Volume 1, Issue 11
November 16, 2012
The Echo.0
T h e
H i s t o r y o f
B y M a r y
T h a n k s g i v i n g
R o u s h
In the spring of 1960, the Mayflower landed in Plymouth Colony and the Pilgrims
began working on their settlement. Through spring and summer the built their colony.
They worked hard and efficiently to ensure that they had a good settlement for the winter. They didn’t, however, account for the fact that due to their extended journey; they
would run out of food way to early. The settlers were stranded on a foreign continent with
no food and hand built shelters. When all seemed lost, a tribe of Native Americans came
to them with food to last them through the winter. They also taught them how to plant
the crops so that the Europeans could become self sufficient. For three days they feasted and gave thanks because they knew that the food would help them survive another
winter at Plymouth. Many people in the American colony celebrated thanksgiving for
years, but it was in 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of the civil war,
proclaimed thanksgiving to be a national holiday to be held each November. He remembered the story of the colonists and the Indians and recognized that many Americans
were already celebrating it as an unofficial holiday. It was his belief that even during the
hardships of war; thanks should be given to everything worth receiving it. It is because of
these two events that we now celebrate Thanksgiving on the third Thursday of every November and give thanks for everything that we should be thankful for.
W r e s t l i n g
S e a s o n
B y
C h e y e n n e
S l a t e r
Wrestling season is now in session, starting November 9, 2012. I got the pleasure
to talk to one of the wrestlers Phonzo Rice, about when practice is, how long they practice and what they do during practice. Phonzo had said that, “Practice is from 3:00 p.m. to
5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday”. He mentioned that some days seem longer than others because he doesn’t want to practice every day. He said he would rather have longer
practicing sessions rather than 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The way he
described how the team stretches was, “We run three miles in the school hallways. Some
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days we go to the weight room and help each other stretch and lift weights”. I had also asked him
about the weight classes and what you had to do to get into the weight class that you wanted to be
in. He had said that, “If you want to be in the lower weight class, then of course you need to lose
weight”. I asked how some of the guys did that and his response was,
“I’ve seen guys running with trash bags on them. Some of them don’t
eat lunch and if they do eat, I heard one of them say they eat gum and
ice. The biggest one is working out a lot.” Then he gave me a response
on how to become bigger. He had said, “Some guys eat more, others
just eat and drink a lot of protein.” Now, let the wrestling season
begin!
N i g h t o f H a r m o n y
B y M a k e n n a P o l i n g
On Friday, November 16, is the Night of Harmony concert. The concert is a festival
celebrating choir. It will take place at Teays Valley High School at 7:00 p.m. It is expected to
last for about two hours. Logan Elm, Circleville, and Teays Valley will be joining Westfall to
perform. Tickets are five dollars if bought in advance, and six dollars if bought at the door.
Westfall’s swing choir and choral will be performing. Swing choir includes boy and girls. They
will be singing “Let Me Be Your Star”, “Home”, and “Steal Your Rock and Roll”. Choral isjust
girls performing. They will be singing “Stay”, “Wade in the Water”, and a Latin song called
“Gaudeamus Hodie”. These students have been preparing since the beginning of the year
for this recital. Westfall is expecting 100 people to show up, not including people supporting
the other three schools.
The piano in the choir room
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T h e
C h e e r l e a d i n g
b y
k a y l a
E c h o . 0
b r o w n
Most of the time cheerleaders are over-looked. They aren’t
taken seriously mainly because people don’t think they work as
hard as other athletes. They hear things like, “cheerleading isn’t a
sport,” and “anybody could be a cheerleader, it’s so easy!” These
kinds of statements just push them to work even harder and prove
everyone wrong.
“Most
of the
time
cheerleaders
are
overlooked”
I recently talked with football
player, Brandon Walker. He got to
cheer a few quarters at a powder-puff
football game with his best friend
Cameron Harkness. Brandon says
cheerleading is not easy and it was
harder than he had thought. He thought the cheers were confusing
and it was a mind-blowing experience. His favorite part of being a
cheerleader was getting to wear the uniform.
Cheerleaders do work just as hard as football players, volleyball players, and even cross country runners! They have regular
practices and have to memorize everything that they do. Everyone
says it is easy, but it is nowhere near easy. They condition like a
normal athlete, and put their heart and soul into their sport.
Believe it or not cheerleaders do a lot of things that other athletes do. They run, do wall sits, frog jumps, pushups, crunches, and
they even do a little weight-lifting. They have to go over things hundreds of times, word after word, motion after motion, until they get
it perfect. I don’t see any other sport tossing a person up into the
air and then catching them. Cheerleading is very difficult and dangerous. It takes time, patience, and money!
All in all, people shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I expect
that if you got out there and tried it, you would understand. It’s a
lot harder than it looks!
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S e n i o r P i c t u r e s
N a t a s h a M u m f o r d
Senior pictures are needed for the yearbook by February 2nd. There are two options
that you can use for your pictures. You can use the traditional picture, or you can choose the
picture of your choice. If the picture of your choice is not appropriate for the year book, then we
will not use it. We will use the traditional picture instead. You can turn in two pictures; make
sure you have your first and last name and your first and second choices on the back. You can
turn them in to any of the journalism students or Mrs. Young or Mrs. Hook.
Olivia Cobb
1st choice
Chosen picture
Back of your picture
S a v i n g
B y A l e x
“I will die for
these children, so
they can see
tomorrow.”
S u d a n
S a r t i n
Sam Childers, a man with many forgiving issues and a past that
many wish to not live, changed his life for a better future. Sam was a troubled teen and was incarcerated many times during his teen to early adulthood years. He ended up getting out of prison for good behavior and found
Christ which set him on the right path. As he found Christ and started to
become a modern Christian, he was asked to go to Sudan, Africa for missionary work. He of course said yes, because he enjoys the adventures that
life presents and he soon fell in love. In 1998, after he returned from a missionary trip, he realized he wanted to do more than just help a select few.
He wanted to open an orphanage in Sudan where guerilla warfare is taking
place, since Kony has became Africa’s leader. He flew back over and
started his work by saving children’s lives from the LRA, which is a
group that raids villages and takes children. There is something about
him unlike many others though; he actually fights with weapons. It is
said, when Sam sleeps he has a bible in one hand and an AK-47 in
the other. He fights for the children in Sudan and many call him the
Machine Gun Preacher and he calls the orphanage home. This is
where Westfall comes into play. We as a group need to stand up and
help raise money for these children in Africa. If anyone has any fundraiser
ideas or would simply like to donate money, please peak to myself or Alek
Stonerock. As a group we can start this revolution.
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V e t e r a n ’ s
D a y
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A s s e m b l y
On Friday, November 10, Westfall High School held an assembly for
Veteran’s Day. We were fortunate enough to have had a guest speaker,
Zack Rouff, who is a veteran of the United States Air Force.
Zack Rouff is a graduate from Westfall High School. In high school,
Mr. Rouff, slacked off the first three years of his high school life which led to
a two path road as a senior: 1) Fail and have to return to school the following year or 2) Enlist in the military. Mr. Rouff then made a decision to enlist,
which then led him to the Air Force. During his time in the Air Force, Mr.
Rouff had seen good as well as bad. He saw things from rescuing fellow military men and friends to seeing explosions and attacks.
A lesson that Mr. Rouff wanted students to take away from his speech was to respect the
Veterans and on-going military men/women who serve our country because once a brave soul
goes into battle; they are never the same again.
Unfortunately, another graduate from Westfall High School, a close friend of Mr. Rouff’s,
Private Kevin Hunt, passed away in the act of duty while serving his country. Mr. Rouff was especially trying to bring attention to Mr. Hunt because men and women that go into the military know
that they’re risking their lives for their country and yet they still serve.
S h e r i f f
B y
R a d c l i f f e V i s i t
a l l y T r a c y
The sophomore and junior classes recently had a visit from Sheriff
Dwight Radcliffe on September 24, 2012. He came to talk to them about
his career and how serious driving is and what precautions should be taken. Sheriff Radcliffe explained how
dangerous texting and driving is and that it can definitely
wait until you’re out of the car. Radcliffe has been the
longest running sheriff in the nation with 12 terms under
his belt. He recently announced his retirement this year,
feeling that enough was enough and he needed to become bigger part of his family. His son, Robert Radcliffe
was elected the Sheriff of Pickaway County becoming the
third Sheriff Radcliffe. The senior Radcliffe says he’s not
sure what he will do with his time after retiring and he will
really miss being sheriff.
“He saw things
from rescuing
fellow military
men and friends to
seeing explosions
and attacks.”
Sheriff Radcliffe talking to the sophomore and Junior
classes.
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R a c i n g a g a i n s t t h e s t a t e
b y A l e x a n d e r S a r t i n
Alexandra Houghten, a freshman at Westfall High
school, is entered in the O.G.I., also known as Ohio Gymkhana Invitational, for her amazing talent at representing and
showing her horses. This is a competition that shows how
well the horse and the rider not only appreciate each other,
but respect each other’s riding almost like western riding.
This varies from barrel racing to fence jumping and even
show. With this being said, the rider and horse are judged by
errors in which points are deducted from their top scores. Alexandra stated, “To get to state, I trained hard. As they say practice makes
perfect.” Alexandra has participated in about eight to ten competitions, in
which her scores were added from each competition for the year and decided her final score. After this score, she is placed in a certain bracket for the
“My mother is
state competition. This Saturday, she will be competing for the gold in this
not only they one
competition. She has amazing support not only from her best friends, whom
are paint horses and the one’s she rides and shows, but her hero- her mothto show me the
er. Alexandra said, “My mother means a lot to me, she is always there to sup- ropes, but my
port myself and my hobby and she finds everything I need when I can’t find
hero. “
it.”
She hopes to continue this hobby and talent in life and study at Wilmington. Then after college, open up a riding center for handicapped persons so they can be taught that they can do anything they want in life. After speaking to Alexandra, it was shown that she is a very caring person
as well as an amazing rider so Westfall would like to wish you
B a b y
P i c t u r e s
b y
F a i t h
Seniors!! On February 2nd baby pictures are due. You only
need to turn in one baby picture to Mrs. Young, Mrs. Hook, or
any of the journalism students. These pictures have to be of you
as a baby or as a young child. These pictures need to be school
appropriate and need to have your full name and birthdate on
the back.
These pictures shouldn’t be very hard to find. I’m sure
that if you went home and looked around your home or asked
your parents for a baby picture, they could hand you dozens of
pictures. These pictures will be put into the 2012/2013 school
yearbook.
Submit baby pictures by Feb.2, 2013
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N e w s l et t e r
B e n j a m i n
F r a n k l i n
b y
M a r y
T it l e
R o u s h
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17 of 1706 in Boston Massachusetts. He wanted to attend school to be Clergymen but his parents could only afford to send him for two
years of schooling. When he was twelve years old he became apprenticed to
his older brother James who owned a print shop. James was the owner of a
news paper called the New England Quarrent. Benjamin quickly became fascinated with writing and began sending anonymous news stories for the paper.
“Franklin was His stories gained new fame for the paper, but no one knew that he was the
extremely author. He didn’t mind, however, because his writings gave new advice and
influential to the wonderful philosophies. He later left his brother and journeyed to Philadelphia
people around Pennsylvania where he got a job as a printer in one of only two print shops in
the area. He loved printing and soon began working toward getting a shop of
him.” his own. Throughout his early life, Franklin was extremely influential to the
people around him. His life philosophies helped to guide the making of the
structures of our great nation. Like Ben Franklin, we can all be strong influences on our community, no matter where we come from. With hard work,
dedication, and a lot of effort, we can positively change the course of our world and get it going in the direction of success. No matter whom you are or what you’ve done, you were born to
B a s k e t b a l l
b y
A m a n d a
c u r r y
A new season is beginning in the Westfall community. We are getting our winter clothes
out in preparation to support our Westfall Mustangs Boys and Girls Basketball teams. The first
scrimmage will be held for the girls’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams, at McClain High
School on Wednesday, November 14th at 6:30 p.m. On Friday, November 16th the girls’ varsity
team will have the SVC Preview. Come out and support the team by wearing red! The first boys’
varsity basketball scrimmage will be held at Hillsboro High School at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, November 17th. The girls’ varsity team will also scrimmage at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday at Logan
High School. Good luck Mustangs!
Basketball Season 2012-13
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S p o t l i g h t – M r s .
B y R y a n C l i n e
C a m p b e l l
This week’s teacher spotlight is our one and only Mrs. Campbell. Her greatest achievement
ever is earning her master’s degree and her 3 daughters Whitney, Casey
and Molly. She chose to be a teacher because her father and her high
school history teacher Rob Dnahue both inspired her. She loves history and
wanted to share it with kids and relate the importance of it. The most important part of her job is accountability and stressing the standards for the
OGT. When asked, she said she has been teaching for 30 years. She said if
she had to pick any other job she would be a nurse because of her compassion for others. Westfall is the only school she has taught at. When asked
what super hero she would be, she responded she would like to be cat
woman. She said if she could be any kind of food she would be pizza because everybody likes it.
B i g g e s t S e t o f T r i p l e t s
B o r n b y M a r y R o u s h
Last week a set of triplet babies were born in Sacramento, California. Their parents are
Jason and Brittany Deen, who are very happy with their new set of children. The babies weighed a
combined twenty pounds, which beats the current world record for any set of male triplets. The
current record was set last year by a set of triplet boys who weighed eighteen pounds, eleven
ounces. They were born at thirty seven weeks and were born on time. Their weight is said to be
the same weight as two bags of potatoes. The triplets were naturally conceived, which is very rare
in cases of triplets. About one in eight thousand triplet trios are conceived naturally every year
making it a rare occasion. Their mother Brittany was determined to carry them to full term. In order to help get the birth to as close to her due date as possible, she ate around six thousand calories a day, which also helped to keep them growing normally. During her pregnancy she gained
over seventy pounds. Since their birth, the mother is said to have already lost fifty pounds. At
birth, Jenson weighed 5.5 pounds, Elliott, 7.3 pounds and Sidney, 7.8 pounds. Jenson and Elliott
are at home, happy and healthy, while Sidney is still at the hospital being cared for. She is unable
to eat on her own, but is projected to be coming home soon. The family is very excited to finally
be all together again after a long week being away from each other.
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N e w s l et t e r
T it l e
G e t t i n g t o K n o w t h e S e p t e m b e r
S t u d e n t s o f t h e M o n t h
B y : K a y l a B r o w n , R a n d i B i v e n s
a n d A l l y T r a c y
We had the chance to meet with each student of the month and find out a little
more about them. You may be surprised by some of the things that you will read.
Adam Horvath-Smith is a freshman who loves chocolate chip cookies. He really enjoys his t-shirts and says if he were a shirt it would be blue, because that is his favorite
color. He has two dogs and a cat and he gets angry when things don’t go as planned. Also,
he thinks a ninja would win in a fight between a ninja and a pirate. He believes he was
chosen for student of the month because he is good at following directions.
Trey Haddox is a sophomore that plays Call of Duty and baseball in his spare time.
When asked who his favorite person was he replied, “Obama is pretty cool.” Fall is his favorite season of the year. When asked why he thinks he was chosen for student of the
month he answered with, “Because I’m really handsome.” In his fridge
you would be likely to find pizza and Gatorade.
“In a fight
between a ninja
and a pirate she
believes that
zombies would
beat them all. “
Julia Thompson is a junior who loves oatmeal cookies and her
jackets. If she were a t-shirt it would also be blue, because it is her favorite color as well. She has two cats and a Chihuahua. People who are disrespectful tend to make Julia angry. In a fight between a ninja and a pirate she believes that zombies would beat them all. She believes she was
chosen for student of the month because she pays attention, doesn’t talk
a lot, and gets good grades.
Courtney Shaw is a senior that enjoys playing Super Mario Bros,
baking, and playing clarinet. Her favorite person is her dad. Her favorite
season of the year is winter because she loves the snow. She thinks she
was chosen for student of the month because she is a hard worker. In her fridge you
would find lots of healthy foods.
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I did my first senior spotlight on Daryin Lewis and the first question I asked him was, “What
would you know how to do that you could teach others?” He responded, “I can teach others how to
play baseball.’’Then I asked him what is one of the funniest things that ever happened to you?
“Going to state for summer baseball you just had to be there.Then the next question was ” Who is
your best friend? And why? He responded “Cameron Harkness because he is sexy”, Then I asked,
“How would you change the world if you could?” He answered “I would make everyone the same
race.” What if you could choose a new name for yourself, what would it be and why? He said “It
would be Bob because it’s three letters.” I asked him what do you think your life will be like in the future? He said “Two kids and adopt a Chinese baby, three dogs, and playing Major League Baseball.”
”What If you could be a sound what would it be and why?” A lion roar because they sound mean.”
Would you believe in a liar who admits he or she is one? “No because they are still liars.”
The other senior spotlight is on Allison Meek and the first question I asked her was, “ What
do you know how to do that you could teach to others?” She responded, “I can teach others how to
bowl. Then I asked her ” Who is your best friend and why? She answered, “Amanda Anderson because she has always been there for me and I have always been there for her too.” How would you
change the world if you could? She said, “I would make the world nice like other people being nice to
one another.” Then I asked, “ If you could choose a new name for yourself what would it be and why?
She said, “Clary because I have read it in books and liked it.” “What do you think your life will be like
in the future?” She responded “Being a Vet Tech for a zoo and having a family.” If you could be a
sound what would it be and why? “I would be an elephant sound because I like them.” Would you
believe in a liar who admits he or she is one and why? “No because they are still liars.”
Daryin Lewis and Allison Meek
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T it l e
W h i t e
Mr. Breyer, teacher of the month, and wrestling coach was interviewed about teaching his students and helping the boys become better wrestlers. Mr. Breyer is an Intervention
Specialist and helps kids who struggle throughout school to succeed.
1.How did you feel when you found out you got teacher of the month?
“I felt excited because I wanted to show it to Mrs. Jones.”
2.How do you help students in ways that benefit them?
“I try to relate to them through what they like.”
3.What are your tactics on teaching to make your kids succeed?
“Coaching style mixed with different teaching strategies.”
4.How do you think your students are doing now that you’re helping them?
“They’re doing well but I expect more”
5.How did you get the idea you wanted to start teaching?
“I’ve had teachers all through school that helped me because I struggled throughout
school too, and since I wrestled in high school that’s why I’m here today.”
6.What do you like to do on your free time?
“I like to watch football, take my dog for a walk, hang out with my brother and roommate, and play PS2.”
7.How tiring is it to teach a class then coach boys wrestling?
“Its tiring but I love it anyway”
Mr. Breyer
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O c t o b e r ’ s C i r c l e v i l
h o n o r e e s - C o u r t n e
B e r g e
B y M e g a n
1 2
l e N o o n R o t a r y
y S h a w & R o s s
r
J o h n s o n
For those who are unfamiliar with the term rotary ,
rotary is a (business / commerce, social welfare). Any of the
local clubs that form Rotary International, an international
association of professional and businessmen founded in
the US, in 1905 to promote community service.
Those who usually get involved in
rotary are usually people of the community,
people like business people, teachers, students, and everyone in between. Rotary was
held in Circleville, Ohio, and has been going
on for many years. The honorees for the
month of are Courtney Shaw, and Ross Berger. Congrats to the both of them!
F a l l
S p o r t s
B a n q u e t
b y
M a r y
R o u s h
The fall sports banquet was held on November 11, 2012 in the Westfall High School auditorium. Football, cross country, cheerleading, volleyball, golf, and soccer players were all honored
at the banquet. The award for scholar athlete was given to all juniors and seniors receiving a 3.2
or higher GPA. The award for most improved was given to athletes of each sport who showed
outstanding improvement throughout the season. The Mustang Award was given to the athlete
of each sport who showed hard work and dedication to their activity. The most valuable player
award was given to the athlete of each sport who proved to be the team member with the most
skill. Each athlete receiving one of these awards is a wonderful example of why Westfall High
School is a leader in our community and, further, a leader in our state. The football team was
honored for their outstanding season, which ended at the state playoff game and included the
SVC title, while the girl's golf team was admired for their wonderful finish at the state tournament
with third place. The volleyball and cross country teams also were admired for their qualification
to the district tournament. Thank you to all coaches and staff who've helped to make this an
amazing fall sports season here at Westfall High School. Your time and effort are very appreciated
by our athletes. All athletes of the fall season are commended for their outstanding performances
this season and wished the best of luck for next year.
S t u d e n t - T e a c h e r C o n t r a c t
B y M o r g a n M o o n
On November 13, 2012 all students at Westfall High School received a student-parent
contract. This contract will be in effect for the 2012-13 school year. All students and parents are
expected to sign it and return it as soon as possible. This contract has a small list of school responsibilities along with parents and students responsibilities. The parent and student contract
are relatively the same and only consist of 6 steps:
1. Monitor my child’s attendance. (Since this will be brought to attention on transcripts.)
2.Monitoring the amount of television, video games, and internet use. (A large amount
can cause a de crease in attention for school work.)
3. Volunteering at school. (This is a good way for the parents to become involved in the
community.)
4. Making sure homework is completed and returned on time. (This
is both the responsibility of the parent and student and is an easy fix and
habit to get into.)
5. Staying informed about my child’s education and communicating
with the school promptly by reading all notices from the school or the
school district either received by my child or by mail and responding as appropriated. (This gives you a more hands-on grasp on your child’s education.)
6. Serving to extend possible, on policy advisory groups, such as Title
1, Part A parent/guardian representative on the school improvement team,
the Parent Collaboration Council, or other school advisory or policy groups.
(These are different organizations you as a parent can be involved in.)
Student and teacher agreement
The student responsibilities are said to improve our academic achievement and achieve the
state’s high standards.
1. Do my homework every day and ask for help when I need to. (If you need help we also
have tutoring at the school every week Tuesdays and Thursdays.)
2. Read at least 30 minutes (or age appropriate time) every day outside of school time.
(This widens your education and can greatly improves grades.)
3. Give to my parents or the adult who is responsible for my welfare, all notices and information received by me from the school every day.
These papers must be turned in by November 16, 2012, so please try to get the papers signed
and into your first period teacher.