1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

voice
the
the student newspaper of St. Joseph’s Academy since 1983
Vol. 30, No. 6
St. Louis, Missouri ~ March 2013
Group of 25 travels to the
Crescent City on a mission
Rachel Volmer, Rachel Dalske and Sheila Siemer build the front
porch of a house on last year’s mission trip to New Orleans.
By Colleen Dillon
For the second year in a row, a
group of St. Joe students and faculty
will be spending spring break in
New Orleans helping those in need
through the Habitat for Humanity
program.
The volunteers, including
21 seniors through sophomores
and faculty Bud Stein, Leigh Edmonston, Jennifer Millikan and
principal organizer Ann Hammer,
leave March 24 and return March
29, traveling by car.
Junior Clare Hannick, who,
with senior Rachel Volmer, is one
of two students to make the return
trip, said of the work, “Last year,
we helped to complete the houses.
We did things such as paining,
putting up siding and installing
insulation.”
Many girls are going on the
mission trip for the experience of
helping those in need, bonding with
the other girls and exploring the
fascinating city of New Orleans.
Although every person has
her own reason for going on the
trip, for senior Allie Hentschell,
it’s particularly personal. “I always wanted to go on the trip,
and this was my last opportunity
at St. Joe. Also, New Orleans is
close to me because my grandparents’ and uncle’s houses were
destroyed in Hurricane Katrina,
so when I found out that’s where
we are going, I knew I had to go,”
she said.
While a lot of time is spent
working on the houses, the volunteers will also get a chance
to explore New Orleans. Senior
Natalie D’Allesandro explains,
“We also have a day to explore
New Orleans and do other touristy activities.”
The spring break mission
trip combines both the fun activities of exploring a new city
and connecting with friends with
helping the dear neighbor.
Jennifer Millikan stands by a Black History Month display she created for
February in the St. Joe library that includes the St. Louis perspective.
online at www.stjosephacademy.org
Class of 2014 chooses “Why can’t
everyday...” for their day - Junior Ring
By Katie Hayes
to the juniors, congratulating them on officially
Walking down junior hall, one can sense the becoming an Angel, and host the dance the next
anticipation. Girls excitedly show off which dress evening. Freshmen take part in the day by preparthey purchased online, chat about whom they’re ing a reception for after the Mass.
bringing to the dance, and vote on their favorite
Also a tradition, some juniors choose to
theme, as they prepare to take part in a long-stand- receive the ring of a relative, such as a mother or
ing SJA tradition: Junior Ring Day.
grandmother, who attended St. Joe. Junior Nora
Beginning with an all-school Mass, this year Salmon plans to receive the ring of her aunt, Mary
to be celebrated by Father Brian Fallon, juniors will Armstrong, Class of ‘81. “I love the idea of St.
receive their St. Joe rings on April 5. The festivities Joe in that we are a fresh, modern school but still
continue on April 6 at the Junior Ring Dance.
have these sacred traditions that we hold on to,” exThe theme of this year’s Junior Ring celebra- plained Salmon. “I believe that the ring ceremony
tion is “Why can’t everyday be just this good?” is a big part of that, and to receive a ring from
from the song “It’s a Great Day To
someone who came to school here
Be Alive” by Travis Tritt. “This
and experienced all of it is extremely
“This is a day gratifying.”
theme is simple and states just how
important Junior Ring is at St. Joe,”
A tradition many years in the
we will
explained Class President Gabrielle
making, Junior Ring has become one
remember
Bucchino. “This is a day we will
of the most essential parts of solidifyfor the rest of ing a student’s identity as an Angel.
remember for the rest of our lives,
and this song reiterates that.”
our lives, and “It’s one of those transitions,” said
The whole day is surrounded
junior class moderator and “Ring
this song
by tradition, and the school commuMaster” of the ceremony Phil Wells,
nity helps to make it memborable. reiterates that.” social studies teacher. “It’s the big
Juniors prepare by planning the
stepping stone into senior year.”
Class president
mass and creating a banner displayFor juniors, the long-anticipatGabrielle Buchino
ing the theme. “At the Mass, juniors
ed day could not come soon enough.
do all the readings, sing all the music
“When I was freshman, I used to
and bring up the gifts,” explained Bucchino.
wear my mom’s ring around the house whenever
Each sophomore decorates a ring box for a she wasn’t home because I was so excited to get
junior, trying to capture the individual junior’s per- my own ring,” said junior Katy Kurowski.
sonality and style. Bitsy Egan, sophomore, whose
However, Ring Day isn’t just about receiving
sister MaryCaroline is a senior, is thrilled to have a piece of jewelry or carrying on traditions. Junior
a part in the special day: “I think that especially Caroline Wright noted, “Anyone can spot a St.
when girls make the boxes for the juniors they Joe ring from anywhere, and so it’s so exciting to
know, it’s so special because their friendship may finally get something that symbolizes my experihave started at St. Joe, and they get to carry their ence at St. Joe.”
friendship on through the ring box.”
For Kurowski, the ring “is a symbol that
On the day of the ceremony, each girl re- I actually stuck through the four years here and
ceives a single flower to carry as the class processes that I will always have a St. Joe family that I can
in. After the ceremony, many seniors give flowers rely on.”
St. Joe’s Jennifer Millikan honored with
state library association award
By Katie Hayes
Last month, the Missouri Association of
School Librarians (MASL) announced that St. Joe
librarian Jennifer Millikan is this year’s winner of
the Intellectual Freedom Award. The award recognizes outstanding school librarians who promote
literacy by providing access to a variety of topics
and viewpoints without restriction.
Casey Millburg of MASL explained the
importance of this award, stating, “Students have
the right to a relevant, balanced and diverse school
library collection that represents all points of
view. School librarians assume a leadership role
in protecting minors’ right to read and receive
information and ideas.”
Throughout the year, Ms. Millikan works
hard to promote reading, such as during Banned
Books Week in September. “I believe you should
be able to read—it doesn’t matter what,” said
Ms. Millikan. “You can choose what you want
to read.’”
During times such as Banned Books Week
and Black History Month, in February, Ms. Mil-
likan works to foster student reading through eyecatching displays. “I always try to keep the library
fresh,” Ms. Millikan elaborated.
Ms. Millikan has also promoted literacy by
making the library an open and user-friendly environment. “She has made a concentrated effort to
promote the resources available to all in the library,
as well as to actively seek out and implement student and staff input,” said Ms. Millburg.
“Anytime I can find something that’s relatable to class, I’ll send it to teachers in an email,”
said Ms. Millikan.
For Ms. Millikan, all the hard work is well
worth it, as reading is crucial to becoming a values-driven woman leader. “Reading—any kind of
reading—from the time we’re babies until we can
no longer read is beneficial,” explained Millikan.
“There’s just so many aspects that sometimes
you’re unaware of, and subconsciously you’re
picking these things up, whether it’s vocabulary
or culture or whatever. It always makes you grow
as a person.”
News and Views 2
From the Editor-in-Chief
Living in the present
these last senior weeks
By Carolyn Heger
When I was younger, I spent a fair amount of time
looking forward to the future.
Although I loved being a kid,
I waited in great anticipation
for the days when I would
be in high school. I thought
that when I would be older,
I would be able to do “cool”
things, like driving myself to
various places and going out
with my friends.
Now that I am about
three months away from
high school graduation, I
find myself wanting to slow
down the passage of time,
instead of speeding it up. I do
not want to go to college, nor do I even want to think about
that dreaded subject.
Even though I know that college will present me with
new, exciting opportunities, I am plagued constantly by
fears about the transition from high school to college that I
will undergo in only a few months. What if my class load
is too overwhelming? What if my roommate and I don’t get
along? What if I get homesick?
I am well aware that my worries regarding college are
typical for any high school senior who will be leaving for
college in the fall. However, many times, I have allowed my
anxiety about college to escalate too far. I cannot continuously feel sick with apprehension about college. I cannot
lie awake at night, fretting about things that, for now, are
out of my control.
Recently, with the help of my mom’s advice, I have
come to the realization that I need to enjoy the rest of my
high school experience, instead of permitting my worry to
consume me. I should focus on being a senior at St. Joe
and not on being a college freshman. I have time before
I must leave the high school and city that I love greatly.
Thus, I should soak in the wonderful events that lie ahead
of me this spring.
This idea of concentrating on the present rather than
being afraid of the future and the unknown applies to people
of all ages. Regardless of whether we are freshmen and
sophomores who have a few years of high school ahead of
us, juniors who have our last year at St. Joe awaiting us,
or seniors who will be departing for college in the fall, we
should enjoy the blessings that we have in our lives now.
Our lives are too short and far too beautiful for us to miss
what we have right in front of us.
The Voice
Editor-in-Chief: Carolyn Heger
News Editors: Sarah Raney and Katie Hayes
Features Editors: Colleen Hagan and Gaby Berberich
Sports Editors: Bridget Yeager and Molly Zuniga
Photo Editors: Stephanie Landgraf and Mary C. Heger
Adviser: Jeanne Wilson
Mission Statement
The duty and mission of The Voice is to share news with
the St. Joseph’s Academy community through honest,
unbiased and entertaining reporting. The Voice strives
to give St. Joe students a voice through the publication of
student-produced articles and seeks to serve as a forum
for free discussion among students. The Voice fosters
the development of students into values-driven women
leaders by providing them with opportunities to discern
their own views on issues facing both the school and the
larger community.
The Voice is published monthly during the school year.
All articles and photographs can only be reprinted with
the permission of The Voice. The Voice welcomes letters to the editor, but will not print letters submitted
anonymously. The paper also appears online at www.
stjosephacademy.org.
The Voice welcomes advertising. Interested parties may
contact The Voice for rates and deadlines at jwilson@
stjosephacademy.org or at 314-394-4127.
March 2013
SJA begins Lenten season
voice
Readers Talk
What would you name the
British royal baby?
By Lizzie Hayes
photo by Paige Sauerburger
Guidance counselor Mary Alice Hennessy distributes
ashes to freshman Elsa Perreand at the school Ash
Wednesday liturgy on Feb. 13. The six week preparation
for Easter, March 31, ends with Holy Week.
“Betty.”
“Killiam”
-senior Haley Kavanaugh
“Lily.”
“Blair.”
“Katherine.”
“Penelope.”
“Ernesto.”
“Sophia.”
“Hailin.”
“Cecelia Isabella
-senior Sheila Siemer
Sophomore Class
bonds this week at
overnight retreat
By Mary Weiss
The first annual Sophomore Class Overnight Retreat
was held after school March 6 through after school March 7
at All God’s Children Retreat Center in High Ridge. Director of Campus Ministry Katie Mantovani, campus minister
Heidi Drury, theology teacher Ann Hammer, art teacher Jen
Sudekum and 14 seniors led the retreat.
“We have wanted to do this for years, and, finally, we
had the opportunity to put in on the calendar,” said Mrs.
Mantovani.
The retreat required much planning from the student
and adult leaders. “We planned this retreat from the ground
up since it had never been done before,” said senior Lauren
Budd. Fellow leader senior Alex Mohs said, “The seniors
got a say in what activities they thought would be beneficial
to the sophomores.”
According to campus minister Jocelyn Popit, who
helped prepare the retreat, the event served as a continuation of the class’s day of reflection in October. “We want
the sophomores to look at the goals they made back at their
earlier retreat and to evaluate whether they have lived up
to them. We also want them to ask themselves about what
changes they need to make in their lives to be the people
who they want to be,” stated Mrs. Popit.
The purpose of this retreat is to have the sophomores
get to know one another better and to reflect on themselves,
their high school experience so far and their relationships
with others. The sophomores were chosen to have this retreat because they have a whole year of high school under
their belts, but they still have two more years to spend with
their classmates.
“I am looking forward to seeing the sophomores
grow closer as a class because my class didn’t have the
formal chance to do that until senior year. Because of this
retreat, the sophomores have the opportunity to do that
now,” said Stephanie McElwrath, another member of the
senior leadership team.
-junior
Careen Ghazal-Albar
-sophomore
Katherine Beckerjeck
-freshman
Katie Hutchcraft
-junior
Meaghan Baxendale
-sophomore Paige Sutberry
-freshman Maggie Boveri
Spring break by the numbers
The Voice sent out an electronic survey regarding
spring break plans to all students on Feb. 25. Thirty-nine
percent of students responded.
One hundred fifty-seven out of the 229 students, or
69 percent, who answered the survey said that they will be
going out of town for at least part of the break. Thirty-two
percent of seniors responded to the survey, and out of those,
51 of 63 reported they’ll be traveling, while over half of
the freshmen who answered the survey said that they are
staying in town. Thirty percent of the students in total who
responded to the survey said that they are staying in St.
Louis for the break.
Of those traveling, 64 percent are headed for the
beach. Seventy-three percent said that their parents or another family member is paying for their trip.
Eighty percent of the students traveling will be gone
for between four and seven days.
-world language teacher
Adriana Windsorf if it’s
Heather Hughes
a girl; George Harold
Gabriel if a boy.”
-world language teacher
Vicky Bowes-Phelps
voice News 3
March 2013
Sustainable seafood is best choice for the fish, What does St. Joseph’s
the environment and us, Zoology students find Day mean to you?
that antibiotics are used on farm-raised salmon to prevent
By Sarah Raney
Are fish friends or food? During Lent, many Chris- disease. Wild Alaskan salmon, according to Mrs. Lodes, is
tians will consume fish on Fridays. When buying seafood, the better choice.
Tilapia consumption in the U.S. quadrupled between
have you ever considered where it came from, the environmental effects or how it was caught? Fish are not just 2003 and 2006, according to the article “Two Sides to Every
food but also friends, so sustainable seafood is an important Tilapia” by Walter Nicholls that appeared in the Washington
option to consider. Sustainable seafood is seafood that is Post in August 2007. Sold tilapia is farm-raised, but where it
caught in environmentally friendly ways and comes from comes from affects what category it falls into. U.S. farmed
tilapia is the best choice because it is the most eco-friendly.
stable fish populations.
Science teacher Katie Lodes has incorporated the Tilapia farmed in Central and South America also offers a
issue into her Zoology classes by giving the students the good alternative. On the other hand, tilapia farmed in Asia
Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Seafood Watch Central US should be avoided because the farms are less eco-friendly,
and if the fish escape from the farm, they
Sustainable Seafood Guide” and an ascan wreck havoc in the surrounding ecosignment to research various types of
system, according to the Environmental
sustainable seafood. “I love the ocean
Defense Fund.
and want it to continue to be healthy
Shrimp are also a very popular
and productive. Also, what I buy can
food choice, but the consumer has to
influence people’s practices and where
be careful with where the shrimp came
they harvest from. If I can support people
from. The best choice is Pink Shrimp
that are having a positive impact, I’ll do
from Oregon. A good alternative is
that,” said Mrs. Lodes about why she
shrimp from anywhere else in the U.S.
considers the project an important one.
or Canada. However, imported shrimp
One type of fish that is commonly
should be avoided. “Shrimp ponds in
consumed during Lent is canned tuna.
Asian countries are very harmful to the
Depending on the type of tuna and catchenvironment. They destroy the mangrove
ing method, it can fall into the “Best
forests, which help protect the coastline,
Choice, Good Alternative or Avoid”
and move on when the area has become
categories in Monterey Bay’s Guide.
too polluted,” stated Mrs. Lodes.
The best choice is Albacore caught usTheology teacher Andy Lodes
ing troll/ pole in Canada or U.S. Pacific.
Good alternatives are Bigeye, Tongol, Look for this symbol on packaging. also focuses on shrimp farming as an
issue in his Social Justice classes. “I’ve
Yellowfin caught by troll/ pole, and
learned that large corporations degrade the environment as
Walleye.
Senior Emily Stamer researched how tuna is caught, well as impoverish indigenous and poor people to create a
and the classification depends mostly on the fishing method. product inferior to what the ocean produces in the wild, all
For example, the best methods re troll and pole-and-line. in the name of profit,” he said. Want to know more? Mr.
“Trolling is towing bait behind a slow-moving boat to catch Lodes highly recommends the book Let Them Eat Shrimp
the tuna by a hook. Pole-and-line is throwing bait into the by Kennedy Warne.
Fishing efficiency has increased over the years, but
water and then catching the fish one by one with a pole,”
according to Stamer. Other methods, such as purse seine with this increase comes a decrease in fish populations.
and longline, are undesirable because they catch anything Before purchasing seafood, consumers should consider
in the net’s path, which can bring in other animals, such where it came from and how it was caught. Their choices can
as dolphins and sea turtles. Whole Foods is one store that impact the fishing industry and the future of fish populations.
Stores such as Bob’s Seafood, Dierbergs and Schnucks offer
offers the best choice for tuna.
Another popular fish is salmon, although there are a eco-friendly options as well as not so eco-friendly ones, so
few myths surrounding the consumption of salmon. “Many it is up to the concerned consumer to ask before buying.
For more information on sustainable seafood, pick
people think that farm-raised salmon is better, but it’s really
harmful to the environment. You’re taking an animal that’s up a copy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch
predatory; it’s less efficient to feed them than for them to Sustainable Seafood Guide from Mrs. Lodes or visit the
find food on their own,” said Mrs. Lodes. Another issue is Environmental Defense Fund’s website.
St. Joe continues to expand its “green” profile
with environmentally conscious practices
By Megan Won
Since its school colors were first established, St. Joe
has been “going green.” Whether cheering on the sports
teams or sporting their gold and green school rings, St.
Joe students express their green pride. One more way the
Academy is going green is through instituting more environmentally conscious practices.
The installation of solar panels on the roof of the
main building in December is the latest effort to reduce and
reuse. The panels will supply some of the school’s electrical power and reduce its carbon footprint. (See full length
article in the February issue.) But what else is happening
around campus?
Behind the scenes, the administration has instituted
many humbled actions. “We have reduced our mailings
and postage in the development department considerably
by asking our alumnae and donors if we can contact them
electronically. So we use less paper, produce less trash,
and we save money,” said President Anita Reznicek, who
also emphasized that teachers asked to turn out lights when
leaving their classrooms and angle their blinds at the end
of the day to conserve energy.
St. Joe also moved to single stream recycling last
year with a blue bin in every room into which everything
from paper to plastic bottles to aluminum cans can be
tossed without having to be separated. Single stream is also
available in the cafeteria. In addition, to discourage the use
of wasteful bottled water, students cannot carry single use
plastic water bottles around school but can drink from the
reusable ones instead.
Expanding the academic use of technology is another
way St. Joe has cut down on paper waste. In addition to
grades and attendance that are recorded electronically on
Netclassroom, the addition of Blackboard has stepped up
“green friendly programs” as well by provided teachers an
alternative, single place electronically to contact students,
post assignments, record class notes and recall lectures online. Theology teacher Heidi Drury switched to Blackboard
because “the assignments are organized in one place and can
be accessed through any computer. It’s better than having
a heavy stack of paper.”
The library has also made great efforts to cut down on
paper waste. A snazzy printer, new this year, allows students
to perform double-sided printing, stapling and three-ringed
hole punching, all within one print. Additionally, librarian
Jennifer Millikan explained that she makes sure that books
are put to maximum use. “I often buy used books, and when
books get removed from the library, I take them to a place
that recycles books. I’ve also sent books to Better World
Books (they try to sell, and recycle if they can’t sell),” she
said. After the students’ tedious locker cleanouts, she encourages them to donate their gently-used school supplies
to the library.
Finally, the ever-expanding St. Joe website makes
such things as sports schedules, the student buzz book,
the school calendar and even registration materials readily
available without the need to print.
In keeping with the commitment of the Sisters of St.
Joseph to be good stewards of the earth, the St. Joe community is making a difference, one paper at a time.
By Patti O’Brien
On March 19, the St. Joe community celebrates
the feast day of its patron, St. Joseph, who was an honest
man who raised Jesus humbly and provides an example
of how Christians should live. It is an especially important day for the Sisters of St. Joseph, as the five who
work at the Academy shared with The Voice.
“St. Joseph is someone
for us to look up to.
The CSJ sisters strive
to emulate his core
values. His feast day is
the day I said my first
vows - to live simply,
practice chastity and
be obedient to his
teachings. March 19
reminds me of my
promises.”
Sr. Pat Dunphy,
principal
“It is a day of
celebration for me. It
is the day on which
I started wearing the
habit of the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Carondelet
[and] pronounced my
first and final vows.
Through quite a few
years, I celebrate this
day because it holds
precious memories
and reminds me of the
commitment I made to God
and to my religious community.”
Sr. Winifred Adelsberger,
development department
“Personally, it is a
time to renew my
commitment in
community with the
Sisters of St. Joseph.
It is also a time to
celebrate who St.
Joseph was and to
be called to be more
like him.”
Sr. Carol Gerondale,
admissions director
“Celebrating on the
day reminds me of the
gift that I received to
share in the life of a
man who was chosen
by God to guide his
son Jesus. Admirable
is his humility and
charity. I have been a
Sister of St. Joseph for
66 years; I would not
trade one moment of
my life.”
Sr. Pauline Komrska,
assistant librarian
“It is the day I took
my first vows at the
St. Louis Cathedral
Basilica. I remember
the day well. I have
had these vows for 54
years and have happily
served the Sisters of
St. Joseph and the
Church during that
time. It will always be
a day of celebration
for me as I am
especially devoted
to St. Joseph.”
Sr. Helen Ryan,
development department
photos by Anna
Marchiony
News 4 March 2013
voice
Dead Man Walking, Sr. Helen Prejean Pope Benedict’s resignation
deliver powerful statements
catches Church, world by surprise
By Megan Brightfield and
Alexa Schmitt Bugler
“The show just
captivated me so much,
and when I saw the
actors after the show, I
just could not believe
they were our students.”
English teacher
Jocelyn Popit
“It made me think about
the fact that the people
on death row actually
have lives. I could tell
that the people in the
show really spent a lot
of time on it.”
junior Abbey Robinson
Sr. Helen Prejean, played by Trudy Wurm, addresses
the audience with death row inmate Matthew Poncelet,
played by Nora Salmon, sitting in the death house. The
production made creative use of a screen, here projecting
an aerial shot of a cell.
“The way people could
forgive was really
inspiring.”
freshman Hannah Siemer
“No one has the right
to take someone’s life
away, even if they
committed a crime.”
sophomore Lauren Leahy
“I really liked it, and the
acting was great!”
At the eleventh hour, Matthew confesses his crime and
expresses remorse in the play’s climax.
senior Emily Schwendeman
“I thought Sister Helen’s
talk was powerful,
especially because it
made me think about
both sides of the issue,
not just the victims.”
sophomore Sydney Hurford
“I liked her accent.”
freshman Sheila England
“Sister Helen made
the issue of the death
penalty more real and
personal for me.”
junior Katie Hughes
Sr. Helen meets with victims’ mothers Mrs. Percy and
Mrs. Delacroix, played by Maddie Houston and Aileen
Lewis., respectively. To the far right is Matthew’s mother,
played by Maddie Meier.
“The talk shed more
light on the death
penalty and gave me a
new perspective. She
also had a really
interesting story.”
sophomore Libby Freihaut
Sr. Helen Prejean, a Sister of St. Joseph, tells the St.
Joe community about her work with death row inmates
and victims’ families at an all-school assembly Feb. 7.
She attended opening night of Dead Man Walking that
evening. Sr. Helen stands in nomination for the Nobel
Peace Prize.
“I was very impressed
by her sustained
commitment to the cause
and her apparent love
for everyone. She also
seemed unaffected by
her success. People with
a strong morality bring
light to the world.”
theology teacher
Dr. Vickie York
By Ellen Modglin
On Feb. 11, Pope
Benedict XVI shocked the
Catholic Church when he
announced his resignation
from the papal office. He
is the first pope to resign
since Gregory XII stepped
down almost 600 years ago
in 1415. Feb. 28 was Benedict’s last day in office.
Pope Benedict XVI,
age 85, became pope eight
years ago at the age of 78,
making him the second oldest man ever to be elected to
the office. Suffering from
illness in the last several
months, his Holiness stated
that he no longer has the
strength to fulfill the demanding position of pope.
Pope Benedict has chosen to
live the remainder of his life
in a cloistered monastery in
the Vatican where he will
continue to devote his life to
God and the Church through
prayer.
Theology teacher Ann
Hammer views Benedict’s
decision as courageous,
stating, “I respect that he
recognized the need for his
resignation. A good leader
knows when it is time to
step down.” Fellow theology teacher Ann Goodwin
agrees, adding, “His resignation will be beneficial
because it is for the good of
the Church.”
So what happens
next? The College of Car-
dinals must meet within 15
to 20 days after Benedict’s
resignation to begin a conclave at the Sistine Chapel.
All Cardinals under the age
of 80 will participate in the
selection of the next pope,
where a two-third majority
is required. The Catholic
Church is confident that a
new pope will be selected
by Easter, March 31.
Junior Stephanie
Landgraf said that she is
“rooting for Cardinal Peter Turkson from Ghana.
He represents the growing Catholic community in
Africa and could help the
Catholic Church expand in
diversity.”
Change in Science Fair regs
creates opening for more students
By Nora Salmon
Students know that
second semester brings challenges, but with those challenges come opportunities
to excel in coursework and
beyond. One such opportunity for St. Joe students is
the chance to participate in
the St. Louis Science Fair,
held each year at Queeny
Park.
Traditionally, the St.
Louis Science Fair has limited participation to 25 students per school; this year,
however, the Fair opened up
participation, and a record
75 Angels will be going to
Queeny. The science department greeted this news
with excitement. With this
larger number of entries
possible, St. Joe science
teachers also opened up
the option for their students to participate in the
online fair this year. While
online is not new, St. Joe’s
participation is. Chemistry
teacher Rosemary Davidson
is particularly excited about
adding this venue, calling it
“great!”
Katie Lodes, whose
AP Biology and Zoology
and Anatomy students are
participating, said, “My
favorite part is watching
the students grow; when a
student really starts to understand the process of science through participating in
science fair, I’m overjoyed.”
In her three years working
with the St. Louis Science
Fair, Lodes said, “I’ve loved
watching students come up
with problems they want to
investigate and designing
the whole process themselves.”
Chemistry student junior Katie Hughes is testing
the effects of sound waves
on the growth of radishes.
“I’m enthralled to get to go
to Queeny this year. It’s going to be fun to analyze the
photo by Stephanie Landgraf
Chemistry student junior Marigrace Ragsdale, above,
and classmate Abigail Ohlms are trying to show whether
or not the number of plants in a room affects the amount
of carbon dioxide.
results of my experiment
and see what happens.”
Sophomore Biology
student Ashley Reichert,
who is trying to grow plants
using VitaminWater, said
she’s preparing for the fair
by “doing a follow-up experiment. My first experiment produced unexpected
results, so I’m retracing
my steps.” Reichert, who
is a first-timer with Science
Fair, said, “I think the whole
process adds to the science
curriculum at St. Joe. It’s
great.”
Senior Hailey Meersman, who completed a study
of squirrels as part of her Zoology course, is a veteran of
the Fair. She traveled to St.
Louis University to observe
the squirrels’ behaviors in
different areas of campus,
paying attention to the concentration of squirrels in
different geographical areas
of the campus.
“In areas where there
were lots of trees and grass,”
Meersman said, “there were
more squirrels, and they
were more active. In areas
filled with people and/ or
sidewalks, there were far
fewer squirrels.” She stated
that she is happy to see the
progress she’s made from
her project last year and that
her experiment is “definitely
a breakthrough in the science world.”
Students also have
the option of conducting an
“observation” as opposed to
an experiment based project,
in which they pose a question or series of questions
and collect responses over
a period of time. Chemistry
student junior Charlotte
Cordova is doing an observation about texting and
driving.
“I’m glad for the opportunity to expand my definition of an ‘experiment.’
Collecting and analyzing
clear-cut facts like this is an
interesting take on Science
Fair.” Of her results, she
said, “The statistics I’ve received thus far have agreed
with my hypothesis, but the
process of science calls for
revision occasionally, so
we’ll see where my project
goes.”
Projects go to Queeny
at the end of March, where
they will be judged according to a scale agreed upon by
the Academy of Science.
voice Features 5
March 2013
As seniors look forward and back, some do so Forget paper or
with a few regrets; others, not so much
plastic: the question is
By Meghan Gunn
It is a universal theme: the bittersweet end of adoles“paper or e-reader?”
cence. As high school seniors reach the conclusion to this
chapter of their lives, many feel at least some regret regarding the last four years. What would St. Joe seniors change
if they had the chance to do it all over again? Whether their
regrets related to academics, sports or social life, SJA Angels
reflected, when asked, on the last 1,460 days of their lives
as students at the Academy.
Some students said they wish they had merely lived
in the moment, rather than looking toward the future and
missing life’s simple pleasures. “I wish I had truly appreciated everything I took for granted, like running cross country
in Forest Park and the freedom I’ve had while still having
my parents near me. Many times I kept looking ahead to
college and forgot that I would have to leave my family
soon,” said Anna Pelch.
Berni Barton expressed a similar sentiment, wishing
she had “not stressed so much over the little things and
instead looked at the big picture.” Everything has worked
out for Barton despite the anxiety, as she will be attending
her dream school, the University of Arizona, this fall.
Other seniors find regret in relationships that could
have been…and in the time wasted on lost love. “I wish I
would’ve branched out freshman year. I only hung out with
girls from my grade school, and I missed out on longer
friendships,” said Katie Prosperi. Katherine Chapman also
said she wishes she had gotten to know people earlier and
formed better relationships, while Barton stated, “I wish
I had focused more on my friends instead of focusing so
much on boys.” On the other hand, Catherine Wolf said, “I
just wish I had found a boyfriend in high school!”
Still, others wish they had taken advantage of unique
St. Joe opportunities. “After experiencing how fun Music
for the Missions was this year, I wish I had gone to all the
Seniors Lindsay Vogelsang, Sarah Hogland, Emily
Schwendeman, Haley Wilcutt and Mary Cain show off the
class t-shirt, distributed in mid-February. The back has a
“13” on it with the names of the seniors inside.
school productions,” said Becca Wilkes. “I wish I had gotten involved more at school; I really never participated in
clubs or anything St. Joe offers,” said Delaney Hannigan.
Audra Burrows and Alyssa Cronin agree, wishing they had
stayed involved in sports. “I really wish I hadn’t quit field
hockey,” Cronin said.
Not all seniors expressed regret, though. Some girls
believe they have truly lived without holding back. After
pondering the last few years for several moments, Allison
Herrmann said, “Looking back, I really have no regrets. I
threw myself into everything I could, from ‘nerd’ camps
to clubs and leadership positions. I’ve had a great job at
P’sghettis and met some awesome people. I’ve learned a
lot, and I’ll miss everything so much, but I can’t wait to see
what college brings for me and the rest of my class.”
Color and simplicity are key for spring - and
spring break - fashion success
By Libby Hudson
With spring quickly approaching, it is almost time to
pack away winter clothes. The “hot” trends for this spring
season are floral prints, pastels, lace, ruffles, bright flats, and
black and white combinations, to name a few. And since
spring break is only a few weeks away, you will have the
opportunity to showcase all of these new trends.
However, you do not have to try to fit all into one out-
Pax Christi plans
fourth annual
Homeless Night
By Sylvia Santen
The fourth annual Pax Christi Homeless Night will
take place Monday evening, March 18, and conclude the
following morning before school starts.
“Homeless Night is an opportunity for St. Joe girls to
experience what a homeless teenager goes through every
night,” according to club officer senior Kelly Powderly.
This year about 30 to 55 juniors, who have participation in
the Night as one of their extracurricular options for Social
Justice, along with Pax Christi members will be participating. The girls will “not have a bed to sleep in but will still
have to go to school the next day,” getting a small taste of
the “homeless” experience, according to Powderly.
Theology teacher Andy Lodes is moderator of Pax
Christi at St. Joe. He and club members have been meeting
throughout the year to plan various aspects of the night to
make sure it is a success. Mr. Lodes said that it is not all
about sleeping outdoors on the fields. The group also will
“pray, listen to a guest speaker and raise a few dollars for
the homeless.”
Club officer senior Sarah Raney, one of the planners,
said that the purpose of the Homeless Night is to spread
awareness. “It is such a widespread issue, yet oftentimes
we can so easily distance ourselves from the issue,” she
said. The overall goal is “to open our eyes to the hardships
that those who are homeless go through every day,” said
Raney.
fit. Instead, try doing a hint of one or two and keep the rest
of it simple. For example, pair a floral print skirt or shorts
with just a simple t-shirt in pastel. Or a white lace dress with
bright flats to give your outfit a pop of color.
Personally, I will be trying all of these trends while
on spring break. Along with them, I am looking forward to
wearing printed jeans, flowy tops, bright colored shorts and
maxi dresses. Most of the clothing items needed to complete
these new trends are staples that everyone owns.
Along with bright flats, some other shoes to try are
wedges, studded sandals/ gladiators, pointy flats or chunky
heels. If you keep your shoe choice simple, then you can
go bolder with your outfit. However, if you choose to go
with a bold shoe, then keep your outfit simple. Any of these
shoes could be paired with any outfit as long as it does not
make the outfit busier.
Some of the hot accessories for this spring are statement necklaces, earth toned jewels, bracelet stacks and
layered necklaces. The same rule for shoes applies to accessories. You do not want to pile on a ton that will distract
from the rest of your outfit. So, choose whether you want to
focus on an accessory or your outfit and keep the other one
simple. If you want to wear a bright statement necklace,
then just wear a simple pastel dress or shirt paired with
jeans. If it is a bright floral dress you want to wear, then try
either hoop earrings or a stack of bracelets with rings—just
keep it simple.
If you are going to a beach or somewhere else warm
for spring break, then the key is to be comfortable and cool.
Therefore, I will not be wearing a whole lot of jewelry,
especially statement necklaces, when it is warm out.
Asking around, I found out that most seniors have
begun shopping for spring fashions, the most popular places
being Nordstroms, H&M, Tobi, TJ Maxx, Urban Outfitters
and local boutiques. Quite a few seniors are shopping online
because they say they find it easier and that there are more
sales online. Others still like going into the store to try on
the clothes before they buy.
Senior Janie Taylor is shopping online at Tobi because “they always have cute clothes, and there is always
a sale going on.” She also shared that she is most looking
forward to wearing floral prints while on spring break. On
the other hand, senior Ellie Bisig will be shopping more in
boutiques such as Lily, Cha, Macs and Splash as well as J.
Crew and Lululemon for her Florida trip. “I am excited for
maxi dresses, bright colors and mint green,” she said.
By Colleen Hagan
In the film Sex and the City, after being questioned
as to why she still takes books out of the library, Carrie
Bradshaw eloquently responds, “I love the smell.” Print
media—books, magazines, etc.—retains a uniqueness that
cannot be captured by electronics. A tablet cannot provide
the sensation of turning a page, mimic the smell of the ink
or create the anticipation of receiving a monthly subscription
in the mail. However, digital media offers an unparalleled
availability.
As I walked through my local
“I can’t deny
Barnes & Noble in an attempt to rehow handy
trieve a few books for class, I could
e-readers
are
not help but notice the competitive
becoming.
I
atmosphere that exists between these
own a Nook,
two popular media platforms, as if
but, unless I
the print and electronic sources were
am traveling, I
about to engage in an epic battle, vying for the attention of perspective
usually use the
buyers.
actual printed
A Barnes & Noble employee
copies.”
said, “I have always been an adBarnes & Noble
vocate for printed media. To me, it
employee
feels more personal when you have
the actual publication in your hand,
whether it is a book, magazine or newspaper. That being
said, I can’t deny how handy e-readers are becoming. I own
a Nook, but, unless I am traveling, I usually use the actual
printed copies.”
St. Joe English teacher and Kindle owner LuAnn
Worrall echoed the employee’s sentiments. “I like the actual
reading from the text from a book and feeling the papers and
holding it. It gives me a sense of normalcy. But, I like the
access that I have to books with my Kindle,” she said.
In the article “Who says print is dead?” from The
Guardian newspaper, Mark Hooper notes, “Despite what
you may have heard, reports of the ‘death of print’ have been
greatly exaggerated,” but still concedes that “with the adoption of tablet devices on the rise, this figure [the popularity of
print] could well be out of date already – particularly given
the rapid improvement in the quality of digital publications,
and the demand for them to do more than merely replicate
the content of print titles online” (1).
For some, that continuing improvement of tablets and
e-readers provides further incentive to eliminate print publications. Lauren McGrath, a businesswoman who travels
frequently, praises her Kindle’s ability to supply her with
“an escape at any time. I can be on the road or up in the
air and still have access to my favorite book or the newest
edition of my favorite magazine,” she said.
As society moves deeper and deeper into a technologically-dominated culture, can print publications remain
prevalent? Can the inimitable sensation of turning a page in
a book or magazine challenge the temptation of accessibility
and convenience that Kindles and Nooks boast?
A little of Paris comes to SJA
Sophomores
Molly
Olwig
and Abby
Balota pose
in front of a
French cafe
scene in the
Commons,
part of
the Paristhemed
decorations
for the
Sophomore
Dance, held
Feb. 1.
photo by Mary Catherine Heger
Features 6 March 2013
voice
Find of the Month: Crown Candy Kitchen
Hot yoga is latest
celebrates 100 years
intense workout that’s
By Gaby Berberich and Amanda Blattel
catching on at St. Joe
Walking into Crown Candy Kitchen at its original
location at 1401 St. Louis Avenue just north of the Edward
Jones Dome, we were immediately greeted with the sweet
smell of candy, milkshakes and BLTs. This phenomenal
restaurant, celebrating its one hundredth anniversary this
year, was founded in 1913 by best friends Harry Karandzieff
and Pete Jugaloff, who brought their confectionary skills
from Greece. Today people from all over the St. Louis area
and beyond come to enjoy Crown Candy’s famous candy,
malts and sandwiches.
Even on a late Friday after school, the restaurant was
crowded with students from St. Louis University, families
and old friends meeting for lunch. This neighborhood establishment is small, so a wait in line of 30 minutes or more
is not unusual, but definitely worth it. It is a very warm,
friendly atmosphere, welcoming to people of all ages. Our
waitress Lotoya, who’s been working at Crown Candy for
seven years, said, “I have been coming here since I was
a child and so have my mother and grandmother before
that.”
Waiting in line for a table, we looked in the old-fashioned glass display case of candy, much of it made on site.
It was quite troubling to decide what to buy. Gummy Bears,
licorice, jaw breakers, chocolate in various forms for the
upcoming Easter holiday. You name it. They have it. It’s
most famous candy, the Heavenly Hash, is to die for as is
their world famous BLT sandwich. However, there on a Friday in Lent, we had to forgo
the BLT in favor of the tuna salad. A shop t-shirt proudly
states, “This ain’t no health store. Home of the heart stopping BLT.” This simple, short statement says it all. There
was a high demand for BLT, even at 3 in the afternoon. Seeing them pass by our table stacked high with crisp bacon, juicy tomatoes and fresh lettuce, we decided we were
definitely coming back to get one.
After our tuna, we filled the BLT void with amazing vanilla and chocolate milkshakes, made by one of the
owner’s sons. There is no other place in St. Louis where you
can get a milkshake as cold and flavorful as Crown Candy’s,
perfect for a hot summer’s or even a cold winter’s day.
Whether buying specialty candies for Easter or
Christmas, eating lunch or indulging in a soda fountain
treat, Crown Candy Kitchen can’t be beat as a place to spend
quality time with friends and family.
Carpool of the Month
By Careen Ghazal
Who: Driver junior Emily Weismiller. Passengers sophomores Monica Fishering, Madison Trout and Sarah Kriegshauser and freshman Lexi Thomezcek
Wheels: Honda Pilot
Route: From Creve Coeur, traveling Olive to Lindbergh
Music: 104.9
Ritual: Madison makes us breakfast and raps thrift shop.
By Mary O’Neill
Whether working on New Year’s resolutions or getting bikini ready for spring break, many people are looking
for a new, fun way to work out and get fit. One workout that
has recently become popular is hot yoga.
Hot yoga is a class inspired by a yoga series made
famous by Indian yoga guru Bikram Choudhury. It adds
more focus to building core strength than a normal yoga
class would. People go through a series of poses designed
to work all of the body muscles,
joints, glands and internal organs.
“You feel so good
It is performed in a heated room
for like three
designed to make people sweat,
days after. I
It is suitable for all ability levels.
actually
feel like
Most people adjust to the heat
I’m sweating out
the more they go and can burn
all my toxins,
up to 1000 calories in a session,
and it’s so
equivalent to an hour and 15
minutes of running!
de-stressing.”
Because the room is very
senior Meghan Gunn
hot and humid, participants may
get faint if they do not prepare
properly. Before doing a Bikram yoga class, students should
drink lots of water. If someone does start to feel faint, she is
instructed to lay her head down and rest until she feels up
to continuing or, perhaps, stopping for the day.
Senior Meghan Gunn, who has been attending classes
at Yoga Six at 5724 Oakland in St. Louis, likes Bikram
Yoga because “you feel so good for like three days after.
I actually feel like I’m sweating out all my toxins, and it’s
so de-stressing. I get a workout, but it is also really relaxing.” Sophomore Meghan Hoss agrees, saying, “You feel
so relaxed and good after it.”
Because it is more intense than a traditional yoga
class, many people, like sophomore Claire Marchant, suggest doing a traditional class first “to get an idea of how to
do the stretching.”
Marchant and Hoss take their classes at Prana, located
at 11771 Manchester in Des Peres. Classes there and elsewhere typically run 90 minutes.
St. Louisans remember local hero Stan Musial
By Ellie Bisig
In January, St. Louis mourned the death of a Cardinal
whom many call the best baseball player of all time, Stan
Musial. Musial passed away Jan. 19, at his home in Ladue,
at age 92. He played 22 seasons for the Cardinals and continued afterwards as a member of the team’s coaching and
Fans left flowers and other remembrances at the Musial
statue at Busch Stadium in the days following his death.
scouting staff until his death. Fans of all ages commemorated his death by gathering around his statue at Busch Stadium
and remembering why they loved “Stan the Man.”
Musial had a vast fan club who adored him for his
remarkable works on and off the field. Roger Lowery, a
Cardinal fan born and raised in the St. Louis area, recalls
the time when he realized the humbleness of Musial. When
Lowery was around 10, he entered a bat boy contest for the
Cardinals, and the winner had the privilege of being bat boy
for two weeks. Lowery came in second, though, and instead
got to have his picture taken with his choice of any Cardinal
player. Choosing Peanuts Lowery because they had the same
last name, Lowery did not expect to have more than one
picture taken that day. “Stan walked by and looked at me
and asked ‘Do you want a picture with me,’” said Lowery.
“That stood out to me because I didn’t choose him.”
St. Joe social studies teacher Jane Garvin holds a
special place in her heart for Musial. Mrs. Garvin was
among many saddened by his death, but the loss brought
back more than one great memory, including meeting her
husband Leo at Musial’s last game. Both the Garvin and
Musial families attended mass at Annunziata, and the two
soon became friends. Musial and his wife even made an
appearance at Mrs. Garvin’s husband Leo’s birthday party.
“He played Happy Birthday on the harmonica! It was such
a thrill to have that gentleman and his wonderful wife in
our home,” said Mrs. Garvin.
Though St. Joe senior Christina Barake did not grow
up attending Musial’s games, she still knew who he was
and how he impacted baseball and the St. Louis community. “I don’t know much about him, but everything I hear
is positive. He is one of the few that stayed with St. Louis
his whole life and devoted his time to this city,” she said.
Lowery also stated, “You never heard anything bad about
him. He was a real St. Louis legend who handled himself
well and lived a good life.”
Fanatic baseball fan Allie Hentschell, a senior at St.
Joe, did not view Musial’s death so much as a sad event
because of his fight with Alzheimer’s, but rather as a loss to
baseball and St. Louis. “He was a great baseball player, but
more importantly, someone who was a great human being
and a great example for adults and children by the way he
led his life,” Hentschell said.
The life of Musial was celebrated on Jan. 26 at a funeral mass at the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica in midtown.
It was broadcast on live television, and Mrs. Garvin tuned
in the whole time and called each of her children out of
town to let them know that she was watching the funeral.
She said she was again reminded of various memories she
shared with Musial. She said her children “saw him at Mass
every week. They also knew that he and Lil really liked
the cream cheese chocolate brownies that my husband
made for him.” Lowery was unable to watch the funeral
on television but heard the eulogy of fellow St. Louisan,
broadcaster and long-time Musial friend Bob Costas on the
radio, which Lowery simply described as outstanding and
the best speech he ever heard.
Musial had the effect of inspiring others. At just 10
years old, Ben Bisig, who aspired to be a professional baseball player, was impacted by his greatness. “He was a great
person. He is a role model for everyone,” Bisig said. His
actions inspired others to be more like him. “Musial was a
great ambassador for baseball,” Hentschell stated.
Garvin believes Musial made his mark on the world
before leaving. “In the days after his funeral, it was said
that not everyone could become a Hall of Fame baseball
player, but we could all become nicer people if we tried to
be more like Stan. I think many people are striving to do
that,” Garvin said. Similarly, Lowery summarized Musial’s
impact on baseball with one word that everyone can take
away from the passing of one of the greatest players to walk
the earth: dignity.
voice Features 7
Auction 2013 top-sell items As snow flies, spring sports get underway
March 2013
Ellen, Kimmel Tinseltown package - $8000
Park City Vacation Home - 2 at $7200 each
Yadier Molina World Series Jersey - $3000
Goldendoodle puppy - $3300
4 Taylor Swift Concert tickets - $1450
Fur coat - $5000
Caribbean Getaway with airfare - $7000
Cards v. Pirates VIP Suite for 12 - $2400
Napa Valley Getaway - $5300
Cards v. Cubs in Chicago Package - $2900
Shichon puppy - $2000
80 Bottles of Fine Wine and Table - $3000
Cards tickets, throw out first pitch - $2400
Cards v. Braves VIP Suite for 12 - $2600
Front row Graduation Seating - $2500
Fund-a-Need for Scholarship Fund - $75,000
Sophomore Ellie
Gorman holds up
a framed photo
and autographed
swim cap of
Olympic gold
medalist Missy
Franklin at the
oral auction.
By Casey Fogarty
Feb. 25 marked the beginning of the spring sports season, and although snow still covered the ground, it appeared
that the Angels are just heating up. With the majority of the
tryouts for lacrosse, soccer and track taking place indoors
this year, one might wonder if this foul weather will have
an effect on the teams’ upcoming seasons. But according to
soccer player senior Allie Hentschell, we needn’t worry.
Along with her team Hentschell has spent the off
season preparing herself for this spring. “I tried to work
out every day, and I did skill and agility training with my
club team twice a week,” she said. “It was hard, but I think
it really prepared me for tryouts.”
Returning seniors hope to lead their team to a championship by defeating long time rivals such as Incarnate
and Ursuline. Senior Haley Kavanaugh also expects Cor
Jesu may pose a challenge, stating, “I know they have a
couple good seniors this year, so they will definitely be
good competition.”
Coach Maureen McVey expects her team to be “very
solid this year. Seventeen players are returning, and nine
of them are starters. I’m glad they got the experience they
did at the Final Four last year. It will help them improve
and move towards that goal this year.” Play begins March
19 against Oakville at St. Joe.
Angels lacrosse is also hoping to come out swinging
in their first game against rival Ursuline at Ursuline on
March 20. Unlike last year’s Varsity squad, this year’s team
boasts five returning seniors.
During the off-season the team worked hard. “A
couple of my teammates and I have been doing speed and
agility training six days a week to get in shape for the season,” said senior Katie Propseri the week before tryouts.
Coach Jen Bisch said she is “excited for this season because
we have a lot of returning talent. I am expecting a lot of
success from this group of girls.”
Not only will the Angels face off against old time
rivals such as Ursuline in the season opener and MICDS,
but they will be traveling to a tournament in Kentucky. “We
have never gone to Kentucky before, and I am very excited
to play some out of town teams. It will be fun team bonding
and also an opportunity for more games and playing time,”
said senior Joanie Garlich.
The track team is also anticipating a great season.
Coach Walker Yane said he is really looking forward to the
new talent on the team and the return of his coaching staff.
“We’ve got a lot of new athletes, so I’m kind of excited to
see what they can do. This is our second season with this
exact coaching staff, and I think this is going to work out
really well for us.”
Although the majority of the team is new, among
strong returners are seniors Lucy May in the 800 and the
mile and Catherine Gloss in the long jump. Yane said after
Gloss’s excellent season last year, he expects great things
from her.
“I’m excited for what we can do. All you can do as
a coach is build towards improvement, right? And I think
we will improve, so that’s really the goal: improve as a
team and make sure every individual also improves in her
event,” said Coach Yane.
photo by Anna Marchiony
Roving reporter
What’s tops on your
spring break pack list?
By Kate Leahy
“Swimsuit.”
freshman Leslie Schneider
“Money.”
It’s the prep that counts.
freshman Patti O’Brien
“Swimsuit.”
sophomore Ashley Sink
“Couch, because that’s where
I’ll be.”
sophomore Lauren Leahy
“Suntan lotion with aloe.”
junior Collette Wolf
“ iPod.”
junior Ashleigh Litzsinger
“Sombrero.”
junior Jackie Benz
“Phone.”
senior Meg Johnson
“ iPod.”
senior Mary Brightfield
“One of my Harry Potter
books.”
English teacher Melissa Stevenson
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Sports 8 March 2013
voice
Swimmers break top 10 at State in undefeated season
photos by Anna Marchiony
Diver freshman Kaleigh Meek took fourth at State.
By Valerie Jose and Abigail Ohlms
The swim team wrapped up their season the same way
they started – with success. The daily three hour practices
were well worth the effort as the Angels had a truly victorious season, taking tenth at State on Feb. 16. The event was
again held at the St. Peters Rec Plex.
Angels take third
at State, compete in
Nationals at Vetta
By Charlotte Cordova
Senior Betty Goodwin’s prophesy about her team in
last month’s issue of The Voice proved to be true. The team
took third at State, held Feb. 23 at Vetta Sports-Concord.
Seniors Libby Hudson and Natalie Saracino both
took first in their seeds in singles, Hudson in seed 6 and
Saracino, seed 5.
Captain senior Annie Niemann, who finished fourth
in seed 1, said, “Everyone did very well. Betty and Sheila
were so close to beating the doubles team who finished first
at State earlier in the tournament.” Senior Catherine Wolf
took fourth in seed 3.
“My favorite match was when I had to play right after
practice against Notre Dame, and I had just been doing these
really hard sprints. It ended up going really well, and it was
my best game of the season,” said Wolf.
“My favorite match was my game against Parkway
West because it was a really close game, and we went into
the third game and ended up winning,” said Goodwin.
“I believe the player that improved the most was Sheila
Siemer. Her shots have gotten very good, and she has very
fast reflexes. Since we are doubles, she always saves the
balls that I miss,” Goodwin stated.
The team was scheduled to compete in Nationals,
beginning Feb. 27, at Vetta-Concord. Varsity is made up
of all seniors, and Nationals were the last time that they
competed in racquetball, as none of the girls is pursuing
the sport in college.
Seniors recognized at
Skippy Keefer awards
Madeline Gilstrap, Joanie Garlich, Anna Pelch and
Annie Niemann were among those honored at the annual
Metro Women’s Athletic Association Skippy Keefer Participation and Sportsmanship Award event on Feb. 5 at Forest
Hills Country Club. St. Joe is one of 11 schools in MWAA.
The award is named for a former John Burroughs athletic
director and co-founder of MWAA. The St. Joe seniors have
competed on several teams each, including at at least one
for four years. The four year sports - Garlich, swimming
and lacrosse; Pelch, cross country and track; Gilstrap, swimming; Niemann, track, cross country and racquetball.
Coach Khannie Dastgah had high expectations for
the team this year, saying “My goals were to shoot for an
undefeated season, win our tenth Conference title out of 11
years, and place in the top 20 teams at State, all of which
we achieved.” The determined coach pushed the team to be
their best in the strenuous workouts throughout the winter.
The team began their undefeated season with a crushing
victory over Incarnate Word on Dec. 4 and ended with a
highly anticipated triumph over rival MICDS on Jan. 31.
Other big victories included those over Villa, Visitation
and Cor Jesu.
The perfect regular season gave the team the confidence
they needed as they entered the Conference and State meets.
High hopes for a successful season encouraged each swimmer to reach her full potential, which was a major asset for
the team come Conference and State. “Everyone improved
so much by the end of the season. We started out with hardly
any state times, and by the end of the year, five girls and all
three relays had qualified,” said junior Charlotte Cordova.
The team placed first in the MWAA Conference once
again, its eleventh in the last 12 years. Freshman Kaleigh
Meek impressed fans with a fourth place finish in the diving competition. The energy of the team at Conference was
incomparable. “Even though swimming and diving tend to
be individual sports, the whole St. Joe team encouraged
each swimmer to do their personal best. The cheers only got
louder by the end of the season,” said newcomer Meek.
Following Conference, the team achieved even
greater accomplishments at State. Relay team senior Joanie
Garlich, juniors Charlotte Cordova and Grace Stiegemeyer,
and sophomore Grayson Ram took second in the 200 free
relay and tenth place in the 400 free. Stiegemeyer also took
third in the 200 freestyle and fifth in the 500 free. Cordova
placed tenth place in the 50 freestyle. The Angels’ tenth
place finish was out of 46 teams.
“My favorite part of the season was getting to swim
in the relays at State and receiving the support of my teammates,” said Stiegemeyer. “Every single person swam
best times, and we really came together as a team,” said
teammate senior Madeline Gilstrap of St. Joe’s post season
performance.
With all of the team’s success this year, it is impossible not to think the endless possibilities of next season.
However, some of the team’s most valuable swimmers will
not be returning: seniors Garlich, Gilstrap, Nicole Erbs,
Sarah Krug and Catherine Gloss. “I’m really going to miss
my team and Khannie. It’s such a great experience to meet
underclassman and upperclassmen who you would not
know unless you were on the swim team. As for Khannie,
she is one of the best coaches I have probably ever had,”
said Garlich.
“I feel very blessed to be able to coach these girls,
and I hope that the memories they have of being part of
this team are great ones and stay with them forever,” said
Coach Dastgah.
Angels dominate Nerinx to win District
By Sarah Thuet
Leading the whole way in their 58-44 win against
Nerinx, the Angels, coached by Julie Matheny, accomplished the first leg of their post season journey – the Class
5, District 2 title. The game, played at Ladue high school
Feb. 28, brought the Angels to 20-5 on the season.
Senior Erin Nelson led in scoring with 17, followed by
senior Sydney Stipanovich with 16. Stipanovich also led the
team in rebounds with 11. Sophomore Mary Barton, guard,
sank four 3-pointers for another 12 points. The Angels got
to the final with a win over Ritenour, 61-30. In that game,
Nelson led in scoring with 15, followed by Stipanovich and
Barton with 10 each.
Next up in the post season run was Sectionals,
March 6. At press time, the Angels’ opponent had yet to
be determined.
During the regular season, the time honored tradition
of the Incarnate v. SJA basketball game, played Feb. 9 at
St. Joe, fulfilled the high hopes of a close and unpredictable
match up. The Angels and the Red Knights battled hard,
leaving everything on the court. Although the Angels did
not come out on top, losing 56-44 to the number 1 ranked
Red Knights, both coaches and players were proud of what
they achieved in this game.
“We played very strongly, and we were all so happy
with how close the game was. We never gave up,” said
Nelson. Junior Natalie Sims added, “Although we did
not come out with the win, we were proud of the little but
important things we accomplished that game. Our perseverance displayed there will become once again important
later in the season.”
This year’s “Senior Night”, the season’s last home
game on Feb. 19, honored these hardworking ladies in an
outstanding way. With a 66-37 victory over St. Dominic,
this was a night to remember for the seniors. Susie Schmank
elaborated, “The underclassmen on the team made the night
really special for us. This was a great win for our last ever
home game.” “The seniors all have great school spirit and
are great role models for all of us. It is easy for us to want
to do this for them,” said junior Lexi Gorman.
Through the win against Nerinx, Nelson led St. Joe
is scoring, averaging 16.5 points per game, followed by
Stipanovich, averaging 15.2. Stipanovich, at 6’3”, led in
rebounds, averaging 11.6 per game. Senior Emmie Haring,
guard, had posted 71 steals and also led the team in assists
with 4.8 per game. Nelson was named the Patch.com high
school player of the week at the end of February, and at
press time, Stipanovich was in the running for the same
honor the following week.
With playoffs underway, assistant coach Bob
Goessling commented on the regular season, “The season
Senior Sydney
Stipanovich sinks
the first of two free
throws. She was
eight for nine at
the line in the win
against Nerinx in
the District title
as a whole was a
great ride. We lost
some games that we
should have won,
and we have truly
come together as a
team. Each person
trusting and having
confidence in one
another is huge. This
could be a great run
to State, but the only
team that can beat us
is ourselves.”
Coach Goessling with Coach Matheny and assistant coach Tim Stock
agree that this team can do great things in the post season,
but teamwork will be key. Every team member agrees that
their goal has been and will continue to be a State title.
One thing is for certain; this team cannot be counted
out. With four senior starters, this seasoned team knows
what it takes to win the big games, and they are determined
to do whatever it takes to take home the title. Angel fans cheer on the team at the District final at
Ladue on Feb. 28.