Student Council hosts outdoor events

Caleb Singer-Holden staff writer

Student Council is currently hosting many events all taking place within the next couple weeks. The first event will be the drive-in movie they will be hosting on May 20. The movie being shown will be The Lego Movie by Phil Lord Christopher Miller.

This is the third time Student Council will be hosting this event. Kelly Grayshock, Student Council adviser , had said, “WHS Student Council sponsored the first Drive in Movie in 2021 as a student Social event. Because of the space restrictions for COVID , they had

Pets of WHS add to class environment

to be creative, so an outdoor event seemed great. This is our third year, and it has quickly become a tradition. This year we are reaching out to the elementary and middle schools to make this more of a Wooster community event.”

COVID caused changes with Student Council. Grayshock had said that the group has been working on changing what it means to be a student council member.

Grayshock went on to say, “Because of COVID and other factors, Student Council was put on hold and that caused some loss in momentum.

This past year, members have worked on structure, reorganization and new goals to help shape what

Laura Rapport a&e editor

WHS: aside from being a school, is home to many class pets, including snakes, fish, and gerbils.

Science Dept. member Matthew Knight has a snake in his classroom named Marley, fellow Science Dept. member Matthew Balsinger has fish in his room, English Dept. member Chelsey Eppler Porter has a snake named Indiana in her classroom, librarian Kelly Grayshock has gerbils named Tater and Tot in the library, and science teacher Miriam Stokes brings in her dog, Osa, the St. Bernard, every week.

According to petsintheclassroom. org, class pets can have numerous benefits for students. “Observing and caring for an animal instills a sense of responsibility and respect for life. A pet brings increased sensitivity and awareness of the feelings and needs of others—both animals and humans. Students will see directly how their behavior and actions affect others. Studies show they think Student Council can be. Most of the time, the student body sees the social events that Student Council sponsors, but we do so much more. Behind the scenes, members do community service, volunteering and collaboration with other clubs.” that the presence of animals tends to lessen tension in the classroom.” said the information page on petsintheclassroom.org.

The gates will be opening at 6:30 p.m. The cost for attending the movie will be $5 per person, and the event will also feature a Oh-Yo frozen yogurt truck that people can purchase from.

Another major event occurring will be Student Council elections for the next school year, which will be held April 25 and 26 during the school day. Posters are all over the school encouraging votes.

Grayshock spoke about why she keeps gerbils in the library, saying: “Pets, even tiny ones, are proven to decrease stress and anxiety. They also create educational opportunities.” She added that the gerbils have become very popular “Tater & Tot have become quite the celebrities and students and staff come to the library just to see them!”

Stokes spoke about her love of dogs, saying: “[Osa] is happy every single day… they ask for so little. They give so much and in return they just want food and love… We don’t deserve dogs.” Stokes’ dog is also a canine good citizen, which allows her to come into schools and other public places. Osa comes in every Friday and also has trading cards, which Stokes encourages students to get.

Class pets are good for students’ mental health and are also a fun addition to any classroom.