The Wooster Blade, Volume XVI, Issue 4

THE WOOSTER BLADE

WOOSTER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER • 515 OLDMAN ROAD, WOOSTER, OH • OCT. 23, 2015 • VOLUME XVI, ISSUE 4

The Wooster Blade explores perspectives and compares candidates in the upcoming school board election

THE WOOSTER BLADE | INDEX | OCT. 23, 2015 | PAGE 2

VOTE

VOTE

VOTE

WSTR TV PRODUCTIONS

FOCUS 4 & 5

VOTE Students discuss Issue 3

B

VOTE SPORTS UPDATES

CORPORATE SPONSORS We would like to thank all of our

supporters for the 2015-2016 school year

Corporate $250

VOTE

SPORTS 10 & 11

Graphics by Spencer Dilyard, Hanna Morgan, Nate King-Smith and Shreya Gurumurthy

BCI Buckeye Division Bogner Construction Critchfield, Critchfield, & Johnson Ltd. D&S Distribution Franklin Gas and Oil Gionino’s Seaman Corporation Swigart-Braunscheidel Insurance The Pines Golf Club Wooster Glass

Halloween attractions for this fall

12

BOE: candidate interviews

VOTE

The history of monsters

TRENDS

ARTS 13 & 14

6&7

COVER 8 & 9 FEATURE

ON CAMPUS 3

BLADE Pinterest: last minute costumes

VIEWS 15 & 16

VOTE Social media responsibility

Photos by Casey Baik. Jenna Zhu and from BLADE archives

Blue $500 Dyer, Roche & Co. Freeman Building System Metals USA Pine Tree Barn The Western Reserve Group

ON CAMPUS

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

Production class travels to Columbus to create documentary RYAN MILLER on campus editor

WSTR TV has been chosen to document the Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus on Nov. 8 through Nov. 11.

To be selected, WSTR TV had to submit an application which showcased their skills in regard to creativity, talent and production.

In a recent WCS press release, Superintendent Dr. Michael Tefs expressed his admiration for the production team’s accomplishment at such a large event.

“It is a wonderful opportunity for our students to gain experience outside of the classroom, as this conference annually draws over 10,000 participants.

This particular

together, have production been great. team is a We are going talented group to give it our of students, and all for this I look forward documentary,” to seeing the Rayman said. documentary,” Nathan Tefs said.

Greene, WSTR Jake Rayman TV adviser, (12), a member hopes his of the WSTR s t u d e n t s TV production will gain team, looks experience and forward to this work within opportunity parameters and anticipates given to them. a strong team CASEY BAIK “I would effort on the like for my documentary, even though The production team has been selected as the official student video s t u d e n t s gain the team has documentary team for the Ohio School Boards Association meeting Nov. 8. to real world been together for a relatively short period of team and the once in a lifetime experience working with a high time. opportunity. This year, only the profile client in a time sensitive “I’m very excited for a our few months that we have been situation,” Greene said.

Curtis Williamson (12) said in addition to the practical benefits that come with filming and creating a documentary, the experience will also be a great way for the members of WSTR TV to bond.

“I’m excited for it. It will be a good a good bonding experience for our team. It will be good to get some on the job experience,” Williamson said.

WSTR TV seniors Sawyer Cass, Rece Emplit, Joe Kline, Jake Rayman, Jake Robinson and Curtis Williamson, will work on the documentary, which is set to be released in mid-December.

Notable speakers at the conference include Jane Poley a former NBC Dateline anchor, Leland Melvin, former NFL player and astronaut and Dr. Milton Chen, a leading figure in educational media.

FOCUS

Ohioans will soon vote on Issue 3 AUSTIN MCCULLY

staff writer On Nov. 3, Issue 3, a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that would legalize restricted marijuana use, will be put to vote in Ohio.

According to Ballotpedia.org, anyone age 21 and over could acquire and use up to one ounce of marijuana.

The passing of the proposed amendment would establish an Ohio Marijuana Control Commission, which would regulate economic activity involving marijuana, according to Streetsboro Gateway News.

Ten marijuana growth, cultivation and extraction facilities would be created.

Growing and sharing up to eight ounces of marijuana would require a license to be purchased from the Ohio Marijuana Control Commission.

Medical marijuana would be permitted for anyone with a certified debilitating medical condition.

A Kent State poll conducted by WKYC-TV and published on Oct. 13, 2015, found that 56 percent of polltakers currently plan to vote yes on Issue 3.

Marijuana in America

THE WOOSTER BLADE | OCT. 23, 2015 I PAGE 4

If you are 21 or older in Colorado, you can buy up to an ounce of marijuana at a licensed store, as long as you have a Colorado ID. People from outside Colorado can buy a quarter ounce. CNN.com.

Anyone 21 years or older, with a license purchased from the Ohio Marijuana Control Commission, could use, possess, grow, cultivate and share up to eight ounces of homegrown marijuana and four flowering marijuana plants. BallotPedia.com In Ohio the measure would legalize the limited sale and use of marijuana and create 10 facilities with exclusive commercial rights to grow the drug. BallotPedia.com There are currently 23 states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, including the District of Columbia; each state varies on the amount available people can possess. ProCon.org Facts compiled by Alex Barnard

Students voice their opinions on Issue 3 on the Ohio ballot Issue 3 presents problems

Issue 3 benefits the state SHIYUAN WANG feature editor

Since the states of Colorado and Washington legalized marijuana, other states have been trying to follow their example and have put marijuana legalization on their ballots.

Ohio is one of those states.

With less than a month until the vote, Ohioans will be voting on whether Issue 3 on the ballot should be a new state law.

Issue 3 will deal with marijuana legalization and will specifically monopolize the growth of marijuana in the United States. It also will allow people 21 and over to recreationally use marijuana, creates a tax on the commercialization of marijuana and include other measures regarding the commercialization and use of marijuana.

Should Issue 3 pass in Ohio, marijuana will be completely legalized, not just decriminalized.

The legalization of marijuana can be beneficial to states for both economic and social reasons.

In terms of social reasons, Ohioans would be able to more easily access medical marijuana, as long as they have permission from a physician, in order to treat illnesses.

Nonviolent drug offenders would also benefit. Instead of serving long sentences for minor offenses, legalization of marijuana would help the state of Ohio focus on preventing violent crimes instead of fixating on minor ones.

Money will also be saved since less of it will be spent on prohibition enforcement and on incarceration.

The tax placed on commercialization of marijuana will bring in more revenue for Ohio to fund other measures. Ohio would also benefit from job growth regarding the manufacturing of marijuana.

So please, vote yes on Issue 3.

BECCA FOLEY a&e editor

MAGGIE FLECHLER

Issue 3 on the Ohio ballot this November calls for recreational and medicinal use for marijuana and also proposes 10 growing sites scattered throughout the state.

Ian James is head of ResponsibleOhio, the group advocating for the legalization and regulation of marijuana in the state.

In an interview with Mark Kovac of Dix Capital Bureau on Oct. 13, James said 10 initial investors were needed to bring the amendment to the ballot.

He also admitted, “Anybody that thinks they can get to the ballot without money, they’re kidding themselves.”

This proposal is designed to guarantee to profit these 10 investors, which can be seen as an oligopoly, where only certain people profit.

Not only may Issue 3 be a bad way to make marijuana legal, but there is reason to

question whether any form of legalization that makes marijuana available to the public is a good idea.

If the issue passed, it would allow those 21 years of age or older with a valid license to grow, cultivate and share up to eight ounces of marijuana.

Since legalization, Colorado has seen a large increase in marijuana related traffic deaths, hospital visits, and school suspensions, according to a study done by Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.

While it is a good idea to decriminalize the penalty for possession to ensure that jails are not filled with people who did not commit violent crimes, it is not intelligent to make marijuana available to those who do not absolutely need it for medical use.

The only thing Issue 3 guarantees is high profits for these 10 growers who have invested large amounts of money. It would be dangerous to pass Issue 3 this November.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | OCT. 23, 2015 | FOCUS | PAGE 5

Wayne County Performing Arts Council presents:

Cole the Musical: a memoir

EVAN DOAN staff writer

Members and volunteers for the Wayne County Performing Arts Council have been collaborating with local dance studios since early August producing Cole the Musical.

Cole the Musical is a musical memoir based on the life and music of composer and songwriter Cole Porter. It is set to be performed in late October and will be held in the performing arts center at Cornerstone Elementary.

The musical will feature the talents of 22 singers, four live musicians and nine dancers In addition to roles that entail actual performance,

a multitude of volunteers have contributed to the play’s production by helping with construction, painting, sewing and advertising.

The musical is being produced through the Wayne County Performing Arts Council and is directed by long time member of the Wayne County Performing Arts Council, Laurie Schang.

Schang, who has worked with the Wayne County Performing Arts Council ever since she came to Wooster about 20 years ago, expressed her optimism for the performance’s success and enjoyment of the production so far.

“Putting the singers together with the live combo for the first time was pure magic. Everyone collaborates,

and the end result is exactly what suits each performer,” Schang said.

Both Tamala Taylor’s Academy of Dance and Shine Bright Dance Studios are working with the cast on the musical. Schang says she appreciates the talent and accommodation of the local studios for the musical. “The most enjoyable part so far has been the privilege of working with all these talented local artists,” Schang said.

Cole the Musical was performed last weekend and is set to take place on Oct. 23 and Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets for the musical cost $12 each. The cost for senior citizens, students and groups of eight or more is $10.

Students welcome new club ERIN O’DONNELL

BE

CC

AF

OL

EY

staff writer The Ultimate Frisbee Club has been a welcome addition to WHS in its first year and is foreseen to last for many more.

Club member Wil Gastier (11) has been a big advocate for an Ultimate Frisbee club and is happy with the turnout.

“Frisbee is a great way to compete with your friends and teachers and I’m pleased to see it growing in our school,” Gastier said.

According to adviser and Science Dept. member Eric Heller, the club already has about 60 members signed up.

All eighth to twelfth grade students are welcome and encouraged to join.

Co-president Becca Foley (12) assures newcomers that skill is not necessary to join the club.

“One o f the great things about Ultimate is that it’s easy to pick up and it doesn’t matter if you are extremely skilled or not because everyone plays as a team and no one really gets left out of the game,” Foley said.

Sign up is still open, and those wishing to join only need to show up to a meeting ready to play.

The club meets once a week after school until 4 p.m.

T h e meeting day is always either M o n d a y o r Wednesday, and will be announced on the morning announcements.

The junior class is hosting an Ultimate Frisbee tournament to raise money for Prom on Oct. 25. It is not too late to sign up. Those wishing to participate should see a member of the junior class student government.

There will also be on-site registration the day of the event. Registration is $20 per team of five to seven people or $25 on the day of the event.

Elementaries raise funds AMBER SWIGART staff writer

Throughout the school year, the elementary schools in the Wooster City School District hold several fundraisers in order to gain money for various causes like field trips and school supplies.

Many of these fundraisers are hosted by parent teacher organizations.

Kean Elementary’s upcoming fundraiser is its yearly Walk-athon in which students gather pledges of money for every lap they complete today. This fundraiser is one of many that offers incentives to the students who raise substantial amounts of money, allowing the winner to throw a pie at the principal’s face and also allows other major sellers a choice of $100

gift cards, which are offered by various businesses throughout the community.

At Parkview Elementary, the biggest fundraiser is the spring carnival that takes place near the end of the school year.

“Our huge fundraiser during the year is in the spring… we can always use more volunteers, especially for giving fresh ideas to the carnival,” Stacey Castellucci, the president of the school’s PTO, said.

In many cases, schools also have the ability to raise money through businesses that sponsor them by giving a percentage of the profits gained on a given day to the school.

A portion of the funds made today at Chipotle, for example, will contribute to Cornerstone’ Elementary’s Playlab.

FEATURE

Dracula THE WOOSTER BLADE | OCT. 23, 2015 | PAGE 6

Werewolf

A monster mashup: BLADE The Creature digs up Halloween monster history What’s YourDracula Favorite Werewolf Monster?

Dracula

25%

The Creature

What’s Mummy Your Dracula Favorite Monster?

Werewolf

Mummy Dracula

15% What’s Your Favorite Monster?

Werewolf

Werewolf

The Creature

22%

Mummy The Creature

Mummy

38%

The Creature Mummy

Werewolf

The first thought that comes to mind when thinking of werewolf stories is Little Red Riding Hood, the children’s story, but according to mythicalrealm.com, “The legend of the werewolf is one of the most ancient and widespread. Stories of werewolves can be found as far back as history has been written. These shape-shifter myths can be found all over the word from China to Iceland and Brazil to Haiti.” The tales of modern werewolves started during the 15th through 17th centuries, when people living in Europe would sometimes wake up and find halfeaten human limbs scattered on their fields.

Mummy

According to myths.e2bn.org, the myth of the mummy arose in the Victorian and Edwardian eras when people were interested in strange things. It is likely that the myths arose from explorers that went into the tombs. The most famous mummy legend is from the when the tomb of Tutankhamun was opened. Author Mary Mackay warned that awful things would happen to those who dared to enter the sacred tomb. Bad things did happen as the pet canary, of founder of the tomb, Howard Carter, was swallowed by a cobra, and the lord who paid for this exploration died several weeks after the tomb was opened.

Polls compiled by Kayla Cooper and Tatumn McGrew during the week of Oct. 12. A total of 131 people were polled Blurbs written by Maureen McKeown and Olivia Sleek Graphics

by Nick Cosmo, Hanna Morgan, Valerie Anderson and Nate King-Smith

Dracula

In Transylvania, Romania, one can see bears, vampires and castles.

The tale of Dracula originated in 1431 when the Tepes, a noble family at the time, named their son Prince Vlad, but the world knows him by his nickname, Dracula. As explained

by lonelyplanet.com, “‘Dracula’ means ‘son of Dracula’ in Romanian.

Therefore, young Vlad was ‘son of the dragon’ or ‘son of the devil.’”

Scholars believe this was the beginning of the legend that Dracula was a vampire. When Dracula became ruler, he often used harsh and cruel tortures, thus carrying on the tale that he was a horrible person.

According to librarypoint.org, Frankenstein is the only monster to be based solely upon a book.

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, was published in London in 1818.

His fictional creator was Dr. Frankenstein, and the monster was referred to as Frankenstein’s

Creature, which eventually was shortened to Frankenstein. The Creature‘s killings were known as deeds done for evil. But, in reality, the killings were for revenge on Dr. Frankenstein, for not creating him a bride, and for being burned

by Dr. Frankenstein and society.

The creature, normally depicted in cinema as an illiterate moron, was actually one of the more intelligent monsters created in the book.

The creature

THE WOOSTER BLADE | FEATURE | OCT. 23, 2015 | PAGE 7

Social media has evolved into an effective news outlet Journalists and audiences gain more access from social media SCOT NIELSON staff writer

While new technology almost always creates change, one phenomenon has a unique impact on the journalistic process: social media.

Forums such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have changed the way journalists

Facts about social media:

Compiled by Becca Foley using data from the Pew Research Center.

Twitter profile photos are fair use courtesy of Twitter.

gather and distribute news.

Social media provides an information platform for anybody with an account, building a database of opinions, facts, and events. The raid on Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, the plane landing on the Hudson River and the Boston Marathon bombing are all major events first reported by ordinary people on Twitter.

With access to information, journalists must be more careful of false information. Kevin Bakhurst of BBC spoke on credibility at the International Broadcasting Convention, stating: “...we try to establish facts before pushing a story out there. These are... fundamental and long-cherished principles of the way [news] operates. But not the ground rules of many

20 percent of social media users use their accounts to follow elected officials and candidates running for office.

using social media.”

Social media not only gives journalists access to audiences, audiences now have easier access to news.

According to Spencer Hunt of Ohio State’s School of Communication, “28 percent of people consider social media to be [their] prime source of news.”

Furthermore, 57 percent of the

65 percent of adults use at least one social media network.

30 percent of adults use Facebook as their news source.

traffic on news websites comes from social media platforms because, according to Hunt, “... most of the people who go to CNN, The New York Times or The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s website are getting there from something they’ve seen first on social media.”

Social media gives audiences and news outlets better access to one another.

38 percent of people who use social media use their accounts to promote material related to politics and social issues that others have posted.

Politicians use social media to express their opinions on issues Bernie Sanders @BernieSanders

Donald Trump @realDonaldTrump

Hillary Clinton @HillaryClinton

Gov. Mike Huckabee @GovMikeHuckabee

If the environment were a bank, it would have been saved already.

I’m going to lead in every poll and we are going to WIN! Remember, Trump never gives up.

We can’t wait any longer for comprehensive immigration reform.

#DemDebate #2ndAmendment #2A #ImWithHuck

10/11/15, 5:00 PM

10/10/15, 9:47 AM

10/13/15, 10:18 PM

10/11/15, 5:00 PM

12.9K FAVORITES

7,261 FAVORITES

1,335 FAVORITES

197 FAVORITES

President Obama @POTUS

John Kasich @JohnKasich

Martin O’Malley @MartinOMalley

John Boehner @johnboehner

Women can no longer be charged more for health coverage just for being women.

The US Senate should use “nuclear option” to pass bill against dangerous Iran nuclear deal-

Going purple today to show support for our LGBT youth. Let’s take a stand against bullying.#Spirit Day

6/25/15, 12:41 PM

9/20/15, 9:41 AM

#Obamacare is fundamentally broken, increasing costs for millions of Americans.

10/15/15, 3:35 PM

6/19/15, 3:34 PM

33.3K FAVORITES

47 FAVORITES

280 FAVORITES

15 FAVORITES

COVER

THE WOOSTER BLADE | OCT. 23, 2015 | PAGE 8

Taking a ISABELLE CANNON

Graphics by Shreya Gurumurthy, Nate King-Smith and Maureen McKeown

glance at the WCSD School Board

cover editor

The main responsibility of the WCSD Board of Education is to create programs and procedures that will facilitate maximum learning for every student, according to www. woostercityschools.org.

Superintendent Dr. Michael Tefs states every member of the board should have the goal of remembering the physical, social and academic development of the students.

Tefs said the school board receives $58 million from the government, so board members need to know exactly what is going on in classrooms, as they need to provide information to the government as to what they are doing to better students’ educations,

according to Tefs.

Tefs said understanding what takes place in a classroom is one of the hardest things the school board does because they are not present in classrooms, so it is harder for the members to comprehend the learning environment.

According to Tefs, it is a tough process to become a school board member.

According to ohioschoolboards.org, one must acquire at least 75 signatures from registered voters in the area, and start a petition at least 90 days before elections occur.

Current board member, Dr. Janice Gallagher, said she thoroughly believes in Wooster City Schools. All four of her children went to Wooster, and her son, Timothy, teaches math at the high school.

Gallagher has had varied

experience in the realm of education. She was a former teacher, central office administrator and college instructor who wanted to add a different perspective to the board.

“I ran because I thought I could bring a different voice to the board,” Gallagher said.

The Ohio Dept. of Education shares the same responsibilities as the Wooster board, except at a larger level. Their goal is to set the direction of the ODE by focusing on the establishment of education policies and recommendations, according to the Board and Procedure manual at education.ohio.gov.

If a community member wants to address a problem within the district, meetings are held twice a month at the high school.

Agendas for meetings can be found on woostercityschools.org.

How do WHS students receive their news?

Television 28%

Social Media 24%

Online 19%

Newspapers 10%

Word of Mouth 16%

Others 3%

Poll conducted by Amber Swigart, Nick Cosmo and Maddy Nacci. During the week of Oct. 19, 126 students were polled during 4A, 4B and 5B lunches.

“Patient.” -Madison Culver-Lee (11) “Experienced.” -Katie Mount (12) “A good leader.” -Noah McKee (12)

“Someone who is not all about standardized testing and who truly cares about kids.” -Mimi Wiles (10) “Dedicated.” -Derek Kunkler (12) “Understands how students feel.” -Enzo Rutter (8)

Compiled by Katie Ward

Students describe qualities they desire in school board members

THE WOOSTER BLADE | COVER | OCT. 23, 2015 | PAGE 9

MEET THE CANDIDATES Q&As by Sarah Hopkins, Drew Friedhoff, Valerie Anderson, Nick Cosmo and Drosos Kardulias

Sue Herman

Jackie Kiefer Michael Knapic Bob Reynolds

Bill Gantz

Why are you running for the Wooster Board of Education?

“I want to continue to make a difference in our schools, and I felt like I contributed as a classroom teacher, and, now I want to look at things from a different perspective.”

“I am runnng for Wooster Board of Education because I want to get involved in an area that I am passionate about and that is the public education of all children.”

“I am running for the BOE because I feel that I can provide leadership and guidance to our school system.”

“There is nothing more important to the success of our community than the success of the Wooster City School District.”

“I am currently on the board of education. I am running unopposed for a two year term that is the last two years of Mike Steiner’s term when he resigned.”

What are the biggest issues on which you feel the BOE must focus?

“It’s key that we have relationships with the people who we represent and that lack of communication makes for a sort of ‘us versus them’ mentality...I want to break down those barriers.”

“The biggest issue is the funding of our school system, but at the same time provide the best education for all the children.”

“...maintaining and improving a top notch group of educators for our kids, maintaining and improving curriculum formats that are up to date...and creating an environment of positivity...”

“The biggest issue we are facing is a substantial reduction in state funding for our district, which could have had the impact of a tsunami if proper preparations had not been made in advance.”

“There are issues we know about such as school funding, testing, school security, maintenance that go on every year...we just have to deal with the issues as required...”

If elected, what will be your first actions in office be?

“I would like to be an active “Listening to the part of the decisions made all community and school employee concerns and over the district.” being visible in all schools will be my first actions in office.”

“...to make sure that our schools and administrators are providing optimal curricula and learning environments for our kids.”

“We will elect a president “I don’t have a list of my first and vice president of the actions. I plan on attending board, and make committee the meetings and being assignments for all of the prepared.”

BOE members.”

What is your mission statement in regard to being on the BOE?

“To work for the success of every student every day, in a responsible and open way.”

“...I want to bring balance and communication to the BOE to better educate our students for the 21st Century while being fiscally responsible to the public.”

“‘...provide the best possible resources to our students, teachers and administrators to achieve and maintain world class achievement academically, athletically and in extracurricular pursuits.’”

“...establish programs and policies that will help every student achieve success.

The board must accomplish this while also being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.”

“I don’t have a mission statement.”

What do you believe makes you qualified to be a BOE member?

“Twenty-one years in the field of education and the passion that I still feel for public education and the commitment I still have for public education.”

“My experience as a parent, a previous elementary sixth grade teacher and elementary and high school art teacher and, currently, a substitute teacher and a business owner...”

“I am a lifelong resident of Wayne County... I am dedicated to and invested in our schools philosophically and practically with the amount of time I give to caring for students and supporting school activities.”

“...specialized experience and training, together with my knowledge of the community and the school system itself, are assets that I would bring to the position.”

“I have been a school board member since March 2011. It takes training and experience to become an effective board member.”

SPORTS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | OCT. 23, 2015 | PAGE 10

t

n e m a n r u o t e t a t s in s e u Boys’ soccer contin

T

he WHS boys’ soccer team finished their regular season with a 9-6-1 record, losing only to the Ashland Arrows.

On Oct. 13, the team’s reach for another OCC title was stopped short by Ashland in a 2-0 defeat. The boys finished the tournament third out of eight teams in the OCC. The last OCC championship captured by WHS boys soccer occurred in 2010.

Defender Matthew Lorentz (10) believes the third place finish in the OCC will push the team to become better.

“We are better than we played, and I think that we have the talent to bring home a title next year,” Lorentz said.

OHSAA States began Oct. 21 for the Generals as they took on Garfield. If the Generals defeat Garfield, they continue on to play Copley tomorrow, at Copley.

PICTURED ABOVE (LEFT TO RIGHT): CAMERON SCHMIDT (11), MATTHEW LORENTZ (10), CASEY BAIK (12), SAM PEMBER (12), MATT ADAMS (12).

PICTURED BELOW (LEFT TO RIGHT): CARLA STOLL (12), BRI COPPOLA (11), NATALIE COVERT (12), ALEXA SOMMER (9), MADDY NACCI (10).

Girls’ soccer season co

mes to a close

A

fter a hardfought year, the girls’ soccer season is coming to a close.

Their current record is 8-5-1 with a third place ranking in the OCC tournament.

The girls struggled with small numbers this season and, without a deep roster, were heavily affected by several injuries. Senior captain Carla Stoll (12) said the team could have been better prepared and worked harder.

PHOTOS BY JENNA ZHU AND “We could have done a lot better because we never played to our full potential, but I definitely had a lot of fun this season,” Stoll said.

HANNAH KNAPIC With the Clear Fork girls’ team taking first in the OCC, the Wooster girls took a respectable third place in the 2015 season.

BLURBS BY NATE KING-SMITH

AND HANNAH KNAPIC

THE WOOSTER BLADE | SPORTS | OCT. 23, 2015 | PAGE 11

Fall Sports Updates

Boys’ cross country strides for success at Districts

Golf

“Our team was pretty good this year, but myself and Coach Culbertson believe they could have been much better.” -Coach Mark Snowbarger. 5-2

Girls XC

Left: Jordan Green sprints through the finish with a time of 17:36, with Matt Chidsey only two seconds behind.

Top Left: The boys begin to round the first corner and power up the first hill.

Top right: Coach Doug Bennett huddles with his runners after a hard-fought race; the boys would take second overall.

Photos by Grant Peabody

“The girls have improved over the season and now mostly are racing at their best. OCC and Districts are coming up and it looks promising.” -Coach Mckenzie Doup. Won Wayne-Holmes.

Boys XC “Great kids, good season. It has been a pleasure to work with them.” -Coach Doug Bennett. Won first place in two meets.

Volleyball “Though this year was not what we had expected with our record, we have many goals accomplished and memories made along the way.” -Coach Jen Snowbarger. 4-18.

Tennis “Solid effort and consistent improvement across the board.” -Coach Stan Burris.

8-6.

Football “We are very pleased with where we are at this season and hope to continue the success further.” -Coach Doug Haas. 6-2.

Blurbs by Hanna Morgan

GRANT PEABODY sports editor

The OCC cross country race took place last Saturday at West Holmes High School.

The Generals were led by Jordan Green (11) with a time of 17:36, Matthew Chidsey (11), Connor Niro (10) and Christopher Cannon (11) who came in seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth place respectively.

Breydan Hann (9) took

13th. Jeromy Green (11) and Alexander Thompson (11) took 18th and 19th respectively.

Overall, the boys’ team finished second at the West Holmes course. Chidsey, thirdyear member for the team, said the team ran very well.

“Overall, I felt that I did pretty well, and the team ran really fast, but we can still be better,” Chidsey said.

Throughout the season, the boys’ team had much success in multiple invitational races.

“Beating Ashland at the Mapleton meet would probably be my favorite moment from the season,” Cannon said.

The boys took first at the Wayne Holmes Invitational and at the Mapleton Invitational this year and took second at the Wooster Invitational.

The district race will take place on Oct. 24 at Goodyear Metro Park in Akron.

Girls’ cross country promises big finish at Districts MADDY NACCI staff writer

The WHS girls’ cross country team is looking to build on the season’s successes in the upcoming end of season championships.

The team finished third in the OCC race.

The team’s new coach, McKenzie Doup, is working to push and develop the running program.

“Coach Doup has added so many new ideas; she comes from a strong running program at Ashland University and is able to incorporate that and her own ideas into our workouts this year,” team captain Maureen McKeown (11) said.

Doup states that winning the Wayne Holmes Invitational on Oct. 10 was just one of the many accomplishments for the year. She said most of her girls had either personal best times

or season best times in this meet.

Doup hopes her team stays healthy through the rest of the season and also hopes they peak at the district meet.

McKeown believes the Wooster runners can make it out of Districts and to Regionals as a team.

The girls’ next meet will be Districts on Oct. 24 at Akron’s Goodyear Metro Park.

Bottom: Isabelle Cannon is the first Wooster runner to finish, with a time of 21:19.

Right: The girls shoot from the starting line in the first seconds of the race.

Bottom Right: Haley Miller (10) and Hannah Strock (10) power up the first hill of the West Holmes course.

Photos by Grant Peabody

TRENDS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | OCT. 23, 2015 | PAGE 12

B

The Wooster Blade finds easy costume ideas

JENNA ZHU

Brawny Man: Flannel, khaki pants, Brawny paper towels.

Picked for you Last Minute Costumes

MAGGIE FLECHLER

Tourist Costume: Hawaiian shirt, fedora, sunglasses, camera, fanny pack.

Picked for you Last Minute Costumes

MEGAN BUSS

Your Mom During the ‘80s: Pointy flats, black jeans, big earrings, jacket with padded shoulders, sunglasses (optional) Picked for you Last Minute Costumes

Picked for you Last Minute Costumes

Picked for you Last Minute Costumes

Picked for you Last Minute Costumes

Pinterest button graphic by: Nate King-Smith

Wednesday Addams: Black dress, white collar shirt, black shoes, two side braids

Carl from Up: Collared shirt, cardigan, bow tie, glasses (black rimmed), balloons

Flo from Progressive: White apron with lettering, Flo name tag, white t-shirt

MEGAN BUSS

MAGGIE FLECHLER

MEGAN BUSS

Pinterest graphics courtesy of Blade archives

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Haunted attractions to visit nearby

Nightmare in the Wilderness Location: Lodi Claim to Fame: 45-minute haunted walk through the woods with various sets and actors Price: $18

The Dent Schoolhouse Located: Cincinnati Claim to Fame: Haunted schoolhouse where students were allegedly murdered and hidden for misbehaving Price: $20

FACTS COMPILED BY TATUMN MCGREW GRAPHICS BY SHREYA GURUMURTHY

The Factory of Terror Located: Canton Claim to Fame: Five sections; The Asylum, Industrial Nightmare, Labyrinth of Darkness, Massacre on Mahoning Rd. and The House of Nightmares Price: $27

Mansfield Reformatory Located: Mansfield Claim to Fame: Haunted prison with actors meant to scare during a walk through the prison Price: $17

Hauntville Located: Elyria Claim to Fame: Four haunted houses: Asylum, The Butcher Block, The Dark Woods, and Psycho Manor; Zombie paintball Price: $24

THE WOOSTER BLADE | OCT 23, 2015 | PAGE 13

Sam Smith show provides incredible live experience backup singers, and Smith, but he commanded the attention of every single person in the room. The soulfulness he sang with gave the audience a feeling somewhere between euphoria and tranquility. The songs were powerful and telling the most classic of unrequited love stories with which everyone can connect.

The encore of the concert was CLAIRE LANHAM by far the best part as Smith a&e editor sang “Latch,” “Make it to Me,” and “Stay with Me.” Before On Oct. 5, I attended a Sam singing “Make it to Me,” which Smith concert in Columbus is my personal favorite, he with a friend, which described how confirmed my he wrote the assumptions song for the from what I soulmate he has had read that yet to meet as a seeing Sam love letter.

Smith live Sam Smith, is one of the though simple best and most and focused on emotional the music, was concert the best concert experiences. with the The opening most talented act, Gavin musician I have James, MEGAN BUSS experienced yet. fantastically Attending one performed Sam Smith performed in Columbus of his concerts several of his own songs, on Oct. 5 at the Schottenstein is one of the most emotional as well as a experiences beautiful cover Center. someone can of “Falling in go through and it renders you Love With You” by Elvis. feeling just a little bit different, When Sam Smith came on, a little bit better, thinking of the atmosphere of the arena things just a little differently, changed. The set was simple: when you leave. five band members, three

THE WOOSTER BLADE | OCT. 23, 2015 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | PAGE 14

HOMECOMING 2015: Capturing tradition

Students, faculty and community members come together for a week of festivities commemorating tradition and leading up to the annual Homecoming dance on Saturday. Festivities include a pep rally, football game, crowning of king and queen and a parade.

PHOTOS BY MAGGIE FLECHLER AND CASEY BAIK

VIEWS

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

Students should prioritize accuracy Social media:

a&e editor Have you ever seen a post that stated a Justin Bieber ringtone went off, scaring a bear away, and saving a man or that Obama was planning to give part of Arizona to Mexico?

Maybe these examples are a little extreme and not seen as threatening, but rumors have been spread throughout social media and text messages since the inception of these technologies.

I use social media avidly to obtain news, follow politics, talk to friends and family, and keep up to date on Wooster’s sports, activities and other happenings.

This responsibility to be factually accurate is especially imperative when it comes to repeating statements that are threatening or otherwise harmful to those who read the statements or are the subject of them.

It should be our responsibility as individuals on social media to make sure something is truthful before repeating it to Graphic by Spencer Dilyard.

BECCA FOLEY

It is difficult to define what decorum to follow on each of these social media outlets because they all have different goals and functions.

Beside the goofy examples of rumors, there are more serious forms of problematic speech online including libel, hate speech, inflammatory speech and direct threats.

It would be ideal to have a policy of only spreading truths on the internet, but that is not possible in today’s society.

However, as high school students, we should take it upon ourselves to strive for factual accuracy and refrain from spreading ideas that could be mistruth in order to prevent panic.

others.

It is saddening that most people only bother to check the accuracy of a post or article they read or hear about on April Fool’s Day.

Social media requires good judgment

SHREYA GURUMURTHY graphics editor

From MySpace to Snapchat, social media continues to evolve to bring people together.

I can spend hours mindlessly scrolling through my Twitter or Facebook feed, while simultaneously catching up with my friends and relatives.

However, as the popularity of social media grows, more

people take advantage of the convenience it possesses.

Among the younger generation, social media has become a way to create drama without actually confronting one another face to face.

The lack of confrontation leads to miscommunication, which creates problems in relationships.

“Sub-tweeting” is a term to describe referencing someone in a tweet without directly mentioning the person.

In my experience on Twitter, sub-tweeting is the main instigator of Twitter fights. It is cowardly to speak or post malicious things about people without their knowledge. If there is a problem, then direct confrontation is the answer, not gossip.

Although social media misconduct is a problem, people also understate the fact that information about them is accessible to anyone on the Internet.

Posting personal information could be hazardous to safety.

Additionally, many people post statements online that could be potentially harmful to their college or career reputations.

As college application season starts, people need to remember proper social media etiquette.

People should never post anything online that they would never say to someone directly.

The misuse of social media could be harmful not only to the user’s relationships, both personally and professionally, but also the user’s personal security.

What is proper decorum for social online forums?

Internet rumors cause stress among students

SHIYUAN WANG

feature editor While social media provides a great new medium for people to communicate with one another, it also presents harm.

Recently, social media misinformation caused some of the problems when it came to the rumors in WHS that induced a panic in the student body.

Rumors can be extremely powerful when they are only passed through word of mouth, but when social media is added into the equation, things can be blown out of proportion.

At WHS, the rumors started when a freshman posted things on social media that many people viewed as disturbing and horrifying.

Soon, rumors were made up about how this student would pose a threat to our school simply from these posts.

Eventually, these rumors escalated into hundreds of students being absent from school Oct. 6 and Oct. 7.

WHS principal Tyler Keener said students and parents created stories and false information from social media posts that eventually led to the false rumors.

This situation is one in which everyone needs to take responsibility.

The freshman should have been responsible when using social media instead of posting things about which many people would be disturbed. Once someone puts something on social media, nearly everyone can see it.

These rumors could have been prevented if people were responsible enough to not take social media posts out of context and assume false information simply based on social media that could cause unnecessary panic to schools and other public spaces.

Keener advises students and parents to think before posting anything on social media. He hopes people could embrace Rachel’s Challenge ideals even in social media.

If everyone would just think before posting anything online, then maybe the whole panic could have been avoided.

THE

WOOSTER

BLADE

Editors-in-Chief Mary Grace Gorman, Stephen Kridel Webmaster Shreya Gurumurthy Graphics Manager Nate King-Smith Head photographer Maggie Flechler Business Manager Samantha Brunn Front Editor Maureen McKeown On Campus Editors Kayla Barnet, Ryan Miller Focus Editors Kayla Cooper, Olivia Sleek Sports Editors Casey Baik, Grant Peabody Arts & Entertainment Editors Becca Foley, Claire Lanham Trends Editors Emma Jeffries, Chloe Landers Cover Editors Isabelle Cannon, Sarah Hopkins Views Editors Alex Barnard, Fred Holmes Feature Editors Hanna Morgan, Shiyuan Wang Staff Writers Valerie Anderson, Megan Buss, Nick Cosmo, Spencer Dilyard, Evan Doan, Bree Flinn-Johnson, Drew Friedhoff, Hannah Knapic, Austin McCully, Maddy Nacci, Scot Nielson, Erin O’Donnell, Amber Swigart, Katie Ward, Tatumn McGrew, Drosos Kardulias Photographers Fred Holmes, Grant Peabody, Casey Baik, Megan Buss, Bree Flinn-Johnson, Hannah Knapic, Claire Lanham, Jenna Zhu Cartoonists Scot Nielson, Jess Lyons, Leah Sim 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 ofThe Wooster Blade and cannot be reproduced without permission. Letters to the editor are limited to 300 words and The Wooster Blade reserves the right to print and edit as per length and content. The Wooster Blade is a member of Quill and Scroll, National Scholastic Press Association and Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The Wooster Blade is printed in cooperation with The Daily Record.

Letters and inquiries should be addressed to The Wooster Blade, 515 Oldman Road Wooster, Ohio 44691. The Wooster Blade can be contacted at 330-345-4000 ext. 3210.

THE VOICE OF WOOSTER HIGH SCHOOL

THE WOOSTER BLADE | OCT. 23, 2015 | PAGE 16

Massillon’s tiger mascot tradition ignites controversy

A long Massillon tradition may be coming to an end as a case surrounding the purchasing of the Massillon tiger cub, Obie, is under investigation.

The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes the Obie tradition should come to an end.

In the past 20 years, the school has owned 45 endangered tigers. The cubs are used for one football season or less before they are taken away and the school purchases a new one from an undisclosed location.

According to change.org, the most recent ‘Obie,’ a tiger cub named Lilly, had to have a toe amputated after she was caught in the fencing of her cage--a cage which the owner (Cyndi Huntsman) has claimed she would, “never put a baby tiger in.”

According to ohio.com, the Massillon Booster Club does not know where the cubs go once they leave the school.

The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes Massillon should either stop this tradition or provide better conditions for Obie.

Teachers offer more aid

In all departments at WHS, teachers have certain times during the day in which they provide additional help for students in their studies.

Having this opportunity in previous years has been a tremendous success. Math lab is not a new commodity at WHS, but students are starting to take more advantage of it as their math level increases.

The Math Dept. is not the only department to offer this valuable time. All departments offer aid to students after school and during their free time, which The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes is a valuable asset to students’ education.

A new addition this year is the academic assist students have after or before lunch. This time is allotted for students to help review with a teacher.

These options are not mandatory; however, the teachers are going out of their way to help the students better their education. The Wooster Blade Editorial Board commends these additional efforts to improve the educational process for the students.

Letter to the editor When we graduated from WHS and ended our Student Body President and Vice President terms, we made it clear we would be supportive of the new Student Government administration and move on with our collegiate lives, as we knew the student government we left behind was better than the one we found.

Unfortunately, we can’t sit by as the brand behind the culture change was arduously removed.

This year’s SG placed boxes, without supervision, in the cafeteria and asked students to vote on the motto. Several students said they stuffed the ballot box; making this “vote” downright fraudulent.

Teams must prioritize safety Following recent deaths of football players in high schools across the country, the safety of athletes is now in question, as injuries and even deaths have become more prevalent in sports nationwide.

The 2014-2015 school year saw an estimated 1,196,479 sports-related injuries nationwide, according to The National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study, available online.

The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes high school coaches and athletic trainers need to better monitor the health and well-being of their players.

The safety of players does not only extend to injuries, but also testing for players’ hydration to ensure athletes are consuming an adequate amount of water.

The wrestling team is currently the only team at WHS that tests their athletes for hydration, according to wrestler Titus Thind (11). The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes all WHS sports teams should test their athletes for hydration in order to take the first step in maintaining the safety and health of players.

Past leaders disappointed by new motto

The final error came when the new motto was selected by a competition at a pep rally. No vote of any kind was taken. This showed an unfortunate lack of democratic transparency. While we’re pleased to see new spirit contests, we feel strongly a vote should have been taken.

Although we advocated for the motto change, SG voted to approve it. The move was made to replace the old, tired saying, “Go Woo,” which will forever have an unfortunate association with depleted student spirit and Student Council involvement.

Giddy Up Generals stood as the brand motto for a wave of positive thinking symbolizing a close and positive relationship

between the administration, students and faculty.

It’s an unfortunate and crippling blow to this positive brand image to replace it with a motto of years past.

While this move shows a lack of understanding toward newfound tradition, the core issue is much stronger.

We didn’t write this letter to be the grumpy old men who can’t give up the glory days.

We wrote this letter because we remain optimistic about the current SG leadership at WHS and hope they’ll be more considerate of the student body and fair voting procedures going forward.

Giddy Up Generals, -Taylor Bennington and Dave Burnett