A first timer tries Panera

My friends are always talking about how delicious Panera Bread is. Unfortunately I was never able to agree with them because I had never had Panera Bread. That all changed last Friday.

I’m not sure why I've never had it--maybe just because it never came to mind when wanting something new. When I went there I got a turkey and cheese panini and a cup of New England clam chowder soup. The turkey and cheese panini was a great choice. It had chopped oven-roasted turkey and I believe 3 or 4 different kinds of melted cheese. The sandwich was put on a griddle of some sort and was warmed up to a crisp. The sandwich looked so appetizing. When I took my first bite I was taken over by a delectable taste. It was one the best sandwiches I had ever eaten.

And don’t even get me started on the soup. The soup was scrumptious. The clam was not too overwhelming, but it was plentiful. What made it even better was the side of bread they gave me to dip in the soup--exquisite. I would one hundred and ten percent recommend this restaurant if you're looking for a small, but filling meal. I can’t complain about the price either. The pricing is quite affordable. If you have never had Panera Bread before, I advise you to try it!

By: Ashley Kivikoski

Reconsider our American duty

In the past ten years, the United States has helped Afghanistan tremendously, and now President Obama is planning on taking the troops out of Afghanistan. Our troops will be leaving even though they are essential in helping train Afghan soldiers how to capture and kill terrorists, so they know how to defend themselves. Although the U.S. has been a great help to Afghanistan, they still have a long way to go and will have a hard time fighting off terrorists and other hostile countries without us.

Clearly, this war has taken a toll on our economy. We have plenty of our own problems to worry about; however, it would be cowardly and un-American to bail on them now when they have already come so far. It puts a bad name on our country to think that just because we are now having complications here, our country believes we can leave the people we are helping, and that rely on us.  No, Americans stand up for what’s right. We don’t leave people behind for our own benefit. If we had no intention of helping them push through to the end, we should not have gotten involved in the first place. What happens if they retaliate after we leave and try to get back at us for not helping them when they needed it most? That would cause a greater conflict than what we’re already dealing with. Obama has good intentions, but he should seriously reconsider what he might be getting the United States into.

By Kelly Beecher

Westminster Now Involved With Uganda Community

The Westminster community has recently connected with a family in Uganda. David, the father, lost his parents at a young age and grew up living on the streets. Because of his childhood experiences, David made it a point to reach out to kids who have been orphaned and are forced to reside in the sufferings of the streets. He and his wife Esther currently have nine children living with them; three of their own and six that were previously living as street kids. Their family works to spread the love of God throughout their primarily Muslim community. In addition to helping street kids, Esther has made it a focus to help girls escape the traps of prostitution for economic provisions.

There is high anticipation for the relationships being built between our school community and theirs. Last Wednesday, students gathered to write letters to the children living with David and Esther. Any students not able to make it on Wednesday still has an opportunity to send a letter, but it must be given to Ellie Fink by Friday, Oct, 29.

In addition to writing letters to David and Esther’s children, Westminster is also going to sell bracelets and necklaces. These were made by AIDS widows that have connections to David and Esther. Purchasing these necklaces and bracelets will help women provide for their family's daily needs.  The items made by the AIDS widows will be sold Nov. 5 at the Fellowship Dinner. Further sales will be taking place throughout the year at different school events. Any students interested in helping will have the opportunity to sign up for days to sell.

Westminster looks forward to God’s plans for their involvement with David, Esther, and the community!

By Ellie Fink

Cast announced for fall play

"You Can't Take It With You" cast

Martin Vanderhof – Alex Howell

Alice – Allie Sleeting

Penelope Sycamore – Bekah Sunday

Paul Sycamore – Zack Sullivan

Essie – Anais Tabor

Ed – Jerod Miller

Rheba – Alivia DeHaan

Donald – Tyler Greene

Mr. De Pinna – Brian Pohlmeier

Tony Kirby – Bryce McAuliffe

Mrs. Kirby – Katie Pluymert

Mr. Kirby – Jimmy Chapman

Gay Wellington – Joy Guge

Henderson – Brooke Bertsche

Kolenkhov –  Taylor DePola

Olga – Shirley Irwin

Three Investigators – Claire Kuda, Dylan Scully, Kelsey Richardson

Origins of Halloween

The controversial holiday of Halloween has been celebrated for many decades. It is believed that Halloween began way back from the Celtic people on Samhain. The folks believed that during this time the border between the dead became thin. The people believed that the spirits of the restless dead would visit them if they dressed up as the spirits themselves. During this time families would try to make ancestors feel welcome, but they struggled with how to ward off evil spirits. Thus the costumes. They believed that they could ward off the evil spirits by dressing up and their family members would know it was them and would still feel welcomed.

The actual name “Halloween” recently came around in the 16th century. The name derives from Old Irish and roughly translated means, “Summers End.” The part of “trick-or-treating” came along later. Children would dress up as ghosts and spirits and go around asking for treats. “Trick” refers to a threat to the house owner if a treat is not given.

A Christian perspective on this holiday is commonly celebrated as All Saints Day or Reformation Day. The controversy between the holiday is evident due to the fact of welcoming spirits to your home and dressing as evil spirits. Still the moral questions remains, if one is dressed as a princess or a knight and asking for candy, is it welcoming and celebrating spirits?

By Anais Tabor

Soccer sectionals end in an upsetting loss

This past weekend, our Warrior boys soccer team played at Sectionals. The game was against Chicago Latin, and held at Lisle Jr. High. The teams were evenly matched. The Warriors scored one goal, made by Josh Beachler, while the opposing team scored two goals. There were plenty of opportunities for the each side to have scored more. However, they all played fairly well. Even though this game was a loss, the rest of the  boys’ season makes up for it. 

    By: Becky Welc

Cold weather leaves school in a melancholy mood

One exciting privilege of being a student at Westminster is the opportunity to eat lunch outside. Outdoor lunch is a thing that students look forward to during the week. Usually there are two days, Tuesday and Thursday, when lunch is held outside in the school yard, weather permitting. Sometimes, if the weather is especially wonderful, there will even be more than that. Unfortunately, as the weather gets colder, the outdoor lunches grow fewer. This Monday marked one of the last outdoor lunches to take place this year. It was a little chilly and windy, but most students took this chance to enjoy eating outside. Besides the cold change in climate, the fewer number of outdoor lunches is one way students at WCS will be able to tell that winter is coming.

- By Brittany Booth