-foot Freshman, has averaged 8.5 points per game in the last four games. The team has also played more than a month without starting point guard Reilly Brophy, who suffered a foot injury in December and has been on the sidelines ever since. She hopes to return before the season is over and provide even more depth to an already skilled lineup of guards.

Brooke Highmark puts up a three. Photo by: Thomas Shultz

They headed into this week with three games to play; one on Tuesday against Visitation, another on Thursday at Timberland, and the last on Friday against Principia. Visitation had a record of 4-13 coming into Tuesday. They were handed their fourteenth loss by a margin of 20 points. After holding Visitation to just two points in the first quarter, Westminster led 24-13 at half. Macey Lottmann led the Wildcats with 11 points on 3-4 shooting from three point range, and Westminster won 53-33.

“Even though the season has been cut short for me, I am really proud of how much we have worked to improve from the beginning of the season,” said Brophy. She also attributes the team’s success so far this year to hard work as a group. “We have constantly been in the gym, even on weekends and snow days, getting up shots and improving our defense, and it shows,” she said. The Wildcats play on Tuesday at 4:15 PM at University City.

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WESTMINSTER wildcats (10-7)

JOHN BURROUGHS bombers (9-6)

westminster christian academy - february 1 - 7:00PM

58.1

POINTS/GAME

FG%

FG%

48.6%

40.1%

THE WILDCATS DEFEATED THE BOMBERS 58-43 ON DECEMBER 14 IN THEIR ONLY MATCHUP THIS SEASON

51.4

POINTS/GAME

*through 1/24

Next Friday night is the Spirit Night Game, where the Westminster Wildcats will face off against the John Burroughs Bombers during a night full of tradition. The game takes place on the Friday night of Spirit Week every year, and it is often the most crowded home game of the season. Whether the Wildcats are having a winning season or not, the players forget about evrything else and try their best to win for the community. The outcome of this game depends on the noise of the crowd as the Arena is completely ďŹ lled and the players are hyped up with emotions. Winning this game brings pride to all of the players and ends Spirit Week in the best way. The Wildcats have already defeated the Bombers this year on the road with the help of a loud Blue Crew yelling on defense. The Blue Crew was instrumental in helping the Wildcats keep their lead even when Burroughs went on a run in the second half and it looked like they might come back and close the gap. The Wildcats hope for another loud Blue Crew at the Spirit Night Game as the Bombers will be seeking revenge for their early season loss.

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VARSITY WRESTLING FACES TOUGH COMPETITION IN BUSY WEEK

However, it was not enough to come back and the Wildcat’s came in 15th place out of 25 teams.

With two tournaments and two more meets in nine days, Varsity wrestling has been busy matching up against some of the top teams and wrestlers in the state.

PEARSON GEORGES STAFF WRITER

The Westminster Wildcats Wrestling team started off very strong in their meet last weekend with two early victories by Freshman Nolan Jones and Junior Mike Lemp. Jones, who was 12-10 coming into the meet, won by tech fall. Lemp also won by fall, which means that he pinned the other wrestler, one minute and nine seconds into the match. Freshman Isaac Niekamp did his best to push the Wildcats towards higher placement with a victory over Nick Trimble. This match brought an end to the first round. Beginning in the second round, the quarterfinals of the tournament, the Wildcats were faced with very strong opponents, three of which were top ranked wrestlers in the state. Lemp, Jones, and Niekamp were all defeated. At the end of the first day of wrestling, the Wildcats were ranked 14th out of 25 teams. The Wildcats continued to face very skilled opponents. Sophomore Brett St. John was trying his best to help Westminster with his win on the final day of the meet.

Photo by: Pearson Georges

On Tuesday, Westminster faced off in a Quad Meet against Hannibal, Ladue, and St. Charles at Ladue. All three schools are known for their strong wrestling teams, and the Wildcats struggled to get anything going. In a Quad Meet, each team faces off head-to-head against all three other teams at the meet. Each school has a wrestler for each weight class, and each wrestler faces off against the other wrestlers from all three schools that are in their weight class. The Wildcats won just 12 of their 48 individual matches throughout the meet. “Wrestling four out of seven days this week has left our whole team very sore and exhausted,” said Mike Lemp. On Wednesday, the Wildcats hosted a meet against Fort Zumwalt South. The Wildcats fell to the Bulldogs by a score of 72-7, the only two Westminster wins coming from Nolan Jones and Brett St. John. Mike Lemp (126 lbs.) matched up against Zachary Godar, one of the top ranked wrestlers in the state. Lemp was pinned by Godar in the final round. Westminster’s wrestling team has another tournament this Friday and Saturday, the Kyle Thrasher tournament at MICDS. This meet will one again feature some of the strongest teams and wrestlers from the area. Hopefully the team will rest up and come out strong again. “With all the wrestling this week we are preparing very hard as we head into our toughest tournament of the year (the Thrasher) and in two weeks we have to suit up for Districts,” said Lemp.

Photo by: Pearson Georges

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SPIRIT WEEK’S MOST IMPORTANT COMPETITION

The tension is rising in preparation for the most intense competition of the Spirit Week rallies: Ultimate Chicken. Check out how the Juniors and Seniors will match up this year. BENNIE ANDERSON AND NATHANIEL SEMS The Juniors:

The Juniors are the reigning champs of the highlight of all Spirit Week games, Ultimate Chicken. Last year was an outstanding surprise run for the Class of 2020 as they came in as the underdogs and shocked the world with a surprise victory over the Seniors. Led by a dominant performance from Brennan Orf, the other classes had no luck, and really no chance, when it came to slowing him down. This year, the team is locked and loaded with talent. Orf, who is leading the basketball team in points, rebounds, and blocks and is starting to become recognized as one of the best basketball players in the area, will return for the Juniors. The Class of 2020 will look to him in the end zone where he can use his athletic ability and strength to out-muscle and out-jump opposing players. The team also returns QB Lane Davis. Davis tore his ACL in the second game of the football season and is cleared to play in Ultimate Chicken. Davis is the facilitator of the team and will be barking out orders to his teammates. What makes him special is the connection he has with Orf. Last year, he dropped dimes all over the court, making it look easy. It will be intriguing to see if he will maintain that same explosiveness he had last year after the injury. Also, be sure to look out for Ben Straub and Mason Andrasko. Straub is a feisty defender who plays safety on the football team and had three interceptions on the year. Look for him to be a ball hawk, or more appropriately, “chicken hawk” on the court. Andrasko brings length and solid hands to pair with his freakish jumping ability due to his experience playing for one of the top volleyball teams in the country. He provides a solid secondary option for the team. Don’t forget about the girls on the team either. The girls side is led by Heidi Hightower, who had a breakthrough

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performance during this year’s Powderpuff Football Game where she played with grit and was an imposing figure on the field. She brings height and physicality to the team. Grace Dempsey is also on the team and split time with Hightower at QB during Powderpuff. She has a cannon for an arm and also brings speed. Hanna Ottsen, an elite soccer player with blazing speed, is another player to watch out for. She caught a touchdown last year and is looking for a repeat performance. This year, the Class of 2020 goes into Ultimate Chicken this year as the favorites and the odds look to be in their favor. The Seniors: This year’s Senior Ultimate Chicken team returns with experience and chemistry having played together since Sophomore year when they upset both the Juniors and Seniors on their way to winning the title. Last year was a heartbreak after the Sophomores, who, led by Brennan Orf and Lane Davis, defeated the Class of 2019 easily. The team hopes to seek revenge for last year’s loss and leave Westminster as two-time Ultimate Chicken Champions. The offense has both speed and size, with all four male starters standing over 6 feet tall. Jerram Adams and Maxwell Burns look to be intimidating receivers using their tall frames and athleticism to secure any passes thrown from Isaac Johnston and Atlin Hall. Hall brings speed, agility, and raw intensity to the team, acting as the playmaker on both offense and defense. Isaac Johnston will be playing in his fourth straight year of Ultimate Chicken and brings composer and calmness to the team, along with a mean beard. Kiley McKee, Claire Sanden, and Kristen Keys are three of the most athletic girls in the grade, having all played varsity basketball since their Freshman year. They have formed a bond and are able to communicate and play off of one another having spent so much time playing basketball. McKee leads the basketball team in scoring and has a mamba mentality on the court that she will bring to the Ultimate Chicken match. Keys is able to make plays with her height and jumping ability while shutting down any opposing offensive threats. Sanden plays lockdown defense and is a prolific passer on the offensive side of the game. This team has shown up early to school the past three weeks to practice and refine their skills. They are bloodthirsty for revenge and hope to prove to the school that underestimating this year’s senior Ultimate Chicken team is a bad idea.

SWENSON CUTS ARM IN HOCKEY GAME Senior Blake Swenson nearly hits artery in gruesome hockey injury.

GABE CARADONNA

NEWS EDITOR “We knew something was wrong with the way he was yelling,” said senior goalie George Jones. During a hockey game against Ladue on January 11th, Senior Blake Swenson sustained a gruesome arm injury. Swenson got knocked down on the ice near a

Blake was rushed to the hospital in is bloodied hockey jersey. At the hospital they had to cut off his jersey so they could work on his arm. Thankfully the blades didn’t go deep enough to cut the artery, but they got very close. He just needed stitches, but still had to spend some time in the hospital. A couple days after the injury, Blake said, “I don’t have any feeling in part of my hand (part of and below his thumb) so I’m going to the hand doctor to see whats wrong.” Blake explained that the doctor said that a nerve was cut, which is the reason he can’t feel anything. He could get a surgery to try and fix the nerve, but Blake said no. “The process of the surgery would be very

Blake Swenson Photo By: Gabe Caradonna

couple of players, two of whom stepped on Blake’s arm with their skates. His arm was cut very deeply in two spots right above his wrist. Blood gushed onto the ice, and coaches rushed to his aid straight away trying to cut off the circulation to the cuts and stop the bleeding. Blake had lost a lot of blood, which worried people that an artery had been cut.

long and might not even fix it. Plus it would take a very long time to recover and it’s just not worth it to me,” he said. Throughout the whole situation, Blake has been positive and has stayed in high hopes and we are thankful that the injury wasn’t any worse.

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Girls Lacrosse Remembers Last Year’s State Title Run

A firsthand recap of the best Girls Lacrosse team Westminster has seen.

Emma Gore Staff Writer

The Girls Lacrosse team got third in state last year.

Looking into next season, we definitely could not get that far again, but I guess anything is possible. This year, there are going to be five seniors to lead the team. This year’s seniors can learn from last year’s strong leaders.

Last year, we had 14 seniors and a strong team that would bring Last year was a great experience and I will always remember that us the farthest that the lacrosse program at Westminster has ever feeling of accomplishment, but this year, I’m hoping for a competitive, fun season with our team. gotten. We first played against Marquette High School in the state semifinal to see who would go up against MICDS for first place, and couldn’t shake them. We then played against Lafayette High School for third place title and came home with a win. Being a part of that game was a great experience and contributing two goals and an assist was one of the great moment of high school athletics for me. Although we lost to Marquette, we ended on a win, knowing that if we had played against MICDS for the first place title, we probably couldn’t have won against them.

Girls Swimming Makes State Cuts, Gets Ready for Conference A couple swimmers stand out as Girls Swimming gears up for state.

The 2018 Westminster Girls Lacrosse team.

Other swimmers with some top times include Lauren Bell in the 500 Free (6:05.35), Grace Skiljan in the 100 Back (1:09.58), Camryn McMurry in the 50 Free (26.01), and also Annessa Shively in the 50 Free (28.80). The team this year has been solid, and the Westminster community eagerly waits for results from both the District and State Meets.

Koby Schmer Staff Writer

As they make their way into the second half of the season, the Girls Swim and Dive Team continues to fight, putting up good times at their recent meets. They recently placed 15th out of 31 teams at the CoMo Invitational, a tournament in Columbia, Missouri, racking up 52 points. Districts are just around the corner for the Wildcats, meaning that State will be coming shortly after. This year’s team looks to have a handful of swimmers making their way into the State Meet. One swimmer who has already qualified is Margo O’Meara, who made a cut in the 50 Free as well as in Diving. The 200 and 400 Free Relays have also already made state cuts this year. Looking at some of the top times in the area, it is no surprise to see the names of Payton Dunn and Margo O’Meara in multiple events. For Dunn, her top events include the 100 Butterfly (1:01.69), 100 Free (1:00.45), 500 Free (5:29.15), 100 Back (1:09.77), and 100 Breaststroke (1:21.06). For Margo, she has a top ten time in the 50 Free (25.43) and also leads the area in Diving. She is also seen in the 100 Butterfly Photo by: 800 Sporting (1:02.01) and 100 Free (57.25).

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