The Wooster Blade - Issue 12

THE WOOSTER BLADE

WOOSTER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER • 515 OLDMAN ROAD, WOOSTER, OH • APRIL 17, 2015 • VOLUME XV, ISSUE 12

IMMIGRATION NATION

The Wooster Blade observes the multicultural presence in Wooster, and investigates the impacts of current immigration policies.

INDEX

THE WOOSTER BLADE | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 2

Immigration and Ethnicity: By the Numbers The Wooster Blade explores the cultural diversity of our area through statistics.

Immigrants make up 4.1 percent of Ohio’s population.

One in twenty Ohioans are either Asian or Latino.

As of 2008, there were 100,153 foreign born citizens in the Cleveland suburbs.

49.7 percent of immigrants in Ohio are naturalized citizens and are potential voters.

front section 1-2

on campus 3-6

58.8% 41.2% Yes No

focus 7-10

a&e 11-13

trends 14-15

feature 16-20

Immigrants (25 or older) in Ohio who have received a bachelor’s degree or higher.

White

29-32

Black

views

Front photo by Alex Hasapis Facts compiled by Maureen McKeown, Alli Wigham, and Olivia Sleek Graphics by Nate King-Smith, Shreya Gurumurthy, and Han Mahle Statistics from the American Immigration Council immigrationpolicy.org, and education.ohio.gov/

Asian

25-28

Hispanic

sports

Native born persons (25 or older) in Ohio who have received a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Races of WCS Students

Multiracial

21-24

No

Indian/Alaskan

cover section

76.2%

23.8% Yes

ON CAMPUS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 3

WHS Speech & Debate sends team members to Nationals OLIVIA BERNADINE feature editor

The Speech and Debate Team is sending eight of its members to compete at the national tournament for the 2014-2015 school year.

Members attending the National Tournament include: Matt Friedhoff (12), Taylor Bennington (12), Alexander Hasapis (12), twin duo Scott and Storm Nicholson (12), Katie Mount (11), Pierre Paul (11) and Mary Grace Gorman (11).

Scott Nicholson hopes his improvements will help him with this new experience.

“I do not know what I will encounter at Nationals. It is an entirely new beast for me because I have never competed in a national tournament.

I honestly have no idea what to expect, but that also makes it exciting. This year and even through my three years in speech, I think I

BETH CLAYTON

WHS will be sending eight National Qualifiers to the National Speech and Debate Association National Tournament in Dallas in June. Pictured from left to right: Mary Grace Gorman, Matt Friedhoff, Storm Nicholson, Scott Nicholson, Pierre Paul, Alex Hasapis, Taylor Bennington and Katie Mount. have progressed extremely far. After every tournament, Storm and I discuss what we need to work on because we believe we can always learn from our performances and get better. Eventually, our subtle and weekly changes culminate into large success at

the end of the season, such as at national qualifiers and the state tournament, as opposed to the beginning of the year,” Nicholson said.

Coach William Franck believes his team members excel not only in their specific categories, but wherever and whenever the

team is called upon to represent WHS. “This year’s group of national qualifiers exemplify excellence.

I really love these kids and would take them anywhere.

It’s truly an honor to go to competitions with this group because no matter where we are (restaurants, hotels, etc.), people make it a point to stop us and say what a delightful group of young people we have. It really doesn’t matter where we are or what we’re doing, these students always put their best feet forward,” Franck said.

Beside their outstanding demeanor, Franck also anticipates their talent will show at the national level.

“As far as talent, this is the second largest group of qualifiers we’ve taken to Nationals in the past decade.

I am so excited to see what they do in Dallas. I think the experience of our group will really make a difference this

year. I’m so honored to coach such a tremendously talented collection of truly inspiring young adults,” Franck said.

Pierre Paul has grown in his speech skills, getting him to this level of achievement.

“I have progressed in speech and debate due to hard work and great coaching. Through the hardships, my team has had my back and helped me rise to the level I am competing at now. At the National Tournament I want to go into every round with the mentality that it could be my last round at Nationals. In my category, original oratory, it’s been a few years since somebody from Ohio has made it into the top 60 in the nation. So, I plan to go into every round with the top 60 goal in my head and, if not, I want to leave the tournament knowing that I gave it my all and have no regrets,” Paul said.

The competition will take place this year on June 14-June 19 in Dallas, Texas.

Thespian society chapter set to grow ISABELLE CANNON staff writer

On April 30 at 7 p.m., 12 WHS Drama Club members will be inducted into thespian troupe #339.

The 2014-2015 thespian troupe inductees include: Melody Ashworth (8), Jacob Gooch (8), Lexi Snoddy (9), Christina Spedden (9), Hannah Reikowsky (10), Aaron Cochran (11), Grady Suggs Jr. (11), Katie Ward (11), Nick Williams (12), Hannah Otto (12), Emily Norris (12) and Zack Buchholz (12).

In order to become a thespian member, inductees have to participate in at least two shows, participate in two of the three areas of service for the club and earn points for the amount of hours they have put into a production.

WHS Drama Club joined the thespian society in 1927.

According to Drama Club assistant director Todd Patterson, WHS is troupe #339 and is among the top 40 oldest active troupes in the world.

“I’M EXCITED BECAUSE IT’S TAKING MY HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE TO A NEW LEVEL,” BUCHHOLZ SAID. Emily Patterson, Drama Club director, has seen countless thespian inductions; however, each year is different because a new group of students contributes to the Drama Club in many different ways.

“Each induction is special to the inductees because they have

worked many hours to earn this privilege,” Patterson said.

Buchholz is very anxious to become a member of troupe #339.

“I’m excited because it’s taking my high school experience to a new level. It means a lot to be a part of an exclusive honorary group for something I’m so passionate about; it’s a true honor,” Buchholz said.

The Thespian Society is a tightly bound organization of performers who love acting.

Its a chance for student actors to be a part of something that their fellow classmates enjoy as much as they do.

In past years, the WHS Thespian Troupe has traveled to conferences where members can attend workshops and conferences with fellow Thespian members to share acting tips and ideas.

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THE WOOSTER BLADE | ON CAMPUS | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 4

Bowling all the way from WHS to Wright State University CHLOE LANDERS feature editor

For senior Karlie Way, bowling is not just something she does well, but something she has been intrigued with and participated in since the age of five.

Way’s family has contributed to her success with the sport, as she said they began taking her to the bowling alley at a young age, allowing her to practice and perfect the game.

“My family bowls as well, so I pretty much grew up in a bowling alley. It was like my second home,” Way said.

After graduating from WHS, Way plans on extending her bowling career at Wright State University in Dayton.

Way explained that although the bowling team at WSU is ranked top five in the nation, the bowling team is considered

a club; therefore, scholarships for that specific sport are not given.

Way said she is excited to continue the sport she loves at WSU. For the WHS bowling team, Way is a four year varsity starter, as well as a three time All Conference first team.

Way believes the bowling team and coaches gave her pointers on her game and helped her to continue to get better with her game.

“If I hadn’t joined the team, I really don’t think I’d be where I am today,” Way said.

Fellow bowling teammates Mollie Stokes (12) and Courtney Peck (12) agree that Way has maintained a steady role as a team leader and has been very successful in that role.

As a four year bowler, Stokes said that losing last years seniors gave this year’s seniors

more incentive to step up their game and lead their fellow teammates.

“Karlie was a fantastic captain and was always there for us when we needed her help. We really pulled together as a team and helped each other out,” Stokes said.

New bowlers began playing on the bowling team, and Peck said she believes the strong leadership is one the reasons development was made so quickly.

“We all got along really well, always joking and having fun.

This made bowling as a team easier. Karlie was sort of like our team captain. She is the most experienced and we all could go to her for help if need be,” Peck said.

All three seniors agree that the 2014-15 season was a successful one and wish luck to their younger teammates for years to come.

Pokemon pokes into Wooster TAYLOR BENNINGTON & DAVE BURNETT

co-editor-in-chief & staff writer The City of Wooster hosted the 2015 State Pokemon Championship from April 10 to April 12. The tournament took place at the Shisler Center- a multipurpose venue located in the heart of the OARDC campus.

Social activities and evening scrimmages took place in the conference rooms of Wooster’s south-end Best Western.

Tom Cole, a member of the Shisler Center event staff, stated, “This event is bringing people in from all over, and hopefully it attracts people back. It gives them a chance to visit the campus and see how great Wayne County truly is.”

Experienced Pokemon player A.J Schumacher served as tournament organizer for the state event. Schumacher was pleased by the tournament’s location, remarking, “The Wooster OSU campus has been a perfect fit with our time constraints. We weren’t able to host it during in Columbus on our normal weekend due to state tournaments in Indiana and Michigan. We’re very excited to be here. We’ve got people who drove hours from Chicago and Canada to be a part of this. We have over 200 competitors and over 50 spectators, so it’s sure to be a fun event.”

The tournament contestants were broken into three divisions: junior, senior and master. Juniors and seniors included students ranging in age from elementary school to college students. Master players consisted of adults.

According to Schumacher, competition lasted up to 11 hours Quintin North, a member of the Junior division commented on the rigor of the competition, noting, “I’ve been playing Pokemon for awhile, but this is some of the toughest competition I’ve ever faced.”

Julie Pehotsky is a member of the master division and has played since the game’s inception in 1996. Pehotsky notes, “I’ve been to twenty tournaments in the last year. I want to be the best there ever was.”

Competition can go on for great lengths of time, according to Schumacher, noting, “We have 11 hours of competition slated for Saturday alone.”

The regional tournament will be held in Ontario Canada from May 16-17.

GRANT PEABODY

Karlie Way practices her stroke at Wayne Lanes, home of the WHS bowling team. Way is a three time All Conference team member.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | ON CAMPUS | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 5

Art Club project acts as outreach to WCSD Talents show promises ALLI WIGHAM varied entertainment front editor

The Art Club has been asked to take on a new project this year: buddy benches.

The Wooster Education Association is sponsoring “buddy benches” that will be located at Kean Elementary, Parkview Elementary, Cornerstone Elementary, Melrose Elementary and Edgewood Middle School.

According to Tricia Taggert, Art Dept. member and Art Club adviser, the buddy benches are meant to become, “a place for someone who is upset, so people will know they need a friend to talk to.”

She said it will a place where

CAIN LANKER

The WHS art club has been building buddy benches to put at schools. children can feel safe to share their feelings.

The benches will be constructed at Boys’ Village and will be brought to the Art Club members to paint.

“The Art Club collaboratively came up with several designs for the benches, playing off of themes we thought would be universal and peaceful enough for children,” Tom Myers (12), President of Art Club, said.

Each bench at each school will have a different design.

Kyle Douglass (11), Vice President of the Art Club, said the designs will all represent peace and comfort.

Art Club is hoping to have the benches displayed by the 2015-2016 school year.

Art Club members are eager to give back to the school district in a creative way and are looking forward to helping many students to come.

KAYLA BARNETT staff writer

WHS will be hosting its annual talent show on April 16.

This year’s acts consist of singing, playing instruments, dancing, stand-up comedy and much more.

Pierre Paul (11), who won the talent show his freshman year, will be participating for the third year in a row. He will be singing with Aleesha Vaughn (9) with Grady Suggs (11) beatboxing.

“I think the fact that we are singing a cappella with beatboxing, as well as the unique blend of mine and Aleesha’s voices, will make us stand out against the judges,” Paul said.

Tom Myers (12) will be doing a different act, which involves playing a marimba percussion cover of a popular song. He believes not many people have “seen or heard much solo marimba music, let alone a song people will actually know,” making his act distinct.

Adding to the musical talents, Seamus Kearney (11), Suggs, Adam Kirk (10) and Parker Suggs (9) will be performing in their boy-band “Sophresh” for the second year in a row.

“We rehearse when we can, and we just let out all of our energy because it’s really important to not be nervous on stage,” Kearney said.

The band’s performance adds to an already diverse pool of acts in the show.

Snyder qualifies to Nationals some ideas on how to succeed as a chess player. staff writer “The key to winning is to be WHS’s own Willis Snyder has confident in your moves and not to qualified to the second guess United States Chess yourself,” Federation National Snyder said, To u r n a m e n t , a d d i n g , which was held in “I usually Columbus on April review a few 10-April 12. openings His coach, Dr. before each Dennis Helmuth, match to attributes Snyder’s prepare.” progress to his Senior chess studies of past chess team member players.

C o n n o r “This year, I Stermer gives AUSTIN MIKO credit to the challenged William to study the games Willis Snyder qualified to a national Chess work he puts of the 19th Century tournament held on April 10-12. into chess.

American chess “He definitely genius Paul Morphy. He did and the gets out of chess what he puts in. You improvement in his game became don’t just start off good, practice will evident,” Helmuth said. make you better,” Stermer said.

Snyder, who also placed 10 at the Snyder did not attend the Ohio State chess tournament, has tournament.

RYAN MILLER

THE WOOSTER BLADE | ON CAMPUS | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 6

Election Preview: Students run to continue culture change

The time has come again to elect students for WHS’s Student Government. Some students running for office shared their goals and slogans in hopes of being elected for this upcoming school year. Photos by Grant Peabody. Quotes compiled by Stefi Hernandez.

“I want to create an atmosphere at WHS that makes everyone feel like they belong to something.”

Stephen Kridel Candidate for Senior Class President

“Student government needs a nice dose of dorkiness since Dave and Taylor will be gone.”

Emily Walter Candidate for Senior Class Vice President

“Everyday, WHS students need a champion, and I want to be that champion.”

Samantha Brunn Candidate for Senior Class President

“I’m not your president until you elect me.”

Matt Chidsey Candidate for Junior Class President

eone “If you’re looking for som h wit you ent who can repres a and S WH for m ias endless enthus its en ght hei to ic eth rk wo tic fantas igart brilliance, vote for Amber Sw !” ent sid pre ss for sophomore cla

“I’m running for class Vice President because I want to be more involved in school functions and help give my class a voice in school activities and events.”

Amber Swigart Candidate for Sophomore Class President

Mimi Wiles Candidate for Sophomore Class Vice President

“I want to unify our students more and hear less about Student Council corruption”

“Vote Nielson.

We’ll take it from here.”

Casey Baik Candidate for Senior Class Representative

Scot Nielson Candidate for Senior Class Representative

Student Government uses electronic ballots for next election JACK HARTMANN on campus editor

The upcoming student government elections have moved from a traditional hard ballot system to a new electronic system.

The elections will take place in the PAC foyer and be

administered by the board of elections which consists of seniors Taylor Bennington, David Burnett, Brooke Hemphill and Raffaela Mueller.

“It is the closest thing to a failproof system. We do not have to spend time double or even triple counting ballots; we now have instant feedback,” student body vice president

David Burnett (12) said.

The new electronic system has many other advantages beside instant results.

“Candidates will no longer have to wait a couple days for results; hopefully now, we can give them results in just a few hours. Also, voter fraud is not a concern anymore. The new system is for the students, just

like what student government’s ultimate goal is,” student body president Taylor Bennington (12) said.

With the immense amount of technology in the world today, members of the student government said this system is a good, modernized approach to their elections.

“The goal is to get as many

people as possible to participate. It gets students using their smart phones and electronic devices, plus results are tabulated quicker with the new system,” WHS Principal Tyler Keener said.

Voting for the upcoming student government will take place on April 29 and April 30 in the PAC.

FOCUS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 7

After a long history of controversy, Tent City exists no more ALEX HASAPIS graphics editor

The residents of the land known as Tent City, which is located on 801 Madison Ave, were evicted on Monday, April 13 in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1923.

The ORC, “chapter allows the court to order that a land owner (sic) get possession of land legally owned,” according to Jason Storck, attorney for Troutwater, LLC. According to Ted Amstutz, the property manager who was hired by Troutwater, LLC, the residents of Tent City have been evicted, “not because they’re homeless; they’re being evicted because of what we see [on the property]...which is trash.”

Troutwater, LLC is the company in Wooster which acquired the land known as Tent City. The land was bought from Joseph M. Perrone Trust, following the terms set in Perrone’s will, Storck said.

Roger Dale Adkins, age 63 and resident of Tent City, was served the eviction notice by the Wooster Police Department

ALEX HASAPIS

Ted Amstutz (wearing white), the property manager hired by Troutwater, LLC, and fellow volunteers around the community began tearing down Tent City on Monday, April 13, at 2:30 p.m. after Tent City was officially evicted by the Wooster Police Department. at 2:30 p.m. and was ordered to not trespass on the land.

Adkins believes that the eviction is unlawful and discriminatory against American Indians.

“Everything I’ve done is always legal; everything done

against me is illegal...They [the authorities involved with this eviction] are going to have to answer for their hate crimes against American Indians and breaking two American Indian treaties without proper

protocol,” Adkins said.

Adkins continued by saying he will travel to Washington D.C. to present his case in front of Congress and will, during his travels, invite any and all homeless to Wooster to live.

Along with the threat of bringing large numbers of homeless to Wooster, other threats have been made to the city, Troutwater, LLC, and Ted Amstutz, the property manager hired by Troutwater, LLC. “I’ve had death threats, my family has been threatened.

My twelve year old has been bullied in school and my older kids have been bullied at their work sites,” Amstutz said.

As the eviction was carried out, no threats were carried out, nor did the Wooster Police Department make any arrest in connection with the eviction.

Adkins retrieved most of his belongings the day before the eviction, along with the other residents of Tent City. Although Adkins has not disclosed where he is staying in the city of Wooster, he does plan on staying until April 30 for a court date he must attend. As for the rest of the residents of Tent City, they will find homes and utilize housing vouchers, according to Adkins.

Amstutz began the clean up by demolishing the structures and believes it will take two months to complete.

Boy Scouts of America faces new challenges with LGBT rights STEPHEN KRIDEL views editor

The Greater New York Council of the Boy Scouts of America, along with their newly employed camp counselor, Pascal Tessier, have challenged a century long policy.

In 2013, the BSA revoked their policy barring gay youth from joining the scouts. The BSA, however, still bans gay scout leaders from participating in scouts, and since Tessier recently turned 18, that means him.

In a speech given on May 22, 2014, by BSA president, and former U.S. Defense Secretary, Robert Gates said: ”In a democratic process,

a strong majority of the volunteer leadership of this movement from all across the nation voted to welcome gay youth into scouting...But I also believe strongly that we must put this issue behind us and move forward, re-focusing our energies and our passion on making scouting an even bigger, better program for kids.”

Tessier, a College of Wooster student, is employed at the Ten Mile River Boy Scout Camp in New York.

New York, being one of many states that prohibits employees from being discriminated against in the workplace, is also the home to four of the 29 pro-LGBT Boy Scout councils,

according to a Zach Wahls, executive director of Scouts for Equality.

The Greater New York Council

‘‘I HOPE PASCAL’S EMPLOYMENT SIGNIFIES THE BEGINNING OF THE END,” WAHLS SAID.

defied the BSA’s rules when hiring Tessier, according to a Washington Post article by Lindsey Bever titled “Boy Scouts in New York hire openly gay Eagle Scout in spite of

national rules.”

Despite challenging the BSA’s rules, Tessier still found himself with a new job.

Josh Schiller, a lawyer for Tessier, said that Tessier’s membership has been reviewed and approved by the BSA and he has been issued an ID number.

However, the BSA National Council has not officially come out with a statement saying whether they will allow Tessier to be employed as a counselor or revoke his status.

Public support may play a role in the BSA’s decision to hire Tessier.

“Overwhelmingly the public wants to end the ban,” Wahls said.

In response to the confusion as to whether Tessier will be recognized by the BSA as a scout leader or not, Deron Smith, director of communications for the BSA, released a statement saying, “The Boy Scout’s policies for adult leaders and employees have not changed. While we were only recently made aware of this issue, we are looking into the matter.”

Wahls, in response to what he hopes is the outcome of this situation, stated, “I hope Pascal’s employment signifies the beginning of the end.”

The BSA, who are looking into the situation, are expected to make a statement regarding Tessier’s employment.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | FOCUS | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 8

SURVIVING IN THE

WILDERNESS

“You have to be able to detect if there’s a storm coming, so you can get shelter.

You gotta be aware of what your weather’s doing.”

“Bring a person that is slower than you are, in case of a bear attack.“

“A knife, or tools.

Because we’re cavemen now.”

“Always carry a can of dehydrated water.”

“You should always have a compass with you.”

“If you’re a smart person out in the wilderness, you have shelter with you, in a backpack or in your canoe, for if you’re lost.”

Andy

“Survival requires thinking. Stay calm. That is probably the most important thing. To not panic.”

“Make sure to be able to find the North Star because it is always in the… north.”

“If you don’t have proper clothing, you have to have a fire.”

“If you drink from a river, you don’t want to drink from a big river. You’d want to drink from springs and things that are less likely to be contaminated.”

from Science Dept. members Randy Carmel and Dave Snider

SHAYA

TIPS and TRICKS

Margot

In June 2014, Margot Shaya (11) participated in a program of the National Outdoor Leadership School in Wyoming.

The intensive course lasted for a total of 30 days where participants hiked in the Absaroka Range.

Shaya stated her motivation to go on the trip came from past family members.

“My dad did it. When he was in college he went on a semester-long course in Kenya, and since then all my uncles did it,” Shaya said.

Shaya described her trip as a great experience for her. Her small group hiked throughout the Absaroka Range. Everyone had to set up tents each night and cook their own food.

Her favorite part was the views she got to experience. “One night, my tent group woke up at like 2 a.m. and we went outside and there was hardly any moon, there were no lights, and you could just see the stars forever, and it’s like 100 times more than you could ever see from Wooster,” Shaya said.

Shaya said that she would definitely recommend the NOLS trip to other students.

KIEL

Experiences and tips shared by staff members and students at WHS.

After graduating high school in 1974, Social Studies Dept. member Andy Kiel spent six weeks of his summer at the National Outdoor Leadership School in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Lander, Wyoming.

The mission of the National Outdoor Leadership School is, “to be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment,” according to nols.edu.

Kiel and 30 other people climbed to an elevation of over 12,000 feet with only basic supplies to survive including a backpack, sleeping bag, pots and pans, oatmeal and raisins, according to Kiel.

Kiel encountered animals such as elk and deer on his trip and heard the sounds of many others. “We didn’t see the mountain lions or the bears, but they were there; you could hear them,” Kiel said.

Kiel gained many valuable skills from his experiences in the wilderness. He said, “They taught us how to read topographic maps, follow rivers and streams and mountain passes, sleep outside, put up tents…”

To others wishing to experience an adventure similar to his, Kiel recommends, “You gotta be fit, you gotta love the outdoors, or at least be comfortable in the outdoors, and you gotta be used to putting up with some inclement weather.”

Blurbs written by Becca Foley and Shiyuan Wang. Tips and tricks collected by Alex Barnard and Mary Grace Gorman. Photos by Claire Lanham, Marc Jeffries and courtesy of Andy Kiel and Margot Shaya. Graphics by Shreya Gurumurthy.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | FOCUS | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 9

WHS Interact Club participates in second year of Relay For Life MATT FRIEDHOFF staff writer

The WHS Interact Club is participating in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Wooster this year for the second time since the club was formed.

Mike O’Donnell (12), co-president of Interact Club, explains that the club’s participation in Relay for Life is part of its annual support of a charitable cause.

“Every year, throughout the entirety of the year, we raise money for the club and for service projects that we do,” O’Donnell said.

According to O’Donnell, the Interact Club selects a charitable cause at the end of each year and donates all of

atmosphere, the money and we enjoy they raised participating. during that It’s an amazing year to that opportunity cause. for the Interact “Last year, Club because we selected it allows us to Relay for Life, get involved and since it in the Wooster went off so community and well, we are to help change doing it again the world around this year,” us,” Harmon O’Donnell said. said.

WHS alumna Interact Club Hannah Doan treasurer Jacob Harmon PHOTO FAIR USE COURTESY OF B.POSITIVE.2014 VIA FLICKR and past member of the Interact (12) adds that the goal The Wooster High School Interact Club will be participating in this year’s Club remembers that participating of Relay for Relay For Life for the second time since the club was formed. in Relay for Life Life is to raise cancer. was something she wanted to money for cancer research, “The event has a really do all throughout high school, share stories and honor people supportive and positive and said that Interact Club who have lost their lives to

gave her the opportunity to finally do so senior year.

“Working toward a goal as a group was an enriching experience, and even though I had no direct tie to the ceremonies of remembrance, I was grateful for the opportunity to be involved in the community,” Doan said.

O’Donnell adds that Interact Club raised over $2,000 for the event last year, and they hope to end up donating about the same amount again for this year’s Relay for Life.

According to the American Cancer Society’s events webpage, 40 teams and over 350 participants have already raised more than $40,000 for the event in Wooster.

The Relay for Life of Wooster will occur June 12 at Wooster High School.

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THE WOOSTER BLADE | FOCUS | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 10

Expanding Your Horizons inspires young girls to pursue science HAN MAHLE co-webmaster

The 24 Annual Expanding Your Horizons camp for aspiring young female scientists will be held at the College of Wooster on April 18.

The camp is a conference for all fifth and sixth grade girls from Wayne, Holmes and Ashland counties to, “learn about career opportunities from women in math and science oriented fields,” according to the Expanding Your Horizons Wooster website.

Karen Skubik, coordinator of the event in Wooster, says many young girls, “don’t know what’s possible for them” and says that by exposing them to different careers and professions, it allows young women to realize their potential.

The one day camp features workshops like “Solve the Plant Mystery,” where campers extract DNA and sequence it

FRED HOLMES

An instructor from the Expanding Your Horizons program teaches young girls about various fields in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The seminar is an annual collaboration between the College of Wooster and students in Wayne, Holmes and Ashland counties. to solve a mystery, hosted by Dr. Lucy R. Stewart, a plant pathology professor at The Ohio State University and “The Art and Science of Body

Preservation,” hosted by Sarah Miles, Funeral Director and Embalmer at McIntire Bradham and Sleek Funeral Home, according to the Expanding

events; the first tournament of its kind in Wooster,” Franck said.

Franck also noted that he looks at this new opportunity for middle school students as beneficial to their success as future members of the speech and debate team.

Franck also said that a head start will make the transition to actual competition much easier on students and they will have valuable experience to place them ahead of competitors of equal age.

Taylor Bennington (12), in congressional debate, believes this program will allow students to maximize their potential.

“This program puts us on the same level as some of the most advanced teams across the country; getting students involved at a much younger age allows us to establish the basics before they make it to

official competition. By the time these students reach WHS, they will know what it means to be a speaker and a competitor in any event,” Bennington said.

The new perspective as a coach and/or judge of events is also advantageous to those teaching the events.

Matt Friedhoff (12), in dramatic interpretation, is one of the students coaching.

“Assisting students in cutting their piece or helping with their speech allows me a certain amount of objectivity that I never had the last four years on the team. I’m sure that the different perspective will help me moving forward, in addition to benefiting the students I’m mentoring,” Friedhoff said.

Middle school participants are curently meeting with varsity Speech and Debate team members twice a week at Edgewood.

Middle schoolers commence forensics GAELAN GATZ on campus editor

WHS Speech and Debate members are engaging in a unique opportunity to extend the program to middle school students by coaching events in multiple categories.

Head Coach Bill Franck would like to increase the interest and participation in speech and debate to continue the tradition of excellence that has been honored for over half a century.

The events differ slightly compared to high school competition, but they are designed to be introductory and address all areas of competition so the younger students have an idea of what to expect in the future.

“Students will participate in a six-week program that will culminate in a tournament among the middle school students in their respective

Your Horizons Wooster website.

The camp operates as a volunteer effort with sponsorship from the College of Wooster and other area

organizations, Skubik says.

Expanding Your Horizons is a national network of camps that spans across 33 states and three countries, with more than 24,000 girls participating in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related workshops, according the National Expanding Your Horizons web site.

In Wooster alone, Skubik estimates that “thousands and thousands” of girls have gone through the camp.

A 2015 report by the National Science Foundation, “Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering,” finds women have made strides in acquiring a larger share of STEM degrees since the 1990’s, but fields such as physics and engineering are still largely dominated by men.

The camp registration cost is $10 and includes a light lunch, cinch bag and conference materials.

The registration deadline was March 28 and registration is now closed.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT From behind the pen to

behind the guitar

THE WOOSTER BLADE | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 11 MICHAEL O’DONNELL

a&e editor Several weeks ago, I had the chance to attend Michael Lydon’s program on writing about pop music at the Columbia Scholastic Press Association conference.

I was interested by the comments he nonchalantly made about his seemingly extremely interesting life.

After his speech, I approached him to set up an interview, during which we spoke for about 30 minutes about his life, the music industry and the music he, himself, makes today.

During the interview, I realized he had a lot more to say than we had space to print.

To read more about his life and to hear his music, visit michaellydon.com or use the QR code pictured below.

Q. How did your interest in writing, especially about music, start?

A. When I was in about the third grade, I tried to write my own version of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. By a young age I had an interest in writing. My interest in writing about music started right when The Beatles came out in 1964. I loved pop music and motown and jazz, so I wrote in my college paper and said, “Oh The Beatles are no good, listen to ‘Heatwave’ by Martha & the Vandellas,” that was a really good song. Before that, I was trying to be some kind of political pundit who could write about the President and Congress, but no one ever read my writing, or at least no one talked to me about it. As soon as I wrote that thing about The Beatles, kids were calling me from across campus to talk about it and a light went on in my head and I realized, “Hey, this is something I could do,” I could put my love of writing together with my love of music. And, as the ‘60s went on, I graduated and went to work for Newsweek. When I was in London, I interviewed John Lennon and Paul McCartney and other bands. And then, Newsweek transferred me to San Francisco right when the Haight-Ashbury and hippies and Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane was all happening, so, as a reporter, it was something I could follow; it was a beat. It was not just the sound in the music, but the ideas in the music that I found really, really interesting and challenging. Another good thing: other reporters, they didn’t get it. They didn’t care about Janis Joplin, they didn’t care about Bob Dylan. They thought Bob Dylan couldn’t sing. And I felt that I got it, so it created a sort of freelancing opportunity, so all of a sudden, I was writing for The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Esquire, The Atlantic, because they wanted to be hip and cover the exciting thing and they felt that I got it.

Q. Obviously Rolling Stone is now one of the most recognizable magazines; how were you involved in its inception?

A. I was in San Francisco working for Newsweek Magazine, and there was sort of a group of us writers who loved the music and wanted to write about it, and we all sort of knew each other a little bit. I mean, we weren’t all best friends, but I was in that circle and so was Jann Wenner [co-founder of Rolling Stone Magazine]. He called me up one day and said, “Let’s go get a cup of coffee,” and he offered me the job of managing editor. It was his baby. I was a founding editor, but it wasn’t like the two of us started this thing; Jann Wenner started it. He had the idea, he had some money, he had the name, he had the logo, the designer, some photographers and so I helped on the first four or five issues and I would go from Newsweek down to the Rolling Stone office at lunchtime or on the weekends. Sometimes, I would use the Newsweek phone to save us a little money for long distance calls. It was a lot of fun. The most exciting thing was, it caught on right away. Rolling Stone was the right time, the right size, the right place and, boom, we were just getting phone calls from everywhere right away. It just grew and grew, right away. After about six issues, I stopped working there and I continued to write for Rolling Stone for about five years and, then, it just faded out of my life. It was a lot of fun.

witnessed what could be considered a “golden age” of rock and roll, at the time did the music feel like it had Q. You the significance that it seems to carry now?

A. In the ‘60s, with Bob Dylan, the Beatles and the Stones, plus motown, plus Muscle Shoals and the southern sound and James Brown, it really felt, at the time, like a revolution. I mean, Bob Dylan, he’s like John Keats. He’s a major English poet: poet who writes in English.

And we felt it. We felt that these guys are really good artists. They’re worth listening to; they’re worth learning from; they’re worth imitating; they’re worth being inspired by.

know making music seems to be a large part of your life now; do you feel that your passion for music has changed Q. Iover time or is it just manifesting itself differently?

A. It has gotten more. It keeps growing. I love music. There’s a fellow who parks at our block and when he plays jazz records loudly on the radio, we run down to hear better. I’m still working on playing a clean, melodic scale, hitting all the strings. I just love music; I love all kinds of music. I love to listen to it; I love it when I hear kids singing a silly song on the playground. I love the birds. I just love music.

JAMES KRIEGSMANN

A. It was different with all of them. Johnny Cash was with June Carter. I got a rip in my pants when I was with them, and June Carter said, “Oh here you go, Michael, give those pants to me overnight,” and the next morning she had patched them. B.B. King was such a gentleman, such a hard-working, good guy. The Stones tour was the longest; I was with them for a month. That was really wild; they were right my own age. They were basically nice guys; they weren’t arrogant. They were just hard-working, good musicians. Keith Richards, I really liked. He was just a dedicated guy. I had a backstage pass to everything, so I knew that I was where every hippie in America wanted to be. The thing that was toughest was that, and it was not because they were arrogant guys, they were the most important people and everyone else was less important. If I ended up in a car with Keith and Mick, that was a good day. If I ended up in a truck with the amps, that was a bad day. I’ve got my own ego and I think I’m pretty cool, so it wasn’t fun having to worry about your sort of status all the time. But, the music was so great and the excitement was so great. I’m really, really glad it happened in my life.

ELLEN MANDEL

was it like touring with big names like the Rolling Stones, B.B. King, Johnny Q. What Cash or anyone else you may want to talk about?

THE WOOSTER BLADE | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 12

The Power of

N.W.A

Hip-hop

N.W.A – 1986 (Date Formed): “Straight outta Compton,” N.W.A brought an attitude and style that would change hip-hop forever. They are credited as the group that made gangsta/West Coast Rap a sensation, with their innovative style of driving bass lines and glorification of drugs and violence. In the aftermath of the Rodney King riots, N.W.A turned political, rapping of injustice and unfair treatment within their neighborhoods. N.W.A’s in “your” face style incited fear into many authoritative figures, realizing that the group had the ability to rally mass amounts of people for their cause.

N.W.A’s introduction of West Coast Rap and lyrics about racial tensions places them at number 83 in Rolling Stone’s top 100 greatest artists of all time.

Public Enemy Public Enemy - 1982 (Date Formed): When Public Enemy arrived on the scene in 1982, their politically charged lyrics and brutally real depiction of African-American life at the time made an instant and lasting impact on American culture. Composed of members Chuck D, Flavor Flav, DJ Lord, The S1W, and Professor Griff, Public Enemy were the first hip-hop artists to bring the realities of everyday struggles that African-Americans faced into their lyrics. Public Enemy’s ground-breaking political advocacy and style of music landed them at number 44 on Rolling Stone’s top 100 greatest artists of all time, codifying their undeniable influence on music in the record books.

Through the years, hip-hop has been a powerful agent for social change, continually proving its ability as a medium for both political and social advocacy. From the criticism of police brutality by N.W.A in the late ‘80s, to Kendrick Lamar’s calculative reflection on racism in 2015, rappers certainly have invaluable messages to convey that need to be heard.

Tupac Shakur Tupac Shakur - 1993 - “Keep Ya Head Up”: When Tupac released “Keep Ya Head Up” in 1993, feminists around the world applauded his advice to men within the song, as he called for respect for women. This was a big deal at the time, because hip-hop was always thought to be disrespectful toward females, but Tupac broke away from the norm. This marked a pivotal moment in rap history, transforming it into a possible site for advocacy in the fight for gender equality, and resistance against the patriarchy in rap.

Blurbs by Ben Snoddy. Graphic courtesy of clip art panda.

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar - 2015 - To Pimp a Butterfly: Hailing from Compton, Calif. Kendrick has witnessed the harsh realities of racial injustice his entire life and has turned his experiences into poetry. With the release of To Pimp a Butterfly just weeks ago, Kendrick offers intelligent commentary concerning racism in the wake of Michael Brown’s death and countless others who have been killed under suspicious circumstances by police nationwide.

However, rather than simply ranting about the injustice, he calls the black community hypocrites, even singling himself out. Kendrick Lamar’s new take on racial tensions in To Pimp a Butterfly is the most recent example of hiphop’s ability to convey social messages in a way that many people can relate to.

Macklemore Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - 2012 - “Same Love”: Despite the disapproval Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have met in much of the hip-hop world, the impact and merit of their audacious song, “Same Love” turned heads around the globe and gave an entirely new dimension to the genre of hip-hop.

In a musical culture that has historically been homophobic, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis released “Same Love” which argues for equality for all people, regardless of sexual orientation, and calls into criticism the infamously anti-gay reputation that hip-hop music has gained. Being the first song of its kind, “Same Love” made a bold statement in the rap world, and gained worldwide recognition as a political song, and many major awards.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 13

Series provides intrigue, drama for viewers

LUKE WIEST

sports editor “We aren’t bad people, but we did a bad thing.”

This statement is the tagline and theme of Netflix’s newest original series, Bloodline.

Bloodline focuses on the past secrets and future troubles of a Florida Keys family after the return of a black sheep brother. The show focuses on the Rayburn family, who owns a popular bed and breakfast in the Florida Keys that has remained a family-run business for multiple generations.

The Rayburn siblings struggle to attempt to control their

black sheep brother Danny throughout the series, as they deal with problems of their own. The frequently foreshadowed conclusion to the series distracts the viewers almost every episode, making other plot points meaningless.

Ben Mendelsohn plays Danny Rayburn, the misfit brother who struggles to get along with the rest of his family and find his place in their family business. Mendelsohn gives the most dynamic performance in the show and seems to save the entire series from the mundane and predictable siblings that he has.

Kyle Chandler, Linda Cardellini and Norbert Leo Butz round out the Rayburn siblings as John Rayburn, Meg Rayburn and Kevin Rayburn, respectively. None outshine Ben Mendelsohn’s performance, but they portray their characters in a convincingly tragic way.

Bloodline, as a whole, moves slowly as the series acts more as a movie moving toward a

single dramatic climax. Thus, the beginning of the season (episodes one through nine) moves at a slow pace, focusing on meaningless drama and clinging to the viewer’s interest in the “bad thing” the family does.

But, for the fans of foreshadowing, there is plenty to watch for.

The movie’s tagline lives up to its name, as viewers find out more about the family’s past and ultimate future as the show moves along. Every episode provides clues and commentary of the family’s past and future.

The series is rewarding in the end, though. A twisted emotional climax left me feeling unfulfilled, but still intrigued. The last scene leaves us with a cliffhanger to possibly be explored later.

I would recommend the 13 episode series to fans of family drama and dramatic conclusions. Netflix has added another solid series to its impressive repertoire.

Matt and Kim test the waters of a new sound

MATT FRIEDHOFF staff writer

Matt and Kim’s new album, New Glow, does not disappoint fans of the group, with homages to its original sound along with the incorporation of new styles.

New Glow is the indie pop duo’s fifth studio album; their first release since 2012’s Lightning.

Matt and Kim are known for their upbeat and lively music, with influences from

indie pop, hip-hop and rock.

The group formed in 2004 and is composed of Matt Johnson, who covers vocals and keyboards, and Kim Schifino on drums.

Matt and Kim continues to add variety to their music, with more synth and instrumental sounds and a substantial shift toward a style that more closely resembles modern pop music.

If you are listening to Matt and Kim, do not expect lyrical ingenuity. The pair creates fun and catchy songs, but the lyrics do not hold much weight.

New Glow, especially, focuses on dance-oriented music rather than lyricism.

All the songs on the album rely heavily on repetition of both verse and chorus, making it an easy listen, but

may seem lackluster to fans of deep or powerful lyrics.

Lack of innovative writing aside, Matt and Kim is successful in delivering an album worth listening to.

Some may criticize their move toward “mainstream” music, but the variety gives it character.

The first track on the album, “Hey Now,” is perfectly representative of Matt and Kim’s new twist on their roots. It incorporates the dance beats and keyboard riffs that Matt and Kim so often utilize, but adds deep synth sounds and a party horn to add a touch of flair.

Matt and Kim released their 2015 album New Glow April 7 and it is available for purchase on iTunes and streaming on Spotify for ease of listening.

What to watch for: Other notable releases in the entertainment world

-Cherry Bomb - Tyler, the Creator (Album) -The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)

-Ex Machina - (Movie) -Gigi - (Broadway Show) -Game of Thrones: Season Five - (HBO) -Memory Man by David Baldacci - (Book)

Starred Up proves O’Connell’s, Mendelsohn’s acting prowess

JACK REYNOLDS

co-editor-in-chief This past week I had great difficulty finding a movie to review that was not a jarring, explosion-filled, money grab. *Cough* Furious 7 *Cough*. The selection at our local theater is currently filled with movies that’s sole purpose is to make money rather than evoke thought and emotion.

As a result, I decided to search for a past underrated gem to review. The 2014 film Starred Up is where my search led me.

This movie focuses on Eric Love (Jack O’Connell), a violent 19-year-old teenager who is transferred from a young offender institution to an adult prison where he must deal with violence from both inmates and the guards tasked with protecting him.

The movie diverges from the stereotypical prison film as it also features Eric’s father, Neville (Ben Mendelsohn) in prison with him.

This film is not just a gripping

tale about life in prison, but is also an emotional story about fathers and sons.

Mendelsohn (Bloodline, The Place Beyond the Pines) and O’Connell (Unbroken, Skins) are phenomenal in this film.

Starred Up is the first time these two actors really were able to showcase their talents in leading roles due to their recent roles being just small roles in a wide variety of productions.

Those who saw Unbroken and the Netflix Original Series Bloodline, can vouch for these actors’ abilities to perform.

However, I must say that this movie is both of these actors’ best performances to date due to the raw emotion that each actor conveyed.

So, dear reader, I challenge you to look for movies that are not necessarily advertised continuously in your face, but rather look for a smaller, more well-done film such as this.

I recommend making the journey to bigger cities where the selection of movies is much wider.

Starred Up grossed only $34,100 in the United States, whereas Furious 7 has made $147,187,040 in the United States… In just its opening weekend. The amount of money a movie makes does not necessarily speak for the overall value of it. It is up to you as to how you are going to spend your $7.50.

TRENDS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 14

April showers wash away old trends through spring cleaning

Health To start spring feeling healthy, try spring cleaning your body. New diets or detoxes are great ways to clean the system of your body along with improving the way you feel.

Keeping your body moving with new and fun exercises is also another way to cleanse the body. Instead of working out at home or in the gym, take your workout outside with new obstacles and terrain. Places like Spangler and Oak Hill Park are good places locally to pursue an outdoor adventure. Joining Crossfit can act as a fun and challenging way to get into shape. Crossfit classes are offered in Wooster at Declaration Crossfit on Akron Rd. For an easier way to cleanse your body and feel healthy, joining a yoga class at Flex Yoga on S. Market Street downtown may be the right fit as it cleanses the mind and body.

Cleaning out your closet and tossing out old clothes to prepare for spring is also another way to get ready for the upcoming seasons.

The cleaning of your closet can also be very inexpensive. Get rid of anything that does not fit, you do not ever wear, or get rid of things that just are not your style anymore and make room for things that you will wear and enjoy wearing. If you have not worn the piece of clothing in one to two years, it is a definite throw out. Instead of throwing the clothes away, places like Plato’s Closet in locations such as Mansfield, North Canton and Cuyahoga Falls will take your old clothes and give you credit back for them where you can use them in that store. There are also plenty of consignment shops and thrift stores in Wooster including Jodi’s Closet and Nice as New.

Fashion

Opening the windows, letting fresh air and sunlight in is the first step in spring cleaning the home. Sunlight and fresh air acts as positive factors and will get you more motivated to clean. To begin, go in each room and make a list of things that need to be done. After all of the rooms have been inspected, go to the store and get any materials needed for the clean. Cleaning your home acts as a good way to feel new and fresh as the season begins. Take down the winter decorations and colors and put up new spring decorations. Lean more toward pastels and colors that pop and complement each other. Sites like imperfecthomemaking.com and marthastewart.com offer checklists and tips about spring cleaning of the home.

Blurbs compiled by Bri Bocook.

Graphic by Nate King-Smith

Home

Education Starting back to school after spring break may seem like a drag, but it can also be positive as it is the last push until summer and the end of the school year. To start, clean out binders and get rid of anything that will not be needed for finals. Items from first semester can be thrown out, as they will not be needed for second semester. Be sure to check with teachers before throwing materials out. Organize each subject from beginning of semester or quarter to the latest material given.

Staying organized will make it easier to study for exams. Get rid of any miscellaneous papers including old newsletters, junk notes and papers of no use to school. Cleaning out binders, book bags and lockers, along with setting a countdown to the last day, is a way to get motivated to finish the final quarter of the school year.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | TRENDS | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 15

Do-It-Yourself fashions are great for summer weather Create woman’s tank top from man’s button down CLAIRE LANHAM trends editor

ALLI WIGHAM

front editor With the warm weather of spring and summer quickly approaching, many people are looking for a quick fix to keep their hair out of the way. Headbands are a great way to tame one’s hair and to look stylish as well.

First, go to a craft store and pick out some fabric. Then, cut out two identical strips of fabric that are about six by 22 inches in size (stretchy fabric is recommended).

Fold each strip of fabric in half long ways, and sew the edges together on each strip.

Then, place the two pieces of fabric across each other, forming a “t” shape. Fold the bottom piece in half, over the top piece of fabric and then fold the top piece in half.

Lastly, bring all of the ends of the fabric together and sew them.

It is recommended that one trims a bit off the corners that were just sewn, so they do not show as much.

MAGGIE FLECHLER

As the summer months draw closer, many people may be looking for a stylish way to remain cool while staying within a budget.

Fathers or brothers have old button down shirts lying around that can be turned into tank tops with several easy steps.

Taking a regular sized button down, cut diagonally from the armpit to the collar on both sides. Turn the shirt over, first cutting straight in from the armpit, leaving a five to seven inch section in the middle, depending how

thick you want your braid to be. Two square-like shapes should be removed.

Make another cut below the back seam below the collar on the back, severing the band from the neck part. With the remaining fabric below the collar, cut diagonally to make a triangle shape.

Use fabric glue to take care of loose edges or sew them. Be sure to try on the shirt several times, taking in the sides or back if it is too big and do so until it fits.

Cut the band section into three strips and braid together, sewing the end of the braid to the back of the neckline to create a halter top.

Make a homemade headband in six easy steps

Tuck your shirt in style for summer JACK REYNOLDS

MAGGIE FLECHLER

Fold a no-sew bow tie from a regular tie STEPHEN KRIDEL views editor

MAUREEN MCKEOWN

Make a bleach tie dye shirt with ease STEFI HERNANDEZ feature editor

MAGGIE FLECHLER

Creating bleach tie dye can be done in four simple steps. This simple, yet stylish design will make a great addition to your wardrobe.

Step 1: Prepare materials. Materials include spray bottle, bleach, elastic bands and dark colored t-shirt.

Step 2: For a spiral design, twist middle with fingers and wrap with elastic bands.

Step 3: Place shirt in bleach for 30 minutes or until you reach desired color.

Step 4: Wash shirt and enjoy bleached pattern design.

MAUREEN MCKEOWN

“A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life,” said Oscar Wilde.

Not to be a devil’s advocate, but I think if Wilde were still around today, he’d rephrase it to, “a well tied bow tie is the first serious step in life.”

Several Youtube videos demonstrate how to create this DIY tie, including,”Make a Fabulous Bow Tie out of a regular tie!” by Ask a Flight Attendant.

However, with the simplicity of making this tie, only a little intuition is

needed to figure out this small feat.

Making the bow tie starts with folding the bottom of the tie to form a rectangle. The tie is then folded three more times, accordion style, to form two flaps on each side. Hold the center of the newly formed rectangle and wrap the excess tie once around the rectangle.

String it through like a knot and tighten.

The knot of the tie, if done right, is surprisingly neat. It looks formal and convincing, and best of all, most people will not be able to tell the difference between a real bow tie and your fashionable DIY tie.

co-editor-in-chief #1: Use shirts that fit you properly, no baggy or too short shirts. Three inches below the belt line is just about right. #2: Line up the buttons with your belt and front seam of your pants. #3: Grab on both sides of the shirt (in front of and behind the seam) and push in with your thumbs. This will cause a lip to form, hiding some excess fabric by pushing fabric to the front and back. #4: Tuck this, and the rest of your shirt, into your pants.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | APRIL 17, 2015 | FEATURE I PAGES 16 & 17

WHS introduces creative writing club

A

OLIVIA SLEEK

creative writing club is starting at WHS with Michael Sexton, English Dept. member, serving as the club’s adviser.

Sexton said he wanted to start the club as he saw a need for students to have an outlet to express their creativity.

In past years, WHS published a literary magazine called Quest, but as students’ interest declined, it eventually died out.

Now, both Sexton and fellow English Dept. member Kristi Hiner are looking forward to reviving students’ interest in creative writing.

“One of the aspects of this club, about which I am really excited, is the prospect of seeing students work creatively and encouraging them to work with different forms of writing. I am really excited about the idea that they will then have the potential of publishing those works,” Hiner said.

Creative writing club member Autumn Pritchard (8) expressed excitement about the new club.

“I joined this club because I love writing, and it makes me happy.

Writing is something I want to do,” Pritchard said.

The main goal of the club is to eventually, through a partnership with The Wooster Blade staff, publish a magazine of their own, and to further develop the skills of the students by teaching them new and different writing techniques. During the meetings, the students write, give and get feedback for their peers, and gain new techniques and ideas.

The club meets biweekly, and the next meeting will be held April 28.

staff writer

Haiku creative writing submissions from WHS students In honor of National Poetry Month, The Wooster Blade is featuring submissions made by teachers and students here at WHS for a creative writing assignment.

The world is full of vivid, deep, magical things.

She sees everything.

Rainy days are made for books, coffee, and blankets

BY JENNA ZHU, 11 within a warm home.

What are you doing?

Why don’t you use your blinker?

BY BAILEY WHEELER, 11 That is ILLEGAL. My grandfather’s love Held in his fingers

BY JILLIAN PHIPPS, 11 as comfortable as wool. as if a treasure, had slipped Always soft and warm. by and forgotten

BY JOSHUA QUINTON AUBREY, 8 The smell of flowers,

BY EMMA ANDERSON, 8 wonderful scents fill the air.

Sports I do enjoy, Fire, a life force.

All is happy here. and I love running and work.

Dancing, breathing, climbing high JK I hate sports. in hues of autumn.

Turtles walk slowly.

They make footprints on the beach.

Finding their way home.

BY EVAN OPATZ, 8

BY HAILEY TENNANT, 9

She opened her mouth And filled the air with nonsense In hopes someone cared

BY JARYN LINDENMUTH, 11

BY KAYLEE MANSON, 8

BY JOSIAH TALAMPAS, 11

Soft, sweet Tabby cat purrs so gentle and sweetly and lies in my lap.

BY CHAD WANG, 12

THE WOOSTER BLADE | APRIL 17, 2015 | FEATURE I PAGES 16 & 17

WHS introduces creative writing club

A

OLIVIA SLEEK

creative writing club is starting at WHS with Michael Sexton, English Dept. member, serving as the club’s adviser.

Sexton said he wanted to start the club as he saw a need for students to have an outlet to express their creativity.

In past years, WHS published a literary magazine called Quest, but as students’ interest declined, it eventually died out.

Now, both Sexton and fellow English Dept. member Kristi Hiner are looking forward to reviving students’ interest in creative writing.

“One of the aspects of this club, about which I am really excited, is the prospect of seeing students work creatively and encouraging them to work with different forms of writing. I am really excited about the idea that they will then have the potential of publishing those works,” Hiner said.

Creative writing club member Autumn Pritchard (8) expressed excitement about the new club.

“I joined this club because I love writing, and it makes me happy.

Writing is something I want to do,” Pritchard said.

The main goal of the club is to eventually, through a partnership with The Wooster Blade staff, publish a magazine of their own, and to further develop the skills of the students by teaching them new and different writing techniques. During the meetings, the students write, give and get feedback for their peers, and gain new techniques and ideas.

The club meets biweekly, and the next meeting will be held April 28.

staff writer

Haiku creative writing submissions from WHS students In honor of National Poetry Month, The Wooster Blade is featuring submissions made by teachers and students here at WHS for a creative writing assignment.

The world is full of vivid, deep, magical things.

She sees everything.

Rainy days are made for books, coffee, and blankets

BY JENNA ZHU, 11 within a warm home.

What are you doing?

Why don’t you use your blinker?

BY BAILEY WHEELER, 11 That is ILLEGAL. My grandfather’s love Held in his fingers

BY JILLIAN PHIPPS, 11 as comfortable as wool. as if a treasure, had slipped Always soft and warm. by and forgotten

BY JOSHUA QUINTON AUBREY, 8 The smell of flowers,

BY EMMA ANDERSON, 8 wonderful scents fill the air.

Sports I do enjoy, Fire, a life force.

All is happy here. and I love running and work.

Dancing, breathing, climbing high JK I hate sports. in hues of autumn.

Turtles walk slowly.

They make footprints on the beach.

Finding their way home.

BY EVAN OPATZ, 8

BY HAILEY TENNANT, 9

She opened her mouth And filled the air with nonsense In hopes someone cared

BY JARYN LINDENMUTH, 11

BY KAYLEE MANSON, 8

BY JOSIAH TALAMPAS, 11

Soft, sweet Tabby cat purrs so gentle and sweetly and lies in my lap.

BY CHAD WANG, 12

FEATURE

What do your beliefs mean to you?

“Religion and beliefs to me are about having faith in intangible ideas. I believe in God, even though I can’t see him because I have faith.” - Izzy Rico (9) “I was raised in a Catholic family, so there was always an emphasis on religion, and I think it’s important to have a relationship with whomever you believe in, no matter how small.

But, I do take comfort in knowing that someone is watching over me when I need it.” - Nick Ballard (10)

“They mean ignorantly agreeing with something, even though it makes no sense.” - Alex Vaeth (11)

When asked what their religion and beliefs mean to them, WHS students responded with the following...

What religion do students identify with?

1%

1%

1%

3%

11% 55%

13%

“My religion and beliefs mean everything to me because without my religion, I would be lost and not have the things God has provided me with.”

- Olivia Lewis (9) “I do not think religion is for everyone.

However, I feel that it is beneficial. It gives hope during times of struggle and keeps you modest and thankful when things are going your way. It helps make sure you are a good person, always striving to better yourself and those around you. However, I don’t think you need religion to do so, but it offers a way to do that, as well as associating you with a group of people who believe similarly to you, which in turn, includes you in a group and doesn’t leave anyone alone.” -Zack Buchholz (12)

4%

“Religion is something that a person follows and it affects their everyday decisions, and how they are portrayed in society.” -Mimi Wiles (9) “Beliefs and religion, to me, are things people use as a reason for why they do everyday tasks; justifications for their actions; excuses for doing bad things; motivation to do good things; a reason people have hope in bad times and gratitude during good times. It’s so much more than which God you do or do not believe in; it’s how you live your life and what you define as right and wrong, and how you feel as a consequence of your actions.” - Scott Nicholson (12)

“My religion and beliefs set a guideline for how my life should be lived.”

- Katie Mount (11)

THE WOOSTER BLADE | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 18|

11%

Christianity

Other

Buddhism

Catholicism

Protestant

Muslim

Atheism

Spiritualism

Mormon

“For beliefs, I’d say they are your choice of morals and values that you choose to abide by and religion, I’d say, is the spiritual aspect you try to apply your beliefs to.” - Katie Ward (11)

Interviews were conducted by Claire Lanham and Sarah Hopkins. Poll data was collected by Emma Jeffries. For poll, 150 students were surveyed.

Student explains how Christianity has influenced his life

TAYLOR BENNINGTON

co-editor-in-chief As I wander through the journey we call life, I am guided by faith in Jesus Christ.

Some people define faith as religion or a set of morals, values and rules by which they are required to live. But faith, to me, is something far deeper, far richer, more raw and more pure.

Faith in my life is a relationship: a relationship between myself and God. I first became a follower of Jesus two years ago, during my sophomore year of high school.

My testimony is not that of a complete success story because up until that point in my life, at least on the outside, I looked like I had it all together. But, the

change that took place on the inside is almost indescribable.

Putting to words total transformation in the way you feel, act and talk is something that just cannot be done.

As the result of my relationship with Christ, I have a hope that is so hard to describe.

There are times in my life and in my leadership roles when my peers are sitting at the table, thinking that the world is going to come to an end as the result of the issues we are facing, while I just sit calmly, knowing the areas with which we are

struggling can and will be overcome through the promise of Jesus Christ.

My faith and relationship with Jesus Christ is by far the centerpiece of my life. Nothing, no person, activity, amount of money or power could ever take the place of my God. The love that we are promised, we have been shown on the cross, and that we experience every day is something I am proud to dedicate my life to.

This confidence, this love, this assurance of hope that surpasses all understanding is

something that I am convicted to share with others.

I love answering questions, discussing and working through faith issues with people, so I want everyone to know if you ever need help working through something, feel free to stop me in the halls or send me a text.

In the end I guess it comes down to this: faith is more than just trusting what you do not see, it is about believing what has been done and what is to come.

A faith like that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | FEATURE | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 19

Student expresses feelings on animal friendly eating

CHLOE LANDERS

feature editor Growing up, my dad was a carnivore and my mom only ate grass. These statements are exaggerated, but for me, that is the way it appeared.

My dad would grill steaks, and we would sit outside

on the deck and talk about baseball, while my mom and I would eat her famous “fruit sundaes” in the Florida room and drink tea.

As I grew older, my love for animals started to grow and I realized they hold an extremely special place with me.

That love began when I started bringing kittens home that I would find, and my mom would explain to me that all animals have feelings; all animals deserve to be treated with respect.

In about seventh grade, I started to only eat white meat, no red.

Doing so was a good way to

“AS I GREW OLDER, MY LOVE FOR ANIMALS STARTED TO GROW AND I REALIZED THEY HOLD AN EXTREMELY SPECIAL PLACE WITH ME,” LANDERS SAID.

slowly wean myself off meat.

I did that for about four and one half years, until I made the full commitment to full

Abandoned dog finds nurturing home with local Wooster family

vegetarianism.

What really did it for me was the movie Food Inc., which was shown in Mrs. Boyer’s Foods for Today class.

It made me sick and guilty.

I began to really understand how sad the meat slaughtering process is.

I could not understand why we were killing living creatures when we could be eating vegetables and fruits and not harming animals or our bodies.

The transition to pescetarianism (I occasionally eat seafood) has only had positive effects for me and for my lifestyle.

One common misconception that many think, involves the

theory that a meal is incomplete without a meat, but I find that to be untrue.

I used to make my favorite food, chicken lettuce wraps, all the time and thought it was going to be tough to replace, but little did I know that tofu, instead, makes the wraps just as good, if not better.

Although, I only have about six months under my belt with this vegetarian lifestyle, I can say that I never want to step backward from my progress.

I hope that in a couple years, I could maybe try my hand at complete veganism, for an even healthier and animal friendlier alternative diet.

Companies not testing on animals LUSH

HANNA MORGAN staff editor

In 2009, a white and brown pointer mix, named Otis, who was just over a year old,was found, abused, in a local home.

Otis struggled to find the perfect home to suit him.

It took five trial homes to finally find the perfect match, which was the Sanchez family.

When the Sanchez family decided to get a new dog, they decided to go to the Wayne County Humane Society to find an animal in need of a home. They had no specific dog in mind, so their minds were open to any breed.

At the time, finding a home did not look good for Otis. Since things did not work out well in five homes, what were the chances of finding one that fit Photo courtesy of Molly Sanchez him on the sixth try?

Otis was about to be euthanized when the Sanchez Otis, a white and brown family came to the rescue.

“We got him because he was the quietest dog in the pointer mix, was found shelter and came right to us when we into see the and rescued by the dogs,” Hannah Sanchez (10) said.

The family said finding Otis was meant to be from Sanchez Family. that day on. He was the dog they would save from the shelter.

“When I was looking for another dog I knew the only place to look was the Wayne County Humane Society. I am a firm believer that rescue animals are the best. Otis was a wonderful addition to our family,” Molly Sanchez said.

After the trial with Otis, the Sanchez’s made the final decision to keep Otis; a decision they are happy with. He has been with the family for seven years now, with many more to years to come.

Hard Candy

Paul Mitchell

Burt’s Bees

Urban Decay

THE WOOSTER BLADE | FEATURE | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 20 Lily Williams (quoting Cinderella)

Zach Humrichouser

Age: 20

8th grade

A List to Live By

Always go the extra mile. It’s never crowded there.

A dream is a wish your heart makes.

The Wooster Blade asked community members what one rule or word they choose to center their life around. People of all ages gave their philosophy of life.

Lauren Miller

Age: 18 Explore.

Blurbs compiled by Kayla Cooper, Kayla Barnet, Samantha Brunn, Hannah Morgan, Sarah Hopkins and Maureen McKeown.

Graphics designed by Shreya Gurumurthy, Han Mahle and Nate King-Smith.

Jason Legg

Age: 39

Give hugs, say “I love you”, and when you do something good, act like you’ve done it before.

Kathrine

Age: 9

Clay Price

Age: 44

Never be limited by others limited imaginations.

Photo courtesy of chris.alcoran. No changes have been made to the image “Cinderella; Dream-Along with Mickey”. flickr.com/creativecommons

Amber Swigart (quoting Ricky Gervais)

Corbin Lanker (quoting Tom Waits)

Age: 15

Age: 15

Don’t steal.

No one else knows what they’re doing either.

A gentleman is someone who can play the accordion, but doesn’t.

Misty Bisesi

Age: 43

Jenny Gaut

Nobody can take away your work ethic and the accomplishments that come with having one.

Age: 48

Mollie Stokes

The choices you make today will impact your life; keep your heart in the right place and you will never go wrong.

Age: 18

WWGD (what would grandma do?)

Henry Wright

8th grade

Everybody wants to be famous but nobody wants to put the work in.

Wil Gastier (quoting Wayne Gretzky)

Age: 15

You miss 100 percent of all the shots you don’t take.

Sara Myers

Age: 45

Be yourself because somebody has to and you are the closest.

Destiny Harper

8th grade

You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

Max

Age: 7

If someone doesn’t have anyone to play with, tell them, ‘You can play with me.’

Kaleigh Halener

8th grade

Inside out, and back again.

Dianna Rhyan

Age: 52

The truth is always good news.

Miriam Stokes

Age: Claims to be 25ish Too much of a good thing...is a good thing.

Vicki Anderson

Age: 19 Think

Rylee

Chad Age: 31 If it matters, you’ll find a way; if it doesn’t, you’ll find an excuse.

Alexis

Age: 7

Don’t say bad words.

Dave Snider

Age: 53

Chemistry is life.

Alazar Coetzee

Age: 17

Always remember where the fridge is.

Photo courtesy of Darren Tunnicliff. No changes have been made to the image. flickr.com/creativecommons

Emma Strong (quoting Parks & Recreation)

Age: 15

Age: 10

Get a good education.

Lists to Live By

We need to remember what’s important in life: friends, waffles, work. Or waffles, friends, work. Doesn’t matter, but work is third.

COVER

“My culture says a lot of things that aren’t in the American culture... I always try to keep these things in mind; however, I do not follow everything in my culture.” --Sikander Jathaul (12)

“It’s not easy to have reunions with family living on the other side of the world. Holidays are different as we meet with other family friends in the same situation instead of actual family.” --Jenna Zhu (11)

“I tend to eat later, like they do in Europe... I know some Greek music and speak some Greek. I’m thrifty, and I occasionally go to church at a Greek Orthodox monastery.” --Drosos Kardulias (10)

“We also celebrate Galete des Rois, which means king’s cake.

This is where you eat a marzipan tart with a little porcelain figure in it and whoever gets the figure in the slice of cake gets to wear a crown for the whole day.“ --Julien Lubell (9)

“I think I’m always subconsciously, if not consciously, aware of the fact that I’m not like my peers. However, it has never served as a barrier when it comes to interacting and socializing with others.” --Leah Sim (10)

“Growing up struggling and watching my parents hurt made me value hard work... America has amazing opportunities that people take for granted and it’s quite sad.” --Pierre Paul (11)

“I grew up in a German household in America. I know two languages and have seen two cultures. I guess if anything, sometimes I feel like it has given me the ability to be more open.” --Raffaela Mueller (12)

“Ever since my parents came to the U.S. and started a family, they lived life as if they were in Ecuador because the culture there is basically all they knew... The food they ate in Ecuador traveled with them as well.“ --Lauren Sarsosa (9)

The full interviews can be found on TheWoosterBlade.com.

The United States is a nation of immigrants. According to a brief from the Center for American Progress from Oct. 23, 2014, 40.7 million foreignborn people live in America, and 20 million American children have immigrant parents. The Wooster Blade interviewed eight students from immigrant families.

Interviews conducted by Shreya Gurumurthy, Shiyuan Wang, and Isabelle Cannon.

Photos by Claire Lanham and Maggie Flechler.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 21

THE WOOSTER BLADE | COVER | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 22

All roads lead to Wooster: After immigrating, local families form ethnic communities to maintain a sense of home

PH

GRA

HAN MAHLE co-webmaster

Wooster serves as home for many individuals and families with roots across the globe.

However, some ethnic groups are still solidly in the minority in the community of Wooster.

According to 2013 U.S. Census data, approximately 1.9 percent of Wooster’s population identifies as Asian and 2.9 percent as Hispanic or Latino.

Despite small numbers, members of Wooster’s international population often organize ethnically-centered events to create community

among individuals who hail from similar parts of the globe.

Leah Sim (10) often attends gatherings of Korean families.

“It’s a great way to get to know others with similar backgrounds and cultures,” she said.

Plus, Sim said, “The food is always something to look forward to.”

The gatherings typically attract around 40 people, according to Sim. Seokhyeon Ryu, WHS Class of 2014, said the Korean families meet almost every month.

Ryu found the gatherings to be important time for families to “share their uniquely American

experiences.”

The parties though, “were not distinctly ‘Korean’ in any particular sense,” with parents conversing and children playing ping-pong and basketball, Ryu said.

Families move into and out of Wooster, but the gatherings stay consistent, providing a supportive community that Ryu said has, “helped me navigate my American life more confidently.”

Wooster boasts a strong ethnic Indian community as well.

The Indian community in Wooster celebrates social gatherings, parties and holidays by getting together with others

within their community.

“We usually get together when there are festivals,” Asvin Gireesh (10) said.

Gireesh also pointed out that the gatherings are festive events celebrated with music, games and food.

Whereas many people have family nearby when holidays or other events arise, Gireesh said, for his family, it is a bit harder to connect with relatives.

“My family is not really in the United States, they’re back in India and around the world, so technically, we can’t have family parties unless they come over here or we go over there,” Gireesh.

E

AHL

AN M

YH IC B

So, Gireesh and others in similar situations often celebrate with their ethnic communities instead.

The Latino community in Wooster celebrates parties and social gatherings by spending time with family.

Most of their gatherings consist of immediate and distant relatives.

“There’s a lot of people from kids, to teenagers, to adults,” Kristen Machado Diaz (10) said.

Machado Diaz and her family usually sit around the dinner table to talk and share stories.

Additional reporting by Tatumn McGrew, staff writer.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | COVER | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 23

America’s immigration system poses problems MARY GRACE GORMAN

W

cover editor

hen America’s most famous immigrants, the Pilgrims, came to the New World, it took them 65 days to voyage across the ocean, according to history.com.

But now, the journey for immigrants is much longer.

According to the flowchart “Immigrating legally? Good luck!” from the libertarian Reason Foundation, the best-case wait time scenario for a person seeking legal immigration is six years, with longest peaking at 28 years.

Not only has the red tape led to an influx of undocumented immigrants, of which the U.S.

Census Bureau estimates there are about 12 million, it has also led to widespread frustration among legal immigrants.

Grace Cheng’s (12) family emigrated from China in 2000.

“It took my family years to come to the United States…

I’ve been here for 15 years and just got my green card four years ago. That’s ridiculous,” Cheng said.

Daniel Kanstroom, an immigration and human rights law professor at Boston College who founded the school’s Immigration and Asylum Project and directs its International Human Rights Program, explained the broken system also has negative impacts for the economy, family unity and community stability.

“The current U.S. immigration admissions system is broken

and dysfunctional. It does not adequately meet the needs of the economy. It also has long waiting periods and various harsh, arbitrary aspects that impact family unity negatively. Finally, it also includes a disproportionately harsh deportation system that has caused untold harm to individuals,

in

According to an article, titled “5 Facts you need to know about DREAM”, U.S.A Today, at least 20 states have their own versions of the DREAM Act. DACA prevents undocumented immigrants from being deported, but does not grant them citizenship.

Laura Bohorquez is a part of “United We DREAM,” a youth immigrant advocacy group,

“THE CURRENT U.S. IMMIGRATION ADMISSIONS SYSTEM IS BROKEN AND DYSFUNCTIONAL,” KANSTROOM SAID.

families and communities, while accomplishing little demonstrable good either for immigration control, crime control, or national security,” Kanstroom said.

These impacts stem from a haphazardly organized system.

David McConnell, an adjunct professor of immigration, asylum and refugee law at American University’s Washington College of Law and the University of Alabama Law School, explained the country’s piecemeal approach to immigration policy.

“The primary flaw in U.S. immigration policy is that our immigration laws are now essentially a patchwork of legislative provisions first enacted by Congress more than 60 years ago, and amended several times since then... So,

rather than simply continuing to amend the 1952 laws to react to events like September 11 and other world and national emergencies, I agree with people who say that Congress should take a fresh approach and enact a coherent and comprehensive statute that reflects the needs of the United States in the 21st Century.

This task is not easy, because immigration raises issues that tend to provoke strong opinions on both sides of the debate, but I think we should not avoid it as a nation simply because it is hard,” McConnell said.

McConnell is also the Director of the Dept. of Justice’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Appellate Section, and his comments represent his views alone and not those of the Dept. of Justice or the United States.

and describes the DACA Act as a protection from deportation.

“DACA is just work permit and protection from deportation. It allows us to be able to work and afford our school, but it’s not a path to any type of status,” Bohorquez said in the article from the U.S.A Today.

An article from The New York Times titled “Coming out

Illegal,” published Oct. 21, 2010, showed the result of the law, as the young immigrant noted in the article, was able to attend college. The DREAM Act allowed her to afford college, by granting her a tution cut. She is just one of many who have been helped by the DREAM Act, which helps aspiring, undocumented immigrants get an education.

DREAM Act gives undocumented immigrant children a new start RYAN MILLER staff writer

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act and The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Act have changed the lives of many children of undocumented immigrants

the United States.

The DREAM Act allows illegal immigrants to apply for in-state tuition rates for college, if they qualify based off the government guidelines.

The DREAM Act has not been passed at the federal level, while the DACA program was created through an executive order made by President Obama.

The three sides to renovating our immigration policy...

R

epublican leadership on Capitol Hill remains entangled in the ongoing immigration reform debate. According to a Jan. 15 Politico article covering Republican immigration policy, Representative Mike McCaul (R-TX) has proposed a reform bill in the House of Representatives. The bill calls for $10 billion for increased border security.

If passed, the proposal would require the DHS to achieve “operational control” by preventing all illegal entries into the United States along the southern border within five years. The bill would also require the stoppage of illegal entry at high-traffic entry points within two years, threatening loss of funding and privileges to the DHS if the goals are not met.

T

he Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) stands as one of President Obama’s largest-scale executive actions ever taken. The policy was initiated by the Obama administration in 2012, offering renewable two-year work permits to certain undocumented immigrants who entered before their 16 birthday. The plan stood under scrutiny immediately, with 26 states publicly questioning the authority of the president on executive-action immigration reform. On April 7, the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that several immigration agents lacked legal grounds to sue President Obama over the act, according to a Politico report on the impact of Democratic immigration policy.

D

emocrats in the California State Senate and General Assembly have proposed numerous pieces of immigration reform legislation, prompting discussion at the local and federal level, according to an April 7 article by U-T San Diego. The legislation would extend state-funded healthcare benefits to residents who may not be legal residents, also making it illegal for businesses to discriminate against individuals based on their immigration status. General Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (D) is proud of her party’s move, stating, “D.C would be doing something if it were easy. We intend to set the model.” California lawmakers will debate and vote on the legislation in the coming months.

Blurbs written by: David Burnett

THE WOOSTER BLADE | COVER | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 24

The Wooster Blade staff members give first person perspectives on The citizen of two colliding worlds immigration PAIGE CLAYTON managing editor

If you have ever participated in a Sunday evening dinner with my family or have even heard either of my parents speak, you would know I am not exactly from this neck of the woods. But rather from a small, monarch central wonderland located just across the pond.

In 1997, my family and I came to live in the United States as a result of my father’s job with Bosch Rexroth at the time.

My family and I have found it extremely important to behave

as if we have two homes, for we have two worlds in which we live, which share equal importance to us.

From as early as the 1980s, the United States has been nicknamed “the melting pot” of today’s modern world and is home to millions of immigrants from countless corners of the globe. But, as the world has turned, immigrants often find our nationalities and our heritage cultures to be a little less welcome than in previous years.

For example, my family and I currently have a pretty big bone to pick with the Hershey Chocolate Factory.

One of the greatest influences England has on the rest of the world is the incredible chocolate sales from Cadbury’s.

As many may know, the sale of Cadbury’s chocolate has recently been banned in the United States as a result of the Hershey license to sell their

version of English chocolate in the United States.

To put this injustice in comparison, such an act to us Englishmen is similar to shutting down Chinatown simply because the American owned Chinese restaurants are suffering.

To be blunt, it is ludicrous and it is an injustice to the culture and heritage we strive every day to stay connected with.

To us, English chocolate is about as close to home as we can get to from this side of the Atlantic.

The ignorance, such as the ban on Cadbury’s chocolate sales in the United States, will only cause more of a cultural divide and separation in our melting pot.

Creating a harmonious society comes from the beautiful differences we all share, not by making us the same. Think of that the next time you speak to an immigrant.

The self proclaimed Canasian

The confused, multicultural conundrum

SHREYA GURUMURTHY graphics manager

Food, clothing, religion, language and traditions are all basic staples to any culture.

As an Indian American, I experience a significant amount of culture both at home, and outside of home.

Often the mixture of these two very different cultures confuses me as I try to find my cultural

identity.

Family is highly valued in Indian culture. My family is included in anything I participate in, or any decision I take, making my family closer than an average-American family.

Often, when my friends meet almost multiple times a week in the summer, I make the decision to stay home and spend time with my family.

Staying home is not an inconvenience, but rather a decision I make to spend more time with my family than most people do, making our family closer than most.

Religion is a large part of my family and although we do not go to a temple very often, we pray in our house every day.

Growing up, my sister and I went to a Catholic school that

taught Catholicism in parallel with other subjects. Having a family that taught a completely different religion was very confusing as a child. Often, at home, I learned one thing, and at school I learned the complete opposite.

I continue to identify as Hindu, but still believe some Catholic teachings.

I do not think having Indian heritage makes me any less American, but rather gives me a background and culture that not many other people around me have. Moreover, it almost makes me more American because America was born as a melting pot of cultures.

Living in two worlds, American and Indian, gives me a perspective on life that many people cannot see and gives me my true identity.

SHIYUAN WANG focus editor

I am a Canasian.

It is not actually a real word, but one I made up to fit my immigration status: I was born in China, but I moved to Canada when I was two years old, which is where I got my Canadian citizenship.

Hence, “Canasian” embodies two important aspects of me: being Chinese by blood and being a proud Canadian citizen.

For me, being an immigrant and being raised by a family of immigrants is a very influential part of my life.

I became accustomed to living in two cultures at the same time.

My parents incorporate Chinese culture at home, and I always speak to them in Mandarin.

I am not sure if I would say that I am different from my peers simply I am an immigrant, because after living in the United States for eight years now, I am more in tune with American culture than I am with my own heritage. But, that does not mean that I have completely forgotten my roots.

I would say the biggest difference between me and my peers is the way my family interacts with each other.

Sometimes, I feel like there is a disconnect between me and my parents because of how “Americanized” I have become.

As of right now, I only have a visa. My family is still waiting for a green card, which could take years since the immigration system in the United States is not exactly known for its efficiency. I believe that in the future, there is a high possibility of me trying to attain an American citizenship.

But, for now, I’ll just stick to being an immigrant.

Sports

THE WOOSTER BLADE | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 25

Mount Vernon and Orrville on the move in conference shuffle DAVID BURNETT

T

staff writer

he change of seasons has brought a new face into the Ohio Cardinal Conference, with Wooster’s oldest rival set to leave, and Mt. Vernon ready to enter.

The 2015 football season may be the last year of a week-10 Wooster v. Orrville rivalry football game, following Orrville’s planned move to the Principals Athletic Conference for the 2016-2017 school year.

According to Orrville Athletic Director Kent Smith, the move made a lot of sense for the school on multiple fronts, stating, “our average one-way trip drops from 41 miles to 20 miles. This move alone will be a savings in the ballpark of $15,000 when you calculate the

trips at the [grade] 7-12 level.”

According to data provided by Smith, Orrville was the smallest populated school in the OCC, with an average class size of just over 120.

This enrollment number stands in stark contrast to Wooster, possessing an average class size close to 300, according to WHS guidance counselor Paula Kimble. Orrville will still be the smallest school in the PAC, but, according to Smith, the gap will be significantly smaller.

One topic of interest to local fans is the Wooster v. Orrville football game. According to

Smith, local fans need not worry about the cancellation of the 105-year-old rivalry, stating, “Wooster and Orrville still intend to play each other in all sports.

As for the football game, it will likely be moved to week three.”

The Mt. Vernon Yellow Jackets will c o m p e t e against the OCC in all sports, according to Mt.Vernon High School Activities Director Mark Shively.

Mt. Vernon previously belonged to the Columbusbased Ohio Capital Conference.

“Their program is going to add to the quality of an already good OCC,” WOOSTER FOOTBALL COACH DOUG HAAS SAID.

Shively cites travel time as a factor in the move to a new conference, stating, “We left our conference due to the increased travel time after the Ohio Capital Conference realignment occurred.”

Mt. Vernon has competed against OCC teams in nonconference play for years, with Shively noting, “We currently compete against several [OCC teams] in various sports. It seemed very easy to compete against all of the teams in the league.”

Shively notes that the prospect of membership began for Mt. Vernon in mid-October, when rumblings of an OCC shake-up started to come to fruition.

Wooster head football coach Doug Haas said that Mt. Vernon will add to the quality of the league on and off the

field, stating, “I think Mt. Vernon will be very similar to us when it comes to culture, academics and facilities. It’s a school based in a college town and has a similar feel to Wooster and Ashland. They’ve got a great new coach in Justin Todd, formerly the head coach at Loudonville. Their program is going to add to the quality of an already good OCC.” Haas was pleased when Mt. Vernon joined, noting that he had already made contact with the school in recent months.

Haas notes, “It was really kind of funny when I heard that Mt. Vernon would be joining. I had scheduled them for a 7-on-7 scrimmage this August.”

Wooster fans will get to see the Generals take on Mt. Vernon in all sports beginning in the fall of 2016.

OCC update: how the General’s conference will change in the coming years

Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets

OCC

- The Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets joined the Ohio Capital Conference in 1968, but will now be joining the Ohio Cardinal Conference in 2016.

- Their football team’s longest winning streak was set in 2008 when Mt. Vernon went on a seven game streak, shattering the previous record.

- Overall football record is 41-71.

- Mount Vernon currently plays many OCC teams including Ashland and Madison and Clear Fork.

Sources include Max Preps and Mt. Vernon HS.

Ashland Clear Fork Lexington Madison Mansfield Sr. Wooster West Holmes

Orrville Red Riders

- Orrville has won three state championships in basketball. Twice in Division III and once in Division II and was the first team to win back to back championships while moving up a division.

- Bob Knight Basketball Coach-Knight has won 902 NCAA Division I college basketball games - Orville has the oldest rivalry in sports with Wooster 52-42-9 all time, with Wooster leading the rivalry.

Sources include Max Preps and Orrville HS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | SPORTS l APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 26

Fire and ice: sports figures fluctuate on trend thermometer The San Antonio Spurs

For the Spurs, it seems like they have never gone off the hot list. They are approaching nearly 20 consecutive years of making the playoffs and are always a legitimate threat for all teams in the Western Conference. Led by seasoned veterans Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, the Spurs are my pick to make it to the finals. When the big three retire, the Spurs will not be done because of the rising young talent, led by Kawhi Leonard.

Lebron James

James and the Cavaliers are 31-7 since Jan. 15 and look primed to win the number two seed in the Eastern Conference. James recorded his first triple double of the season on April 5 and is still in MVP contention. According to ESPN, James is averaging 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game.

The MLS

Major League Soccer is on the rise. Adding two new teams, the Orlando City SC, and New York City FC, the MLS is gaining more popularity in the state. On top of the newly added teams, famous European soccer players, including David Villa, Frank Lampard and Kaka hope to draw more fans. As more and more old European stars coming to the United States, the more the MLS will rise.

Byron Scott

The Lakers’ coach, whose teams sits fourth to last place in the NBA, recently made unflattering remarks about his players. Scott told reporters he would not want to be in a foxhole with some of his players, saying they would end up, “shooting him in the back.

Also, the Lakers are one of the worst teams in the league, so the chances of Scott being fired are extremely high.

The Cleveland Browns

The Browns have continuously disappointed their fans year after year. One of the Browns most recent disappointments involves the change in the logo, which was supposed to be revolutionary.

However, it was just a simple alteration of orange. Also, the color is eerily similar to our in state rival, the Cincinnati Bengals.

Additionally, the lack of free agency moves, compiled with the repeating disappointments at NFL drafts, lead me to believe the Browns will stay in the cold.

The New York Knicks

Phil Jackson’s plan has been a complete and utter failure. The Knicks are terrible and are, without a doubt, the worst team in the NBA. Injuries have kept a couple key players out, but even when the team was healthy, they simply could not win.

First year coach Derek Fisher did not meet his expectations of leading the Knicks to a title.

BLURBS WRITTEN BY ERIC BELCIK AND LUKE WIEST

Geno Auriemma

The Connecticut women’s coach won his tenth NCAA title April 7. Auriemma tied John Wooden for the most titles in college basketball history. UConn beat Notre Dame 63-53 in a rematch of last season’s title game that UConn also won. In fact, the Huskies have won the past three NCAA titles.

Jahlil Okafor

Duke won the men’s national championship April 6 in Indianapolis. The Duke center averaged 17.3 points per game for the Blue Devils during his freshman year. Okafor is projected to be a top pick in the NBA draft. Okafor has officially declared for the NBA draft. Okafor’s size was too much for Frank Kaminsky and Wisconsin in the championship game.

The Cleveland Indians

The Indians are on their way up, at least according to multiple news sources including Sports Illustrated. Despite not making huge off-season moves, the Indians are predicted to win the World Series. Cleveland had a very successful 2014 season, even though they suffered multiple injuries and several disappointing seasons from Jason Kipnis and Nick Swisher. If they can stay healthy and can get a better output from their best players, the Indians can make a run.

Bubba Watson

Bubba Watson was recently given negative ratings from his peers on the PGA Tour. ESPN.com surveyed 103 PGA Tour players, with 23 of those players saying the player they would not help get out of a parking lot fight would be the defending Masters champion. Watson finished T38 during the Masters last weekend.

The NCAA

The failure to adapt to the changes in basketball is currently harming men’s basketball. The pace of the game has significantly slowed down, and the NCAA has not made any steps to try and fix the game. The 35 second shot clock, and the unnecessary amount of fouls are only harming the game.

Connecticut Women’s Basketball coach, Geno Auriemma, recently called out the NCAA for its failure to change and called mens basketball horrible to watch because the quality of the game has gone down.

Aaron Hernandez

Hernandez’ trial finished with a guilty verdict.

Hernandez is charged with the killing of Odin Lloyd during June of 2013. He was convicted of a first degree murder charge and he faces life in prison without parole.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | SPORTS | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 27

Youth sports programs explain rise in athlete numbers NATE KING-SMITH staff writer

Nearly every single sports team at WHS has either maintained a steady number of players or has been increasing in the past couple of years, and like many things in life, this success can be linked to the fact that there are opportunities for people to start out when they are young.

There is no shortage of opportunities for youth to get into sports at a young age around Wooster.

These chances for young people to get into a sport early, help them to get a grasp of what they enjoy and prepare them for what they want to play when they get older.

Doug MacMillan was involved in the Wooster Lacrosse Club for approximately 10 years.

MacMillan says the WLC is designed for players in

grades three through eight and allows every team member to be critical parts of the team and to learn from experiences that can be applied throughout one’s life.

Wooster High School’s lacrosse program is a varsity sport which requires necessary skills at that level.

“WHS lacrosse couldn’t survive without the Wooster Lacrosse Club and it’s training of minds and skills to young lacrosse players,” MacMillan said.

Ben Wiest (10) has firsthand experience with a youth program available to children in Wooster. He participated in Wooster Youth Baseball at Miller Field when he was younger and now plays on the WHS baseball team.

“The program helps to work on fundamentals and gave me the mentality of winning,” Wiest said.

Wiest also said the programs come back into

play at WHS as the programs help youth to bond with their team prior to high school and help them build chemistry with people they will be playing with for years to come.

Boys lacrosse is currently one of the few sports at Wooster that has seen a slight decrease in players in the past couple years.

According to Blair Young, the boys lacrosse coach at WHS, the issue is not a lack of popularity, but a lack of youth CASEY BAIK programs.

The Wooster Lacrosse Club is an example of the growing youth sports programs “I think what we are seeing in Wooster is in Wooster that are contributing to the rise of athletic participation in high school. a bit of an anomaly with our numbers. However, the ball in getting players and the future at the high we have seen this hiccup interested in the sport at a school level is good. coming for a few years. young age,” Young says.

The availability of sport When this year ’s juniors and Young says that now programs for kids to get seniors were young, there that youth programs are involved in at a young age was no youth program for available, their numbers are key for the growth of a couple years. We dropped have grown dramatically players and the sport itself.

WHS sports see increase in numbers despite national trends ERIC BELCIK

AUSTIN MIKO

Boys’ tennis, like many other WHS sports, has seen an increase in participation over the last few years due to growing youth programs.

sports editor Certain sporting programs at WHS have been falling, in terms of numbers, but the majority of sports are on the rise.

Numbers for multiple programs are on the rise, based on participation for boys’ and girls’ tennis, baseball, softball, boys’ and girls’ swimming and bowling.

Stan Burris, boys’ tennis coach, believes these programs will continue to grow because of the growth of elementary school programs.

“For tennis specifically, as long as clubs keep offering lessons and expanding, programs will keep bringing young talent that can compete on the varsity level at a young age,” Burris said.

Other sports at the high school get more numbers because of past successful season.

Both the WHS boys’ and girls’ swimming seasons are growing because people join based on how they have done in the past.

Kevin White (12), boys’ swim team captain believes that some people do join the swim team because of the streak for winning the OCC tournament.

While certain sports might be growing because of the success the program achieves, other programs, like girls’ soccer, are on the rise because of programs for the younger students.

Nick Runyan (12) is a coach for a 10-year-old girls’ soccer team that is run through Wooster Parks and Recreation.

“The whole goal of the younger programs is to get the children to love the sport. I have loved

soccer all my life and if I can pass that on to someone else, then I have done a great thing,” Runyan said. Looking holistically, high schools sports are on a rise across the country.

According to The National Federation of State High School Associations, in an article entitled “High School Participation Increases for 25th Consecutive Year,” participation has gone up by a for the past 25 years.

The NFSHA cites an increase of education based sports programs as the reason for the increase in nationwide numbers.

Considering Wooster has not added education based programs, Wooster could continue to see more growth if they were incorporated to all sports.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | SPONSORSHIP | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 28

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THE WOOSTER BLADE | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 29

PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICES VIA FLICKR

Lack of potable water causes global problems

BECCA FOLEY focus editor

This past March, SeaWorld San Diego announced that they have implemented a saltwater flushing system in its newest restroom in an effort to conserve fresh water, according to an article written by Andie Adams on nbcsandiego.com.

While California is not the only place in the world facing a water crisis, small steps, like the ones taken by SeaWorld San Diego, are essential to the process of repairing this worldwide issue.

Developed countries only account for nine of the 769 million people living without access to clean water, according to “Millions lack safe water” on water.org.

A necessity some people take for granted, and others think of as a never-ending renewable resource, the lack of clean, safe drinking water is becoming

a frightening problem worldwide.

The average hamburger takes 630 gallons of water to produce, according to “Freshwater Crisis” from National Geographic online.

According to water.org, one in nine people around the world lack access to clean water.

The United Nations suggests each person needs between five and 13 gallons of water per day for hygiene and consumption, according to “10 ways clean water can change the world” from thewaterproject.org.

Many people who account for those other eight in nine people have been told, since they were young, to take shorter showers, turn the water off when brushing teeth, make sure their faucets do not leak, etc. A lot of times, all this advice is not taken as seriously as it should be.

The reality is, these simple measures actually help.

Nonprofit agencies including water.org, The Water Project, and WATERisLIFE work to ensure clean water for everyone, especially those in developing countries.

Although it sounds cheesy, going to websites like those above can promote awareness and involvement in order to contribute to the solution to this growing issue.

More than 840,000 people will die each year from a water-related disease (“Millions lack safe water” fact sheet from water.org). Data collected by Mary Grace Gorman By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas with water scarcity. (“Freshwater Crisis” from National Geographic online, no date).

750 million people do not have access to clean water. (“Millions lack safe water” fact sheet from water.org).

How many people, worldwide, do you think are not able to have access to fresh water?

148 WHS students were polled in lunches the week of April 6th. (poll conducted by Nate King-Smith)

750 Million 41.5%

500 Million

Graphics by Nate King-Smith and Han Mahle

33.3%

800 Million 18.4%

300 Million 6.8%

THE WOOSTER BLADE | VIEWS | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 30

NCAA sanction culture causes upset

ERIC BELCIK sports editor

COURTESY OF ELIVERT BARNES VIA FLICKR

A group of police officers stand in Franklin Mcpherson Square in Washington D.C. during a pro-Palestinian rally in August of last year.

Police deserve support According to a New York Times article published on April 7, by Michael S. Schmidt and Matt Apuzzo, Officer Michael Slager shot Walter Scott eight times in the back on April 4, 2015, in North Charleston, S.C. Due to the details of the case, as well as the opinion of the nation toward the police force lately, controversy has arisen surrounding the issue of whether law enforcement officers are handling their duties correctly.

The Wooster Blade Editorial Board would like to commend those involved in delivering justice to Officer Slager, especially Feiden Santana for releasing the video of the shooting that he recorded.

The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes the police department was right in firing Slager and charging him with murder.

The idea of police overstepping their boundaries has been in the forefront of the news lately.

With recent occurrences, such as the shootings of

Michael Brown in Ferguson and Tamir Rice in Cleveland, it is easy for public opinion to swing in opposition of the police force.

Despite recent incidents, The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes such holistic disdain for police is misguided.

The Law Enforcement Oath of Honor states: “On my honor, I will never betray my badge, my integrity, my character, or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always uphold the Constitution, my community and the agency I serve.”

The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes that the majority of law enforcers, to the best of their ability, commit to follow the oath they take upon becoming officers.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the job, the actions of a few often reflect poorly upon the whole of the law enforcement community.

The Wooster Blade Editorial Board urges its readers to uphold respect for police officers, especially in the face of controversy.

It seems every time a college sports program gets investigated the colleges face some sort of sanctions, whether it is for faulty recruiting tactics or violating academic regulations.

Recently, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, 20 schools, including UNC and 18 other division one schools are being investigated for academic

fraud, while numerous schools, including Syracuse, West Virginia and Florida, are being invested for recruiting violations.

I am not writing this because of the crime, but rather the punishment.

The NCAA chooses to punish all of the student athletes, even when some of those athletes are not the ones who commit the violations.

The NCAA needs to reconfigure their policies in terms of how to handle both recruiting and academic violations.

When Jim Boeheim, Syracuse head coach, imposed a punishment to take his team out of the NCAA March Madness tournament, he punished his players for something that they were not responsible for at all.

The NCAA needs to realize if they impose a serious ban on

the entire program, they are harming what student athletes have worked their entire life for.

A more reasonable approach for a punishment would be to punish the specific people who are responsible for the crime, instead of banning an entire program, like Ohio State in 2011.

This is one of the NCAA’s plethora of problems, but it is one that is very much overlooked.

Students athletes should never be placed under these unfortunate scenarios.

To put it simply, if a business executive commits a crime, his workers do not get punished, rather the executive and only the executive gets punished.

The NCAA needs to change their methods for punishment in order to do the right thing and not harm athletes who worked hard to get to college.

is, “knowledge… covering general truths or the operation of general laws, especially as obtained and tested through the scientific method.”

The key words to focus on in Webster’s definition are: “truths,” “general laws,” and “tested.” Scientific theory does not mean the opinion of one scientist; it is something accepted to explain phenomena and predict patterns.

To deny empirically tested and widely-supported concepts of climate change and the benefits of vaccination, from a position of little or no qualification, is not to disagree with a belief system, but with what has become accepted as truth.

Disagreeing with another’s opinion is protected by the First Amendment; disagreeing with what is as good as fact is simply delusional.

When Ted Cruz said to CNN, in an interview published 20 Feb. 2015, that he believes the,

“data are not supporting what the advocates are arguing,” he was speaking from the position of someone trying to win public support and was not doing so from the qualified position of a climate change scientist.

Though the, mostly conservative, trend of denying climate change is a timely and visible example of this issue of science-denying, the issue seems to be bipartisan.

With the largely liberal antivaccination trend in states including California, it seems the delusions have transcended political lines and are affecting both radical ends of the spectrum.

The pervasiveness of this trend is alarming and seems to be a result of misinformation.

These are important topics and it is imperative to educate ourselves on them if we do not wish to regress back into human history.

Denying science infuriates editor

MIKE O’DONNELL a&e editor

I had the opportunity to write, in the last issue of The Wooster Blade, a short summary of my stance on the new trend of science-denying that seems to be somehow popular in the United States.

I realized, as I was writing it, that the idea infuriates me and I have a lot more to say on the subject.

I want to provide a definition of science, which, according to Merriam Webster dictionary

THE WOOSTER BLADE | VIEWS | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 31

Technology opens up art demographic

COUTESY OF RYAN A. MONSON VIA FLICKR

A bakery in Indiana, 111 Cakery, sparked controversy when they refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couples wedding.

Board urges protection against discrimination In light of the recent controversy in Indiana regarding a bakery’s refusal to make a homosexual couple a wedding cake, The Wooster Blade Editorial Board would like to seize this opportunity to examine Ohio’s own anti-discrimination laws, and offer guidance to the state government on how to tackle this issue which will inevitably need to be addressed.

The Wooster Blade Editorial Board condemns 111 Cakery’s refusal to provide all of their customers with equal service, despite the owner’s claims that it is lawful on the grounds of their religious freedom.

So, let us look at the big picture: a couple was denied service from a business because a part of themselves that they did not choose went against the beliefs of the business owner. Sounds eerily familiar doesn’t it?

That is because it is the same logic that led to racial segregation.

Ohio should follow the

example set by Ted Strickland in 2007, when he passed an executive order that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the workplace.

Discrimination in the workplace by refusing employment and by the workplace by refusing goods or services are essentially one in the same; a law similar to existing legislation would likely be received well.

A restaurant (or bakery in the case of 111 Cakery) requires specific licensing and government authorization before business can be conducted, so the proprietors of the establishment should not have a say in who they serve on a basis of individual discrimination. Owning and operating a restaurant or similar business is a privilege granted by the state, not a fundamental right.

The Wooster Blade Editorial Board is of the opinion that Ohio should act swiftly and deliberately to end institutional discrimination, providing the rest of the country with a strong precedent to act upon.

STEPHEN KRIDEL views editor

Since Instagram became popular several years ago, fun filters and easy to use cameras have made everyone a photographer, but could new technologies have killed photography?

Photography, over the past decade, has grown to be one of the easiest arts in which

to become engaged. With the use of 16 gigabyte memory cards, that allow people to take thousands of photos for around $10 and increasingly impressive camera phones, anyone and everyone has a camera.

The question that arises is, does having a camera make you a photographer?

I understand that not everyone with a camera is striving to become the next Robert Capa or Ansel Adams, but it is undeniable that camera phone photography has risen exponentially since Instagram’s conception.

Most photography enthusiasts would answer the aforementioned question by saying no, if you do not know the basics of photography, having a camera only makes

you the owner of a camera.

Their frustration makes sense.

Having your art, hobby or job invaded by hundreds of “artsy” photographers, whose main skill is using filters, may be a little shocking at first.

However, photographers should be enuthusiastic that their art is being appreciated by a whole new demographic.

To be clear, Instagram, huge memory cards and fancy camera phones have not killed the art of photography.

If anything, it has given photography a brand new meaning.

Whether you have a camera phone, a disposable camera, your grandfather’s film camera from the ‘50s, or the latest Canon DSLR, if you have the desire to take photos, congrats: you are a photographer.

Misleading questions spark concern

SAMANTHA BRUNN cover editor

As children we are taught to ‘play nice.’ But as we get older, it seems as though tolerance is abandoned in favor of the ‘my way or the highway’ mentality.

On twitter recently, I saw a Vox article on April 8 entitled, “What Americans think of abortion: it’s not so black and white,” by Sarah Kliff. The title implied that this issue does not have two entirely polarized sides, catching my eye. Postread, my perspective of how society views this issue, and others, changed.

I was intrigued to find once a

poll question from the article was changed from “Abortion should be legal in almost all cases,” to “Women should have a legal right to safe and accessible abortion in almost all cases,” the agreement changed from 28 to 37 percent.

“How you ask the question matters. A simple wording change can significantly alter whether Americans [support the issue],” Kliff wrote.

In effect, we become more tolerant when we are capable of looking at an issue from the perspective of those influenced first hand, as explained in Kliff’s article.

This logic was used on the issue of gay marriage, according to Pew Research Center in June 2013, the question, “Would you approve of changing the definition of the word ‘marriage’ to also include same-sex couples?”received 39 percent approval. Once the question changed to, “Do you favor legalizing same-sex marriage?”

46 percent of people approved.

These examples show views on controversial issues can vastly change once we are given a new view point.

Vox claims that once people talk to another person who had either had an abortion or made the decision to have one were more supportive of abortion access. Clearly, our opinion on these issues can change based on a new interpretation of the issue or through the experience of another.

This discovery matters because it means there are social issue policies that a majority of Americans could agree on if we are willing to find common ground.

We must realize the importance of perspective and tolerance. No matter how you may feel at first, your answers may change once given a new way to look at the issue.

We must try to be both understanding and open to discussion, while still maintaining individual beliefs.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | APRIL 17, 2015 | PAGE 32

Staff members take on upcoming Supreme Court decisions by de urthy a ic m um ph Gur a r G reya Sh

BEN SNODDY a&e editor

Walker vs. Sons of Confederate Veterans In August of 2009, the Texas division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (Texas SVC), in an effort to honor the deceased soldiers, applied to get a specialized license plate, with two Confederate flags displayed upon it. The TDMV denied the request, which prompted the Texas SVC to sue the TDMV in federal district court, claiming their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated.

In this case, it is of my opinion that the Supreme Court should side with the TDMV, as license plates are a form of government speech, and the Confederate flag plates represent a racially divisive ideology.

In a similar case in a South Caroline federal district, “Choose Life” license plates were banned, stating they were a manifestation of “viewpoint discrimination” by the government because the plates promoted one ideology over the other, therefore, affirming that license plates are a form of government speech and are subject to state policies and regulations.

Ruling in favor of the TDMV would not restrict freedom of speech or expression.

Bumper stickers and license plate covers are alternatives the Texas SVC can use to honor their veterans.

The Supreme Court should follow legal precedent when ruling on this case, and affirm that it is well within the TDMV’s power to restrict the use of this symbol.

GAELAN GATZ on cmapus editor

McFadden vs. The United States McFadden vs. The United States: According to Supremecourt.gov, the defendant in this case is being tried for the distribution of a substance very similar to one on the list of controlled substances with similar effects, but the defendant claims he did not know the properties of what he was exchanging. The court must prove that the distribution was done with full knowledge of what the substance was and that it would be considered controlled.

This case is very interesting to me; it seems difficult to determine or prove the prior knowledge or intent of the defendant in distributing the supposed illicit substance.

I believe that a person who was exchanging some form of substance that would be considered illegal, whether or not they knew exactly what it was, should be convicted because the defendant allowed the substance to change hands by his own means.

If you don’t know what you are holding in your hands, odds are you should not pass it on to the next person until you know what adverse effects may be encountered.

The burden of proof on the court seems to be unfairly weighted in this case due to technicalities. It seems that, as long as the defendant remains vague, there is no way to prove what was going on inside his head.

THE WOOSTER BLADE

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 Gaelan Gatz • 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, Matt Friedhoff, Sarah Hopkins, Emma Jeffries, Nate King-Smith, Tatumn McGrew, Maureen McKeown, Ryan Miller, Hanna Morgan and Olivia Sleek • Photographers Casey Baik, Maggie Flechler, Becca Foley, Fred Holmes, Marcus Jefferies, Cain Lanker, Maureen McKeown, Beth Clayton, Austin Miko and Grant Peabody • Cartoonists Grace Cheng, Fred Holmes and Cain Lanker • 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.

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