The Ramshack, located adjacent to the high school cafeteria, opened Sept. 3 to sell spirit wear to students.

Ramshack is student managed and provides opportunities for students to learn marketing and business beyond the classroom. Teacher Jessica Kennedy, 10 year advisor for Ramshack, guides the student leaders in making management decisions.

“The most important thing they learn, [is] just how important it is to value the customers’ money,” Kennedy said. “That’s their hard earned money that they’re trusting with us, so that trust is really important.”

Ramshack has around 20 students who participate, with over 100 applicants each year. In order to apply for Ramshack, students must first take Marketing 1. Kennedy recommends that students take more than one business class and be part of DECA to make their application stand out.

“Besides just the basics, I look for students that are very trustworthy because they’re dealing with money, they do have an added layer of responsibility,” Kennedy said.

Madison Stockwell is one of three student managers for this school year, and this will be her second year being part of Ramshack. This means that she helps other students who are just starting out and makes sure everything runs smoothly.

“We give back to the community because we’re a non-profit, so our money either goes to DECA or back into the school,” Stockwell said. “We also pick a local business or charity to donate to.”

Last year the Ramshack donated funds to the Ladue West Campus bathroom construction project. The bathrooms are now fully open and directly benefiting student athletes.

“The majority of the spirit wear that students have is from the Ramshack, and spirit wear helps to promote school spirit,” Stockwell said.

Over the years, Ramshack has become an essential component of the Ladue community, creating merchandise for various events, such as homecoming. Each year they come up with unique homecoming t-shirts available for students to purchase. These shirts contribute to the excitement surrounding a school event.

“I always tell students, the purpose of this class is not to make money, it’s to promote school spirit and community spirit,” Kennedy said.

Explore items and their prices offered in the Ramshack: