The Wooster Blade - Issue 8

THE WOOSTER BLADE

WOOSTER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER • 515 OLDMAN ROAD, WOOSTER, OH • JAN. 23, 2015 • VOLUME XV, ISSUE 8

Informed

FRONT

THE WOOSTER BLADE | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 2

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Pg. 4 front section 1-2

on campus 3-4

focus

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sports 7--8

cover section Front graphic by Han Mahle

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feature 11-12

a&e 13

trends 14

views

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THE WOOSTER BLADE

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Co-Editors-in-Chief Taylor Bennington and Jack Reynolds • Co-Webmasters Han Mahle and Shreya Gurumurthy • Business Managers Alex Hasapis and Paige Clayton • Graphics Editor Alex Hasapis • Managing Editor Paige Clayton • Front Editor Alli Wigham • Design Managers Samantha Brunn and Alli Wigham • On Campus Editor Jack Hartmann and Matt Friedhoff • Focus Editors Shiyuan Wang and Becca Foley • Trends Editors Bri Bocook and Claire Lanham • Sports Editors Eric Belcik and Luke Wiest • Arts & Entertainment Editors Mike O’Donnell and Ben Snoddy • Feature Editors Olivia Bernadine, Stefi Hernandez and Chloe Landers • Cover Editors Samantha Brunn and Mary Grace Gorman • Views Editors Alex Barnard and Stephen Kridel • Staff Writers Kayla Barnet, David Burnett, Isabelle Cannon, Kayla Cooper, Gaelan Gatz, Sarah Hopkins, Emma Jeffries, Nate King-Smith, Claire Lanham, Tatumn McGrew, Maureen McKeown, Ryan Miller, Hanna Morgan and Olivia Sleek • Photographers Casey Baik, Maggie Flechler, Becca Foley, Fred Holmes, Marcus Jeffries, Claire Lanham, Cain Lanker, Maureen McKeown, Madison Culver, Austin Miko and Grant Peabody • Cartoonists Grace Cheng, and Fred Holmes • Adviser Kristi Hiner The Wooster Blade is a biweekly student publication printed every other Friday by the Newspaper Production classes at Wooster High School.

The paper is designated as an open forum and follows publishing guidelines as established in a district-wide publications policy protecting students’ freedom of expression.

All copy, art and photography are property of The Wooster Blade and cannot be reproduced without permission. Letters to the editor are limited to 300 words and The Wooster Blade reserves the right to print and edit as per length and content.

The Wooster Blade is a member of Quill and Scroll, National Scholastic Press Association and Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

The Wooster Blade is printed in cooperation with Wooster’s The Daily Record. Letters and inquiries should be addressed to The Wooster Blade, 515 Oldman Road Wooster, Ohio 44691.

The Wooster Blade can be contacted at 330-345-4000 ext. 3210 or at thewoosterblade@gmail.com.

ON CAMPUS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 3

New video announcements crew expects successful semester JACK REYNOLDS co-editor-in-chief

WHS students and faculty are familiar with the weekly video announcements presented by the young men and women who comprise the TV Production team.

Traditionally, the team changes members with each semester, and this semester has a very noticeable change.

With a crew of 19 students, Nathan Greene, adviser to the TV Production class, notes this is one of the largest crews he has had.

“I am excited to work with the new production crew. There are a lot of new ideas coming in.

The fact that this is a larger than average crew provides us with a multitude of opportunities.

With larger numbers, we have more time for revision which will allow for better quality in

MAGGIE FLECHLER

Pictured above is the new video announcements crew for the second semester of the 2014-15 school year. The TV Production class is responsible for creating and presenting video announcements to the WHS population on a weekly basis. Video announcements usually air on Fridays during third period classes. the long run,” Greene said.

Returning TV Production member, Nick Williams (12),

already has aspirations and goals for the new semester.

“I hope we can bring some

independent and oftentimes causes procrastination to develop because of simply forgetting the assignment.”

Philip Klein, online instructor of Revolutionary History and Social Studies Dept. member, thinks online learning is a great teaching tool.

“But, it is only a tool. It is a new way of doing what teachers have always done,” Klein said.

According to Klein, online education provides diverse ways to learn self-driven learning and encourages communication.

However, Klein also believes there are problems involving technology and inexperience with online courses.

Hannah Otto (12) took Klein’s course this year.

“I really enjoyed working at my own pace and without the restraints of a classroom and rigid schedules. Doing online classes creates a freer schedule, but also teaches students time management. The only setback

is not having readily available students and/or teachers to collaborate with and find answers.

Independence is achieved but collaboration is put by the wayside,” Otto said.

Steve Young, online instructor of Health, appreciates the advancements and capabilities of the district that allow online education.

“In regard to WCS, we are extremely fortunate to have access to all of the computers, laptops and the rest of the technology we have. Wooster has invested a great deal into online learning and preparing their students for college.

Overall, I think it could be beneficial to invest in online learning to better prepare students for the next step in their education; I still feel the regular classroom setting and interaction is extremely important and beneficial,” Young said.

There are still improvements to be made in the future use of online education in the WCSD.

Online classes provide new opportunities OLIVIA BERNADINE feature editor

WHS is now offering online courses for students to take throughout the year.

The new program offers mixed reactions for those who partake in it.

Bryan Ehrlinspiel, online instructor of American Popular Culture and Social Studies Dept. member, commends online education.

“For high school students in 2015, online learning is a reality.

I highly recommend all college bound students take at least one online class while in high school because a lot of postsecondary education will take place online,” Ehrlinspiel said.

Aiche N’Diaye (12) took the American Pop Culture course this year.

“Personally, I think that the online classes were a good idea because it gave a wider array of class options. But, they really put a lot of stress on the students because it is really

announcements and segments that make sense and have purpose. I also hope that we

are able to provide the spoken announcements with a little more color. A few laughs would be great as well,” Williams said.

“Most of the students are here for the first time. Each crew member adds more diversity to the class which is definitely a huge change compared to crews in the past,” Williams added.

Fourteen of the 19 students enrolled in TV Production are first time members. Michael Heidelman (12) is new to Video Production and is excited to be a part of the team.

“I hope that we can bring more creativity, and ideas, and such. I’ve always loved film, it’s solid,” Heidelman said.

The Video Announcements are presented Fridays during third period and will feature new TV Production members throughout the rest of the year.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 4

Schaeffer advances in bee DAVID BURNETT staff-writer

Following years of holding the event, Wooster finally put their geography bee on the map.

According to National Geographic, national geography bees have taken place since 1989.

For 25 years, the final round was hosted and judged by Alex Trebek, host of the iconic quiz show, “Jeopardy.” The contest is rigorous, with numerous rounds required to crown a champion.

Wooster’s eighth grade geography bee took place Dec. 20.

Scott Miller, History Dept. member, has led and advised the event for several years.

According to Miller, 43 students tried out for the bee in the preliminary round, tasked

with more simple multiple choice questions.

Of the 43, 10 advanced to take the stage in front of 270 of their classmates, teachers, and administrators.

Miller had few reservations, stating, “The only unfortunate reality of this move is that seventh graders who are uncertain about the event can’t get a preview of it. Hopefully, the word will get out to those students that this is a great event.”

Upon correctly answering the final round question, Matthew Schaeffer took home the first place trophy. Finishing runnerup was Joshua Lantis.

Lantis was pleased with the result, stating, “I studied more U.S. geography to prepare for this year’s bee, and it really seemed to pay off.”

For Schaeffer, the road to

Winning Question: Which African Nation holds Lake Tunga and a large number of African Lions?

-- The Congo

the National Geography Bee has just begun. Schaeffer will be required to take a comprehensive exam. The exam consists of multiple choice, short answer, and for the first time ever, extended essay responses.

Schaeffer hopes to advance far and anxiously awaits the return of his test results.

Cleveland Clinic eXpressions:

Webster wins third place HANNA MORGAN staff-writer

WHS student, Lauren Webster (12) recently won a third place, white ribbon award for the Cleveland Clinic eXpressions contest.

Art Dept. member, Tricia Taggart said, “There were over 70 topics to choose from, but Lauren selected an organ donation research topic.”

Webster submitted two paintings that were connected together by the arms.

“My job was to help people better understand how organ donation works,”Webster said.

The body on the bottom was the donor and the body on top was the receiver. The two hands were then portrayed as touching, showing the life going from one body to the next.

“There were over 1,200 submissions, so this is a great honor. Her image is beautiful, and meaningful,” Taggart said.

Webster titled her piece of artwork “The Core of Recycling,” which she says has meaningful symbolism to it.

“When it comes to organ donation, it is like you’re recycling an organ and putting it to use in someone else’s body. The core meaning within.

I believe I received this award because I put a lot of time and effort into it,” Webster said.

Webster plans on continuing her art career at The Cleveland Insitute of Art. Along with Webster, Taggart agrees she should pursue a career in the art field as she gets older.

According the Cleveland Clinic website, the eXpressions meet is on Jan. 29 in Cleveland.

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FOCUS With Manuel Gonzalez

A

&

Manuel Gonzalez was born in Cuba in 1997 via a visa lottery.

He now works as a Spanish teacher at St. Mary DY ABO School and still has T PE N A GR family in Cuba.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 5 SHREYA GURUMURTHY co-webmaster

MARY GRACE GORMAN cover editor

What were your impressions of the Castro regime?

When I lived there, I had no idea. For me, it was the only thing I knew, so I couldn’t compare. Once I left the island, then I realized how bad it was when I compared the United States to Cuba. And, everything I knew for 15 years was not true. So everything is-- you have to do whatever they tell you. You have to go to the doctor when they tell you, you go to the bathroom when they tell you. He tells you what to eat, what to study, what to do, everyday.

How do you think you would have felt if you were still living there before you came to the United States, regarding the normalization of relations with Cuba?

If I lived in Cuba, I’d probably feel good about it because I have family here [U.S.], so I knew I was going to be able to come in and out. Also, it’s something new. In reality, when I talked to my family, they have no idea that that happened. My family in Cuba have no idea that this trade or these changes are happening. So it’s a different level. People in that country don’t know.

What is your opinion about normalizing relations, and would you say that it is common among most CubanAmericans?

I have mixed feelings... because I think the Cuban government is showing a fake face... The other part, that I think is good, is that they had something for over 50 years that doesn’t work, so maybe this will work... I think the new Cubans, the younger generation, yes, probably yes. But, the older generation that came in the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, no, because when they left Cuba, Castro took stuff from them. Broke their family. Killed their family. So they don’t want to see Cuba with Castro. For me, if the people over there are okay, in Cuba, if it seems the people are better, then it’s fine. Maybe Castro has decided it’s time for a change, and I’m okay with that.

Wooster community celebrates MLK HAN MAHLE co-webmaster

To celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the College of Wooster and the Wooster City School District combined efforts in a morning of events and seminars at the College of Wooster on Jan. 19 to explore racial and societal issues, as well as recognize the legacy of Dr. King.

The effort was described

by Wooster City Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Tefs as, “an attempt to be more purposeful and strategic for the week leading up to the holiday and the actual MLK Day.” Tefs also sees the collaboration as a way to bring unity in the line-up of events in the community celebrating Dr. King’s life and legacy saying, “This marks the first year for a collective and coordinated effort.”

The day opened with a morning college and community-wide assembly

in McGaw Chapel at the College of Wooster followed by numerous seminars throughout the College of Wooster Campus.

WHS students Grace Cheng (12), David Burnett (12) and Makayla Williams (9) were recognized at the morning assembly for placing first, second and third, respectively, in the essay competition commemorating Dr. King organized by the Wooster and Orrville NAACP. The students were also awarded cash prizes and plaques, according to WHS Guidance Counselor Cheryl Goff, who served as the WHS representative to the collaboration.

Goff found the collaboration fulfilling, saying, “It has been extremely rewarding to see the participation of the students.

Dr. Martin L. King’s holiday is not just a day to have off from school or work; it is a day to serve others.”

Polly Fenton, Edgewood

Middle School language arts teacher and gifted intervention specialist, echoed Goff’s enthusiasm for the inaugural year of the collaboration, saying she is, “hopeful that this is just the beginning for the collaboration.”

Fenton and Goff comprised half of the WCS representatives in the collaboration, which also included Melrose and Parkview Elementary teacher Ashley Bowman and Parkview Elementary third grade teacher Jamie Morris, according to the Wooster City Schools website.

Tefs sees the events as an important way to incorporate education into a day off from school.

“Dr. King’s birthday leverages a terrific opportunity to reflect and discuss race, social justice and reconciliation in our nation,” Tefs said.

Goff, Tefs and Fenton all supported the continuation of the celebration and the collaboration with the College of Wooster.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | FOCUS | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 6

WCSD pairs with American Heart Association to raise awareness CHLOE LANDERS feature editor

The month of February traditionally conjures up images of pink, frilly hearts, but for Tricia Taggart, a WHS Art Dept. member, hearts take on a much more literal meaning.

Taggart is a captain of “Sisters & Friends for Adam,”

a subject very close to her heart.

This Heart Walk team raises money for awareness and research annually at the OARDC in September.

Taggart explained how her heart became entangled in the disease.

“My nephew, Adam Carathers, was born with a heart defect over 12 years ago, and I’ve been an advocate for

heart disease and heart-related issues ever since,” Taggart said.

Now, Taggart and the rest of the Wooster City School district are teaming up with the American Heart Association in the month of February with a series of activities and events at each school.

Parkview’s AHA correspondent and Physical

Education Dept. member, Matthew Giordano, thinks the collaboration across the district is extremely important.

Along with raising awareness about AHA to students, Giordano finds it beneficial that the district can participate as a whole and raise more money.

Director of Elementary Education and event coordinator, Karen Arbogast,

has been organizing events such as Jump Rope for the Heart, Hoops for Heart and Black Out. Districtwide heart awareness spirit week will begin on Feb. 2.

Students and parents will be able to purchase an “It’s Your Life” t-shirt for $10 in The General Store. Sales will go to benefit the AHA and its efforts to combat heart disease and raise awareness.

public office.

Recently, he was elected as speaker pro tempore in the Ohio House of Representatives.

He was a reporter for The Daily Record, which sparked his interest in running for office.

Jim Carmichael, who previously worked with

Amstutz, said, “As County Commissioner, I will be looking forward to work with Ron for the next two years.”

Amstutz will be entering his 39th year of public service.

His new position comes with various new responsibilities.

“As speaker pro tempore I will be able to fill the duties for the current speaker, and help

guide policy making overall,” Amstutz said.

WHS Student Body President, Taylor Bennington (12) had the chance to work with Amstutz this summer as an intern.

“I had the opportunity to work with Representative Amstutz this past summer as he was campaigning for the speakership, and it was

a true honor. Rep. Amstutz is one of the most genuine leaders we have serving us in Columbus. We are truly lucky to call him our representative,” Bennington said.

Rep. Amstutz was recently sworn into office as representative of the first house district, and will be completing his final term.

Rep. Amstutz elected to Ohio legislature leadership position RYAN MILLER staff writer

After taking office as the mayor of Orrville in 1976, Ron Amstutz has held many positions, including various public offices at the local and state level.

Before becoming mayor, he had little interest in running for

Belles & Beaus opens in town MAUREEN MCKEOWN staff writer

Belles & Beaus LLC. is a new party boutique, which is located on 2651 Cleveland Rd. in Wooster.

The store specializes in giving boys and girls their dream parties in order for them to celebrate their special occasions.

Audrey Cass (10), a party assistant at Belles & Beaus, believes the store will become very popular for young children. In addition to celebrating FRED HOLMES their special days, Belles & Beaus Belles & Beaus off ers celebrations and employees will cut the children’s hair, do their make-up, paint their parties for children under the age of 18. nails or anything else the children may want.

The workers at Belles & Beaus generally enjoy work. Navi Kinkopf (10), also a party assistant at Belles & Beaus, stated,“The best part about working at Belles & Beaus is that you get to see the kids feel like they are special, and that makes me happy.”

Sarah Zimmerly owns and runs Belles & Beaus. She was inspired by her own personal experiences to open the store. She has a 6-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son and wanted to open a boutique like the ones that she would send her own children to.

Zimmerly would like to open more boutiques, like Belles & Beaus, in the future in Wooster. Belles & Beaus is unique because it caters to children ages 18 and younger.

Sports

THE WOOSTER BLADE | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 7

Beauty and the Beast continues to draw crowds and cheers BRI BOCOOK

trends editor The annual Beauty and the Beast tournament seemed to be a success for both the beauties and the beasts on January 14.

The Beauty and The Beast competition is a very unique event that happens once a year.

It is a competition that holds both gymnastics and wrestling under one roof at the closest location, the WHS gymnasium.

It originated last year because the teams wanted more attention brought to them, so they banded together to create an event that would do so.

Morgan Bright (12) enjoyed her final Beauty and the Beast meet and will miss competing, but she will not miss some things that come with it.

“I will definitely miss having the competition because it is

competition is a great idea and has lots of benefits,” Bright said.

The wrestling team also enjoys the meet as much as the gymnastics team.

Jacob Saal (11) shares that his favorite part of the meet was seeing how many students came to support the athletes because it creates a great environment for them to wrestle in.

Saal believes this event creates many CASEY BAIK advantages for both teams and is excited Aaron Saal (left) wrestles an opponent from Ashland during the Beauty to continue the and the Beast competition. Aleesha Vaughn (right) finishes her routine. tradition.

“I look forward to continuing this a very different atmosphere However, I may not miss the tradition because it’s really just and I love having the support work and time to make it a fun environment to be in with from my fellow classmates. happen. I must say this

Cavs fans should relax

ERIC BELCIK sports editor

Relax, Cavs fans.

Despite the Cleveland Cavaliers semi rough start, Cleveland fans have nothing to worry about.

The NBA is a league of runs.

Currently, the Cavs are on a bad run, bolstering a record of 22-20, with defense being the main issue and the secondary issue being the lack of team chemistry.

However, the media easily forgets the stretch of eight consecutive wins earlier in the season.

The current Cavaliers record does not reflect how their season will go, because of one

key reason.

The NBA regular season does not matter.

With more than half of the league making the playoffs and the Eastern conference being incredibly weak, the Cavaliers can make the playoffs with a record under 500.

Now, let us go over why the Cavaliers can make a legitimate playoff run.

First off, the Cavs roster has greatly improved in the past month. Lebron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, combined with the heavily improved role players, such as J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert can easily lead the team to the Eastern Conference finals.

At that point, I believe the Cavaliers will go against the Chicago Bulls or the Washington Wizards.

The reason I do not include the Hawks or Raptors is because they lack the presence of a star player.

All in all, Cavaliers fans should be pleased with a chance to play in the Eastern Conference Finals.

A.H.

all the students cheering us on and the fact that the wrestlers and the gymnasts can share the home gym and create a fun event for all the viewers, which is an advantage,” Saal said.

Hannah Knapic (9) agrees with Saal, saying the meet was a success with the attendance and the support they received.

“My favorite part was how many people showed up and how much support we received from the school,” Knapic said.

Knapic sees this tradition as a fun one and she hopes to continue it because it is so unique. The gymnastics team fell to second behind Wadsworth, but the wrestlers managed a win against Dalton before a loss to Ashland.

The wrestling team will host the Wooster Invite Saturday and the gymnastics team travels to Cloverleaf Tuesday.

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THE WOOSTER BLADE | SPORTS | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 8

Loss of sports broadcaster impacts entire community WHS voices their opinions JACK HARTMANN on campus editor

They are on our televisions and our radios; however: the face behind the voice commonly goes unnoticed.

On Jan. 4, the world of sportscasters lost a legend in Stuart Scott, at the age of 49.

Scott was a very well respected member of the sports world and, no matter what struggle he faced, Scott always approached every struggle with a positive mindset as shown in his speech at the ESPYS in 2014.

It took a tragedy in Scott’s death to open the eyes of

the world and realize the importance of a sportscaster.

“I always just thought they announced games, I never realized how much work they actually put in day in and day out,” Brett Lepley (12) said.

According to CFNC.com, when watching a televised event, there are two types of broadcasters: a play-byplay analyst and a color commentator.

The play-by-play commentator, obviously, gives live play-by-play of the event, while the color commentator fills in gaps during the event, as well as provides commentary for pregame, postgame and intermission shows.

A sportscaster’s day can start as early as 7 a.m. and end as late as 1 a.m. depending on what they are covering.

Sportscasters spend just as much time, if not more, preparing for things including interviews, injury reports and pregame story lines then they

do actually on the air.

“When I heard that Stuart had passed, it made my heart sink, he was the face of ESPN for as long as I can remember. It really opens our eyes on the legacy these people leave not only on the screen, but behind the scenes,” administrative intern, Brandon Cobb said.

The sports broadcasting business is not all fun and games and it is not just commentating sporting events on a daily or weekly basis.

The business includes long stressful hours just like any other job, however, that is what we do not see.

Scott’s death was tragic, however, his legacy will live on forever; hopefully giving us a greater appreciation for the sports broadcasting business.

Which network has the best overall sports broadcasters?

Who is your favorite sports broadcaster?

“When you die, that does not mean you lose to cancer, you beat cancer by how you live, why you live and in the manner in which you live. So live, live, fight like hell. And when you get too tired, [lie] down, rest and let someone else fight for you.” - Stuart Scott

POLL CONDUCTED BY OLIVIA SLEEK ON JAN. 16, 2015. 119 STUDENTS WERE POLLED DURING LUNCHES A,B AND C.

“They’ve set a standard here. They’ve had enough guys come through that the older guys are able to pass down to the younger guys: ‘This is how we do it. This is the approach we take.’ That means something.

That expectation level is a very powerful thing. He has said that youth might be a factor, but that it won’t be an excuse.

He has those guys believing that they’re going to overcome the issues they have and still win. When they step onto the court, it’s not a question of are we going to win? It’s a question of how we’re going to win. That’s what tradition is. They’re establishing that here”- Jay Bilas

QUOTES COMPILED BY ALEX BARNARD. QUOTES FROM BRAINERYQUOTE.COM AND FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES.

ABC NBC FOX ESPN

Other Bob Costas Arlo White Mike Green Joe Buck

Sports anchors give words to live by “When the going gets tough, I’m not always sure what you do. I’m not saying that I know how to fix everything when the going gets tough, but I do know this: when the going goes tough, you don’t quit. And you don’t fold up. And you don’t go in the other direction.” -John Madden

CBS

Stuart Scott

COVER

THE WOOSTER BLADE | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 9

THE WOOSTER BLADE STAFF HOPES TO SHED LIGHT ON MISUNDERSTANDINGS IN HISTORY AND THE MEDIA. AS JOURNALISTS, IT IS OUR GOAL TO PROVIDE ALL SIDES OF A STORY EQUALLY.

SELECTED TEXT FROM “CAUTION: THIS IS A LIE”

PIERRE PAUL guest writer

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue...and proceeded to enslave some 250,000 men and women and make them work in his gold mines.

But, some two years into this process, he worked nearly half of them to death. Oh, and he also sold the native girls into prostitution... but he is our hero. After all, he was the first to discover America.

Actually, no he did not. The Viking Leif Ericson and his crew were first. But, you know what they say: first is worst, second is best, right? Well, about some 14,000 years before Columbus was even conceived,

the Native Americans found it. So he is sitting at around.. hmmm, carry the one, about 1 millionth.

We know Abraham Lincoln for his amazing leadership; his famous words, “All men are created equal” and he even passed the Emancipation Proclamation, to show even African Americans are equal as well.

But, in 1858, during a series of debates in Illinois for the U.S. Senate, Stephen Douglas accused Lincoln of supporting, “Negro equality.”

Lincoln made his position very clear in saying, I quote, “I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races.”

It is funny how hearing the actual words, instead of a rough interpretation of the real quote, can change your view, but that is the problem.

We have become so fine with what is printed that we do not look into the fine print to find the whole truth.

We have become so

accustomed to interpreting general knowledge as fact that we tend to lose the real side of things.

My sister would always tell me that there were three sides to every story: your side, my side and the truth. In order to really understand why finding the truth is so complex, we must realize what makes people accept anything as fact.

As Stephen Dunbar and Steven Levitt, authors of the award-winning novel Freakonomics, explain in the first chapter of their book, the spike in murders by teens in 1995 and then sudden drop in the years to follow, leading to the lowest crime rate in 35 years was not because of the roaring ‘90s economy, gun control, or New York City’s crime strategies.

While these explanations may seem plausible, in actuality, they fall short. Simply put, these ideas confuse and confound the landscape of reality replacing the truth with misguided assumption.

So, why did the crime rate drop? The truth is much more obscure and harder to understand.

Turns out, abortion laws led to the drop in homicides. Mothers in environments or situations which may lead their “at risk” child into criminal behavior, chose to terminate their pregnancies, thus avoiding a potential risk of crime by their unborn children. While we can understand this now, this situation clearly shows the trend: components that seem factual automatically are recognized as such, because we do not fully understand them.

CBS news finds on average, “Americans ages 15 to 24 spend almost two hour a day watching television, and only seven minutes of their daily leisure time on reading.” I know, we are too busy to read!

We have important assignments to procrastinate on!

This is why Kenny Thompson, author of the newspaper Cracked, wrote an article titled, “6 Terrifying User Agreements

You’ve Probably Accepted.”

Among these agreements, you can see that if a user posts selfies to most social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, they own them, and have the right to do whatever they please with the photos.

Because in those guidelines that we happily accepted, it blatantly states these companies have license to reproduce or distribute your product as they would like. So, you do not remember agreeing to a YOLO tattoo across your chest? Not according to the last selfie you posted. The Guardian finds that only 7 percent of people actually read the guidelines to which they agree.

So let us enlarge the font on life, and realize that if Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, we should know what benefits came our way.

And, if in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue, what did he do there? The only way to find the truth is to seek answers. If the truth is inaudible, crank up the volume. Because it is up to us.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | COVER | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 10

Hactivism: admirable, but futile Stop mocking repressive tyrant

SHIYUAN WANG

focus editor Anonymous recently struck again.

After the horrific shooting in Paris in which terrorists attacked a controversial French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, Anonymous retaliated by attacking Twitter accounts of various terrorist organizations, according to an article b y The

Guardian called, “Anonymous target terrorist Twitter accounts after Charlie Hebdo attack” written on Jan. 12, 2015.

By now, I have gotten used to the brand of justice this hacktivist group carries out on its own, specifically when Anonymous revealed the hidden story of a horrific rape that happened at a high school in Steubenville.

I think of Anonymous as the group that tries to defend the little people.

In many ways, I applaud Anonymous for their efforts to dig deeper than what appears on the surface to uncover the truth of what is really going on around the world.

However, while I approve of Anonymous’s intentions, I do not necessarily approve of the way they carry them out.

Their actions are illegal, and Anonymous members have been arrested in the past for breaking the law.

Their activities usually involve hacking into government agencies to reveal hidden information to the public.

And, while Anonymous’s intentions may be focused on bringing about real change in the world, it is not really possible for them to bring about this change effectively because of their illegal activities.

Anonymous calls attention to a certain issue for some amount of time, but sooner or later, the world moves on, and we are left with no major changes in policy to correct the issue at hand.

SHREYA GURUMURTHY

co-webmaster When most Americans think of North Korea, we do not usually picture work camps or atrocious torture, or the state of poverty and impressment in which their people are living; rather, we think of their crazy leader, Kim Jong Un, as he attempts to be the supreme leader of the land and creates propaganda with photos of himself riding a unicorn.

Belittling North Korea’s torturous acts leads us, as Americans and Westerners, to disregard the pain North Koreans endure. Instead of trivializing the situation, we should be making efforts to improve the lives of their people.

The movie The Interview created a huge splash in the international community. Portraying the assassination of another country’s leader made North Korea angrier with the Western world than it already was, but it also trivialized the acts of torture executed by the North Korean government.

Americans were outraged when we discovered the NSA was spying on our every move. Imagine the reaction if we were denied our most basic human rights. Yet, we do not have this same reaction to situations in other countries like North Korea, in which the basic rights of their people are oppressed.

Unfortunately, we do not understand that a movie like The Interview and the Charlie Hebdo cartoon are blatant acts of provocation rather than defenses of free speech. And, although we should not disregard how they react to our acts, we should try to avoid provoking further acts of terrorism.

Therefore, rather than joking about their leader, the West must make an effort to address the problems in North Korea and make it clear to their leader that we will not tolerate their acts of violence against their people.

Public dodges uncomfortable conversation about terror tactics

MARY GRACE GORMAN cover editor

Early last December, the Senate Intelligence Committee released the CIA Torture Report.

According to Vox’s Dec. 11 article, “16 absolutely outrageous abuses detailed in the CIA torture report,” the techniques included

waterboarding, rectal feeding, and depriving detainees of sleep for over a week at a time, not to mention that at least 26 of these people were wrongfully held.

The fact that even some of these prisoners were innocent should, in and of itself, be a cause for enormous concern.

But, instead of being outraged over our heinous breaches of human rights, Americans were more concerned about optics.

In 2003, in the midst of the offenses, President Bush highlighted our hypocrisy as he spoke at the UN International Day in Support of the Victims of Torture, saying, “[The] United States is committed to the world-wide elimination of torture, and we are leading this

fight by example,” according to a Dec. 11 Reuters article entitled, “Details of how U.S.

they don’t like this country, they want us to look bad.”

Sadly, plenty of Americans

“THIS ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION TO SHOW US HOW WE’RE NOT AWESOME,” TANTAROS SAID. rebuked foreign regimes while using same torture methods.”

Fox News’ Outnumbered host Andrea Tantaros eloquently encapsulated the feeling when she said, “The United States of America is awesome… this administration wants to have this discussion to show us how we’re not awesome. They apologized for this country,

actually agree, at least in part, with Tantaros’ view.

“Overall, the public expresses the most doubt not about the CIA methods and program itself, but about the Senate committee’s decision to release its report,” wrote the Pew Research Center on Dec. 15, in an article called, “About half see CIA interrogation methods

as justified.”

This is ridiculous. We should be outraged over torture, not transparency. We act hypocritically when we ask the government to reveal select secrets and shield us from the harsh realities of others.

Torture may be effective as punishment, but it is not the most effective way to obtain information, as the Atlantic pointed out on Dec. 14 in an article called, “The humane interrogation technique that actually works.”

We become indignant when others commit torture. If we truly believe that America is “awesome,” we need to hold our government to higher standards.

FEATURE

THE WOOSTER BLADE | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 11

Do you know who is believed to be behind the Sony attacks?

45% YES

55% NO

On Nov. 24, Sony Pictures discovered their network was hacked and a large amount of their data was leaked, according to “The Sony hack: how it happened, who is responsible and what we’ve learned,” by Timothy Lee published in Vox on Dec. 14, 2014. The hackers then threatened 9/11 style attacks if Sony’s new movie, The Interview, was released. Sony initially gave in to the threats saying it would not release the movie, but later decided to release it online and in select theaters. The FBI confirmed that North Korea was in fact behind the attack and threat against The Interview.

How well are WHS students keeping up on current events?

Students of WHS were asked a series of questions having to do with the latest top news stories.

The results are as follows.

Did you know about Do you know what ISIS President Obama’s recent claims their purpose is? call for executive action?

24% YES

76% NO

President Obama recently announced his, “immigration accountability executive action” on Nov. 20 and Nov. 21. The series of steps taken in this plan will make amends to an outdated immigration system. This plan includes giving temporary immigration protection to the non-citizen parents of U.S. citizens, as well as fixing out-of-date visa provisions, according to “A Guide to the Immigration Accountability Executive Action” on immigrationpolicy.org.

Polls and blurbs conducted by Luke Wiest, Sarah Hopkins, Isabelle Cannon and Kayla Cooper

41% YES

59% NO

ISIS, or the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, was started as a splinter group of al Qaeda in 2006, according to “ISIS Fast Facts,” from the CNN library on Nov. 17, 2014. ISIS became infamous after the publicly released videos of the executions of journalists and others, including Americans James Foley and Steven Sotloff. As of late, the group holds hundreds of miles of area in Iraq and Syria. The aim of ISIS is to create an Islamic state across the Sunni areas of Iraq and Pakistan, which is then ruled by Sharia law.

Did you know about the CIA torture reports?

45% YES

On Dec. 9, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released a report on the intelligence practices of the CIA after 9/11. The report describes torture techniques such as waterboarding, sleep deprivation and death threats that did not lead to useful intelligence. The committee found the interrogation program did not have sufficient oversight and wrongfully held 26 people, according to “7 Key Points From the C.I.A. Torture Report,” by Jeremy Ashkenas, Hannah Fairfield, Josh Keller and Paul Volpe in The New York Times on Dec. 9, 2014.

Do you know who Ohio’s governor is?

54% YES

55% NO

46% NO

Republican Governor John Kasich was elected in 2010 after beating the incumbent Governor Ted Strickland.

Kasich was re-elected in 2014 when he defeated Ed Fitzgerald. Kasich has shaken off reports he will run for president in 2016, but according to “Ohio Gov. John Kasich potential presidential candidate,” written

by Tom Troy and Jim Provance published by The Toledo Blade on Nov.11, 2014, Republican candidate polls show he has enough support to attempt a presidential campaign.

Do you know the significance of #JeSuisCharlie?

39% NO

61% YES

On Jan. 7, 2015, a terrorist act in Paris left 12 people dead and 10 injured.

According to an article entitled “Charlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror” published on Jan. 14, 2015, on bbc. com, two masked gunmen attacked the Charlie Hebdo offices after the newspaper showed controversial depictions of the prophet Muhammad.

Millions of people then adopted the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie, meaning “I am Charlie,” in support of the cause.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | JAN. 23, 2015 | FEATURE | PAGE 12

Agent This app is useful in many different situations throughout everyday activity. Worried about receiving an important text while driving?

Agent will read the text aloud to allow drivers to focus on the road.

This app is constructed to keep a phone’s battery life longer. Agent has many other benefits, as it can help users find their car in a parking lot or silencing a user’s phone while they have an event planned on the calendar of their phone. The only downfall of this miracle app is that it is not available on iOS.

Only available to Android users, this app is completely free. Using the Android proximity sensor, the app will turn users screens off when put on a flat service or put in a pocket. Along with that, the app will turn the screen on when taken out of a pocket or picked up from a flat service. This app is always convenient for anyone in a rush.

Developed by Urbandroid, Twilight is a free app that filters out the blue light from a phone screen, which is harmful to the melatonin cycle in the brain. This filter, in turn, helps users maintain a healthy circadian sleep schedule. The app also comes with a nifty automation setting that syncs a screen with the sun cycle, and automatically turns on from sunset to sunrise. Urbandroid claims it adds one hour of sleep to its users on average.

Highly customizable and versatile, Twilight is one of the most useful apps to regulate your sleep cycle.

An app with the sole purpose to help users live in the “moment” and allows for the limiting of usage on products that use iOS. With this app, parents are able to track how long their children have been using their iPhones or iPads. The app allows restrictions to be set on how long users are on their devices and also notifys when users get close to their usage limitation.

Make Your

Twilight

Call Guard

Moment

Gravity Screen

A telemarketer’s nightmare and a cell phone users daydream. This app lets users block calls and text messages.

If they do not want to go to such extreme measures, they can always just have it mute certain calls or send them straight to voicemail. With this app, users can create a “white lists,” which allows them to only take calls from those on that list, or the “black lists,” which allows them to ignore all the numbers on the list. For the small cost of $2.99, this app is sure to give the privacy wanted.

Cover

Smartphone Smarter

Cover is an app that modifies a lock screen based upon the user’s location and the time of day. If the user is at school or work and typically use apps such as Gmail, Dropbox, and a calculator, Cover will recognize that and place those apps on the user’s lock screen for quick and easy access. Then if you go home, Cover will replace the work-time apps with Netflix and Spotify, or whatever apps users use most. Cover’s ability to get to know how and when user’s use their device and then reshape the lockscreen from that knowledge makes it a very convenient app to have.

Blurbs compiled by Ben Snoddy

Smartphones progress, developing new features BECCA FOLEY

focus editor A smartphone is defined by Google as, “a cellular phone that performs many of the functions of a computer, typically having a touchscreen interface, Internet access and an operating system capable of running downloaded applications.”

This definition has evolved a great deal in the past few decades.

In 1994, IBM and BellSouth introduced the bulky and pricey Simon Personal Communicator,

a phone and personal digital assistant that was noted as the first smartphone, according to pcmag.com.

With a touch screen and icons to access e-mail, a calendar and a single game, this phone was considered a groundbreaking innovation.

Following the Simon Personal Communicator were smartphones, including the Ericsson R380 in 2000, Nokia Communicator line-up in 2001, the BlackBerry in 2004, the Moto Razr in 2005 and the iPhone in 2007, according to ibtimes.com.

With each new release of these phones came advances in the screen of the phone, the size

prices ranging from $599 to $1,099, depending on the contract purchased with the

shape of the phone and the way the phone operates.

The Simon Personal Communicator was sold at

phone, according to an article titled “Meet Simon, the World’s First Smartphone” on dailymail. co.uk.

Smartphone: “a cellular phone that performs many of the functions of a computer, typically having a touchscreen interface, Internet access, and an operating system capable of running downloaded applications.”

Today, the iPhone 6 costs anywhere from $200 to $1,000, depending on the storage, size, color and contract the buyer choose.

Today’s, average smartphone lives up to its name with high quality cameras, access to cellular data, hours of battery life and a multitude of apps and games available.

From the Simon Personal Communicator to the BlackBerry to the Samsung Galaxy S5, smartphones continue to evolve and slowly replace many jobs of the modern day computer.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT If you like Bob Dylan, you might like...

THE WOOSTER BLADE | JAN 23. 2015 | PAGE 13

Most anticipated pop culture of 2015

House of Cards - Season 3. Feb. 27 - House of Cards’ highly anticipated third season is set to be released Feb. 14 on Netflix. After faring well at the Golden Globes, with Kevin Spacey winning best performance by an actor in a TV series, it has gained even more popularity than ever before. Frank Underwood will return with all the knuckleknocking and conniving politics we have come to expect.

Now that Frank has reached his seemingly ultimate goal, viewers cannot wait to see what he will do next.

1

The Tallest Man On Earth In a similar fashion to Bob Dylan, The Tallest Man on Earth’s minimalism in his music accents his unique voice, as well as his exceptional talent finger-picking the acoustic guitar.

Occasionally accompanied by the piano, The Tallest Man on Earth lets his voice dominate most tracks, telling stories of love, loss and wanderlust.

If you like Foster the People,

Taylor Swift’s “1989 World Tour.” February-December, 2015 - After a highly successful 2014 following the release of her fifth studio album 1989, Taylor Swift plans to spend the new year touring the world, with her highly anticipated 1989 World Tour. Playing hits such as “Shake it off,” “Blank Space” and “Welcome to New York,” Swift is sure to wow audiences worldwide. Beginning in February and ending in December, fans will have plenty of chances to see this highly anticipated show.

2

you might like...

The Hateful Eight - Nov. 13, 2015 - The Hateful Eight is the highly anticipated eighth film from the talented writer/ director Quentin Tarantino. The film will be Tarantino’s take on the classic archetype of America’s wild west, and will feature big name actors such as Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher, 21 Jump Street) and Samuel L. Jackson (Django Unchained, Pulp Fiction). Long-time Tarantino fans and newcomers alike are all anxiously awaiting Tarantino’s adaptation of the unforgiving ways of the west.

3

Portugal. The Man Much like Foster the People, Portugal. The Man utilizes an eclectic combination of electronic effects to make a refreshingly unique sound. Though some of the band’s earlier work is comparable to Led Zeppelin in its sound, its more recent work is much mellower and draws more influence from the indie pop movement.

If you like The Black Keys, you might like...

White Denim With a bit of a cleaner sound than The Black Keys, White Denim draws on influences from the ‘70s and delivers an emotional musical experience. With a small but dedicated following, White Denim delivers both a close, personal show and a strong studio sound. White Denim has the same jam session feel in their songs as The Black Keys that makes their music so enjoyable.

Star Wars: Battlefront - Late 2015 - The longawaited reprisal of the LucasArts video game franchise Battlefront will finally come late in 2015. Developed by the studio EA Digital Illusions CE, maker of popular video game Battlefield, the new Battlefront game will be a large step from the original Battlefront games of 2004 and 2005. More details will likely be announced at this year’s E3 conference, though a teaser trailer showing some gameplay has already been released. Star Wars: Battlefront will be released around the same time as Episode 7, making a big year for the Star Wars franchise.

4

5

Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens - Dec. 18, 2015 - The seventh movie of the Star Wars saga is hitting the big screen in December. Unlike the other Star Wars films, The Force Awakens will be directed

by J.J. Abrams (Star Trek Into Darkness, Super 8).

The big three of Mark Hamill, as Luke Skywalker; Harrison Ford, as Han Solo; and Carrie Fisher, as Leia Skywalker will be returning. Joining them on screen is Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, Drive), Domhnall Gleeson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Unbroken) and Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Prestige).

Blurbs by Ben Snoddy and Michael O’Donnell. Photos courtesy of flickr.com, starwarsbattlefront.com, whitedenimmusic.com and portugaltheman.com

TRENDS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 14

BLADE discovers the evolution of the “selfie”

1839

The first selfie was taken

by Robert Cornelius.

2002

The word “selfie” was first used to describe a photo.

2010

Instagram was founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger.

2013

“Selfie” was officially added to the Oxford Dictionary.

2015

Kim Kardashian is set to release her book “Selfish.”

ThinkUp modernizes

Selfie traced back

SAMANTHA BRUNN

KAYLA BARNET

cover editor

staff writer

ThinkUp is an online service that analyzes a user’s online media presence.

ThinkUp emails users daily insights on things they have posted to their social media profiles, such as how often “I” was used, or how much time is spent online on a daily basis, according to ThinkUp.com.

According to The New York Times, in an article entitled, “ThinkUp Helps the Social Network User See the Online Self,” “The goal is to make you act like less of a jerk online… The big goal is to create mindfulness and awareness and also behavioral change.”

Robert Cornelius took the first recorded selfie ever taken, according to “Robert Cornelius’ SelfPortrait”.

People have been taking pictures of themselves since as long as cameras have been around. The selfie revolution really began to pick up when social media websites, such as MySpace, were popular, and it has yet to die down. There are over 12 million posts on Instagram using the hashtag “selfiesunday”, and according to an article entitled, “You’re So Vain” on bossip.com, there are over 93 million selfies taken per day.

“Selfitis” negatively affects one’s social media presence ALLI WIGHAM front editor

“Selfitis” is diagnosed by the taking and posting of copious amounts of selfies, and can be defined as the inflammation of one’s ego, according to an article entitled “Selfies, Facebook, and Narcissism: What’s the Link?” from pyschologytoday.com.

The selfie has rapidly

gained popularity in recent years and has become a worldwide phenomenon.

A survey, conducted by the PEW Research Center in 2014, estimates 91 percent of teenagers are guilty of taking at least one selfie.

The Forbes article, “The ‘Selfie’: Mental Disorder Or Insight To Getting Better Results?,” speculates the reason behind the soaring selfie trend

can be attributed to the basic human desire, “to feel noticed, appreciated and recognized.”

However, this new social media trend has its drawbacks.

According to an article from TIME Magazine entitled “How Selfies Are Ruining Your Relationships,” the desire for recognition fulfilled by posting selfies offers an ironic because it can be viewed as a narcissistic plea for attention.

A study, conducted by the University of Birmingham, the University of Edinburgh, and Heriot-Watt University, found people who post countless selfies tend to have less meaningful, and more alienated personal relationships than those who do not. The report went on to say family members have trouble relating to family members who post a lot of

selfies. However there is a positive correlation between people who post pictures of family members and the relationships of those people with their family members.

The occasional selfie will most likely do nothing to cause too much damage, but taking it too far will only serve as a hindrance to one’s social media presence, and relationships offline as well.

Photos courtesy of fair use: Enric Archivell, Bénédicte Clouet, Bryan Wright, Andrew Fysh, La Veu del País Valenciá, flickr.com, rizzoli nyc, people.com. Timeline info compiled by Tatum McGrew

VIEWS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 15

Writers dispute the extraction method of fossil fuels Hydraulic Fracking GAELAN GATZ staff writer

Support

Fracking land for oil is certainly one of the most controversial issues that we hear about on an almost daily basis, but there are many energy-saving benefits that are overlooked by the public and news outlets exaggerate many of the harms.

One of the many concerns surrounding the fracking business is the pollution of groundwater and the destruction of land. Some research has certainly shown environmental impacts, but many studies focus on individual instances and not the big picture.

According to energyfromshale.org, hydraulic fracturing is wellregulated by federal and state agencies. The technologies and processes continue to be improved, guided by industry standards developed from experiences in the field and which undergo rigorous review before adoption.

Additionally, studies by the Ground Water Protection Council and the Environmental Protection Agency have shown that current regulations are sufficiently effective, and there are numerous preventive measures in place to minimize any kind of environmental footprint.

Components of the process, such as backflow preventers and water recycling measures, ensure that minimal waste is produced. The waste that is generated is disposed of under the guidelines of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. Furthermore, a comprehensive study from Sept. 12, 2014, led by Stanford University investigated the costs and benefits of fracking and found that the amount of water used for extracting natural gas with hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling compares well with conventional energy sources.

The amount of water saved with the energy produced from natural gas is twice that of conventional oil and gas drilling.

The same study also concluded that when natural gas replaces coal as a fuel for generating electricity, the benefits to air quality include lower carbon dioxide emissions than coal and almost none of the mercury, sulfur dioxide or ash that prove to be extremely harmful.

The process of fracking may not necessarily be ideal, but the long term benefits make fracking a viable short term solution to our energy problems until renewable technologies truly take hold.

Oppose

SHIYUAN WANG focus editor

Recently, there has been much controversy surrounding the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, where President Obama has threatened to veto a bill passed by Congress that would approve the building of the pipeline.

The Keystone XL Pipeline is an example of fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, which is the process of injecting liquids in the ground at high pressures to extract natural gas and oil.

While it seems like fracking could provide economic benefits for the country, its benefits are far outweighed by the negatives, specifically pollution.

Environmental Health journal shows that fracking presents many health risks to people, including, “air impacts that could affect respiratory health due to increased levels of particulate matter, diesel exhaust, and or volatile organic chemicals.”

Fracking not only endangers groundwater, but also could contaminate the air around it.

Another study mentioned in the Inquisitr article is one written by the Natural Resources Defense Council that discovered toxic chemicals in the air that could cause serious health problems such as birth defects and cancer.

Over one-quarter of Americans live within a one-mile radius of an oil or gas well.

However, there have been examples of communities becoming aware of the potential dangers of living near a drilling site.

According to an article in The New York Times called “Citing Health Risks…” the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, banned fracking in the state at the end of 2014 over concerns of health risks, and I am happy that government officials are starting to realize the consequences of building fracking sites near crowded cities where a lot more people are exposed to the chemicals, and I believe that more states should follow the lead of New York.

In fact, Ohio has faced its fair share of problems concerning fracking. According to an article by The Huffington Post entitled “Ohio Earthquakes Linked to Fracking…” the drilling sites caused earthquakes to happen deep under the Appalachians, which is a cause to worry for the state.

The best option for Ohio would be either for the state to issue stricter regulations on fracking or to take the same steps as New York.

What is Fracking?

Hydraulic fracturing refers to the procedure of creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting a mixture of sand and water into the cracks to force underground to open further. The larger fissures allow more oil and gas to flow out of the formation and into the well bore, from where it can be extracted.

Investopedia.com

Graphic made by Han Mahle, Shreya Gurumurthy, and Nate King-Smith

THE WOOSTER BLADE | VIEWS | JAN. 23, 2015 | PAGE 16

BOE slips in controversial policy change

TAYLOR BENNINGTON co-editor-in-chief

Over the past several months, the WCSD Board of Education has sparked controversy as a result of their calamity day policy. And, as if reducing our snow days from five days to two days in what is expected to be a long winter were not bad enough, the BOE is now attacking fundraising at WHS. At their Dec. 23 meeting, the BOE slipped in several policies in what we can assume was an attempt to hide them from the community.

According to BOE Policy 5830, student organizations are now permitted to sell edible merchandise during the school day and at sporting events (removing the athletic booster’s domain on winter concessions), but not during lunches, according to BOE 8550.

Students are still not permitted to sell food during the logical lunch time periods.

This policy will allow the food service department to continue their monoply over snacks.

The policy will also have a much broader effect than anticipated by the BOE, as The General Grounds coffee shop sells during lunch periods.

According to this policy, they will not be able to sell during that time any longer.

The district may also not want you to read into the fact that student organizations are bound

by USDA dietary standards.

Which again, at first, sounds fair. But, it is only fair if

everybody has to follow the same rules.

The district has exempted the food service department from following these standards, saying in their policy, BOE 8500, that the department is not limited to selling foods approved by these guidelines.

So, as clubs are now forced to sell carrots and squash (with no dipping sauce) as a fundraiser or any snacks under 200 calories, the WHS cafeteria can continue to cook up their grease filled “burgers” and fat filled tater tots.

At the end of the day, if the BOE wants to make a policy, it should include everybody.

Their continued insistence on holding a dictoral control over food sold during lunch periods is going to have a negative impact on a student organization that has given this community so much.

The student body demands answers; will we get them?

expression arise once again.

Most people fail to realize the executive leader of Charlie Hebdo was living under police protection since the magazine’s first altercation with accused hate speech in 2012.

The problem is not the technicalities of the attack, but what the attack implies for the rest of the world, especially pertaining to freedom of speech and the definition of hate speech in the global community.

While I am not condoning the actions of the Islamics in Paris, I cannot help but question if the attack could have been prevented.

The staff members of Charlie Hebdo have received death threats for mocking Islam.

In my writing career thus far, I have learned to guide my journalistic intentions by the two main ethical questions of journalism: “Whom does it help?”And “Whom does it

hurt?” I do not believe the staff of Charlie Hebdo followed these guidelines.

As an aspiring journalist, I have fought for the right to speak my mind. Even in writing this column, I am aware that many may not agree with my stance. But, with restrictions, as a writer and as a citizen of the United States of America, the freedom of speech and press protects my thought and views, and allows for my own creativity and originality to develop.

Such a lesson is important when looking at a traumatic and heartbreaking event such as that in Paris, France.

I offer my deepest condolences extended to the families of the deceased, as well as to the French community as a whole. I only hope current and future journalists will learn from the events of Charlie Hebdo. Je suis Charlie.

Charlie Hebdo attack poses questions

PAIGE CLAYTON co-business manager

Earlier this month in Paris, two Islamic extremists opened fire within the news organization Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine that published caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.

Some members of the Islamic community perceived this publication as hate speech.

The traumatic event has rocked the city of Paris and the world over the past week, as the battles of anti-Semitism, terrorism and freedom of

TE NA

ITH

-SM

G KIN

Twitter causes confusion With the recent inclement weather resulting in both the closing and delays of academic days in the WCSD, there has been an increase in outside involvement in the announcement of cancellations of extracurricular activities and other school-related information.

These parents and sports’ fans initially sparked the debate between what is and is not appropriate to post during the fall when they decided to offer their input on the conduct of players on the football team and unleash criticism as to some of this year’s spirit changes at WHS. Recently, the parents and sports-based social media accounts have ignited controversy again by tweeting and announcing whether sporting events and extracurricular activities are going to happen as scheduled.

The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes it is the role of the WCSD administrative team and building teams to announce as to whether or not activities are taking place. These parents, sports fans, and non-district/club based accounts are causing more harm than good by confusing the student body and community.

It is becoming harder and harder for district and building administrative staff to communicate with the faculty, students and

community of WCSD as a result of these over-involved social media abusers.

Some parent run accounts have taken to politicizing issues and disgorging their opinions on district/ building based decisions.

The Wooster Blade Editorial Board would be content if these parents were tweeting from their personal accounts instead of accounts associated with WHS. These people hide behind their keyboards, and involve WHS with their opinions.

The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes clubs and organizations are justified in tweeting opinionated statements that represent what the average member of their group would say. Student-operated accounts attempt to promote civil discussion and learn the ropes of marketing on social media. These same students look to the adults of our community for leadership in how to properly use social media, but only find, for the most part, bad examples.

At the end of the day, The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes these parents and fans should use discretion when taking to the keyboard. We suggest waiting for district administration to make a decision before announcing something that may or not be accurate based on your own opinion.