the edge literary & news magazine May 2018
The Wooster Blade production staff | vol. 3 | issue 1 | 515 oldman rd. wooster, oh
Photo by Alexis Florence
INDEX
submissions creative writing
pg. 4-5 “Another Detention” by Joe Macchetta pg. 6 pg. 7-8 pg. 9 pg. 10 pg. 11 pg. 12
“Prayers for Elizabeth” by Suzanne Downes “Red” by Claudia Feade “Cat Got Your Tongue” by Anna Schultz “Untitled” by Noah Bosler-Kilmer “Dr. Doom” by Molly Snyder
visual art pg. 13 pg. 14 pg. 15 pg. 16 pg. 17
Ren Miller Kate Vojtkofsky Jessica Baker Sarah Monahan Percy Williams
senior superlatives chain of thanks senior memories
cover staff passion projects pg. 18
Therapy Dogs by Lena Wiebe pg. 19-21 Humans of Wooster by Molly Schneider and Maddy McCully
pg. 22-23
The Importance of Student Protest by Alexis Florence
pg. 24-25 Why People Run by Maddy Nacci and Rachael Schmidt pg. 26
Lane Wilson’s Running Career by Maddy Nacci
pg. 27-28 pg. 29
“Cedric’s Song,” a jazz piece by John Gorman “Graphics Boys” line artwork by Matt Lorentz
pg. 30
Resurfacing Old BLADES by Estelle Shaya
pg. 31-33
The Evolution of Kanye West by Holly Miller
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pg. 35-40 pg. 41-44 pg. 45-47
erin o’donnell
magazine editor-in-chief
When I was asked to be the editor-in-chief for The Edge magazine, I truthfully did not know where to start. Of course, I said yes, excited to be in a leadership position and have my ideas heard, but beyond that, I was close to clueless. I thought back on my experiences with Newspaper Production and I decided, “Okay, I know I want writers to write pieces that interest them.” So many times we, as writers, become busy with sports wrap-ups and event reporting that we miss the opportunity to conceptualize an article idea, and follow all the way through, while having the time to do it well. Thus came the idea of “passion projects”: writers have the opportunity to explore a passion of theirs through writing or art. Passion projects became the cover section for the magazine. Then came submissions. The goal of most school magazines are to feature the talents of the student body, and we followed suit. Art submissions head, Aleesha Vaughn, reached out to AP Studio Art students in order to feature their favorite pieces, personal or school-related. At the same time, creative writing submissions head, Rheanna Velasquez, contacted English Dept. member and creative writing teacher Jen Wright, as well as English Dept. member and Power of the Pen adviser Chelsey Porter, to encourage students to submit their work. Thankfully, we received a great amount of submissions from a range of grades, allowing the magazine to truly represent the student body. Finally, the senior section. Superlatives are something to which seniors look forward all year, so naturally, we wanted to do them well. Unfortunately, not many seniors returned their voting ballots, but we used the results we received to make what was, hopefully, an accurate representation of the senior class. The chain of thanks was Maddy Nacci’s baby this semester, in which she had the task of creating the chain of senior appreciation. What resulted was a group of seniors showing each other appreciation. To end the issue, I wanted to allow the students to have their voice heard. Therefore, we landed on a corridor question of, “What is your favorite high school memory?” What we received is a way of allowing students to look back on their five years here at WHS. This magazine was a labor of love. There were late nights of stress and work and a lot of bossing people around, but what we have produced is something of which we are all proud to have been a part. And, I am certainly proud to have been the editor-in-chief for the issue.
May 2018 | INDEX | 3
submissions another detention joe macchetta grade 12 It’s three o’clock and I’m ready to get this day over and done with, so I hightail it to room 264 to avoid being late and getting in even more trouble. I walk in and the classroom is truly dull, containing nothing more than several desks for students, a teacher’s desk, a clock, some textbooks filling a bookshelf, and a chalkboard with the words “PHONE ON MY DESK” written on it. I put my phone on the desk, and notice the desk is incredibly well organized, as clean as a whistle. There are stacks of papers and several items like a stapler, pencils, and pens laid out in front of me. Everything upon the desk is resting in a designated spot, so much so that the teacher behind the desk has his layout perfectly memorized. Sitting at the teacher’s desk is Mr. Patterson, or as I like to call him, the one and only, “old man.” He used to be a psychology professor at the University of Mount Union, but got tired of teaching college kids, so he decided to settle down to teach the subject to kids my age here at Wooster High School. He’s in his eighteenth year as a teacher, and as his years as a teacher progressed, his energetic and animated personality has never ceased to engage his students and lead them to success. I’ve come to like it, but only in small doses. He’s an average height, a round and plump individual. He has a thick, greying beard along with a very clean cut hairstyle. All while his soft and somber eyes hide his expressive attitude. He obviously makes his best efforts to look presentable, often times wearing a collared shirt and a nice tie to
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school. He and I were complete opposites, it made me laugh to think of the chance of myself looking like him when I’m old. My short stature made Patterson nearly tower over me, but that didn’t make me scared of him or anything like that. Our tastes in clothing were vastly different, I usually wear baggy sweatshirts and torn up jeans with some sort of hat to cover up my long and messy hair. It was as if he and I were worlds apart. He always manages to find me right before I pull off pranks, just in time to give me a detention to keep me from having some fun. It ranges from “kick me” signs on students’ backs to putting salt in his coffee, but the detention I was serving today was because he caught me trying to pull off my best prank yet. It was after school yesterday and he caught me stuffing rotten fruit in some of the band instruments. If he wouldn’t have caught me, I would be hiding outside watching band practice right now, ready to see the tuba’s explode with flying chunks of tomatoes and bananas! Instead, I’m sitting in an empty classroom with nothing to do, watching outside the window as my friends skateboard through the parking lot having a blast on this cool spring day. “Franklin,” my head swivels from the window to find the old man sitting at his desk taking a break from a novel he was reading, peering over his glasses at me. “Couldn’t you take this time to find something productive to do? Or will you waste another afternoon of yours in here watching your friends and the clock waiting to leave?”
“For the last time, old man, I hate being called that. The name is Frankie. Why don’t you just keep reading and mind your own business. Less talking makes the time go by quicker.” “Suit yourself, Franklin.” It’s 3:32 and I have to stay until 5:30. Every passing minute feels like an eternity, the constant state of boredom a whole new breed of torture and agony. I’m the only person in the room with the old man, so I don’t even have someone to goof off with while the teacher is buried in his book. Luckily, I find a pencil on the floor and start doing some drawing on my desk. My masterpiece is nearly complete when old man notices and give me some wet wipes to clean off all the desks. After cleaning up I try counting all the ceiling tiles, but I mess up too many times and get off track. I look to the window to keep watching my friends skateboard but they all left to go home. The time read 4:49 and I’m ready to slam my head into the desk, anything is better than this kind of boredom. Even I could tell the old man is hating his time spent here; he finished his book earlier and is constantly checking his wrist watch. His normally alert eyes have began to take on an exhausted and tedious appearance, and he looks to be falling asleep in his seat. I wait until I could hear his breathing take on a steady beat and his eyes close. He looks to be sleeping in his seat, his head sunk low and arms folded. It’s finally my chance to escape. I take as slow a time as I could to get up, taking every precaution I could to not make a sound. The room is nearly silent, the only thing to be heard is the chirping birds outside, the steady breathing of the old man, and the annual car passing by. I finally make it to the door, and he hasn’t moved since I have gotten up. I slowly turn the handle of the door downward and open the door, and a cool breeze begins to flow in. He starts to rustle in his sleep and I freeze, my heart is beating through my chest as I wait to absorb his full wrath of anger at me trying to leave. I
turn my head to find him still asleep, and take my chance. I quickly slip through the opening from the cracked open door and sneak through the halls. I jog down the stairs, and begin to run through the halls, my speed building like a crescendo until I reach the front doors and bolt outside. The fresh air and evening rays of the sun rejuvenate my spirit and gives me a surge of energy. I’m completely at an awe that I managed to escape without a trace! I reach into my pocket to grab my phone and text my buddies about my feat of courage, and my stomach flops while my heart sinks to the floor. I left my phone on his desk. All the color flushed from my face and I’m devastated. I run back inside the school and the nearest clock reads 5:03. He has to still be asleep and I know if I run up there, sneak into the room and snatch my phone, I could still make it out of here to live another day and tell my friends a story they’d never forget. I come upstairs, peering down the hallway to find his classroom door still half-way open and the light on, nothing seems out of place so he should still be asleep. I walk up as quietly as I can, ready for the greatest achievement of stealth and precision in my life to become a reality. To my surprise, I enter the room to discover it’s completely empty. The old man is gone, his bag and jacket no longer draped over his desk chair, the room looking as though no one has been there all day. Upon further investigation, I find my phone at his desk with a note next to it. It says, “Impressive stealth skills Franklin. Detention tomorrow. Same time, same place. See you at home, your mother and I will have dinner ready for you on the kitchen table. Love you bud. -Your old man.” I crumple up the note and toss it into the trash bin, failing my attempt to hold back a chuckle. “I love you too old man.”
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battles Deep and Dark. Sad and Impure. All the situations coming together to form one person hidden by; A mask. A shield. A cover. A face. Fighting an inner war. The change in the fight changes the form. What happens? Live on to fight again? End early? The choice is that of those around them.
friends I can’t believe it, you actually talked me into this. He was our friend. And now-Oh god! I can’t do this. You’re gonna have to finish this on your own. Hey. We started this together, we finish this together. Don’t talk like that. You’re talking like him. And we know where talking got him...
staff writer
following “Dude come on.” Jimmy and Hunter run behind a tree following the young man in the business suit home from the park where he had been eating his lunch. Jimmy ducks out from behind the tree and sees the man going past the last house on the block and making a left toward the alley. He looks both ways to make sure he hasn’t been followed before heading toward the dead end. “Wait. Where’s he going?” Jimmy looks back at Hunter and motions for him to follow. Hunter and Jimmy run out to the end of the street and stop at the corner before peeking around toward the big brick wall. “What the hell?!” Jimmy looks back at Hunter with a look mixed with shock and confusion. “What?” Hunter walks around the corner into the small alley with Jimmy following closely behind them. They walk in and look around for something anything in the alley but to no avail. “Where the heck did he go?” Jimmy walks up to the wall feeling around and then notices an envelope lying on the ground. “Hey, Hunter I think I might have found something.” “What is it?” Hunter walks over and looks over the envelope as Jimmy turns it over. “Whoa. Dude, Does that say what I think it does?” On the other side of the envelope it is addressed to the two boys. They break the seal quickly and pull out a letter that says this...
Dear Hunter and Jimmy, I regret to inform you that. You. Are. Next.
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prayers for elizabeth
susanne downes grade 12
I sit alone in my room. Motionlessly sprawled out on my bed, my palms press toward the heavens and my jaw tilts backward, forcing any tears or weaknesses inside. My thoughts dance, unravel, and tangle themselves over and over again, tugging on my heartstrings and leaving me more lost and confused than ever. “Can’t.” She said she can’t talk to me. Like it’s impossible or physically strenuous. My own grandmother, a relentless hugger, who knew me before I knew myself. Who held my hands when they were half the size of hers. They would grip mine and squeeze countless I love yous through them. Now, her eyes won’t even meet my own, and the careful, watchful touch that grandmothers have, the sense of never ending love and understanding, is gone forever.
I wake up with damp eyes. They are steel blue eyes, with bags that grow heavier all of the time, surrounded by a ring of black smudges. Last night’s makeup. I’m used to dreams like this, by now. Each night is either sleepless or nightmarish. I spend hours pondering serious conversations with my grandma, and how she will respond when I tell her I do not believe in the Catholic faith. Many of them include rejection, and all include disappointment. So many of our conversations have revolved around religion. I usually just gave a nod, or some fabricated answer about my beliefs, but she has always held herself responsible for making her grandchildren holy and devout. Telling my family how I feel will be tumultuous. The foundation of my relationship with grandma will crack first, sending every happy memory and feeling with a tremor, tumbling down, down, down. These thoughts keep people like me up at night. Vulnerable people. Scared people. I don’t fit into her picture. I am not a Catholic. Or a Christian, for that matter. I am godless and beliefless. Actually, that’s wrong. I believe I’m scared as Hell.
“Pray for us,” That’s how each Sunday starts. At church. The priest is a loving man who baptized me and has greeted me every Sunday since with a smile. Though grayer now, and with deeper lines bending around his eyes each time he preaches or grins, his devotion to the world and the Church seems boundless. “That everyone finds happiness and sureness in their God-given lives,” he says. “Pray for us,” the congregation replies. A Catholic Church is a lot like a large family gathering. There’s whispered exchanges to your mom about WillThatBabyShutUpAlready? or LookAtHerDressIsn’tThatPretty!, and there’s a vague recognition that you have met everyone before, even if you can’t remember their names or whether you met them in real life or a dream. It’s unfair, really, that many of them saw you when you were a wailing, flailing toddler, and even when you went through that phase in middle school. That’s one thing I didn’t anticipate as a child, I think, as I watch the people file out of their pews. There’s this weird feeling that everyone knows you better than you know yourself. A sense of loneliness arises every time you are forced to act independently, and you suddenly question everything you thought you believed. A child sits in front of me, unraveling his fingers from his fists as if to say, “Open the doors and see all the people!”
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I follow my father as he exits the pew. “That was a pretty good homily,” he says when we are outside of the church doors. It’s twelve o’clock and the spring sun reigns over our heads. My grandma, a committed parishioner if there ever were one, walks out with us. She grabs my hand. We are so similar, she and I. Our curls fall against our necks in the same pattern: her hues soft gray and mine subtle bronze. “It was beautiful,” she agrees, “I love what he said about our responsibility to one another, as Catholics.” My parents nod. My eyes turn to the gravel sidewalk, tracing it closely. I feel dizzy watching my steps, but I don’t stop. My eyes meet the tires of my car and I hop in, smiling as my grandmother sits beside me. The car whirs past a range of green trees, impressing upon me a blur of emerald and sage. The fresh air seeps through the car windows, creeping its way into my lungs. The trees are growing now. They radiate and stretch towards the sun. “Wow,” my grandma says. She, too, is drawn to the blooming trees. “God really is a talented artist.” She laughs. It’s her way of pointing out the whimsy of nature. The trees do not grow to be beautiful, or likable, but strong and fruitful, I think. For too long I have been stunted by my need for gratification. They whisper to me that today is the day. The day that I am honest with the ones I love. That I must grow tall, too. I take a deep breath and feel the overwhelming impact of the moment. The ripple it will send through my family and their perception of me, and how it will ricochet into the foreseeable future. “Can I tell you all something? It’s something I have been thinking about for a while now,” I say, hesitantly. “What is it, Elizabeth?” my mom asks me, concernedly. My hands are red from wringing them. “I… I think I have decided that I don’t want to come to Mass anymore. I don’t think… I don’t think I believe in Catholicism,” I stutter. The car is quiet. If there are angels in the world, they all hover over this car. Maybe cursing me, maybe empathetically waiting for a response. But surely there. “I’ll pray for you, Elizabeth.” My grandma says. Her eyes are now cold and gray, and her lips lie linearly. The grandmother I knew is gone, in a moment’s time. She looks past me, out the car window.
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red
claudia fead grade 9
“Tell me again, what did you describe red as?” My sister looked up at me. She sat up with her hands folded neatly in her lap. I turned my gaze to her. She had been listening to narrated stories for hours in silence. I had been reading as well. This was the first time she had made a noise for most of the day. I placed my bookmark in the book I was holding and closed it. “Red?” I questioned. “Yes. The color red,” she said. “In my book they used it to describe the color of someone’s face when they were mad, and another time when they were talking about blood and violence. They only ever use red to describe violent things, but aren’t some flowers red too? And sunsets?” Her glassy eyes looked in my direction. For her age she had very advanced vocabulary, but that’s because her favorite pastime was listening to stories. She couldn’t read herself, however, she had been born without the gift of sight, but that didn’t stop her from her love of literature. I leaned back in my chair, thinking. My sister sat still, waiting for my response. “Well,” I began, “red, I think, is a harsh color. It can make you feel all different kinds of emotion. It can be very cruel, and awful, like when someone is mad. Their face turns red. Or of course it is the color of blood. It can be the meanest color, but it can also be beautiful--.” “How can something so mean also be beautiful?” My sister interrupted. I smiled a little and then continued. “It can be beautiful because it can be the color of the most stunning sunsets, or the most elegant of flowers. So, red can be both,” I finished. “But what do you see it as?” she asked. “I think, it is the most playful color, because it can be violent, and beautiful. It can be harsh to look at, but also very soft. It can be a symbol of love or hate.” My sister smiled in my direction. “Thank you,” she said, before sticking her earbud back in and unpausing the story.
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cat got your tongue anna schultz grade 8
I live in this place where if you’re rebellious, you get your tongue cut out. The Queen’s really specific about her rules and regulations, and if you speak out against them -WHAP! Your tongue is gone. No more rudeness from you. But the Queen - she’s actually really cool, apart from this, you know - she has a bit of a tongue obsession, yeah? When anyone gets their tongue cut out, she keeps the tongue. She has a hall full of tongues, preserved in clear gelatin or something, all nice and clean and shiny and … well … tongue-ish! The Hall of Tongues is open to the public. It brings in lots of visitors in the summer. Great for commercialism. Doctors and socialists can study the tongues all up close and personal. It’s great! One day, though, something really funny happened with the tongues. Oh my lord, I could not stop laughing. It was great. So it was a normal Tuesday, yeah? Me and the Queen and all her cabinet and them were just chilling in the throne room, right, and then suddenly this dog just walks in just walks in, straight past the guards! - and he comes over to my seat and jumps onto my lap. We’re all just like, “what the heck is this dog doing,” and suddenly, I notice he’s chewing on something, so I make him spit it out and suddenly THERE IS A WET, SLIMY TONGUE IN MY LAP EW EW EW! So I freak out and throw it across the room and the dog runs and picks it up and bring it back to me! I do not want to play catch with a human tongue! So I grab hold of the dog and give the tongue to a nearby guard. Then, this guy races in with a little boy like 8 years old and the kid’s saying, “Cat! Cat, you get back here! Cat!” The Queen - oh my lord, the Queen - she stands up with a completely straight face and the whole room shuts up. “Please state your name and cause of business,” she says, or something to that effect to the older guy, but he DOESN’T RESPOND. So the kid, he stands up, and says something like, “My Queen! Please beg our pardon! My grandfather got his tongue cut out years ago, so he cannot speak. May I explain everything?” The Queen’s like yeah, sure, go ahead, and OH MY LORD I NEARLY CRIED!! Oh, so this kid, his grandpa got his tongue cut out for saying he didn’t like the Queen’s hairstyle one day, but she let him KEEP HIS TONGUE! And the kid owns the dog that ran in with the tongue, but GET THIS - the dog’s name is Cat. The. Dog’s. Name. Is. Cat. That tongue he was carrying? THAT WAS THE GRANDPA’S TONGUE. THE DOG NAMED CAT DECIDED TO TAKE THIS OLD TONGUE AND PLAY FETCH WITH IT! By the end of the kid’s story, we are all basically in TEARS, and even the kid cracked, and all he can say is, “Cat got your tongue, Grandpa! Cat got your tongue!” And the grandpa’s just rolling on the floor. From that day on, whenever the court would get quiet, someone’d just yell, “Cat got your tongue!” and we’d all just DIE of laughter.
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noah bosler-kilmer grade 8
untitled
My eyes stung in the bright light. I had woken up to a light shining in through my window. Just the one window. The rest of the house was dark. I squinted at it trying to get my eyes to adjust, but it was too bright. I got out of bed and ran around the house to that window. No light. I ran back inside to see if the light had gone. It was no longer there. I laid in bed with my eyes closed, no quite sure what else to do. I eventually fell asleep. I woke in the same manner as before. It was hard to see anything other than the light. I tried to walk out of the room, but stubbed my toe. I muttered a swear and hopped around on one foot for a moment. I eventually made it. There was an orb of light floating in the yard. I stared at it in wonder. “Am I dead?” I thought. “Is this the light?” It was beautiful. I couldn’t stop staring. It kept twinkling. There was something about the twinkling. It was entrancing. Almost like a code. Like music for the eyes. It was there long enough for me to memorize the pattern, but as soon as I did, it flared, shrunk, and then acted as though it were pulled by a deluminator to the woods behind my house. I wanted to find it again, so I chased after. I stumbled through the woods in my slippers, which became a problem, but I didn’t care. I needed to find it. It was so beautiful. Life life. It was strange. It sparked. Gradually my motive died. My feet hurt. I was tired. My eyes hurt from staring at a tiny sun and I couldn’t see anything for the same reason. Just as I was going to turn around I caught a glimpse of it. I renewed my pace to find it. Eventually I ran out of breath and had to stop. About five minutes later I had caught my breath. I decided to think for a minute. Should I follow it? What is it? Is this a dream? It has to be, right? So following it should be safe. I’ll just wake up if I get hurt. Just then I heard footsteps. Crunched leaves. Broken twigs. Dragged feet. The steps echoed ominously. I turned all the way around. To my right. The sound. I peered through the trees. My eyes were close to adjusting, but not quite. This felt surreal. Just then ticking filled my ears. Stead. Clock like. Whatever was walking slowly came into view. I want you to picture a grandfather clock. Now imagine just that top cube on a human body. That is exactly what was right in front of me. My first thought was ‘how did it eat?’ Then I realized that I should be panicking and the panic ensued. I hid behind a bush and watched as it walked by. It had a ball and chain attached it its foot, and was dragging it around. It’s human body was covered in an inky black surface that played tricks on my eyes. I think I saw my own face. It got halfway past me and then stopped. It just stood. I waited. I could hear my heart, offbeat with the clock. It pounded. It ticked. The pounding was way faster. I waited. Then a very clear image appeared in the surface. Me screaming behind a bush. I froze. It turned. Slowly. Slowly. Slowly. The clock was going to strike twelve. It took a step. A slow step. Then it rang. I woke up to a clock.
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So little is known about the human body, no matter how many times scientists try to tell you otherwise. For all we know, humans could shapeshift, but so called scientists are too arrogant to do anything about the lack of knowledge. I, on the other hand, have been particularly interested in one unknown aspect of the human specimen; the defense system. Other far less developed species have them, so why wouldn’t humans? I did countless tests on multiple specimen, but all in the name of science. Yes, I did have to put a few down, but it was quick and harmless each time. I’ve had at least 300 specimens, but I was beginning to lose hope when I came across #382. It was a female, brown hair and blue eyes, in good physical shape, and she yielded miraculous results. She would wait until she either gained the threat’s trust or was seen as vulnerable and helpless, then would proceed to emit a liquid from her eyes, spray it onto the threat, which instantly killed them! The deadly liquid appeared to be harmless to the human, and could even be cleaned up with a simple tissue! Marvelous! Honestly, I thought the only “defense” humans had was with their fight or flight response, but I was pleasantly surprised! I ran a few more tests on her, took plenty of pictures for scientific evidence, and even coined the defense; “The Underdog Defense” due to her habit of gaining the predator’s trust before, ultimately killing them. After years and years of experiments, being forced to move locations because I was “A threat to society” or “a delusional psychopath.” They just want credit for my work. The media even gave me a fitting name:
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dr. doom molly snyder grade 8
Dr. Doom. I’ll keep that name. I enjoy that it sparks the curiosity of those who hear it. How memorable I will be, even when I am dead. They will remember me for the rest of their lives, no matter how measly and pathetic it may be. The underdog defense will be plastered in every science book, every magazine, every insightful documentary. Although she was the key to my success, all things must die. I will respect her wishes to an extent. She can choose the way of execution and I’ll even bury her. I even have an idea for the gravestone. Tuesday was her execution. She chose by lethal injection. Being the grateful scientist I am, I carried out her last wishes, and I buried her in the park. With a wooden sign and some white paint, I created her grave stone grave sign really, but technicalities, technicalities. Wednesday, everything was ready. At the break of dawn, I dug three feet down, placed her wrapped in plastic, covered her up, shoved the sign in the damp earth, and laid my booklet of research at the stump of the sign. As I strode off towards my little house, the sun hit the sign illuminating the words: Here lies Dr. Doom’s greatest achievement.
Featured Artists
REN MILLER 2.
1. The first piece is “Derkomai,” which is Greek for "A sharp gaze.” It is part of my concentration this year, a set of 12 pieces focused on a certain topic. For me, it was "elements of nature personified," so this piece is snakes/reptiles personified.
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2. The second piece is a selfportrait, it was supposed to be in 3. the baroque style, so dark shadows and soft, glowy lighting. I was having trouble trying to make it look like a period appropriate piece, so I decided to add my own style to it. 3. The third piece is “Amethyst,” another piece for my concentration, this time I wanted to paint a geode, but I had to make it human, and this was the result. 4. This piece is "Yield." I love to draw hands, and figured it was time to paint some too, so this one was the result. It gets its name from the shape in the background, and the fact the handshakes at the end of a disagreement is a yield.
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5. The prompt for this is "Just too much," and I wanted to draw something that represented the way the world is now. 6. This is another piece for concentration, this time I wanted to personify a sunset, and I was thinking of the bright orange that the sun gets just before it sets.
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7. This piece was my second time drawing a spine in great detail. I really like how the human spine looks, it looks kind of like a chain, the way it interlocks and whatnot.
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Featured Artists
KATE VOJTKOFSKY 4.
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2. 1. My inspiration for this piece was HP Lovecraft’s short story “The Call of Cthulhu.” I wanted to make this piece because there’s a sculptor in the story who is trying to create a creature he saw in his dreams, the creature was Cthulhu, so I thought it’d make an interesting ceramics project.
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2. The inspiration for this piece was the house of a character in Slavic and Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga. Another interpretation of this piece could be that it’s a fun take on a bird house. 3. With this vase, I tried to capture the same feeling as my favorite Marc Chagall painting, “Time is a River Without Banks,” which has a dreamy trance-like underwater feel to it. 4. This oil painting was inspired by the style of Claude Monet. The way he revered nature was always really prevalent in his work. So, when I wanted to do a painting of a picture I’d taken while driving through a beautiful forest in Oregon, I figured Monet’s style would be the best way to show just how much I love the wilderness in that part of the world.
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5. This piece is called Memento Mori, which is a Latin phrase that loosely means “remember death.” I was inspired to make this piece after reading a news article that showed pictures of a recent archeological find: a human skull that had been buried circa 300-400 BCE in Greece with a ceramic flower crown on it. 6. This piece was inspired by ammonite fossils. I’ve been collecting them since I was little and I’ve always been intrigued by them. This piece was really complicated to create, I used a lot of materials including: sand, paint, hot glue, shattered stained glass, and fish tank pebbles. I secured all of these bits and pieces by applying them between layers of clear acrylic pouring medium, not via paintbrushes. 7. This piece is inspired by the works of Piet Mondrian. I thought it would be interesting to use wood to create a 3D piece inspired by one of his more well known works, “Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow.”
Featured Artists
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I was drawing this while watching Spider-Man: Homecoming, and I’m just like “I wanna have spider powers,”but this isn’t the MCU, so I just drew out a concept piece. Everyone loves Ghost Rider, right? I know I do, Johnny Blaze is a God send, or Devil send I guess. I was a huge fanatic of mythical beasts and legends, so this is a Jersey devil, a baby version of one. Mermaids are probably my third favorite thing to draw, especially with a lot more fins and scales added to their anatomy. And, this was for Inktober!
JESSICA BAKER 6. 5. 3.
4.
5. 6.
This is another baby mythical legend: a Kelpie! This piece was an experimental work with my Copic markers, I tried blending colors for a “galaxy/space” look, it didn’t turn out as good as I thought, but I liked the outcome for my first try.
May 2018 | SUBMISSIONS | 15
Featured Artists
SARAH MONAHAN May 2018 | SUBMISSIONS | 16
Featured Artists
PERCY WILLIAMS 1.
5.
2. 7. 4.
1. This piece was one of the last I made before getting a tablet. It’s a small canvas, but I really adore how it turned out. I use this boy as a muse often. (as you’ll probably see here...) 2. One of the first pieces with an art tablet. I was just getting the hang of everything, and this was the result.
3. 6.
3. I loved making this piece. There was a challenge to base a character off a drink, and I ended up getting a unicorn frappe and a night light shot.
4. This was from when I was really into lolita fashion. I wanted to put this character into a more androgynous outfit, so I used Ouji. 5. My most recent piece. I wanted to mess around with lighting, so this seemed to fit. I’m happy with how this turned out. 6. I honestly made this because someone showed me an ACNL shirt called ‘bad plaid’ and I felt it fit this boy’s atrocious fashion sense. 7. I mainly made this one to get back into traditional. I wanted to make something that looked cool.
May 2018 | SUBMISSIONS | 17
cover THE PASSION PROJECT What is a “passion project?” erin o’donnell editor-in-chief
Throughout the year in newspaper production, writers oftentimes are assigned stories on a basis of necessity of coverage, rather than on writer interest. For the EDGE magazine, my goal was to give writers the opportunity to explore what they find interesting, and extend their deadlines past our usual one-week writing period. Thus came the concept of “passion projects”: writers propose a piece of writing, artwork or anything they wish to publish, then they run with it. I was very pleased with the outcome and with the drive I saw with each writer during the process. I hope that you see their passion throughout the section, and the dedication that our staff has for creating something great for you, the readers.
Stokes’ therapy-trained St. Bernard dog lena weibe grade 9
After the Parkland, Fla. shooting, many students returning to school were met by therapy and emotional support animals, now increasingly common in schools and stressful/traumatic environments. WHS now boasts its own therapy dog. Her name is Osa, which means “Bear,” Señora Stokes, Osa’s Owner and a Foreign Language Dept. member explained. Osa is a certified “Canine Good Citizen” by the American Kennel Club, and underwent training and a series of tests to make sure she would be able to handle herself in a crowded environment. Now, Stokes says, “I bring her in every Friday… out in the hallways, in-between classes, trying to get students to see her. Then in… my free period, I work with Mrs. Popes’ students and everyone… just loves on her. I also take her down to other schools… there’s just such a therapeutic effect: they calm people, help with stress levels, and are just a big warm fuzzy.” She and WHS Assistant Principal Andy Bratcher have collaborated in order to create a program which they both hope will function as a starting point for helping students relieve any stress or difficulties they may be experiencing, especially in the midst of the spring testing season. Brenda Ziegler, Area Coordinator of Wooster’s Caring Therapy Canines, says she understands why dogs are so effective for emotional support. “Pets are always happy to see you. They’re not judgemental. It’s proven that when people around pets, their blood pressure just goes down. You don’t even have to interact with them,” Ziegler said. Ziegler has become a familiar face around the community, along with her now-late gray poodle named Sneak, visiting hospitals, libraries, and hospice centers. Ziegler also visits elementary schools like Cornerstone, armed with both dogs and cookies as an incentive to read. “I absolutely love it. It’s very fulfilling and makes people happy,” Ziegler said. Many of the group of students clamoring to pet Osa in the hallway agreed. Ellie Snider, 9, rubbing Osa behind the ears says she seeks her out before tests and when she is feeling nervous. Asked what she thought about therapy animal programs being implemented into academic environments, she voiced her support. “As long as the dog isn’t hurt,” she laughed. For now, Osa will remain in the Spanish hallways.
18 | COVER | May 2018
Students of
Wooster
This project is not a normal project; in fact, I think of it more as an experiment. The high school generation relies on their friend groups in high school, instead of including everyone in conversations. People often divide themselves into categories such as the jocks, the nerds or the popular kids. This generation is also caught up in social media so much that if you are not a person’s “follower” on Instagram or Twitter, then the person does not know you or your friend groups. For my experiment, I chose six random students (a pair of freshmen, a pair of juniors and a pair of seniors) and noted how they would react to an interview; however, I did not interview them, they interviewed each other. The two students asked each other whatever they wanted to know about the other person to prepare for a little quiz about each other that I would give them. The questions I asked were based on what they learned about each other. This experiment was conducted to see if two students were able to communicate verbally, rather than through their phones and to create new friends or get to know old friends better.
Luke & Paige molly schneider staff writer
MADDY McCULLY
Luke Stokes (9) and Paige Flickinger (9) ask each other interview questions to get to know each other better.
Lets us begin with the pair of freshman: Paige Flickinger (9) and Luke Stokes (9). When I walked into the classroom to grab these students to interview, Luke was sitting on one side of the room, and Paige was sitting on the other side.
Luke appeared to be very outgoing and Paige was a little timid. However, they both were very generous toward one another and yet, they acted very different as individuals. They said they have learned much about each other and said they enjoyed the interview. This is what they each found out about each other.
“He likes to play football and wants to retire in the hall of fame, he has a dog, he hates reading,” Paige Flickinger
“Well, that she has a friend in France, and she wants to move to France so she can see her a lot more. She likes France, she likes sweet potatoes… her favorite color is blue… if she had a million dollars she would donate half to charity.” Luke Stokes
“He likes the movie
Up.” Paige Flickinger
“I think the Paris thing is probably the fun thing… that’s the most interesting thing and unique about her that she said, and I think that’s a good thing to do for her.” Luke Stokes 19 | COVER | May 2018
Sarah Hackett Haley Balas
MADDY McCULLY
Sarah Hackett (11) and Haley Balas (11) ask each other interview questions. randomly drawn by me, however, they are staff writer really good friends. So, my experiment took a Next, I asked the two turn on what my original questions to Sarah Hackett goal was, which was to (11) and Haley Balas (11). bring together two high Sarah and Haley were schoolers, who were once
molly schneider
strangers to each other. So, I tested these two students to see if they could find out something they did not know about each other, thus making them even more close, and possibly, better friends.
“She has an inspiration for art and I know she really wants to continue that throughout her life, as of right now too, she really likes art.” Sarah Hackett
“She’s very wanderlust and travel-based from vacation wise to foods that she eats.” Haley Balas
“...There are so many good things about Haley… She is always there to talk to and she’s supportive and kind.” Sarah Hackett
“She’s literally one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.” Haley Balas
May 2018 | COVER | 20
Peter Savage Aleesha Vaughn
MADDY McCULLY
Peter Savage (12) and Aleesha Vaughn (12) take a few moments to interview each other.
molly schneider staff writer
To conclude this experiment, we end off with the pair of seniors, Aleesha Vaughn (12) and
Peter Savage (12). For this test, I wanted to see if two seniors, who have been going to high school together for four years, either knew each other or not. They happen to know
each other, but yet not ever have talked. This interview was the first time they had talked to each other in the past four years they have gone to school together.
“...[I learned] mostly interest and personal details about how many siblings you have and stuff like that, so beyond that… [i] found out about her personality more.” Peter Savage
“I actually don’t know Peter that well.. but I found out that he likes to do computer work, but it kind of stinks in a way for him, because he doesn’t always like being around the computer because he likes being outside a lot, cause that’s how he grew up.” Aleesha Vaughn
“...we both enjoy Broken Rocks and we both have or have had dogs and things like that.” Peter Savage
“I would say that he likes computer work a lot, I think that’s pretty cool and it’s different, you don’t hear that a lot, but also that he has seven siblings, that’s kind of crazy to me.” Aleesha Vaughn 21 | COVER | May 2018
THE ART OF PROTEST: Inspiring involvement and change
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cover editor
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PHOTO COURTSEY OF MYA VANDEGRIFT
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ALEXIS FLORENCE
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ALEXIS FLORENCE
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4 | COVER | May 2018
ALEXIS FLORENCE
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he First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizen’s five rights: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to petition the government, freedom of the press, and the right to assemble peacefully. The latter of these rights is often overlooked, in terms of being able to insight change; however, the opinion I hold is that in the United States, peaceful protest will always be a tool for change, and I encourage more students to use it. Movements like the Women’s March and March For Our Lives have brought protest to the forefront of contemporary society. I have three experiences with both of these marches. The first experience, that I will never forget, is with the first-ever Women’s March in Washington D.C. I heard groups from around Wooster were getting a bus, through Westminster Presbyterian Church, to go to the march. I got in contact with a friend at the Wooster/Orrville NAACP and reserved a seat on the bus. I was ecstatic to go; my mom was hesitant. Donald Trump’s inauguration caused riots in D.C. and I was going right into the belly of the beast. My mother was rightfully frightened, but knew if I did not go, I would be missing out on an opportunity to join something bigger than myself. The experience was magical, and I do not think I have ever seen so many people in one place. I watched speakers like Gloria Steinem on a jumbotron with NAACP members, College of Wooster students, and other
concerned citizens from my hometown. Being in the march helped me relax in a time when all I felt was fear about U.S. politics. Most importantly, though, I made connections with people in my own community with a similar activists nature. The next time I protested in the Washington DC streets was in the national March For Our Lives movement. This time, I was supposed to be in D.C. for college visits with my mother, grandmother and little sister. While I desperately
“...PROTEST CAN CREATE MEANINGFUL CHANGE, EVEN IF IT IS ONLY FOR A COUPLE OF PEOPLE.” wanted to go to the march, my grandmother does not like crowds, and she had her fill of “fighting the man” in the ‘60s. In the end, I was able to convince them to allow me 45 minutes of listening to speakers. This time, I saw students my age advocating for change. Not only that, but the group also had volunteers registering people to vote. As I listened to the speakers, I felt something in the pit of my stomach and it was not the sketchy truck food I ate earlier. When Miley Cyrus went up and sang her song “The Climb,” I started crying. Not only was I living out a dream from my
10- year -old self to see Miley Cyrus, on another jumbotron, I knew I needed to turn back to a commitment I made earlier: I was going to organize my own march. My final experience, so far, involved my good friend Lexi Nolletti and I organizing a March For Our Lives event April 14 in Wooster’s public square. Planning a protest is hard work, and we could have never done it without the help of Wooster citizens Dia Miller, Kevin Barnet and Desiree Weber. Nolletti and I created a program of WHS student speakers and watching my classmates use their voices to advocate for change was better than seeing any famous person on a jumbotron. About 70 people were present on that rainy day, but we were able to register two people to vote and wrote 55 postcard messages to national representatives. I saw familiar faces from the first march I went to, a multitude of friends and I even met a COW student who attended high school in a district next to Stoneman Marjory High School; he lost a few friends in that shooting and he thanked me for speaking for his friends who can not speak for themselves anymore. That was the best part. Every experience I have had with activism has been life changing. Being part of a movement is a great motivator to be a better person, and protest can create meaningful change. Do not let anyone tell you differently. You have a voice in this country; use it.
May 2018 | COVER | 23
Examining love of running in the community
maddy nacci
rachael schmidt
staff writer
staff writer
Some people look at me strangely when I say I love to run, but it is my favorite thing, the thing about which I am most passionate. Running is about having fun with my friends and meeting new people that love the same thing as you do. People all over the world do it and that is one of the most special things about it. Running is a way of life and an escape from the stress of everyday work. What I love most about running, though, is competing because it is all on me. Running taught me that you have to push yourself in order to find your best self. Running taught me to believe in myself and to go after all of my goals. There is nothing better than finishing a race and collapsing, knowing you gave it everything you had and being immensely proud of yourself. Running is part of me, and I will do it for the rest of my life.
I started running almost a year ago because I needed something new to keep me busy and active over the summer. My friend Lane started picking me up in the mornings to run with the cross country team. I felt nervous as I knew running was not going to be easy for me and I was afraid of not fitting in with the team. But, as the summer went on, I made new friends and began to love to run. I run for the energy and strength it gives me. I run for the many new friends and memories I have made. I run because it is always there to help me clear my mind. I run because each stride brings me closer to reaching another goal and reminds me of all that I am capable of.
PHOTO CREDIT
Vertical Runner provides running opportunities for the Wooster community 24 | COVER | May 2018
rachael schmidt staff writer
Vertical Runner is a local business located in downtown Wooster, specializing in running gear and training. Vertical Runner employees help customers find shoes that properly fit each runner. On Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. Vertical Runner running club also meets to go for a run and anyone is welcome. Runners of all ages and skill levels are involved in the running club. Vertical Runner also holds races and running camps throughout the year. Upcoming Vertical Runner Races include: the 2018 Bookin’ 5k and Fun Walk at the Wadsworth Library on May 19 and the Downtown RunAround on May 19 at Cornerstone Elementary in Wooster.
Community members across all ages and backgrounds appreciate running maddy nacci staff writer
Unlike many sports, running is practiced across all ages worldwide. People of all ages enjoy running as their greatest passion because of the community of runners who share the love for the sport, along with the sense of accomplishment when finishing. Maureen McKeown, 2017 alum of WHS and freshman distance runner at Ashland University, says running has been a huge part of her life. McKeown has been running for seven years and says running has given her many things to of which she is proud. “I am proud of the many, many miles I have run over my seasons. Also, I am beyond proud when someone comes up to me and tells me that they saw me running and were inspired to run,” McKeown said. McKeown says she loves to wake up in the morning and get the opportunity to do something she loves and cares so much about. “I continue to run for the pain. I love being halfway through an incredibly hard workout and feeling like I can’t finish. And then, when I do finish, I feel so proud of myself and what I have done,” McKeown said. WHS alum and 2017 Ashland University graduate, Zachary Humrichouser, is now working as the assistant cross country coach at Wadsworth High School, ready to pass his knowledge and passion for the sport on to high school athletes. Humrichouser said his proudest moment was finishing his collegiate running career at Ashland University as a NCAA Division 2 All-American in the 10,000 meter race for outdoor track this past spring. “Not many people are able to graduate from college while participating in a sport all four years, let alone gain All-American honors. I believe this is a testament to the patience and dedication a person needs in order to accomplish their goals in running,” Humrichouser said. Humrichouser said running has given him the opportunity to meet many extraordinary people who share the same love for the sport that he does. “I believe more people should run because you will be able to connect with a lot of people who share a similar passion… I feel runners have a special gene in their body that gives them more energy to motivate and encourage other runners that they encounter daily. It is a special community of individuals that anyone can join at anytime,” Humrichouser said. Margaret McBride is a 10-year-old runner who participates in the Vertical Runner youth running camp and runs five kilometer races a couple of times a year. When asked why she likes to run, McBride said, “Because it’s fun...I like showing myself that I can run that far; I like proving it to myself.” Ruth Graham is a yoga instructor at Flex Yoga and she runs at Vertical Runner events. Graham has been running for four years and said she is most proud of qualifying for the Boston marathon. “My favorite memory from running is when I do overnight races where I stay in a hotel before the race and just the fun I have with my running friends,” Graham said. Author Malcolm Gladwell talks about his passion for running in the The Observer article “Why I Run” from Aug. 13, 2017. “This afternoon I ran 20 times 200 meters up a steep hill, at 75 percent of my limit. I dreaded doing it. But halfway through, I began to relax and enjoy it, and when I finished, I had an enormous sense of pride. That’s why I run. Because the best things in life always start out hard and end up wonderful,” Gladwell said. BBC news anchor, Sophie Raworth, also talked about her favorite pastime in The Observer. She has participated in 10 marathons and one ultramarathon since 2011. “[Running has] become, I suppose, an addiction in one sense, a way of life. And I find it incredibly empowering that I’m fitter and faster than I’ve ever been...The older I get the faster I get, which you can’t say in many other sports,” Raworth said. Wooster and beyond, runners love what they do for the same reasons. Running forms a unique community full of motivation and passion for all runners.
May 2018 | COVER | 25
Lane Wilson takes his love of running to the next level rachael schmidt staff writer
Lane Wilson (11) began playing basketball with the Parks and Rec youth league in Wooster in first grade, quickly realizing his favorite part of practice was running. Becky Wilson, Wilson’s mother, said Lane did not actually enjoy basketball, so he joined youth track club in fourth grade. “His sixth grade year he did not want to do basketball, so we took him to Vertical Runner and got him got him good running shoes and got him involved in their weekly running club,” Wilson said. Jill Forrest, Edgewood Middle School cross country/track coach and Foreign Language Dept. member, has known Wilson since he began running at Vertical Runner. Since then, Wilson said he feels like the other running club members are family. “Madame [Jill Forrest] is my mom and I have my crazy aunt Ruth.” One of Forrest’s favorite memories with Wilson was on a trail run in which Wilson had to run ahead of everyone, up a large hill, to scout out the route and then run back to tell everyone where to go. Wilson enjoys running with the people at Vertical Runner’s running club on Wednesday nights because it is relaxing. Forrest said Wilson is social at running club, but is a very goal oriented and hard working runner on the high school cross country and track teams. Wilson has received a varsity letter twice in cross country and three times in track and field in his high school running career thus far. “Freshman and sophomore year, I was able to improve a lot because we had a strong varsity team to push me,” Wilson said. Over the years, Wilson has run many 5Ks, 14 half marathons and during track season some of the events he runs includes the 400, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters. Wilson said his 5K personal best is 16:54, his half marathon personal best is 1:22:29 and the farthest he has ever run at once is 17 miles. Wilson finds inspiration in Vertical Runner running club members Jill Forrest and Brian Polan, along with elite runners Mo Farah and Clayton Murphy. Wilson’s running goals include making it to state in the 800, running in college and some day, running the Boston Marathon because he watches it every year. Outside of running Wilson said he enjoys, “drinking Starbucks, Dr. Pepper, watching Netflix and traveling the world with Jimmy.”
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LANE WILSON Wilson ran his most recent half marathon in Chattanooga, Tenn. on March 4, 2018, in a personal best time of 1:22:29 (left and bottom middle). Wilson also trained with WHS alumni Chris Cannon and Zach Humrichouser on the track (top middle). Wilson completed his third season as a part of the WHS cross country team this past fall (right).
26 | COVER | May 2018
Theory Class inspires Gorman to pursue
Jazz
john gorman staff writer
I have been playing music for almost as long as I can remember, first taking up guitar in first grade. Since then, I have taken up saxophone and dabbled in piano and ukulele, but regardless of instrument, I have always been interested in writing music. Now, writing a song always seemed incredibly daunting, and I never really had enough incentive to tackle that challenge before taking Music Theory this year. For Theory, part of the final exam requires each student to write a four part composition for other Theory students to perform. Now with a reason to get started in composing, I wrote a jazz piece titled “Jamming with Mike,” inspired by my time playing in the College of Wooster jazz ensemble with guest pianist Michael Kocour. After this, I continued by arranging “Vienna” by Billy Joel for the WHS Jazz Band, which we performed on numerous occasions this year. While working on The Edge, I looked back over my previous efforts and decided I wasn’t quite happy with either, so I decided to compose another, titled “Cedric’s Song.” Composed for tenor saxophone, this composition was originally based on the chord progression from the George Gershwin standard “I Got Rhythm,” but evolved past them as the song progressed. “Cedric’s Song” was heavily inspired by the compositions of trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonist Charlie Parker, two pioneers of the bebop genre.
May 2018 | COVER | 27
“Cedric’s Song”
28 | COVER | May 2018
matthew lorentz graphics manager
May 2018 | Cover | 29
A look back in time: In our April 27, Issue #13 of The Wooster Blade, the cover section looked at past papers for a throwback issue. While working on this issue, I had a chance to go through some of the morgue, where we keep copies of all the past papers we have published. I discovered that, although we have a complete record of many years of The Blade, other years were jumbled together or completely missing. For the past few weeks, I have undertaken the task of trying to reorganize this record of papers. Below are several pictures of graphics and spreads I found interesting along the way. -Estelle Shaya
30 | COVER | May 2018
Delving into past issues of The Wooster Blade
KANYE OMARI WEST
Eight drawinings by Holly Miller. Bottom left painting by Corinne Wiles
May 2018 | COVER | 31
ART “FAMOUS” Art Exhibit
Runaway Short Film
Los Angeles gallery Blum & Poe gallery.
In 2010, Kanye directed
Kanye’s obsession with Pablo Picasso The Life of Pablo album he’s referring to is Pablo Picasso.
for his album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
This exhibit includes 12 “anatomically corpeople that have been in Kanye’s life in some way. This idea came from Vincent Desiderio’s painting “Sleep”
INFLUENCES First mentor was rapper No I.D.
Collaboration with artist Takashi Murakami, “Graduation” album art.
In a talk he gave at Harvard University, he said “My goal, if I was going to do art, would have been to become Picasso.”
CHICAGO
In 2009, collab with Nike, Air Yeezys. He also moved to Rome for internship with Fendi. In 2011/2012, DW Kanye West line debuts at Paris Fashion Week, and Kanye.
Started writing poetry at age 5. Started recording music at age 13.
Paul McCartney Kanye has featured McCartney in multiple works and Kanye’s First album, College song “Only One” was inspired by Dropout McCartney’s song by his dropout of Chicago American Academy of Art “Let It Be”
recorded song when he persuaded his mom to pay for studio time.
Kanye West’s two main Chicago and his mother, Donda. This map follows how
and then Chicago State University.
Latest Vision: Lead with Love
32 | COVER | May 2018
In 2005 Kanye announced the release of his Pastelle clothing line. He worked on it for four years, but ended up cancelling it.
In 2015, First Yeezy Season release: there have been six seasons now.
by Chicago’s music style and artist, including Chicago House Music that is present in his album Graduation.
Kanye tweeted his photo of a message he sent a friend of his on April 28, 2018. The picture is of the surgeon, Jan Adams, who performed his mother's last surgery before she died. Kanye announced that he wants to put Adams on the cover of his next album, “I want to forgive and stop hating.” That is a big step. Kanye's whole life and career changed because of what happened in the that operating room when Adams performed surgery on his mom, but he wants to stop dwelling on the past.
Fashion
DONDA His Mother Her deathNovember 10th 2007
Donda West died one day after having cosmetic surgeries, including liposuction and mammoplasty.
TURNING POINT By: Holly Miller
4
Stages of Grief Followed Through Kanye’s Career After 2007 After Kanye’s mother, Donda, died on November 10, 2007,
1.Denial
Fashion Focused
808s & Heartbreak - 2008
holly miller staff writer
My Beautiful Dark Twisted
One year after his mother’s death, Kanye re- Another aspect of Kanye’s denial stage was Fantasy -2010 leased his third album: 808s & Heartbreak. his focus on fashion. He really started focusEven though this album is about heartbreak, ing on fashion in 2009, when he collabed Kanye exiled himself to Hawaii to its more focused on his breakup with former with Nike to make Air Yeezys. Also in 2009 write and produce My Beautiful fiancee, Alexis Phifer. This is also the time in Dark Twisted Fantasy. He did this he moved to Rome for an internship with Kanye’s career where he started to find his Fendi. Then in 2011 and 2012, he presented to get out of the media, controversy new sound in the music industry. He started his DW Kanye West Clothing line, in honor and make sure he could just focus using vocal synthesizers, Tr-808 drum on making music. Kanye also of his mother Donda West, at Paris Fashion machine and heavy autotune to make his directed made a 35 minute short Week. In 2012, Adidas also confirmed an undeniably unique sounds. film for this album. upcoming shoe collab with Kanye.
2.Anger Yeezus -2013
Yeezus was Kanye’s angriest and darkest album, this album is know to make people uncomfortable and usually is listeners least favorite of his albums. Kanye doesn’t produce music just so that people like it, he produces music that come from his emotions. The Yeezus album gives listeners insight into Kanye’s state of mind during this period of his life, an angry period of his life.
3.Depression “I Feel Like That” Unreleased, Uncut Kanye
The internet has Kanye continues to express recovered Kanye’s his true emotion for four Listeners hear Kanye breathing heavily into the camera, unreleased song “I Feel minutes through these lyrics, then his voice comes over the video... Like That” at the end of from temper outbursts and a music video of “All feeling lonely, even when he’s Day.” The video starts with people. This could be with Kanye spazzing to argued as one of Kanye’s most the camera, jumping up important songs even though and down, practically it has never been released. screaming his unbeat This is the uncut Kanye West, song “All Day.” This expressing that even though he is the Kanye that fans is a “God,” he faces the same know. More than four problems other people have: minutes in he stops, and nervousness, feeling unliked, sits down against the paranoia, sadness and anxiety. wall. This starts Kanye’s This song could be an open unreleased song “I Feel door to the whole discussion Like That,” sitting on the of mental health: even Kanye ground with his eyes West who is know to be the down the music from “All person that loves himself more Day” completely goes than anyone is faced with these out. mental health problems.
Lashing out to the media “I AM A GOD”
In November 2016, Kanye was checked into UCLA Medical Center, His tour was canceled. WE GOT LOVE INTERVIEW Kanye West / Charlamagne Released May 1st 2018 Kanye was asked what he thinks caused the mental break down. He answers “Fear, stress, control, being controlled, manipulation, like being a pawn and a chess piece of life. Stressing things that create like validation that I didn’t need to worry about as much. It’s the concept of competition and being in competition with so many elements at one time.”
4.Acceptance The Life of Pablo -2016
Kanye’s most recent album The Life of Pablo shows his acceptance of the life he is living now. There is a religious message and a gospel influence present.
Kanye said “I decided to use this platform (Twitter) to express some breakthroughs I’ve
WE GOT LOVE INTERVIEW Kanye West / Charlamagne Released May 1st 2018 Charlamagne asks Kanye “Mentally where are you?” Kanye says “I think I’m in a stronger place, than I ever was after the breakdown or I like to say the
May 2018 | COVER | 33
L S A S C O F 2 0 1 8 the edge senior section
34 | SENIOR | May 2018
Photo by Aleesha Vaughn Graphics by Alexis Florence
senior superlatives
the e senio
r sec
tion
dge
An online form and 210 copies of senior superlative sheets were distributed during the week of April 30. The resulting students received the most votes in the given categories from the 55 returned responses. Students were encouraged to give one female and one male nomination for each category, and only members of the Class of 2018 were eligible to vote or receive nominations.
PATRICK PARKER - person you wish you knew better - most contagious - biggest - most likely to laugh environmental win the voice activist - theater queen
HOPE
KENNEDY NICHOLAS COSMO - theater king
MATTHEW
LORENTZ EMILY RAMSEYER - dynamic duo
MADDY NACCI
- dynamic duo - best person to bring home to your parents
May 2018 | SENIOR | 35
de the e g on
r secti
MIA SMITH (not pictured) won the
category of most changed appearance
senio
MADISON
C O X - best dressed
CORBIN
likely to JACOB JACK -bemost America’s N E I L L Next Top ModelMCCORY
most changed LANKER -appearance - best dressed
- most likely to be late to graduation
LINDSAY SHADLEY -most likely to be late to graduation
CHRISTIAN
WALTON -best instagram feed -most likely to take over the world
36 | SENIOR | May 2018
the edg e or s e
ctio
n
LUKE HART (not pictured) won the category of most likely to win The Voice
seni
CLARA
LEMALBROWN
MATTHEW - most likely to
MIMI WILES hunger games
BRUNN survive the
MICHAEL - best shoulder - most likely to go to the CICOLANIto cry on
most likely to CAROLINA -survive the
CARLTON hunger games
Olympics
- most likely to SARAH be president MONAHAN - most likely to create a start- - most likely to have work in an up art museum
- best Instagram feed
May 2018 | SENIOR | 37
de the e g on
r secti
senio
SIDNY CHAMBERLIN WESLEY
ROBERTS
EVAN - most spirited DOAN
ALVIN - future author MAKORI - most likely to create a startup - most likely to be president
38 | senior section | May 2018
- most spirited
NOLAN KHOUNBORIN
ERIN
- best person to bring home O’DONNELL to meet your - life of the party parents - most likely to be on SNL
PARKER
SUGGS - most likely to be on SNL
the
sen
ior
ESTELLE CHRISTINA
SPEDDEN - most contagious laugh - person you wish you knew better
SHAYA - most likely to take over the world - most likely to join the UN
sect
edg
ion
e
ZAC NTIA - best role for un- SPENCER KEDRIC model derclassmen DILYARD CORBIN - life of the party
- most likely to be a cat person
AMBER SWIGART - most likely to be a cat personPETER - future author - most likely to have work in an art museum
SAVAGE
May 2018 | senior section | 39
de the e g r secti
senio
on
MADDIE OSIECKI - person you wish you knew better
JULIEN LUBELL
TREYVON- most likely to
O’HEARNjoin the UN
- most likely to IZZY to the OlymR I C O go pics - biggest environmental activist
- most likely to be America’s Next Top Model
40 | senior section | May 2018
VERONICA
VALASQUEZ - most likely to cure cancer
HANNAH
KNAPIC -most likely to move away andCONNOR never come back -most likely to cure cancer
NIRO
CHAIN OF THANKS: seniors recognize fellow seniors
MIMI WILES “I want to thank Giaminh Nguyen, for being my oldest friend.” “Nolan Porter, I am thankful for you being my friend for all of my years of high school. You were my very first friend since I met you in Spanish I with Señora Turner. Thank you for opening up my broad guidance to coding and programming in general and I hope that we can work together in the future.”
NOLAN PORTER
NOLAN KHOUNBORIN
To start the chain of thanks, a senior was chosen randomly with the help of Records Secretary, Randi Raffa. Each senior thanked another senior who has influenced them throughout their high school careers. Quotes collected by Maddy Nacci. Photos taken by Aleesha Vaughn.
“Thank you, Mimi Wiles, for helping me get through my Calculus class, which has definitely been a struggle for me.
May 2018 | SENIOR | 41
TREYVON O’HEARN
AVALONN HARPER
GIAMINH NGUYEN
“Thank you, Treyvon O’Hearn. He and his family have been there for me since the day I moved to American, and he’s like a brother to me.”
42 | SENIOR | May 2018
“I want to thank Avalonn Harper, for always pushing me to do my best, especially in sports.”
“Thank you, Taelonn Harper, for being there since day one.”
EVAN O’BRIEN “Thank you, Wesley Roberts, for sharing my love for the Cavs and Ohio State.”
ZAC NTIA
TAELONN HARPER
“I want to thank Zac Ntia, for always being a great guy.”
“Thank you, Evan O’Brien, for being the best locker neighbor I could imagine and for making me feel short.”
May 2018 | SENIOR | 43
WESLEY ROBERTS
JOE LNZ
“I want to thank Joe Linz because of the fun times we have in band together, and for our friendship.”
44 | SENIOR | May 2018
“I want to thank Christian Walton for having good discussion with me and for being a good group member throughout high school.”
memories seniors reminisce
“I would have to say going to states for golf my junior year and helping in the special ed gym classes.” - Brent Dillon
Displayed on the next three pages are “Being with the same people every day for four years straight and building relationships.” - Jack Neill
“My favorite memory would have to be freshman year in the football student sections.” - Marisa Zerrer
“My favorite memory in high school was something I’ll remember.” - Zac Ntia
“Singing the Alma Mater on bus the rides back from track and cross country meets.” - Zach Dreher
“My favorite memory from high school were the Friday night football games. There was nothing better than following the theme, arriving early to participate in the powder toss, and cheering on your team with your best friends.” - Sara Daugherty
“My favorite memory is being head drummer and getting to play our drum cadences behind the school after every home football game.” - Wesley Roberts
“At Wooster High School, no memory, good, bad, funny, or sad can truly be the favorite... rather their combination creates the only thing worth remembering.” - Joe Linz
“I’d have to say that my favorite memory has yet to happen. And, that I cannot wait to go to Prom with my beautiful girlfriend for my last year at Wooster.” - Eamonn Hashem
“I guess I’d say the orchestra Disney trip sophomore year or winning OCC for soccer two years in a row.” - Julien Lubell
May 2018 | senior | 45
“I think it would be when some of the IB kids all had a camp out/sleepover, and it was just so fun.” - Julia Tefs
“Probably going to Pittsburgh with Nolan Khounborin, Peter Savage, and Mr. Greene to participate in a Hack-a-thon.” - Nolan Porter
“Hanging out with friends and making new friends at the track meets. And also, watching football and basketball games.” - Giaminh Nguyen
“Probably being a part of the two lip dub videos when I was a freshman and sophomore.” - Cece Gingery
“My favorite memory was getting a bunch of people at one house, and we all have our Xboxes and we all play fortnite.” - David Britting
“My favorite memory from high school is going to state for golf my junior year, 2016 season.” - Austin Meese
“Honestly my favorite memories would be all that has been a huge part of my life.” - Kate Vojkofky
“The AP Enivro trip when we went to the marsh in those suits. It was really fun,” - Zach Leininger
the Cleveland eXpressions exhibit.” - Ren Miller
“Coming into Taggarts for painting one. That was probably the best decision of my life.” - Sarah Monahan
“I would have to say in Mr. Bever’s class when Parker was getting pushed by Amhen (checking on spelling) in a shopping cart.”
“Making it to districts in swimming my junior and senior year.” - Chloe Boucher
46 | senior | May 2018
“Probably going to Post Prom junior year with my best friend. Everything was mostly free, and it felt fun to be a kid with a bunch of other kids just having a good time.” - Ellia Miller
“My favorite memory would be winning OCC
“Being on teams; whether it be high school sports, FCA, Drama Club, or my youth group worship team, I love being involved.” - Elise Kern
- Kaila Taylor “The Disney band trip.” “Freshman year at the Jackson Twilight meet. Me, Chris Cannon, Jordan Green, and Kevin White won the 4 x 800 and broke our school record. Later on, the same group of four won the 4 x 400. It was the most fun track meet I have ever been a part of.” - Connor Niro
- Emily Cavin
“My favorite memory in high school was the moment that I realized that popularity didn’t matter, but rather focusing on my passions and relationships that would ultimately form the person I am today.” - Alvin Makori
“Winning OCC for cheer three times in a row.” - Jillian Schneider “Playing water basketball with the Wooster Seamen.” “My favorite memory would have to be opening night for our musical this year Working. I was a lead [character] and I was nervous out of my mind, but pumped full of adrenaline and surrounded by amazing friends. It was a feeling like no other.” - Joe Macchetta
- Andrew Cochran
- Andrew Symonds
- Corbin Lanker “Going to the sweet sixteen in lacrosse.” - Payton Dawson
May 2018 | senior | 47
the
EDGE contributors About Us
The Edge is a literary and newsmagazine hybrid that showcases the creative work of our students. Our staff consists of many of The Wooster Blade staff members. We meet every day during Newspaper Productions classes throughout the entire year. Editors were chosen based on their demonstrated interest in the magazine and in their production of featured work.
Editorial Policy The Edge Letters and submissions should be addressed to the editor, with a limit of 400 words or less. Submit letters by email to thewoosteredge@gmail.com. If published, the meaning of the work will not be altered, however, we reserve the right to correct grammatical errors, punctuation and spelling. The opinions expressed in the publication are those of the individual writers, and do not represent the opinions of the staff as a whole. We reserve the right to amend this policy at any time.
Editor-in-Chief Erin O’Donnell
Faculty Adviser
Alexis Florence Evan Doan Nick Cosmo John Gorman Aleesha Vaughn David Cheng Molly Schneider Maddy McCully
Maddy Nacci Matt Lorentz Estelle Shaya Amber Swigart Jacob Gooch
48 | CONTRIBUTORS | May 2018