Issue 9--The Wildcat Roar

March 2023

Behind the Scenes of the Scenes

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

FEATURE

TROUBLE IN PARADISE PGS. 6-7

SPECIAL OLYMPICS RETURNS PG. 10

BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE SCENES PG. 12-13

FEAR FOR FENTANYL PG. 14

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOUR YEARS... PG. 15

OPINION

WHY TRY FLY FISHING? PG. 8-9

THE IMPACT OF ‘97-’13 PG. 11

THE MOST CONVENIENT “DRUG” PG. 16

SPORTING

SPRING SPORTS PRESEASON PG. 18-21

WILDCATS WIN THE FOUNDERS’ PG. 22

CONTENTS

Rest and Recharge

Every day, we at The Wildcat Roar have the task As spring break enters the horizon, feelings of rest and renewal are just around the corner. This 9th issue of The Wildcat Roar explores many different aspects of newness or renewal. How to safely explore new places over spring break. The renewal of special olympics and orchestra competitions at Westminster. Seeing parts of the theater that are new to the majority of the community.

Every spring, we celebrate the world becoming fresh and new again, growing from a cold, dead season of winter. Every spring at school, though, we struggle to make it to the end. After a long, hard winter, school challenges students who are weary to push toward the end, even when the work seems futile at times.

Life, especially in the never-ending gray of winter, can drag on to seemingly endless days repeated. This is felt not just by students, but people at any stage of life (including teachers and parents). Seasons affect mood, productivity, rest, relationships, and more; so it is no wonder that everyone is just so tired before spring break finally comes to offer, well, a break.

As the weather gets warmer and flowers bloom, take some time to feel renewed, especially over the break. It may feel impossible at times to keep pushing forward after so much work already, but it is necessary for new growth. Recharge your batteries for one last quarter. Finish strong. Find reprieve in the small joys that springtime brings to get us through the final weeks before real rest.

Trouble in Paradise

As many families prepare for their spring break vacations to Mexico and other tropical places, they must be mindful of their surroundings.

The Jalisco Cartel, better known as the CNJG, is spreading like wildfire in the tourist hotspots of Mexico. As always, American tourists will end up in the three infamous tourist towns in Mexico: Cancun, Riviera Maya, and Cabo. Two of these places, Cancun and Riviera Maya, are located in the state of Quintana Roo. Quintana Roo hits the top of the list on the Mexico Travel Advisory for places to visit with extreme caution because, even though it is home to some of the most beautiful places to visit, it is also home to some of the highest crime rates in the world.

Stories of tourists experiencing firsthand the crime and murder rate in these Mexican cities are not few and far between—they are reported multiple times a year every year. “In early November 2021, a shootout between rival gangs resulted in the killing

“Country Summary: Violent crime – such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery – is widespread and common in Mexico. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico, as travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or restricted. In many states, local emergency services are limited outside the state capital or major cities.

- U.S. Department of State

murder rate rose 80.5% from the same period the previous year” (Violence in Paradise: Mexico’s Cartel Wars Reach Tourist Playgrounds in Quintana Roo | Global Risk Insights.)

When people think about Mexico, one of the first things they are going to think about is the infamous cartels. For those who are not familiar with this term, these cartels are the biggest drug trafficking corporations in the world that rose to popularity in the 1970s. With the high demand for cocaine in America, Mexican cartels such as CJNG, Sinaloa Cartel, and a few others became more prevalent and a threat to America overall. Fast forward to 2023, these cartels have become an even bigger threat to the tourists and citizens of Mexico. Not just drug trafficking, their actions also include kidnappings, robberies, car-jackings, and more.

“For anyone who plans on traveling to Tijuana or anywhere in Baja, California, as well as other border states and popular spring break spots like Cancún, the state department is urging you to reconsider your travel plans due to escalating crime, kidnapping, and cartel violence” (Mexico spring break travel warnings | What you need to know).

Mexican government and police enforcement have been struggling for a long time with these various cartels. There are multiple things that go into factor when it comes to shutting down this worldwide drug business. In past police attempts, there has been a common theme of heightened violence. When these gangs know the cops are onto them, they begin to perform more acts of violence like kidnappings and car-jackings to distract the police. These small acts of crime become a bigger threat to the residents of the towns and tourists who are not fully aware of their surroundings.

Map by US

of two gangsters on a Cancun tourist beach. Two weeks prior, an American social media influencer and a German tourist were killed in the crossfire of a gang battle in Tulum. In July, a visiting Texas firefighter was kidnapped and murdered at a Cancun resort. In May, a U.S. tourist was wounded in a gang shooting that killed two men in Cancun. According to Mexico’s public security service, between January and September 2021, the

According to an article by Maddie Stopyra and Claire O’Brien in the Wake Forest University newspaper the risk is increasing. “Despite this rather optimistic approach to the raging cartel violence in Mexico, political unrest and violence lay on the horizon for Mexico as a new force rises to power — the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Do not be mistaken; this cartel is like none other. The CJNG poses a threat to not only the national security of Mexico but to that of the United States, as well” (https://wfuogb.com/19038/opinion/new-drug-cartel-in-mexico-threatens-national-security/).

Not only do these cartels continue to grow, they continue to get more violent. The CJNG, also known as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, is comparable to the taliban. Rather than laying low, these members act with extreme violence to get their way.

Most other but the CJNG ening. Unlike meaning smuggled extortion way to gain The CJNG power and their audience.

In 2015, 15 Mexican O’Brien. Ed Calderon this trip. born and

Most other cartels are described as “buttoned down criminals,” but the CJNG is often described as crass, extreme, and frightening. Unlike other cartels, they are much more militarized, meaning they are in possession of military grade weapons, many smuggled from the United States. Other cartels use tactics of extortion or bribery, but Jalisco leans towards a more aggressive way to gain their power.

The CJNG is “relying on intimidation tactics to gain control and power and using propaganda videos and social media to grow their audience. It has also not failed to demonstrate its power. In 2015, the CJNG took responsibility for an attack that killed 15 Mexican police officers in Jalisco”, according to Stopyra and O’Brien.

Ed Calderon is going to be your best friend while preparing for this trip. For those not familiar with the name, Ed Calderon was born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico. He spent the later years of

his life dedicated to law enforcement in Mexico, and now shares his high level of knowledge on Mexico crime with the public. He spent a few years as a member of an operations group outside the NorthWestern border region of Mexico, fighting narcotic trade, abductions, and worked closely with high level protection on the Drug War. Ed has seen some of the worst parts of Mexico, and is now using his knowledge to protect innocent citizens and tourists of America. He is involved in multiple podcasts, but most information can be found on his website, where he details his experiences and warns tourists of how these cartels operate and how they, as visitors, should act and react: About — Ed’s Manifesto.

These men are not going to stop their highly organized drug crimes because of tourists, so it is important for those traveling to Mexico for spring break 2023 to not go in fear, but to be cognizant of these crimes. Knowing your surroundings, laying low, and being reserved are all logical and easy ways to keep yourself safe but still have fun on your beautiful vacation.

Why Try Fly Fishing?

Fly Fishing is a great way to explore nature and connect with others

Fly Fishing is often depicted in movies and shows as a peaceful scene of men and women enjoying the crisp mountain air while whipping sticks back and forth into the water. And I am here to tell you that that’s truly what fly fishing essentially is—but it’s some of the most fun you could ever have. While it may seem like aimlessly wandering through rivers and streams with a 7-9 ft stick in your hands, it is, in actuality, artful and exciting when done well.

Fly fishing is a form of fishing where you fish with smaller bugs for various species of fish, but mainly trout. In typical spin fishing, the lure is heavy and the line is light, so when you cast you are casting the lure. But in fly fishing, the line is the heavy part and the lure, or flies, are typically the light part.This allows the fisherman to catch fish that are not fishable on spinning tackle because they would otherwise be too light.

graze. These rivers can truly take your breath away with the landscapes and ecosystems surrounding them.

Fly fishing also allows you to meet some of the greatest people in the world. I have never met anyone on the river who is mean or is a grump, and our conversations normally end up with a handshake and name exchange after we have swapped fishing tips on the day. There is a whole community of fisherman who meet around the country and share their fishing experiences and stories. Being connected to one of these communities can be one of the best and most life-giving experiences you can get. You never know who you will get to meet.

Catching a 15” fish on a small bug that is almost too small to see is truly a thrilling experience, especially when it can take you to some of the most beautiful places on the planet. Many trout live in high mountain streams, surrounded by towering mountains and stunning views. Other trout streams wind aimlessly through prairies where antelope and deer will watch you fish while they

In the United States (and in Missouri in particular), there is a far greater proportion of anglers who spin fish than who fly fish. This can make it difficult to compete with other anglers and find like-minded fishermen. A lot will argue that spin fishing is more effective and easier than fly fishing. And in some cases, it is, because it is often much easier to learn how to do and easier to fool certain species of fish. But in regards to trout specifically, it is much easier to actually imitate their forage with fly fishing.

It provides a more delicate approach to fishing that gives opportunities spin fishing does not. On a spinning rod, you reel the line in. But on the fly rod you reel the line in

with your hands, letting you fight the fish directly with your hands.

“

Catching a 15” fish on a small bug that is almost too small to see is truly a thrilling experience, especially when it can take you to some of the most beautiful places on the planet”

with the greatest people is mean with a fishing sherman who experiences and can be can get.

there is a who fly fish. anglers and find shing is more effective and easier than fly shing. And some cases, it is, because it is often much easier to learn how do and easier to fool certain species of sh. But in regards to trout specifically, it is much easier actually imitate their forage with fishing. gives opporreel the your

Be-

cause fly fishing is so often portrayed in the mountains, most people don’t think of Missouri as actually having good fly

fishing. Missourians, especially in St. Louis, may think of the

rens, but in general, everybody wants to help everybody out. A great place to start would be your local fly fishing shop. The people there are most typically great people who want to help you learn the art of fly fishing. A great place to start in St. Louis is T Hargrove’s Fly shop in Kirkwood. They will not hesitate to teach you the ways of fly fishing and give you the in’s and out’s of fishing Missouri. Fly fishing is a great way to connect to fish, nature and others. And, you don’t have to move to Colorado to test it out. There are dozens of places to fish in Missouri, and some close to home (check out my previous artrice, Fishing in the City). Missouri holds great wonders that are unknown to much of the state. Fly Fishing allows for adventure to places not previously seen, to experience nature on a whole other level. For more information on fishing Missouri and spots visit Mdc.mo.gov.

state as lacking in natural beauty because the state does not have any big mountain ranges or crystal clear rivers that were carved by glaciers. But, Missouri harbors numerous rivers and streams that support very healthy trout populations and allow for superb fly fishing. For example, the Current River is a river in central Missouri that holds massive wild trout. It rivals the size and beauty of any stream out west and lets anglers experience world-class fly fishing.

When you are fishing on the river, you may not find the right people right away. There will always be your grumps and

Special Olympics Returns

After a break of 2 years due to Covid-19, Westminster sophomores are finally back to serving at the

Anna Grace Likes Editor-in-Chief

At the beginning of this week, for the first time since before COVID-19, Westminster and the sophomore class hosted the Special Olympics, a day of basketball activities and fun for special school districts in the St. Louis area. The 10th grade inherits this service event every year and the entire class participates, each Westminster sophomore “buddying” with a student from these special schools.

“This year we hosted eight schools, [and] there were 172 athletes. The event gives many students an opportunity to do something they’ve never done before and opens their eyes and hearts to serving.” said Susie Brown, Director of Student Life and coordinator of the Special Olympics at Westminster.

Many of these Westminster students (and really any typical high schoolers) have no prior experience working with people who have disabilities or special needs of any kind. Most teens have never had a similar type of responsibility, and though many others are familiar with special schools like Promise Christian Academy or even know and love people with special needs, for others it was an unfamiliar form of service.

“I have never done anything like this before, and it was so much more fun than I expected! Of course I was excited, but I’ve never done anything like hosting the special olympics before so I was a little nervous.” said Hannah Ellinwood, sophomore.

Even though nerves and uncertainty may have been present for many at first, these sophomores all made fast friends with their buddies no matter their age or abilities. Throughout the day, they guided their athletes through multiple different planned activities, from basketball games with varying levels of difficulty, to “victory village” face painting, to a community lunch.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better buddy—Madison made my first experience so memorable and I’ll forever cherish the

memories I made with her. She was eager to try every game and loved being cheered on. The whole experience was amazing and I enjoyed it so much,” said Ellinwood.

Teachers and administrators who see these students every day in a school environment were excited to see them step up into a new leadership role.

“I saw a joy and a carefree spirit that I don’t often get to witness when students are focused on their classes, their homework, and their busy schedules. People who may not even like basketball--and weren’t sure if they would be good at basketball--willingly jumped in a game to support their buddies. Leaders and encouragers emerged, and there was lots of laughter and partnership and no worries about looking foolish. I also was so proud of the way students rose to the occasion, juggling the responsibilities of tracking game schedules and getting buddies what they needed at the right times,” said Kim Graham, 9th and 10th grade principal.

As enjoyable it was for their teachers to see, the 10th graders easily saw the benefits and fun of this event as well. Though unexpected, challenging, or different at first, the bond that many of them formed with their buddy was worth the exhaustion they felt at the end of a packed-full day of games and leadership.

“It was such a fun role to be the one person your buddy looked up to for the day, and the person they’d run to with excitement when they won a game or got their face painted. I think we all learned to share our abilities with others and appreciate our unique gifts for the benefit of those around us,” said Ellinwood.

Other volunteers shared that “there is a wide range of disabilities” that they were unaware of and that they realized how “just being kind can change someone’s life.” Still others came to better understand their faith and how God created all people with special and unique abilities, explaining that “they are made in God’s image perfectly just like us,” (anonymous volunteer response feedback).

Overall, these sophomore volunteers had an enriching experience that will not be forgotten anytime soon by themselves, their teachers, or the “buddies” they served this week.

“I’m always pleased when I see students taking risks to exercise their gifts (or discover gifts they didn’t know they have!) and the Special Olympics basketball challenge day was all about thinking less about ourselves and investing in making the day special for someone else. It was an exhausting but beautiful day,” said Graham.

annual special olympics tournament.

The Impact of ‘97-’13

Generation Z’s uniqueness and the impact their culture has upon their life strategies

Generation Z is one of the most unique groups of people since Baby Boomers as they are on track to being one of the most diverse and best educated generations in history. But how do millennials and other generations need to motivate and interact with Gen Z? And how does this generation differ from those that have come before?

Gen Z’ers have had the unique experience of getting their information almost solely through social media platforms. Many Gen Z’ers cannot even remember a time that iPhones and Instagram were not commonplace. In addition, sites such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook are being used as news sources by Gen Z. This has been leading to an uptick in misinformation in this generation.

Peter Adams, Senior Vice President of Education at the News Literacy Project said: “Mis- and disinformation on TikTok wasn’t as big of a problem early on, and there was a lot written about how it was an apolitical zone for jokes and recipes and dancing,” Adams continued. “But now I think we’re seeing more and more political content there and with that comes people exploiting that.”

In addition to that, Gen Z Republicans look much different than past generations. According to the Pew Research Center, “Gen Z Republicans are much more likely than older generations of Republicans to desire an increased government role in solving problems.” This new generation desires more government action than most Republicans from past generations feel comfortable with. This allows these new Republicans to hopefully be more open minded and willing to work with the government inside of issues.

Gen Z is also living in times of a lot of uncertainty according to United Way NCA: “This generation is coming of age in a time of great economic uncertainty, with rising college costs and limited job prospects. In response, members of Gen Z are advocating for affordable education and workplace policies that promote work-life balance. They are also using their entrepreneurial spirit to start their own businesses and create their own job opportunities.” The amount of uncertainty in

their future has made this generation take the reins of their own destiny. That allows this generation to have a deep entrepreneurial spirit that is rarely seen in people so young. In fact, according to Forbes, “Generation Z is 55% more likely to want to start a business than millennials.” With an urge to provide positive change in the world and an entrepreneurial spirit, nothing can stop this generation.

Sadly though, not all of Generation Z’s unique traits are positive. According to the American Psychological Association, “This generation is also significantly more likely (27 percent) than other generations, including millennials (15 percent) and Gen Xers (13 percent), to report their mental health as fair or poor, the survey found.” Due to school shootings and their care for world events this can lead to inordinate stress.

Generation Z may reportedly be more mentally ill than past generations, but their fierce need to change the world sets them up to be one of the most impactful generations.

“ Gen Z Republicans are much more likely than older generations of Republicans to desire an increased government role in solving problems.

-Pew Research Center

.

Behind the Scenes of the Scenes

How the theatre operates is a mystery to most not involved with performing arts programs at Westminster.

The theater at Westminster is a complicated and precise machine that hides its inner workings from the world. It is time to reveal what exactly goes on behind the scenes of the theater.

To most, the theater is nothing more than a stage on which actors perform for the school’s enjoyment. To those who participate however, the secret workings of the theater are open and clear to see.

Starting off in view of the audience is the orchestra pit. The front of the stage is noticeably a different color and material from the rest. This is the apron, which can be removed, revealing the pit. There is also a door leading down on the far right side of the stage, so removing the entire floor isn’t necessary.

When needed, the orchestra will sit in this pit and play. Descending into the pit, there is not much to look at. It is poorly lit and entirely gray, descending about ten to fifteen feet from ground level. With cement brick walls and a concrete floor, the pit simply lives up to its name.

In the center of the theater is a small alcove in which all audio is controlled onstage. It is called the sound booth. All microphone volumes, queues, whether they are on or off, it is all controlled in this booth. All sound effects and music are also queued here as well.

Up above the rest of the theater is a small room in which all lighting queues are controlled. It is called the lighting booth. Every light high above the stage, every backlight behind the actors, and every spotlight focusing on a solo, is controlled with an intricate board in this room.

Moving backstage, there is the receiver. It is located on stage right, meaning that looking at the stage from the audience, the receiver is offstage to the left. It is used to make sure the microphones on stage work well.

“It’s basically used to monitor the battery life of mics, whether they’re peaking, and a bunch of other technical stuff,” says Jacobi Robinson, junior involved with broadcasting and AV.

Continuing to the other side of the theater, out of sight, is the fly system. It is located on stage left. The fly is a system of ropes, pulleys, and levers used to fly objects onstage. Objects and curtains are rigged to metal rods above the stage, and the fly system controls if said object goes left, right, up, or down.

Easily the most exciting piece of the theater is the catwalk. Remaining on stage left, there is a ladder that is usually caged off. If you have the keys, though, you gain access to a pathway above the theater looking down on everyone in the audience.

As you go up the ladder, you enter an intersecting hallway. To the left is a smaller catwalk above stage left, but if you go left you turn the corner and reach another ladder. Climb this one, and you reach the catwalk.

While actors are, of course, the star of the production, many more people are involved behind the scenes. The intricacy of the behind-thescenes operations going on during every single theater production is incredibly underappreciated. The complexity of every lighting and sound queue, the efficiency each stage hand has to move with during scene changes operating the fly, occasionally even the orchestra performing out of sight. Without these, and without all the secrets of the theater, no production would be possible.

The intricacy of the behind-the-scenes operations going on during every single theater production is incredibly underappreciated.

-Jacobi Robinson, Junior

Fear for Fentanyl

This potent drug has potential to be considered one of the most dangerous opioids because of its strength and how it is disguised.

Opioid drugs. They have been used in the U.S. since the 1860’s, and they are widely known as painkillers. However, over thousands of years, opioid drugs have become more and more addictive, starting with the opioid flower itself in B.C. times and then transitioning all the way to cocaine in the 1990s.

However, one of the worst drugs that has come out of this opioid epidemic is fentanyl. Even though it was created in the late 1950s and was first used in the early 1960s, it has seen a massive increase in usage and overdose in the 21st century.

According to dea.gov, by definition, fentanyl is “a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic.” Normally, legal fentanyl is given to patients after they’ve had a surgery to help with pain, similarly to morphine (often for patients who aren’t able to take in any other synthetic opioid drugs to deal with pain).

While fentanyl can be used legally if prescribed by a doctor, most times, fentanyl comes into the United States illegally. Two different cartels in Mexico (Sinaloa and Jalisco) are the ones who are responsible for shipping illegal fentanyl. They do this by packaging fentanyl to look like different kinds of pills ranging from OxyContin to Xanax. Fentanyl, while made and shipped in Mexico, actually gets its chemicals from China, though. (dea.gov)

Fentanyl affects the brain by attaching itself to the brain’s opioid receptors. These receptors are in charge of managing peoples’ emotions and pain tolerance. The symptoms that are related to fentanyl usage range—some of these symptoms are extreme highs of happiness and others are extreme lows of depression, confusion, nausea, and sedation.

Fentanyl can be dangerous for a number of reasons. For one, it’s 50X stronger than heroin and 100X stronger than morphine. When people start to overdose on fentanyl, their breathing rate starts to slow down, and it can reach a complete stop, which is both more dangerous and more terrifying than other drugs.

Another way that fentanyl is dangerous is, as mentioned before, it can be disguised to look like other kinds of pills. More recently, fentanyl has been disguised to look like it’s candy (see 800 Podcast’s “Hurricane, Fentalyl, and Distracted Driving” podcast to learn more) to “lure young Americans,” according to a PSA that was released by the senate of West Virginia (capito.senate.

gov). The PSA, calling this type of fentanyl “rainbow fentanyl,” continues by saying that “rainbow fentanyl comes in a variety of bright colors, shapes and sizes, including pills, powder and blocks that resemble sidewalk chalk.”

Rainbow fentanyl can also be laced with different synthetic drugs, which leads to another reason why fentanyl can be dangerous. Cheap fentanyl has been known to be combined with a number of other drugs, like heroin, morphine, cocaine, and MDMA in order to sell them and make a bigger profit. However, the consequence of this is that people have an even bigger chance of having an overdose with the combination of the drugs.

There are also a number of withdrawal symptoms that a person can go through if they’re addicted to fentanyl. Nida.nih.gov lists off that “muscle and bone pain, sleep problems, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goose bumps, uncontrollable leg movements, and severe cravings,” are some of the main symptoms of withdrawal caused by fentanyl. Nida.nih.gov also states that people can showcase these symptoms “as early as a few hours after the drug was last taken.”

In recent years, doctors have created medicine to help those going through opioid addictions. Three of these medicines are Naltrexone, Buprenorphine, and Methadone. It’s great to know that there are multiple ways to help those going through problems with fentanyl. There has also been some more recent good news regarding fentanyl through making it safer. According to Matthew Splett from ufhealth.org, “By applying new insights into the receptor structure, researchers designed a medication that binds to the established site of activity on the outside of the mu-opioid receptor, while also engaging a binding site for sodium ions that exists deep within the receptor.” This means that scientists are starting to create a medicine that can continue to provide pain relief while also reducing the negative symptoms that come with fentanyl.

Fentanyl is 50X stronger than heroin, and it’s 100X stronger than morphine. Image by: Christina English

For the First Time in 4 Years...

The WCA Orchestra enters its 2023 competition season.

Everyday at 11:35 am, during the start of 5th hour, the 2023 Orchestra class gathers for rehearsal in the far corner of the school in the music wing. When Christmas break concludes and school begins once again, the orchestra class immediately sets off to rehearse for the upcoming competitive season.

Each Spring semester, the Orchestra class, led by Carrie Roberts, MS & US String Orchestra teacher, travels and/or participates in several musical festivals. During the beginning of March, the Orchestra travels to the hosting school of the All State Orchestra Competition, which occurred this year on March 2nd, around 2 weeks ago.

Another competitive music festival that students participate in is the Solo and Ensemble Music Festival. During this optional but highly encouraged event, students choose to show up to perform solo, private-lesson music, or put together an ensemble to play a selected piece out of their comfort zones. Throughout just the months of March and April, a large amount of rehearsal time, dedication, and a wide variety of music must be prepared and ready to play.

This proves to be a difficult feat when rehearsing in the month of February. With 4 day weeks almost every week, the amount of rehearsals runs short.

Spring of 2022, the Orchestra traveled to Branson for the Music in the Parks music festival where the group performed several selections, among them, a piece from the soundtrack of West Side Story. Here, the group won the first place spot in their division, breaking their record from past years!

Each year, without fail, Carrie Roberts encourages and pushes her group to put out their best efforts and work. With 26 large, public high schools, WCA is the only private school that participates in the All-State competition, meaning that our orchestra is by far the smallest that performs. All this hard work has proven to pay off since our WCA orchestra has received the highest rating of Exemplary in the years of 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2023!

The All-State competition consists of two parts: the performance of our prepared pieces and then a Sight Reading challenge. The Sight Reading part of the competition causes most students to feel extremely nervous. For 6 minutes, students must analyze a new piece of music that has been put before them without talking. Once the 6 minutes are over, the orchestra attempts to play the new music to the best of their abilities. Amie Do, sophomore who has participated in the All State competition for the past 2 years, comments on her experience during the process, “I was extremely nervous to play and prepare, but I feel like we came together and had a strong Sight Reading performance.”

Any person who participates in the orchestra class can agree that one of the contributors to why the class is so enjoyable is because of the people. Elizabeth Myers, 9th grade, plans to take orchestra for all 4 years of her high school career. She goes on to explain why she chooses to stick with this elective and its community: “orchestra gives me a chance to connect with people through the universal language of music.” Myers then comments on the social environment in the class: “It’s a great community of artists who are constantly encouraging each other.”

“Orchestra gives me a chance to connect with people through the universal language of music [...] It’s a great community of artists who are constantly encouraging each other.”

- Elizabeth Myers, 9th

The Most Convenient “Drug”

The alarming rise in use of porn, and effects it has on teens.

According to troubledteens.com, “Teen pornography exposure is becoming more and more common with almost 87% of teens now online on a regular basis. Only 3% of boys and 17% of girls have never watched pornography. The average age that youth are exposed to pornography is age 11.”

Pornography addiction. An uncomfortable and taboo topic, but very important to address. Pornography, although not normally thought of as a drug, is highly addictive in nature. In fact, it is the easiest drug to get a hold of due to the computers we carry around in our pockets.

This growing rate is highly alarming. Even though most people think that the use and exposure of pornography is specifically a male issue, there is an exponential rise in the number of women and teen girls watching in the past few years. This is most definitely due to the ease of access on everyone’s phones. An article that summarizes statistics directly from Pornhub claims that 71% of its female users access their website using their phones.

An issue noted in an article by axis.org (a website designed to help parents raise kids in a more biblical way) is that “the pornification of culture (i.e. softcore and hypersexualized imagery) is widespread and evident everywhere, from the grocery store checkout lane to advertising, popular entertainment, unsolicited email, and beyond. It’s becoming increasingly difficult—if not impossible—to live a porn-free life.” This highly sexual imagery is becoming the new normal, and the sheer amount of it that people are exposed to now is what has the scary ability to shape today’s culture.

As stated earlier, pornography is a very addictive drug, and it is everywhere. Prolonged exposure and use can have physical consequences such as erectile dysfunction. Pornography can also change the chemistry of your brain.

states that “some scientists have drawn parallels between porn consumption and substance abuse. Through evolutionary design, the brain is wired to respond to sexual stimulation with surges of dopamine. This neurotransmitter, most often associated with reward anticipation, also acts to program memories and information into the brain. This adaptation means that when the body requires something, like food or sex, the brain remembers where to return to experience the same pleasure.”

Because of the amount of dopamine one can get from pornography, this can lead to addiction—which is what makes it so similar to drug use. It causes surges of “good feelings” because of this dopamine, which can lower overall mood and cause people to fall into depression.

A shocking statistic from bevilandassociates.com, a professional counseling site, is that 56% of divorce cases are because one party is addicted to pornography. This is detrimental to marriage and relationships in general because it shows less commitment to one’s partner, and once addiction starts, it gets harder to break the longer it goes on.

Addiction, in general, is detrimental to the mind and body. But the fact that this new type of addiction is so often found in the hands of younger and younger adolescents is highly alarming. It is everywhere we look, and society has become desensitized to how harmful it is to be seeing that type of graphic imagery regularly.

The images people view and take in daily affect how they and the entirety of society thinks, and if that imagery is pornographic and addictive, that shows in the way society begins to collectively think of what it means to be in healthy relationships. And if young people are influenced more and more by this imagery, the next generation will surely see its detriment to society.

“ The average age that youth are exposed to pornography is age 11”

-troubledteens.com

Spring Sports Preview

Girls’ Lacrosse

Last season the Girls lacrosse team lost in the third round of the playoffs to a strong Lafayette team. The team had a tough schedule playing most of the top ten teams in the state and still finished with an impressive 8-10 record. This season is almost an entirely new team. Last year the team had 13 seniors graduate. Tatum Osmon was a senior captain last season and was the team’s leading scorer; she will definitely be missed this season. This season Coach Perona will be stepping up as head coach and Coach

Drew Cahill, Audrey Rohlfing, Joey Fentress, Mia Scheulen, Sydney Bradley, Emily Griege Sporting Staff Golf

Cogan will be joining the team as assistant coach. The team will have an entirely new core with only six seniors. The team has a lot of young potential coming up and will be looking strong for the next few years. Currently, the girls are seeking a strong start to the season to set a standard for the years to come.

We have good speed and quickness at attack and midfield which makes for a fun team to watch.-

The previous golf season for the wildcats was a good one. The boys won the majority of their matches, advancing them to the Missouri Class 4 State Tournament. The boys placed 3rd as a team in this tournament to wrap the season up. The team was lead by 4 seniors, Luke Burkey, Jack Wooldridge, Nick George, and Sam Vestal. Jack Wooldridge also won the Stl Post Dispatch Scholar Athlete Award for having a 4.53 gpa and being a leader on the Golf and Hockey team. As for this year, the boys look to continue their success. The team will be lead by sophomores Rhoades Hall, Luke Downey, and Blake Musielak. The team graduated the entire top 5 from last season so the challenge will be the young underclassmen stepping up to lead the team.

Even though it’s early, a few freshmen have been impressive that I believe will contribute to the varsity team with Charlie Kruse leading the way along with Ben Weinstein and Chase Remo.

Baseball

Last season for the wildcat’s they finished 3rd in their district going 18-15. The class of 2022 from last season graduated 13 seniors from the team, 5 of which continued their career and signed to play collegiate baseball. This leaves a big hole for the current senior class who only has 7 seniors on the team. Fortunately, the junior class, the class of 2024 has lots of players to help fill in that gap. The team is left with a new core as the team mainly will consist of juniors As for the talent level, 2 of the players recently committed. Senior Evan Hook committed to the University of Texas Permian, and Junior Issac Boss committed to Evansville. Both of these 2 players will be ones to watch as they continue to get better and better. The Wildcats pitching definitely will be one of the strong points of the team. The junior class has a lot of potential to be successful on the mound. This season, the Cats look to improve on their record from last year and continue to get better every day.

“We have some strong players returning in the senior class as well as several younger guys that will be able to make an impact right away.

-Coach Dan Petke

Last season the track team had a record breaking season. Resulting in 17 broken records and 2 state championships from both the womens and mens team. Arguably the best season in Westminster history. Losing many seniors that had a huge impact will force the team to work very hard this upcoming season. Despite losing this group of seniors there are still some great returning and new athletes on the team. Sydney Burdine runs a 56.76 and her time can only get better, looking forward to seeing her run. Joseph Anderson jumps 46-8. 75. This year’s team is heavy on underclassmen, many of which ran last year and did very well on the middle school team and or JV. Watch out for

Girls’ Soccer

Going 10-14 last season, the girls varsity soccer team is hoping to finally bring home a championship this year. Last season they had a heartbreaking loss in the last eight seconds of double overtime of the district championship. The girls are ready to come out strong after that and make their mark on this season. This year the team has 17 guaranteed games, their strength of schedule will prepare them for the playoffs. With more games this year there are many opportunities to support the team this season. They lost 7 seniors, some key to their past success: Bella Gibeaut, Maddy Moeller, and Peyton Mooore. New players, Lydia Bailey, junior and Alyssa Edwards, freshman are already showing promising signs of making big plays this season for the Cats. This year the Cats have a lot of confidence and hopefully can make a deep run in the playoffs.

Best returning Senior class I’ve ever had as Head soccer Coach. mix in with talented younger players and we should have a very competitive year-

Bill Lawrence, Head coach

“Although we lost many great athletes. Our team will still be strong and come out on top.”

-Sydney Burdine

Tennis

This year’s tennis team is looking strong despite the loss of four seniors and a junior. Seniors Tyler Collison, Calvin Van Heest, Evan Jordan, and Sophomore Alan Walker will most likely be the top four. Alan worked very hard over the offseason and it has definitely shown in practice. He is currently undefeated and is vying for the number one spot. Tyler will also be competing for the number one spot. His consistency and net play makes him one of the best players on the team. Calvin surprised the team with his win over Evan Jordan. Calvin is very athletic and uses his speed and consistency to beat the opposition. Freshman Noah Suthar is 5-0. He is a very skilled player and he has his sights set on the top 5. Overall, the team has plenty of depth and is looking forward to having a great season.

Volleyball

Last season the Wildcats volleyball team went 13-15-1. The Cats were led by Senior setter Jacob Damaggio. Damaggio continued his volleyball career at Ohio Wesleyan University. The cats lost in the first round of districts last season to St. Dominic 3-0. The cats play their first game of the season on March 24th in the Belleville East tournament. The cats have a lot of confidence about this year and hope to improve on their record from last year. The cats will be lead by sophomore benjamin mitchellost in the first round of districts last season to St. Dominic 3-0. The cats play their first game of the season on March 24th in the Belleville East tournament. The cats have a lot of confidence about this year and hope to improve on their record from last year. The cats will be lead by sophomore benjamin mitchel

“We played great in our previous season but I’m even more excited how we’ll play this spring.-

Sophomore, Benjamin Mitchell

I didn’t expect to play this well coming into tryouts. I honestly surprised myself.

-Calvin Van Heest

The Wildcats Win the Founders’

The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead early off of a Joey Morici goal, but they were quickly tied up. Three goals later the Cats were up 4-1 as the first period ended. Francis Howell came to play in the second period, making the game close with two early goals and cutting the Wildcat’s lead to 4-3. The Cats stopped them there though and scored three more goals, eventually winning 7-3.

The Wildcats hockey team had a disappointing regular season this year. They definitely missed the presence of a couple of star Seniors last year. Nonetheless, the playoff games matter the most and the Cats knew they had to turn up their intensity. They went 3-0-1, destroying their opponents and cruising to the finals. “Finally going on a winning streak in the playoffs felt great after a disappointing season” replied junior John Schweppe when interviewed after the game.

The fans were certainly happy to see the Wildcats win. There was a select number of students that were faithful in watching the games, but they were a small group. Most people didn’t follow the team through their struggles in the regular season. The playoffs were a different story though. There were many fans that showed up for each game, but the attendance at the championship was unmatched. Our section was filled with people from all grades cheering on the hockey team, and the fans pumped up the team and helped energize them. John Schweppe said that “Winning and seeing all the students in the stands made all the hard times worth it.” The student section was very loud and very grateful for a well earned win.

Schweppe played a huge role in the streak as part of the Cats’ three headed monster. He had a goal and an assist in the finals to finish off his great playoffs play. Schweppe finished the playoffs with the fourth most points in the Founders Cup Playoffs. Schweppe, Joey Morici, and London Jett provided offense for this team all year long and turned up the heat in the playoffs.

The MVP was unsurprisingly Junior Joey Morici. He has been an offensive juggernaut all year and this game was no exception. Joey had four goals along with playing great defense. Morici’s goals came in clutch situations, putting us ahead, and then giving us some insurance. His outstanding

game led the Wildcats to victory. Morici ended the playoffs with 10 goals which led the all players in the playoffs and had 15 total points which were good for second most behind London Jett. London Jett only had one point in the Finals, but he had an outstanding playoffs. He led the Founders Cup Playoffs with 17 points and was always fun to watch when he stepped on the ice. Sophomore teammate Blake Branstetter said “They’re clutch players that don’t blink and they produce a lot of goals” when asked about the production of Jett and Morici.

Junior Logan Swenson had a great game and showed why he has been our number one defenseman all year long. He had a goal and an assist not mentioning his great defense that helped hold Francis Howell to only three goals.

Senior Emily Griege was a brick wall in her last playoffs leading all goalies in save percentage with .900. She has been a key player all year and the team will miss her next year. She stopped 21 shots in the Cats win over Francis Howell Central.

Even though the regular season did pan out how the hockey team meant it to, they made the most of the playoffs coming home with the Founders Cup and showing that they knew how to turn up the intensity when the games become more important.

The Cats on Ice won their way through the playoffs to get to the Finals and didn’t disappoint, winning 7-3 in an all around great game.

“ Winning and seeing all the students in the stands made all the hard times worth it.”

-John Schweppe