Reviving tradition: St. Vincent de Paul School's newspaper returns after two decades

Eighth graders at St. Vincent de Paul School in Cape Girardeau relaunched the school newspaper, The Bobcat Spirit, after more than 20 years. The last previous edition was May 2003. A full school assembly and blessing ceremony were held Wednesday, Feb. 5, to celebrate the occasion.

The student newspaper club is led by Lea Arnzen, Caroline Dawson, Lucas Farnham, Evan Griesemer, Leslie Hernandez, Jojo Iwuchukwu, Paul Schallberger and Lyndsey Zhang. The club is managed by Brigid Farnham and Jill Bruenderman.

Here is one of the stories from the first issue, marking differences at the school between publications.

Then & Now

By Jojo Iwuchukwu and Lea Arnzen

Our school has undergone many changes over the years. We spoke with some former students, Mrs. Kate Yarbro and Mrs. Megan Ressel, as well as Mrs. Kay Glastetter, to hear their thoughts on how things have evolved. Here are their reflections on how SVS has transformed. Let’s take a look at what has changed!

Q: What were some common lunch options in the past, and what are they now?

KG: Twenty years ago, students only had one lunch option, compared to students today, who have 3 lunch options.

KY: Our food was homemade, with pizza, spaghetti and chicken noodle soup being popular choices.

MR: We had peanut butter sandwiches and chili. That wouldn't be possible now with all of the nut allergies in our school.

Q: How have the dress codes and uniforms evolved from 20 years ago?

KG: We now have more options for skirts and shirt colors, and the material is newer and more comfortable. The pant cut is more modern, too. Girls can also wear light-colored nail polish now!

KY: We only had green and yellow shirts, and just one style of skirt.

MR: The uniforms are pretty similar, but now there are more places to buy from and better materials. The pants are much more comfortable now!

Q: What kind of technology did students use in the classroom?

KG: Each classroom had one or two tower computers for students to share. We also had a computer lab, which was used once a week or for special projects.

KY: We had big desktop computers, but only in computer class.

MR: We had projectors and chalkboards, not smartboards! In middle school, we used floppy disks to save work, but most things were still on paper.

Q: Has the social dynamic among students changed over time?

KG: The social dynamics haven’t changed much, except now there’s more use of technology to communicate.

KY: Students now are so much more connected with cellphones!

MR: Social media has definitely changed things, but not always for the better. However, I do like that there are more clubs and sports, like archery and robotics.

Q: How has the school building been updated or remodeled to accommodate modern needs?

KG: A new addition was built to keep everyone under one roof for safety and to add space for preschool, as well as modernize the junior high.

KY: The school is twice as big now! The hallway to the music room and the pre-k hallway used to be our playground. The junior high wing didn’t exist back then, and the gym ended where the cafeteria is now.

MR: We’ve updated with smartboards and a security officer!

It’s clear SVS has come a long way but some things such as the strong sense of community remain the same!

For a blessing by Father Rick Jones over the newspaper, click here.