One of the activities of ECHO journalism camp was for campers to practice interviewing skills and writing about others who attended the camp.  These are some of their stories.

Camper vacations in Alabama

Ivy Clark
Junior Journalist

Last week, Isabella Dyson had an awesome vacation to Alabama. She lay on the beach and got her hair braided, but in Orange Beach, she did something even more awesome than that. She went parasailing.

While I was asking her about her vacation, she said, “Oh, I remember something that I did in Alabama!”

“What?”

“I went parasailing!”

“Wow! What is parasailing exactly?”

Isabella pursed her lips, thinking, and then smiled at me. “So, you go in a boat out into the ocean, and you’re in a harness connected to a parachute.”

Some other activities in Orange Beach included swimming in the pool, eating grilled cheese and chicken tenders, and having snow cones in the restaurant “The Hangout.”

Dyson went with her parents. She said that her Dad liked the beach the most, but her Mom loved the parasailing more.

An exciting and cool part of Dyson’s trip was seeing a dolphin for the first time. She and her parents were sitting on a bench, waiting for the parasail, when all of a sudden, the fin of a dolphin popped out among the waves. It was evening, and the sky was turning dark. “I was very surprised and excited,” Dyson said.

Isabella loved her trip to Florida. She told me it was her favorite place she’s ever been. When I asked her to describe it to me in five words, she said, “Hot, Fun, Exciting, Relaxing, and Interesting!”

Junior journalist shares his likes and dislikes

Benjamin Pires
Junior Journalist

Marshall Hoover loves sports and steak but his favorite restaurant is fuzzy tacos.

Marshall hates synchronized anything and golf.

Marshall loves sports such as soccer, baseball and basketball. Marshall’s favorite basketball player is Oscar Robertson, favorite baseball player is Pete Rose, and his favorite soccer Mario Bellottelli.

Marshall likes to ride his bike to the park and play baseball with friends. Marshall’s favorite color orange [for Webster] and blue [for SLU].

 

Girl gives exceptional travel advice

Audrey Turley
Junior Journalist

Olivia Van Hoornbeek likes to travel. It is her favorite hobby.

“Traveling is probably my favorite,” says Olivia. “ I like to explore on my trips,” says Olivia.

If Olivia could go anywhere in the world, she would chose the beach over the mountains. “ I would go to Hawaii,” Olivia replied.

In Hawaii Olivia would be interested in going to museums, going to the beach, and shelling.

She would go in the summer rather than the winter.

“Totally the summer,” Olivia said.

If Olivia could bring five things on her trip to Hawaii, Olivia said, “ I guess I would bring a towel, an outfit, my, camera, food (totally) and my family.”  “ That’s what I would do,” said Olivia. Probably what most people would do to.

If she could study anywhere in the world, and then go then go there, Olivia thinks Philidelphia would be very fun to study. She is actually doing that right now because she is going this year.

Olivia said if she could learn a lauguege and then go to that country, Olivia would learn French.

“Totally French, and go to France,” said Olivia. “I like the country and I like the culture.”

“I don’t like waiting on the plane cause you just want to get there already; that’s the hardest part,” says Olivia.

I asked Olivia if she could give advice to her younger sister, Lillian advice about traveling, what would you tell her.

“I would tell her to study about the place and follow her dreams and go there.”

5th grader enjoys sports

Christian Brennan
Junior Journalist

The school Jackson Bacilek goes to is Avery in Webster Groves. He said, “I am going in to the fifth grade this year.”

He also plays sports. These sports are lacrosse, basketball, swimming, track and football.  He is 10 years old. I asked him if he hated any sports, and he said, “No, I don’t hate any sports.”

I asked Jackson Bacilek if he made a candy bar or a drink what would he call it.  He said, “The Screaming Bar.” He said it would make you scream a lot after you’ve ate it.

 

 

Camper enjoys writing, creating

Chloe Conrad
Junior Journalist

Ellie Sterbenz’s  favorite subject is writing. She likes writing because she loves getting creative with fairy tale stories.

Another thing that I have learned about Ellie is her mom had Breast Cancer.

Ellie said, “It was a lot to take in.” Also she said “I felt upset and angery.” I learned that Ellie was going through a lot.

The last thing I’ve learned about Ellie is that she likes Minecraft. She said, “I like doing the decorations.” Also she loves just creating whatever you want.

So that is all the information that I have collected about Ellie.

 

Camper shares feelings about pet, friends, mother

Ellie Sterbenz
Junior Journalist

Hi, everyone, we are here to gather information about the famous Chloe Conrad.

So to get us started, she has a pet like most of us out there.  This is what she said about her pet: “I have a dog named Mickey, and I like him because he is playful.”

Chloe, my comrade, is a caring girl she thinks highly of her friends.

In fact she said, “I think highly of my friends cause they’re kind.”

Now isn’t that sweet. It’s good to be friends with Chloe Conrad.

Now me and Chloe went through the same thing with our moms. They both went through cancer, which was tough on her.  Chloe got angry and upset. We lost focus in school.

Junior journalist likes ‘Wimpy Kid’

Gracie Hedenberg
Camp Counselor

On July 14, 2015, I was able to interview Chase Donnelly, a soon to be fifth grader at Avery elementary.

Donnelly said that when he had time to do anything, he wanted, he would ride his bicycle.

His favorite book series is “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”

 

Camper likes softball, school

Hadley Hoskins
Junior Journalist

Sarah Pires is a very interesting person with many interests.

Her favorite food is pizza, and her favorite type is “any, I like it all, cheese, pepperoni and sausage.”

Sarah is going into third grade, and she enjoys softball very much. Along with softball, she likes drawing and school.

Sarah likes school because “All my teachers are nice.”

At school she has five friends. Her friends are Abby, Allie, Grace, Gabby and Emerie. Sarah has one brother, Ben.

Sarah is going to North Carolina this summer “just to have fun.” She will be going with her family.

She has gone camping this summer, and she saw two deer. She thinks they were either two babies or a mama and a baby.

Junior camper tells about family

Isabella Stewart
Junior Journalist

Kolby Cunningham, native of St. Louis, was born at Des Peres hospital on May 28, 2003. Kolby was one month late.

Her mother was working at the Department of Justice. She is a victim’s specialist. Her dad worked at Anheuser Busch. He delivers empty bottles so they could be filled up.

Kolby went too little Bristol. She has been a Girl Scout for seven years and counting. Kolby’s most embarrassing moment was when she was in a tunnel in preschool, and she got bitten on the back. Kolby said, “It was painful.”

When Kolby was two, her parents built a house from scratch. Kolby still lives there. After a year of living in the house, she went to her parents’ bathroom and cut her hair herself. After looking in the mirror and looking at herself, Kolby said, “What have I done.” Mrs. Cunningham was angry and disappointed, but what could Kolby do. She was three.

The only time Kolby saw her great grandmother she was in the hospital. Kolby said, “I hope she gets better, so I can see her healthy again.” Kolby was five when her grandmother died. She did not understand what had happened and why everyone was crying. After a year she started having nightmares about being in a coffin, Kolby said, “ I think it is because of her death. Those nightmares starting going away after one month. Kolby has always told herself, “Don’t give up because if you do you won’t achieve you dreams.”

Junior journalist describes England trip

Isabella Dyson
Junior Journalist

Ivy Clark has traveled to England.  When Ivy went to England, she did lots of fun activities.  She visited her grandparents in New Forest,  England, and she traveled to many old castles.  She also went hiking while she was there.

Ivy also went on the London Eye.  The London Eye is a big Ferris wheel in England.  Ivy said, “From the top of the London Eye, you can see all of England.”

Ivy’s favorite thing about the trip to England was eating fish and chips at a place called Fresh Water Bay. The fish and chips were wrapped in newspaper.

“The fish and chips was very buttery and yummy.”  Ivy had a very exciting and adventurous vacation to England.

Camper invents ‘Awesome Energy’

Jackson Bacilek
Junior Journalist

Chistian Brennan goes to Webster Groves Computer School, and his favorite subject is science.

If he invented a energy drink, he would call it “Awesome Energy.”

His favorite sport is baseball, and he plays for the Red Socks.  In the summer he loves to swim in the pool.

 

 

 

 

Camper tells about her summer

Sarah Pires
Junior Journalist

Hadley Hoskins loves zebras. She thinks the BEST part  of summer  is  staying  up late, and her  favorite  outdoor  activity  is jumping on the trampoline!

She went to Arkansas.    While she was there, she got to see her cousin Ellie  Grace.

 

 

 

Junior journalist moves to Missouri in 2nd grade

Julia Fowler
Junior Journalist

When I interviewed Sloane Carfield today, I learned, that she was born in Steamboat  Springs  CO. Then she moved and lived in Denver for a while.

Next she moved to Missouri and started second grade . When she moved, she said,  “I feel scared and exited because I will be the new kid in school.”

Sloane has a cat named Rodie. The reason why is before they moved here they had a really close neighbor, and his last name was Rodino, so that is her cat’s name, but his nickname is Rodie.

Sloane’s favorite place to go is the beach because it is relaxing and fun at different times. In school her favorite subject is art because it is super fun.

I love taking interviews and learning about other people like Sloane.

Camp counselor wants to be Disney princess

Julia Mossinghoff
Junior Journalist

“When I grow-up I want to work at Disney World as a princess.” said Caroline Fellows.

She went to Disney World and enjoyed the rides such as the Tower of Terror and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  Caroline also enjoyed meeting all of the characters like the Disney princesses.

Although Caroline has no pets, she does have two older sisters and some of her favorite hobbies include cooking, dancing and acting.

Her favorite subject is Spanish, her favorite color is red, and her favorite animal is a sea lion.

 

 

Camper remembers daycare, early school days

Kolby Cunningham
Junior Journalist

Isabella Cailen Stewart was December 27, 2003. She is a St. Louis native.

When she was young, she went to the daycare that her mom worked at. As a small child she got in trouble a lot and would have to deal with her mother’s punishment.

When she was in preschool, she ate a gram cracker off the floor, and another boy said that she stole it from him, and he slapped him, and she slapped him back.

Miss Stewart says, “I didn’t steal it from him.  He dropped it, and I just ate it. He slapped me for no reason, and I decided to slap him back for slapping me.”

When Miss. Stewart went to stay away camp for the first time in first grade, she thought she was the queen of the camp, and she ruled the whole camp. At dinner on the first night, she saw her whole camp eating dinner with their faces, and when she saw them eating with their faces, she thought, “What have I gotten myself into.”

When she was in third grade, she got two teeth pulled, and when she put them under pillow in the morning, she found $20 under her pillow. Who knows how that money gets there or what the tooth fairy does with our teeth?

Junior journalist describe pre-school adventure

Marshall Hoover
Junior Journalist

Ben Pires has a very interesting pre-school.

One day he and his friend Ben Forness were playing on the slide. They were pretending to fall off the slide and holding each other on. Ben P. was on the slide and Ben F. was holding him on. Ben F. was rolling Ben P. around and ended up dislocating his shoulder.

Ben P. said “It hurt like heck.”

 

 

 

Junior journalist shares favorites

Natalie Harhausen
Junior Journalist

Sky Mueller has one little sister. Her favorite food is mac and cheese. Her favorite color is orange.

Sky Mueller goes to Avery, and she is going in to fourth grade.

Her favorite land animal is armadillos. Her favorite water animal is the white whale. She has one pet at her house.

Her best friends are Sarah and Anna and Natalie. That is it. The end.

 

 

Camper shares feelings about pet, friends, mother

Olivia van Hoornbeek
Junior Journalist

Audrey Turley’s favorite sport is running.  Her favorite running athlete is Jackie Joyner Kersee. She likes her because she never gives up.

I asked Audrey what her reaction would be if she met Jackie.

“ I would shake her hand, ask for her autograph and ask to go on a run together,” said Audrey

If Audrey was a professional runner, she would like to run and live in Switzerland.

Audrey ran in the Festival of Miles in the fall.  She felt nervous, and she did not want to do it, but had fun in the end.

Audrey says keeping your stride is probably the hardest thing of running.  She likes to run because not many people do, and she likes to see how fast she can run.

Junior journalist wants teaching career

Sloane Carfield
Junior Journalist

Julia Fowler is nine years old. She would like to be a teacher when she grows up. She would like to be a teacher because she wants every kid to get the same opritunity as her.

Even if they don’t have money, Julia wants them to be able to learn the same things she did. Someday Julia wants every kid to be able to go to school and learn just like her, she said.

Julia lives with her mom, who is always making her feel safe at home, and her dad. She also has two brothers Camron and Clayton who always gets on her nerves, but she loves them anyway. Julia says she wishes everyone could have a family that loves them as much as her family loves her.

Camp counselor is creative

Chase Donnelly
Junior Journalist

ECHO camp counselor Gracie Hedenberg is a creative person. She seems to like to read and do sports.

She described herself as “Creative.”