From students to teacher, the floor length tartan plaid kilt was placed on the waist of at least one-fourth of the STA student body this school year. According to senior Anne Schwartz, the purpose of the skirt was successful, uniting the senior class.

“I think my favorite part [about wearing the skirt] was just feeling included in the bond of the senior class,” Schwartz said. “It shows how funny and wacky our class really is. When I wear it, I feel like I am really embracing my class.”

According to senior class vice president Brady Essmann, almost every student in the class of 2010 has had the chance worn the traveling skirt. STA also voted literature teacher Kelly Fast, to wear the kilt as a fundraiser for the theatre department’s trip to Scotland.

“It would be cool to get [the skirt] passed down to [the class of 2011] as a tradition,” junior Maddie Lueke said. “But it would also be good to start one of our own.”

As the year ends, the future of the traveling skirt is in the hands of Essmann and class president Caroline Thompson.

According to Essmann, Thompson and herself wrote a poem about the skirt reflecting its first year in the hands of STA girls. On Class Day, Essmann and Thompson plan on reading the poem and passing the kilt down to the class of 2011, in hopes that they will continue the tradition.

“I really hope that [the junior class] passes [the skirt] on and keeps it going from class to class,” Essmann said. “It would be really cool to possibly see the girls still wearing the skirt in ten years. Hopefully, each senior that walks the halls of STA will get a chance to wear the floor length kilt that began with the class of 2010.”

Ode to the Traveling Skirt

Oh you may not think me pretty,
But don’t judge on what you see.
I’ll eat myself if you can find
A smarter accessory than me.
You can keep your sweaters black,
Your cropped socks sleek and tall,
For I’m the STA Travelling Kilt
And I can cap them all.
There’s nothing hidden in your head
The Travelling Kilt can’t see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Donnelly Hall,
Where the sciences run their course,
With the Mathletes and Blake’s fetus’
Scientific women meet their source;

You might find that M&A,
‘Tis where the arts do flourish,
And you will engage teachers of all kinds,
Who for the creative soul do nourish;

Or yet in good old Goppert,
Tis there you might find your calling.
Trying (and failing) to beat Bode at badminton,
You’ll always find an opportunity for balling;

Or perhaps in the ministry workroom
You’ll reach your true potential.
Where spiritual growth and an open mind,
By decree of LaScala, Good, and Hansborough are essential;

But no matter what you be,
No matter what you do,
You always are an STA girl,
And I’ll pledge MY heart to you.

I’ll bring you girls close, keep the spirit alive.
With me, let leadership and unity be yours,
Because I need you, just as you need me
Class of 2011 seniors.

So put me on! Don’t be afraid!
STA girls show no shame in wearing me.
So don me proudly ‘cross the quad…

Because you’re from the Academy

by Lucia Maschler

Sophomore Claire McKeon practices her backbend in the quad April 15 in hopes of joining the potential STA cheerleading squad. Though nothing is planned yet, she feels cheerleading could add to the spirit of home games by pumping up the atmosphere and interacting with the crowd. Photo by Lucia MaschleThe zombie-filled crowd roars as STA scores another basket in the basketball game against Notre Dame de Sion. Various members of Spirit Club lead victory cheers at the bottom of the bleachers. Members of dance team stretch on the sidelines in preparation for their half-time performance.

And STA Cheerleaders wave their pom-poms and jump up and down in excitement.

These cheerleaders might be the future; athletic director Mark Hough has gotten interest from several students about forming a cheerleading squad. Though nothing is being planned yet, he thinks cheerleading would be a welcome addition to STA’s athletic program.

“I really like what [cheerleaders] bring to home games,” Hough said. “They bring a good atmosphere and work to pump people up. They would add organization and stability to what we already have at home games. It would be great to have [them], but things like this take a lot of time, effort and planning.”

Some students, like sophomore Claire McKeon, are already interested in joining the potential cheerleading team. She thinks a squad would be a great compliment to STA’s Spirit Club and dance team at home games.

“Spirit Club focuses on themes and skits, which is unique and fun to our school,” McKeon said. “Dance team is kind of like an art to be appreciated…but they don’t interact with the crowd the way cheerleaders would. Cheerleaders really get the crowd going and they could really bring the energy level up.”

However, other students have expressed concern for the dance team and Spirit Club if a cheerleading team is added. They like how STA is one of few schools in Kansas City who do not have a cheerleading squad.

“I just don’t think cheerleading is for our school,” sophomore Jasmine Colhour said. “The Spirit Club does a great job with themes and the dance team does a great half-time routine. We are unique and we don’t need a cheerleading team just to be like other schools.”

Hough addressed this issue, saying that while the structure of the cheerleading team would be very similar to dance team-it would run two seasons and they would cheer at every home game for varsity volleyball and basketball-the roles of the teams would be very different.

“I really like what the dance team does now,” Hough said. “We wouldn’t want to take away from what they do, but cheerleaders are different from dance team. The cheerleaders would actually interact with the crowd. I think we would be able to work it out.”

However, this decision is not solely up to Hough; there must be many students interested for a team to be planned. He says the team would have to have at least twenty girls with a dance or gymnastics background to make a decent squad.

“Anyone can come by and suggest something to be, which I have already have [had] happen a few times,” Hough said. “I think a cheerleading team could turn into something we all really enjoy, but we will never know until we try.”