THE WOOSTER BLADE
WOOSTER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER • 515 OLDMAN ROAD, WOOSTER, OH • DEC. 16, 2016 • VOLUME XVII, ISSUE 7
TURNING THE PAGE
Artwork by Jess Lyons.
ON CAMPUS
THE WOOSTER BLADE | | DEC 16, 2016 | PAGE 2
A year in review: WHS shares feelings and thoughts on 2016 “The presidential race was unique and so were a lot of the things that happened
“It was like an emotional -Sophia VanSickle (9)
-Zac Ntia (11)
“The Browns are going to -Joey Lyons (8)
a closer look at the On Campus section
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-Dominique Nguyen (10)
-Traeton Devirgo (12)
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What’s Inside?
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“2016 was like Bambi [walking] on ice for the
“2016 was bipolar for me; half of it was excellent and the other half of it was
A YEAR IN REVIEW : THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY WHS’s take on 2016 A CLOSER LOOK AT WHS Science Club, drug testing and weighted grades explored
“Years are just a number,I’m living -Madison Cox (11)
me a little bit, but I’m still -Emma Payment (11)
“It was a good year, a lot of “I’m just really going to -Julia McIntyre (12)
-Lexi Noletti (10)
probably the best thing -Brayden Taylor (9) Illustration by Leah Sim Graphics by Spencer Dilyard Quotes complied by Jessica Lyons and Olivia Sleek
THE WOOSTER BLADE | ON CAMPUS | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 3
WHS administration continues the discussion over weighted grades HANNAH KNAPIC cover editor
Photo by Jacob Gooch
Wil Gastier (12) and Alazar Coetzee (12), members of WHS Science Club, are pictured above as they adapt toys for disabled children
Science Club adapts toys for disabled youth ERIN O’DONNELL
cover editor The WHS Science Club held a meeting on Dec. 8 in which they rewired traditional toys to be more handicapped-accessible, in partnership with the RePlay “This was a complicated process which involved disassembling the toy and its many parts, cutting and soldering the wires and reassembling the toy,” Dara Wood, co-adviser of Science Club, said.
the WHS students rewiring the toys as well, as they garner a better understanding of what is needed for disabled youth. Co-adviser of Science Club, Eric Heller, said, “It’s a perfect blend of science and service. Students that help get to learn circuitry, and at the same time are helping students in need.” Fifteen toys were rewired in about 30 minutes, according to will be given to Ida Sue and with children who have special needs.
150 N. Walnut St. Downtown Wooster 330-601-1250
The discussion of establishing a weighted grades system at WHS has deepened as the Building Leadership Team and WHS administration have recently decided to recommend implementation of weighted grades in the 2017-2018 school year. According to principal Tyler Keener, a survey was
distributed to all high school teachers determining that weighted grades were favored for AP, IB and CCP courses. Dublin High School, which Keener said is the primary model for the new weighted grades system evaluation, weighs an A in an AP or Honors course to a 5, according to the Dublin High School handbook at dublin.k12.ca.us. This plan must first be introduced to, and passed by,
the Board of Education before it can be implemented into the high school curriculum. Building Leadership Team and History Dept. member, Phil Klein, teaches both AP and IB students at WHS. According to Klein, the inclusion of weighted grades at WHS will benefit students when applying for scholarships and will increase the incentive to take harder courses without fear of getting a low GPA.
Drug testing discussion continues within district exploratory committee NICK COSMO AND HANNAH KNAPIC a&e and cover editors
Random drug testing is continuing to be researched and debated at WHS. Dr. Adam Keating, head of the Random Drug Testing committee, which is comprised of about 10 community members and one student representative, has been the head of investigating the random drug testing policy. Keating, who stated he is neither an advocate for or
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against drug testing, said the policy, if implemented, is not meant to harm students, but rather to help eliminate the drug problem at WHS and promote healthy living. Principal Tyler Keener concurred with the sentiment of Dr. Keating, concerning the intent of the policy, stating, “I’m for anything that will that these substances can do to their bodies,” while also acknowledging that “there’s some positive and some negatives,” concerning random drug testing.
representative of the committee, said their goal is to provide an opinion on random drug testing at WHS to the board and at this time, the committee has not come to a decision. been reached concerning if or how drug testing will be implemented, Keating stated the committee has not made a recommendation to the school board concerning what types of tests will be used to test for illicit substances or who would be tested should they decide to pursue the policy.
FOCUS
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Section overview:
The purpose of this issue’s Focus section is to regonize individuals or groups who volunteer in their community or school system. It is in no way shape or form an all encompassing list. In addition, The Wooster Blade recognizes that there are many other people who serve their community, but due to constraints on space and time only so many people can be featured.
Community Foundation philanthropy provides cornerstone RYAN MILLER focus editor
Since it was founded in 1978, the Wayne County Community Foundation has been dedicated to providing philanthropic aid to local organizations, students and various other organizations, primarily through the use of grants and scholarships. Former Executive Director Ferenc Relle wanted to become involved with the foundation
because of the service it provides for the community. “Well, the Community Foundation does so much for the community, whether it be for for old people or young people or people in need in terms of scholarships,” Relle said. The Community Foundation makes use of over 350 separate funds in order to provide aid. Each of the funds have specific purposes. These funds are supported by charitable donations and some operate as
What’s Inside?
a closer look at the focus section
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COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Acknowledging philanthropy
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PARENTS BEHIND THE SCENES Recognizing parent service
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GIVING BACK Makori donates supplies
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LOCAL SERVICE PROJECT Reikowsky works to feed needy OPIUM EPIDEMIC An in-depth analysis
continuous endowments. One of the most recent funds to be added to the foundation’s repertoire is the Give 365 fund, a program in which members make an annual donation averaging $1 per day and then are able to vote in order to help decide what the funds should be put toward. According to Executive Director Sara Patton, the idea for the program originated from a visit to a community foundation conference, where a similar program was
showcased. In addition to providing philanthropy, the Wayne County Community Foundation is passing on its knowledge regarding how the foundation functions via Wayne County Community Foundation Youth Foundation. Each year, the Wayne County Community Foundation Youth Foundation selects local students and teaches them how the foundation and its components function. Ben Weist (12) is an alumni of
the Wayne County Community Foundation Youth Foundation program and was intrigued to learn about its inner workings. “It was interesting to see different non profit organizations and how they function. I learned a lot about philanthropy and how to grant money,” Weist said. During the last calendar year alone, the Wayne County Community Foundation provided 917 scholarships and grants, the summation of which is about $5.5 million.
Info to go - The Community Foundation provides 917 differnent grants and Scholarships - The Wayne County Community Youth Foundation program was established in 2012 to provide educational and practical experience to students - The Community Foundation has given $63.5 million to the community through grants for charitable programs and scholarships
Graphics by Matt Lorentz and Spencer Dilyard
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Parents of WHS students serve the school BEHIND THE SCENES Angela Folks Behind the scenes of every great athlete or team is a group of motivators who supply endless support and love. For the WHS football team, these motivators are a dedicated group of moms who provide for both the football team and the cheerleaders. The parent group was led in the 2016 football season by Angela Folks, mom of four year player Seth Folks. Head coach Doug Haas said that Angela Folks, and in conjunction the parent group, provided invaluable service to the team. “She was instrumental in helping us organize… It [her In the four years of Folks’ assistance with the football team preparation, she said she enjoyed the entire opportunity of providing service. “My favorite part has been getting to know all of the parents, while having the opportunity to see the players bond outside of
PARENT BLURBS WRITTEN BY HANNAH KNAPIC, RYAN MILLER, KAYLA COOPER AND AMBER SWIGART.
Ever since her sons attended elementary school, Barb Friedhoff has volunteered her time in the activities in which they participate through various PTOs and parent organizations. She said if parents have the ability to volunteer, they should, adding that she feels it is important for the efficacy of change for the parents to know the issues. “My attitude has always been if you can, you should. I just think it is really important for parents to know what issues in the system are, so you give the feedback necessary to implement change and advocate for the needs of students and
important function. “After being a head football parent, we needed to pass the job
Todd Patterson worked alongside Friedhoff with the Drama Club productions. He noted she put forth a considerable effort to help the productions be the best they could be. “Barb and I worked together in Drama Club, and she would do anything to help. She asked what can I do to help? She was the first in line to pull up her sleeves to make sure our productions
said. A few of the women taking over the group of football moms next year include Jennifer Ntia, Theresa Rabbits and Terry Lanker, according to Folks.
Outside of volunteering for activities in which her sons are involved, Friedhoff is active at school board meetings and is the parent representative for Safe Routes, a national organization that works to ensure safe routes for children walking to school.
Former football mom Dena Morgan, a senior mom during
Cheryl & Mark Gooch Since their first son’s high school experience began, Cheryl and Mark Gooch have been extremely helpful and generous volunteers for the WHS music program. Their work with the music program has continued for six years and may continue for another two as their second son, Jacob, continues his high school career. “I have had two children in the program and wanted to be a According to Cheryl Gooch, she and her husband, Mark, coordinate the marching band and concert band uniform support, along with many other valuable music parents. In looking at what has inspired them to assist, Cheryl says the importance of music programs and the life changing skills they offer to each student motivate their involvement. “Music programs are extremely important to healthy brain development, we want to do everything we can to promote and support music and the arts in schools...musicians and artists are excellent critical thinkers and typically very generous and The Gooch family’s support and generosity will keep the WHS music program running smoothly well into the future.
PHOTOS TAKEN BY JACOB GOOCH AND GRANT PEABODY.
Andi Williams Andi Williams, vice president of the Wooster Music Parent Association, plays an integral role in supporting the music programs at WHS. “She is in charge of publicity for events throughout the year, she is a chaperone and she is refreshments chair, which means she is in charge of organizing cookies and punch, that sort of Williams takes pride in the WHS music program, and her love for music education is rooted in her participation in such programs as an adolescent. “I was a music kid, in chorus from a young age then in band the Wooster students so many opportunities to develop their skills. Music has given my kids an avenue to express themselves. Furthermore, her dedication to the program is evident through her unwavering hard work and her genuine interest in the program and its success. “She’s basically the band mom. She takes care of anyone’s needs, runs the fundraisers and makes sure everything’s done when it needs to be. I don’t think the band would be able to said. Williams became involved in the program when her son, David, was a freshman in 2012, and she has remained active in the program as her junior daughter, Jaelin, participates.
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WHS student starts project to help give back to Kenya GRANT PEABODY business manager
The Hugs For Kenya project is back again in the halls of WHS, but this time as a book drive, in which students can bring in books and novels they no longer read. The Hugs for Kenya project was founded by Alvin Makori (11) and is a project that he hopes will provide school supplies, and books, to poverty stricken areas in Kenya. Makori was inspired to make the project after a family trip to Kenya last December. After witnessing the struggle of many children’s daily lives, Makori wanted to take action and help. “When I traveled to Kenya, I was able to see the poverty that so many youths are struggling through. I came back wanting to help them,” Makori said. Over the following summer, Makori started Hugs for Kenya. His mission was to hold supply drives and to give all the proceeds to needy orphans in Kenya. Makori is currently helping Nyamira, an orphanage
in westerm Kenya. He also hopes to help sponsor a new orphanage each year. Makori stresses that even if there is not a drive in session at WHS, anybody can still help support and donate. “People can donate anything at anytime, even if there isn’t a drive going on at the high school, I’m always accepting gifts and supplies,” Makori said. Fellow board member of the Hugs for Kenya organization and friend of Makori, Hannah DeHart (12) said the organization has received great help from the community. “I believe what we are trying to achieve is possible and the community has been a huge help of our goal for these drives. I think what Alvin is trying to do is amazing,” DeHart said.
ERIN O’DONNELL
Junior Alvin Makori sits with one of his many Hugs For Kenya donation boxes, painted by high school student
Makori also receives help from junior and senior year students of the Hugs for Kenya board. Other board member Mathew Lorentz (11), said Alvin is determined to help many children in Kenya. “Alvin has been so passionate about fundraising for the kids, he really wants to help as many kids as possible,” Lorentz said.
Along with hosting drives at WHS, Makori has created a GoFundMe fundraiser to help raise money, as well as creating a website, www.hugsforkenya. org. At the beginning of the school year, the Hugs for Kenya organization collected over 1,500 items and supplies. The items were school supplies
ranging from packets of paper and folders to large boxes of pencils. Makori hopes to hold multiple fundraisers throughout the school year. Right now, students can donate used children’s books they no longer need by putting them in one of the many Hugs for Kenya boxes found outside classrooms.
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Rachel Wood To many high school students, volunteering is only embodied by working with service organizations around the holidays or at once-a-year events. While such efforts are laudable, they may leave some students wanting to make a bigger change or tackle a larger community problem. One such student is senior Hannah Reikowsky, who has spent the past year and a half working on a long-term volunteer project with a local non-profit organization, Meals Together. Meals Together is a local organization where volunteers plan, prepare and serve a free hot meal on Thursdays at 4 p.m. This meal is prepared and offered at the United Methodist Church, although it is open to anyone in need, regardless of background. Reikowsky said she was given the opportunity to begin this project through her efforts to achieve the Girl Scout Gold Award, the service award that culminates a Girl Scout’s career. “Volunteering [in] a group… has always been what I have
done, but I wanted to challenge myself to make a difference in the community on my own for the first time,” Reikowsky said. Reikowsky noted that her project is twofold: “I try to volunteer helping serve the meal every Thursday evening… [and the other] goal of my project is to inform and educate as many people as possible about Meals Together and other similar nonprofit organizations in our community that try to end hunger.” To spread the word about resources for volunteers or those in need, Reikowsky uses various forums. She runs a blog, hannahgoesgold. wordpress.com, about her project and a Meals Together Facebook page, facebook.com/ MealsTogtherWooster. She has also spoken about and passed out Meals Together pamphlets and other food resources at St. Mary Church and at the Wooster HOPE Center’s monthly food distribution. Some of these resources can be found on the United Way website, including a list of locations and times where meals are served and food is distributed. In Wayne or Holmes County, one free meal is served every day of the week except
Saturday, and there is at least one food pantry open every day. After speaking to WHS administration about her project, Reikowksy has also sought to spread awareness about the issue of local hunger to her fellow high school students. She has spoken and passed out information to members of service-based clubs, including Key Club and National Honor Society, as well as spoken to the entire school via video announcements. She also gave out information resources to WHS guidance counselors, noting she wants students in need to be able to find help in a confidential way. NHS adviser Rebekah Bell believes that student leaders like Reikowsky can have a profound impact on their peers and their schools. Bell said, “It’s one thing to participate in changing the world around us individually, but when someone becomes a catalyst for change by inspiring others to do so as well, that’s what I desire out of all students at Wooster High School.” Overall, Reikowksy has been very pleased by the positive feedback she has received from her classmates and the Wooster
community. “People at school and church have been coming up to me and saying, ‘I had never heard of Meals Together, how can I get involved?...’ After I spoke, some people have starting working at Meals Together... Other people have asked for information for someone they know that [needs help]. It is great to know that my speaking is making that difference, allowing people to hear the name of this organization and passing on a little bit of information, it gives them the opportunity to get involved in something they may not have otherwise [done],” Reikowsky said. One such person, who got involved as a result of Reikowsky’s effort, was Ellia Miller (11). Miller’s grandfather heard Reikowsky speak at St. Mary Church and wanted to join the effort to fight local hunger by volunteering at Meals Together. Miller said, “I think Hannah did a good job getting the word out…Hannah spoke to [my grandfather] and he asked me to go [with him to Meals Together] and now we go every Thursday…I really like going and getting to know the people we serve...the people
there are tremendous.” Reikowksy hopes to complete the Girl Scout Gold Award in Spring 2017, but knows her volunteering efforts will continue long after that. In college, she says, “I also want to be part of an organization that does service; [I hope to go] on mission trips studying abroad that have a volunteering component.” Reflecting on her work, Reikowksy concludes that “This project has really helped me in stepping outside of my comfort zone. It has [also] helped with stepping up as a leader and setting goals… [it helped me] branch out in the community in ways I probably would not have thought to have done so otherwise.” One of her main messages, she states, is that “Hunger is an issue around the world, [but] we, as a society, can forget that the issue is prevalent right here at home in Wayne County.” She also hopes to inspire others to step up as a leader and improve the lives of others in the community. Looking at what she’s gained and what she’s done for others, she concludes, “[Volunteering] projects can be hard at times, but, for me, it has been worth every minute.”
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ALEXANDER THOMPSON webmaster
For nearly a decade, Stephanie, a Wooster resident, was an active heroin user. “As a young person it kind of depletes your soul, it really took a lot out of me,” she said. Stephanie, who requested her name be changed for this story, began her descent into addiction when she was only in middle school in the early 2000s. “Some kids are able just to drink on the weekends or go to a party once in awhile and not like it, but that was not the case for me. By ninth grade, I was drinking regularly, I smoked pot regularly, I was getting in a lot of trouble and not doing so great in school and little by little I began to pick up other stuff,” she said. In her sophomore year of high school, she experimented with cocaine and, in eleventh, she moved to heroin. She barely graduated high school and dropped out of college because she could not get through class. For her mother, it became overwhelming. “For a long time, my mom wouldn’t even speak to me. She wanted to, but she eventually said she needed to distance herself because it was hard for her to watch me destroy my life,” Stephanie said. For the next few years, she bounced in and out of prison and in and out of treatment. “It just progressively got worse. I had to use everyday [and] I would go through withdrawal,” she said. She has been sober since 2012, when she sought treatment with One Eighty. This has not been the end of the pain inflicted by opioids. Her step-father died of an overdose nine months ago and a nephew two months prior; her husband and younger sister struggle with heroin addiction as well.
A long way down
Haeyoun Park and Matthew Bloch, of the New York Times, reported on Jan. 19 of this year that CDC data show drug overdose caused 15 deaths in every 100,000 in 2014 up from just nine in 2003. This increase was driven by opioids, which now account for 61 percent of overdose deaths, according to the CDC data the journalists examined. Data from the Wayne County Coroner’s office shows that in 2008, overdoses killed six people in the county. At press time, that number, in 2016, includes 24 confirmed deaths, and nine more who are suspected opioid deaths that have not been confirmed. Bobbi Douglas, executive director of One Eighty, a Wooster non-profit deeply involved with treatment and recovery of those with addictions, said, “It’s not like anything I’ve ever seen in a 30 year career. I was around for the first time with heroin and I never thought it’d come back,” Douglas said. Heroin’s new lease on life in Wayne County was granted by a sharp rise in pain medication prescription. Lieutenant Greg Bolek, who heads up the Wooster Police Department’s response to the opioid crisis, reflected, “It really started with the increase in prescription drugs years ago, we were seeing a lot of falsification to obtain dangerous drugs, your prescription drugs, your oxycontins.” The Wooster Police Dept. was experiencing a national trend. “Use [painkillers] long enough and anyone gets increased tolerance and a lot become addicts. Then, when they can’t get it, it’s easier and cheaper to get heroin,” Douglas explained. It can happen to anyone. Wayne County Coroner Amy Jolliff said overdose victims represent people of all ages, races and classes.
Opiate Overdose Deaths in Wayne County
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Data from Wayne County Coroner’s Office
Heroin takes its toll
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Wayne County Grand Jury cases involving opiates 2016
33% opioid related
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Doses of opiates prescribed per capita in Wayne County
43% did not complete
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67% non-related
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Data from OARRS
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Success rate for One Eighty opioid dependency treatment programs
57% completed
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Data from Wayne County Opiate Task Force
Data from One Eighty
GRAPHICS BY SPENCER DILYARD
The community responds
Almost two years ago, a group of first responders and judges began meeting about the rising tide of opiate related crime. As the epidemic worsened in early 2016, the Task Force brought in Kyle Putinski, of United Way, to coordinate their efforts. “I can get a bunch of people together, and we can talk for hours and nothing can get done,” Putinski said. He immediately set about collecting data on the epidemic so that they could measure if they were being effective. Putinski says the overall goal is to end overdose deaths in the county. Beyond deaths, Putinski explains, “With addiction, 95 percent of the people relapse, so I can’t say staying clean is a measure of success because I’ll be shooting myself in the foot. But, if I can say, ‘Let’s look at the person holistically on a continuum.’ and if they’re making positive life progress in these indicators, as noted by employment, education, run-ins with the law, abstinence rates, things of that nature. If they’re
making positive strides...We know we’re being effective.” Caleb Alexander, the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness, says the promise of a task force is that it brings together all the most important stakeholders in the community to coordinate their efforts. “All of us are smarter than any of us when it comes to tackling this epidemic,” Alexander said. One of the Task Force’s first initiatives was the distribution of naloxone, or narcan, to first responders; the drug that can prevent someone from dying because of an opiate overdose, according to Putinski. Putinski figures they distributed upward of 200 doses around the county and said that one or two doses are administered each day. “If we didn’t do that, those would be deaths,” Putinski said. Among other things, the Task Force has spearheaded a collection campaign for unused painkillers, developed an opioid addiction education curriculum to be introduced
in Wooster City Schools in the coming months and worked with Wooster Community Hospital to develop a procedure for dealing with people who come in with opioid related maladies, Putinski says.
Another way
On a sunny Tuesday in July, about 20 people file into a courtroom, and each person takes turns speaking directly with Judge Corey Spitler. This is the Wayne County Drug Court, a special court to which drug addicts could be referred after they are arraigned for a crime, usually in their pre sentencing hearings. The court has been greatly impacted by the opioid epidemic. “I started with this court six years ago, and we had very few heroin addicts. Now, it’s not 100 percent, but it’s easily over 80 percent,” Spitler said. The court does not put addicts in prison, but instead puts them on probation and in a program of treatment at One Eighty, Continue the story on page 9
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“Heroin,” continued Continued from page 8
meetings, counseling and medication assisted treatment. Spitler explained, “When I send someone to prison, it’s because I believe they are such a threat to society they need to be locked away. Just placing [drug addicts] in prison, warehousing, them doesn’t work. They’ll just come out and commit again.” Drug courts have faced criticism nationwide, and the Wayne County Drug Court is no different. John Roman of the University of Chicago, who studies drug courts, examined data provided by Fox and said in an email that “The graduation rates are about half of the typical graduation rate, meaning fewer people successfully complete this program than a typical drug court.”
The court’s rate is 22 percent.
Recovery
Many addicts first begin their path to recovery with a visit from the police. Lt. Bolek said the Wooster Police have two officers specifically assigned to deal with the problems caused by opioids, and any police officer is likely to be the first on the scene responding to an overdose. Bolek went on to say the state’s new Good Samaritan Law makes it so the police cannot arrest someone for calling in an overdose or overdosing if they seek treatment within 60 days. Douglas says that nine in ten One Eighty clients who struggle with opioids, 41 percent of the total, are enrolled in intensive outpatient treatment, which includes
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Members of the Wayne County Opiate Task Force at its Dec. 2 meeting, discuss ways to improve communication and data sharing. counseling three times weekly or residential treatment, which involves live-in situations. Treatment may also include medication with suboxone and vivitrol, both of which are called maintenance
drugs that safely prevent the craving for opioids and allow users to live normal lives. For Stephanie, it was the residential program that was crucial. One Eighty’s Beacon House program created
what she felt was the right environment of support. She was able to live with her children, and the connections she made allowed her to get a job. Now, she is working on her bachelor’s degree in social service and hopes to get a masters so she can help people in recovery like her. One of her major struggles has been the stigma that comes with addiction. “We’re people, we are moms, we are dads, and we’re grandparents and we’re someone’s children. None of us chose this. Nobody wakes up when they’re little and decides they want to grow up and be a heroin addict, or an alcoholic, or to destroy their families or break the law,” Stephanie said. Stephanie says that with time, she and her mother have healed their divide, and she hopes shedding light on the opioid epidemic will help others with recovery.
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We would like to thank all of our supporters for the 2016-17 school year. Baaron, Inc. BCI Buckeye Division Everything Engraved Swigart- Braunscheidel Insurance The Pines Golf Club The Urban Cottage Wooster Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 10
Entertainment options to sample in the upcoming year The show Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a Netflix Original that has gained momentum in 2016. The story follows Kimmy Schmidt, a woman who has recently been rescued from an underground bunker where she was kept for years under the impression that the world had ended. Once rescued, she finds herself in New York City. The show follows Kimmy’s many wacky adventures while she discovers the modern world. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a quirky comedy that is always fun to watch.
Beauty and the Beast In Bill Condon’s fresh reinterpretation of the beloved story of Belle, played by Emma Watson, and her time as prisoner in the Beast’s castle, the old memories of this classic fairytale come alive with heart-tugging scenes and resilient music.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is the long awaited continuation of the team’s adventures.
Star Wars: Episode VIII And the story continues. Star Wars: Episode VIII, directed by trilogy following Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The day after Thanksgiving, Netflix debuted the Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life revival. The show picks up nearly 10 years after we last saw it and we follow mother, Lorelai Gilmore, and daughter, Rory, as Lorelai contemplates what she wants from life and Rory struggles to find her place. With nearly every character from the original making a reappearance, it is a great four episodes, which are really like short films, for old and new fans of the show alike.
Marvel’s Luke Cage is a new exciting T.V. show on Netflix. The new Netflix Original focuses in the Marvel universe of Netflix’s wildly popular Jessica Jones. Luke Cage is a superhero show that is set in Harlem, where a man who is bulletproof must protect those about whom he cares. The show follows his story as we learn where he got his powers and the villains who threaten the lives the people closest to him. The show is a suspenseful and very entertaining take on the world of superheroes.
One of the most captivating shows of 2016 was Netflix’s Stranger Things. Stranger Things is set in the early ‘80s and follows the story of four kids trying to find their friend who went missing. The show has an excellent soundtrack, from the Clash’s frenetic “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” to the Bangles’ melancholy “Hazy Shade of Winter.” The show offers a wonderful story for anyone looking for a riveting and darkly mysterious TV show.
What’s Inside? a closer look at the A&E section
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ENTERTAINMENT PREVIEW A look at current and upcoming
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A YEAR OF ENDINGS
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HOLIDAY MUSIC Contemporary
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DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ARTS
Global Mountain Bike Network is a relatively new YouTube channel that is all about mountain biking. The channel has changed slightly over two years but produces a weekly show and a smaller video every day. These videos include tutorials, crash reels and
Philip DeFranco is one of YouTubes most creative news youtubers. DeFranco’s episodes are creative as well as funny. He tends to focus on current social media news while giving his quirky and relatable opinion on these topics. DeFranco always gives his viewers a good laugh while keeping it PG-13.
to YouTube on Aug. 12, 2007 and has gained a group of over 2 Million followers in that time. Kipkay’s channel focuses on electronic do it yourself (DIY) projects that cover things from making old computer hard drives into clocks to even creating glow in the dark goo. Blurbs by Sarah Hopkins, Christopher Grant Peabody
THE WOOSTER BLADE | A&E | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 11
In Memoriam
Kung Fu Panda 3
Angry Birds Movie
Sausage Party
American Horror Story: Roanoke
Dave Mirra
David Bowie
Party
Sausage
Fuller House
ShadowHunters
It was advertised on
,
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and Opinion blurbs by Kayla Barnet
Graphics by Matt Lorentz and Shreya Gurmurthy
THE WOOSTER BLADE | A&E | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 12
Holiday head to head: students debate merit of yuletide music Who do you prefer: Micheal Bublé or Bing Crosby?
New Music Instills Holiday Cheer
Traditional Songs Provide Comfort
Bing Crosby Michael Bublé
37% 63%
Which do you prefer: Contemporary or Traditional holiday music?
NICK COSMO a&e editor
Christmas music has been a genre dominated by outdated songs for quite some time, but it is time for new holiday music to come over the hills of snow and establish itself as the superior category. From the high notes of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” to the dulcet style of Michael Bublé in his album titled Christmas, Christmas music of late night away. Christmas is meant to provide a feeling of excitement and celebration; a mood that is provided much more readily by the upbeat Christmas songs made in recent times than traditional songs. the approach of a silent night, as the slower pace might send those nearby to sleep. However, I would be much more excited to say Feliz Navidad after hearing the cheery, fast-paced beat and sounds of a contemporary Christmas song. Furthermore, recent Christmas music has performed Forbes article titled “The Top Ten Best-Selling Albums of 2014 Were…” written by Hugh McIntyre on Jan. 8 of last year, a Christmas album released by Pentatonix, a previously fourth most copies of any album released that year, which is especially impressive when considering the release date of the album was fairly late in the year. The fact of the matter is simple: more recent Christmas music delivers the special Christmas feeling in a better way than older holiday music.
ERIN O’DONNELL cover editor
assignments hanging over your head. You snuggle up
50% Contemporary
50% Traditional
Which do you prefer: All I Want For Christmas Is You or Baby It’s Cold Outside? 33% Baby It’s Cold Outside
Nat King Cole serenades you with his euphonic, honeycoated mahogany voice. Truly entrancing: a deliverance from today’s petty stress into the Yuletide joy of yesteryear. The picture of serenity, right? Now imagine that last scenario with Justin Bieber or Carly Rae Jepsen nasally whining to you. Now, the picture is not so serene, is it? Christmas, for those who celebrate it, is the most magical time of the year; a time to forget the stress of snowfall. Modern Christmas music, however, is typically focused on a romantic interest or lamenting about the absence of said romantic interest. Such music curtails this trance and delivers listeners The appeal of traditional Christmas music is threefold:
67%
All I Want For Christmas Is You
There is something so endearing about the fact that our parents also giggled as children over “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” or sang “Baby It’s Cold Outside” with friends at Christmas parties in high school. This Christmas season, I beg of you, do not give into today’s bubble-gum pop temptations. Allow yourself led by unfailing, Mr. Jingle-Joy himself, Nat King Cole.
On Dec. 9 and Dec. 12, 150 students were polled by Chelsea Patterson during 5B lunch, second period study halls and 4A academic assists. Graphics by Spencer Dilyard.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | A&E | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 13
views editor ALV Jewels was founded in 2015 by Allie Vanata, WHS grad. ALV Jewels consist of many unique pieces put into one piece of jewelry. Vanata has designed jewelry since she was a little girl and, this past year, she decided to share her passion with the world. She is a lover of fashion and creates the most unique jewelry pieces. “My favorite pieces are always changing, but my current favorite would have to be any piece from our new gunmetal collection that just launched this past month,” Vanata said. Although having a clothing line was Vanata’s first dream, making her very own jewelry line is definitely becoming a major part of her life. Navi Kinkopf (12), a long time lover of jewelry and ALV Jewels, praises not only the
views editor Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of arrogant, egotistical doctor-turned-magician Stephen Strange, along with truly stunning visual effects made Dr. Strange an enjoyable, film that was worth watching. It cannot be ignored that the
jewelry line, but also Vanata. “Allie is so creative and truly an inspiration for me and for anyone wanting to start a business. She always is thinking of new ways to make a jewel look different and that is really
plot of Dr. Strange is somewhat lacking in depth and creativity, using the structure of almost every Marvel movie since Iron Man. Putting this lack of originality aside, the acting, particularly by Benedict Cumberbatch, was very well done. The film was serious enough in nature to grasp my attention, but still kept room for some occasional light humor. The visual effects of Dr. Strange were the most aesthetically stunning effects I have seen in a movie, particularly in 3D. Overall, while Dr. Strange fails to accomplish anything new in its storytelling aspect, it was, undoubtedly, a well acted and visually stunning addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
cool,” Kinkopf said. ALV Jewels have been shipped to many different areas in the world already; this summer ALV went all the way to Greece. Vanata makes every ALV jewel by hand, and she also has plans
a&e editor Welcome back to the J.K Rowling’s wizarding world of Harry Potter. Harry himself is not in the movie, however, we are whirled back in time to 1920s New York City, where there are wizards and spells everywhere. Welcome to Fantastic Beasts
of making it even better and bigger. “I am constantly inspired by my family and boyfriend who really pushed me to pursue ALV Jewels from the very beginning. I also find
and Where to Find Them. As an avid and diehard fan of the Harry Potter series, I was beyond excited when this new movie was announced. I went into the theater with an open mind, knowing this was not going to be an actual Harry Potter movie. Fantastic Beasts truly is fantastic. I was absolutely blown away by the entire movie: the plot, and the little references to the original books. The plot was riveting and kept
inspiration when I’m traveling, shopping for new materials and glued to Pinterest,” Vanata said. Make sure this holiday season, you get a gift that helps make a statement in any outfit and buy an ALV Jewel, or two. To buy some fun ALV Jewels, you can simply: search ALV Jewels and go on the website, or Vanata has created a team of many girls who are selling and advertising for her line that you can contact. One of the many being Grace MacMillan (WHS grad ‘14). “I love being a part of team with girls who not only care about what they are making but care about getting it right,” MacMillan said. Vanata has many goals for her jewelery line, but her number one goal is, “to help every girl make a statement in stones.”
me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole movie. I was left with a few questions and felt there may have been a couple of plot holes in the story, however, they were not so large and confusing that I could not follow what was happening. I am hoping these questions will be answered in the sequel to this movie (the release date has yet to be announced). For anyone who has not seen encourage you to do so. You will not be disappointed.
SPORTS
THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 14
Feb. 7 The Denver Broncos defeat the Carolina Panthers 2410 in Super Bowl 50.
Boxing great and civil rights activist Muhammad Ali passes away at age 74. June 3
Important Athletic Events from around the World in 2016 June 19 The Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA championship.
Events collected by Austin McCully from ESPN
Kevin Durant announces that he is signing with the Golden State Warriors. July 5
Aug. 5-21
Graphics by Matthew Lorentz and Spencer Dilyard
The 2016 Olympics take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Colin Kaepernick gets national attention for protesting the national anthem. Aug. 26
The Chicago Cubs win the MLB World Series. Nov. 2
MADDY NACCI sports editor
The year 2016 was historic for sports around the world. The Summer Olympics in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was the largest event of the year, as it was full of returning veteran athletes, starring in their events and newcomers from all over the world, making a huge splash.
What’s Inside? a closer look at the sports section
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2016 SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS Best events from around the world
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LOCAL SPORTS WRAP UP Local athletes excel in 2016 athletics
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2016 IS CLEVELAND’S YEAR
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WHS ATHLETES SIGN Athletes to continue their careers in college
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Allyson Felix from the United States became the most decorated women in all of track and field, according to “The top 10 stories of the 2016 Rio Olympics,” by Kevin Kudak from Yahoo Sports. Felix won three medals in the 2016 Olympics in the 4x100m relay, the 4x400m relay and the 400m run and now owns nine Olympic medals, six of which are gold, according to Kudak’s article. In the pool, Simone Manuel from the USA won the 100m freestyle swim to become the first African American woman swimmer to win gold, according to Kudak’s article. Katie Ledecky, the USA 19 year-old swimmer, dominated in the pool. She won four gold medals, competing in the 200m, 4x200m, 800m and 400m freestyles and is expected to return, even better, in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, said Stephanie Weber from usmagazine.com in “10 Best, Biggest Moments From the 2016 Rio Olympics.”
Fiji made history as they won their nation’s first ever Olympic medal, a gold, in men’s rugby, according to “Rio Olympics 2016: The most memorable moments” from bbc.com. Brazil’s men’s soccer team, led by Neymar, won on their home turf in a penalty kick shootout, according to bbc.com. Simone Biles from the United States won four gold medals and a bronze and dominated the individual all-around competition in women’s gymnastics. Her team, known as the Final Five, defended the 2012 team title and came home with the gold, according to sports.yahoo. com. The first track event in the Olympics, the women’s 10,000m run, was one to remember as Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana crushed the previous world record by more than 14 seconds to win gold, said bbc. com. Great Britain’s Mo Farah became the second man to retain both the 5,000m and
10,000m Olympic titles. He has four gold medals and is Great Britain’s most successful track athlete, as noted in the article “Rio Olympics 2016: The most memorable moments,” from bbc.com. Two of the world’s best athletes of all time retired after making their last Olympics memorable ones. Michael Phelps of the USA announced his retirement after winning his 28 Olympic medal and his 23 career gold, according to Kaduk’s article. He won five gold medals this Olympics and one silver and will be missed as one of the best swimmers ever. Usain Bolt, from Jamaica, won all three of the events he competed in his last Olympics ever, according to bbc.com. He has nine Olympic medals and has the world record in both the 100m and 200m. The next summer Olympics will be in Tokyo is 2020, and will hopefully be another one full of world records and memorable victories.
COVER
THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 15
Looking back at the months of 2016 March Ben Carson and Marco Rubio both drop out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Violence erupts between supporters and protesters at Donald Trump rallies. Members of U.S. women’s national soccer team file a suit, accusing the U.S. Soccer Federation of wage discrimination.
June The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first NBA championship in franchise history in game 7. However, tragedy struck the United States through attacks such as the shooting at UCLA and the Orlando nightclub attack.
What’s Inside? a closer look at the cover section
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CLOSE UP OF THE LAST YEAR
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COLUMNS EVALUATING 2016 AND LOOKING FORWARD
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FUN FACTS ABOUT 2016 AND HOW 2016 AFFECTED WHS STUDENTS
January
February
President Obama declares state of emergency in Flint, Mich. Residents were using water from the local Flint River because it was much cheaper than the water previously obtained from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.
May
April On April 7, the singing competition show American Idol took its final bow. Since 2002, the show saw 15 seasons and produced stars such as Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson.
July ISIS claims responsibility for attacks in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Baghdad, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius was sentenced for the murder of his girlfriend in 2014. Pokemon Go app created by Nintendo becomes widely popular.
September On Sept. 26, the first presidential debate between Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton took place. In Townsville, SC, a homeschooled teeenager shot and killed his father, then proceeded to shoot two students and a teacher at the local elementary school.
November Donald Trump becomes the president elect on Nov. 8. On Nov. 29, a wildfire broke out in the Great Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg, Tenn.
The Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50, and the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia resulted in a deadlocked liberal and conservative Supreme Court.
ISIS took responsibility for the bombings May 11, in Baghdad, Iraq. President Obama confirmed the leader of the Afghanistan Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, is killed in a U.S. drone strike. President Obama visited Hiroshima to meet with bomb survivors during his time in Japan.
August Continuing in the Black Lives Matter movement, protests in Milwaukee followed the fatal shooting of a fleeing man. Twelve days before the protest, officials in Florida released a statement warning Americans of the Zika virus found in the United States, which preceded the first Zika death Aug. 5.
October The Democratic party hosted their first debate between candidates, while the Republicans held their third of the election cycle. On Oct. 30, Obama issued a statement sending troops into Syria to counter ISIS.
December On Dec. 4, an update on the Dakota Access Pipeline issue came from the Army Corps of Engineers, stating a harmful oil pipe will be rerouted, according to an article title “Standing Rock protesters celebrate as Army Corps of Engineers halst DAPL project,” by David Ferguson on Dec. 4.
Blurbs by Hannah Knapic and Valerie Anderson. Information for blurbs gathered from infoplease.org.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | SPORTS | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 18
June 4: Highland baseball defeats Waynedale 4-3 in the state championship.
August 1: Chippewa’s Taylor Richards commits to play basketball at Valparaiso University.
May 19: Wooster baseball is defeated by Jackson 7-0 in the
The following events summarize the year in sports in Wayne County and in the surrounding areas.
in local sports September 18: Northwestern’s Derek Koch commits to play basketball at Bowling Green State University.
July 23: Norwayne wide receiver Brevin Harris commits to play football at Purdue University.
Local sports events written by Austin McCully. Information collected from The Daily Record.
2016 November 5: West Holmes’ Michelle Hostettler place for the State DII Cross Country
August 25: Wooster defeats Orrville in football 53-21. October 8: Maddy Nacci breaks women’s WHS cross country record.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | SPORTS | DEC.16, 2016 | PAGE 19
JOHN GORMAN The year 2016 was an unprecedented year for Cleveland sports; the Cavaliers are NBA Champions and the Indians are American League Champions. After a disappointing finish to the 2016 NBA season, LeBron James and the rest of the Cavaliers were determined to bring a title home. Faced with a historic juggernaut, in the form of the Golden State Warriors and unanimous MVP Steph Curry, the Cavs did not have an easy path to the title. In fact, according to a USA Today article titled “Betting odds for the 2016 NBA Finals” published on June 2, 2016, the Warriors had 1:2 odds to win the finals, or about a two-
thirds chance to win. But, that would not deter the Cavaliers, nor would falling behind three games to one, a deficit that nba. com reports no team had ever recovered from. Thanks in part to a Herculean effort by James, clutch shooting by Kyrie Irving and a critical defensive stand by Kevin Love, the Cavaliers defeated the Warriors in seven games, bringing Cleveland its first title in 52 years, just 35 days after ESPN aired Believeland, a documentary chronicling the futility and failures of Cleveland sports, past and present. But the city was not done winning just yet. Perhaps prompted by their city mates’ success, the Indians went on a 14 game win streak after the title, the longest in franchise
history, according to an October 26 Sports Illustrated article titled “Indians, Cavaliers creating a winning culture in the city of Cleveland”. It seemed as if any hope of winning another championship was dashed after star pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar were injured toward the end of the regular season, but the Indians showed their resiliency, defeating both the favored Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays in three and five games respectively, according to an October 21 USA Today article titled “Indians could have started Salazar back for World Series”. Facing a heavily favored Chicago Cubs team, the Indians battled to a 3-1 lead, but could not finish off the Cubs. In an exhilarating game seven, the
Indians were defeated 8-7 in 10 innings. Even though the Indians and Cavaliers had different ends to their seasons, they have one thing in common: both are primed for another championship run.
American League Champions
Nick Ballard (12): “They did great, Lebron finally broke the 52 year title drought, and the Indians took the best team in the MLB to extra innings in game seven of the World Series. The Browns will always be the Browns, but Cleveland is on the rise.”
Quote from Maureen McKeown. Graphics by Spncer Dilyard and Matt Lorentz Nate King-Smith
Cleveland sports make history with two title runs
ISABELLE CANNON design manager Five seniors from the girls’ lacrosse team signed to take their skills to the collegiate level. Hanna Morgan and Halle Kotulock signed to Division II colleges and received a scholarship. Morgan committed to Findlay and Kotulock committed to Walsh. By NCAA regulations, Division III colleges are not permitted to give out scholarships, however, they still provide a competitive atmosphere. Division three signees include Jessica Ballow to Heidelberg, Hannah Sanchez to Mount Union and Molly Kilbourne to Washington and Jefferson. “I am really excited for those five girls, they have worked so hard, and have played together since eighth grade. They have put in a tremendous amount of work to get them where they are today,” Pope said.
LAX PHOTO COURTESY OF HANNA MORGAN
Five seniors at a signing for lacrosse that took place in the WHS library on Nov. 18.
GRANT PEABODY business manager Anthony Panepento (12) finishes his remarkable high school golf career signing with Division III Methodist University. Anthony finished his senior year season with First Team all Conference in the OCC, First Team all Northeast Ohio, and qualified with his team for the state tournament, as well as being Academic all Ohio for golf. Anthony said the golf team’s solid core and chemistry was responsible for their success, “We kept the solid core together, even after losing two seniors, so that helped our success a lot at the beginning of the season. This group of guys was really fun to practice and play with on a daily basis,” Panepento said. Panepento plans to compete on the golf team for Methodist University as well as committing to their PGA golf management program.
GOLF GRANT PEABODY
Senior golfer Anthony Panepento swings away during a golf match this season.
NATE KING-SMITH co-editor-in-chief Maureen McKeown (12) is thrilled to have signed her letter of intent to attend Ashland University next year; she signed for cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. McKeown is familiar with the program she is joining and is enthusiastic about taking her place there. “I’ve been meeting with my soon-to-be coach and team since I was a freshman. The team is small and it’s more like a family. I’m really excited to be a part of it,” McKeown said. Coming out of her last high school cross country season, McKeown had much to take away from the experience as she transitions into college. “I was injured for two months this season and it taught me valuable lessons about never taking a run for granted; I will definitely keep this in mind going into college,” McKeown said. McKeown looks forward to her next steps as she prepares to take on running at an even higher level of competition.
TRACK AND CROSS COUNTRY
JACOB GOOCH
Senior cross country and track athlete, Maureen McKeown, running at a meet.
WHS athletes commit to sports at the collegiate level
THE WOOSTER BLADE | SPORTS | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 20
FEATURE
THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 21
Community progress provides improvements in a chaotic year
DREW FRIEDHOFF sports editor
Prince, David Bowie, Muhammad Ali, Alan Rickman, an ugly election, Brexit, a dead gorilla: for many, 2016 persisted of more downs than ups. However, Wooster saw a year of both expansion and progress in the face of national demise. On the North End of Wooster, a new retail area was constructed including new stores and restaurants. In close proximity to this addition was the completion
of a new roundabout resulting in safer and more convenient transportation. At Cornerstone Elementary School, with the help of tremendous support, volunteer work and donations from the community, the elementary was able to build a new playlab. The College of Wooster welcomed a new president to its campus this past year in Sarah Bolton. Downtown Wooster also added variety to dining options with Basil, an Asian bistro and Smoke, the burger joint. Daisy Brand, the nation’s largest sour cream manufacturer, 200,000 square foot facility in northeast Ohio. The company committed to employing 89 people under a payroll of $4.5 million, according to Heidi Shwartz in her article, “Daisy Brand Plans New Production Facility in Wayne County/City Of Wooster.”
attention in the coming year
DROSOS KARDULIAS on campus editor
Wooster has experienced, in 2016, a series of news events that are worrying to observe. Whatever caused the implementation of a roundabout on Smithville Western and Burbank, one thing certainly did not contribute; namely, common sense. Watching cars cautiously navigate the new road feature at 50 miles per hour is certainly entertaining, but not nearly worth the hassle of navigating
it myself. Having dealt with roundabouts in Europe, I can safely say that American roads are better off without them. Speaking of things the area would be better off without, I saw Wayne County continue the trend of turning a very embarrassed shade of red on election night. In a similar vein, the selling of the confederate flag at the Wayne County Fair is nothing short of disgusting. Of course, as free speech, this sale is, and should be, completely legal. It is a fact that sales were in demand for this product and that, in itself, is troubling. On a more somber note, Wooster’s opiate problem has only gotten worse in the past year. Steps need to be taken to address this increasingly widespread and harrowing disease. Though 2016 may not have been a great year for Wooster, my hopes are high for 2017.
What’s Inside? a closer look at the feature section
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YEAR IN REVIEW: WOOSTER
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IB ADOPTS A FAMILY Annual service project by IB students
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WINTER FESTIVITIES Holiday activities in Northeast Ohio
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TEACHERS’ PETS The animals
major changes
Year in Review: Looking back on the best and worst of Wooster Illustration by Leah Sim
THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 16, 2015 | PAGE 22
IB students and staff adopt a family around the holidays SARAH HOPKINS co-editor-in-chief
The International Baccalaureate students, housed at WHS, are making the holidays extra special for one local family this year. Through Jobs and Family Services, the IB students and staff each made and collected donations in order to adopt a family for the holidays and provide them with gifts for Christmas, according to Deana Worth, the IB math teacher aiding the students with this project. According to Julia Tefs (11), one of the students in charge of this year’s efforts, the students and staff raised around $750 this year in donations. “Some people gave $100 and
Grant Peabody
Students in the International Baccalaureate program work together to wrap several gifts they bought for the family they adopted this year. some gave $5, and we were thankful for all the money we got,” Tefs said.
This year, the family that was selected for them to sponsor was rather large, allowing the
students the opportunity to shop for five children and one mother. “The kids’ ages range from 18 months to 11 years old, so shopping for all of them was really fun. The shopping was the best part because you’re kind of a real life santa. The kids will be able to enjoy a big Christmas this year even if their family can’t afford it,” Anna Savage (11) said. Tefs concurred with Savage about the rewards of giving. “I think the best part will be on Christmas morning when we will get to know that we made a difference to this family’s life,” Tefs said. This is the third year the IB students have participated in the adoption of a family, first getting involved in 2014.
- IB raised $750 -IB’s third year participating - Ages vary between 18 months to 11 years old - Family provided through Jobs and Family Services
Wooster and Princeton together again! Every year since 2002, U.S. News and World Report has asked college presidents and deans to name schools with outstanding undergraduate research opportunities and senior capstone programs. Only two have made both lists every year: Wooster and Princeton.
wooster.edu Wooster, OH!
THE WOOSTER BLADE | FEATURE | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 23
Northeast Ohio provides winter festivities to enjoy over break Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has a LED light display throughout the zoo. In addition, the zoo offers other activities like ice skating and animated lights shows. Wildlights is open from Nov. 18 to Jan. 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and ticket prices vary from $13 to $19.
At the Cleveland Botanical Gardens, Glow is a celebrated holiday tradition. Open until Dec. 31, this event features outdoor and indoor light displays integrated into the gardens. Admission is $16 for adults and free for Botanical garden and Holden Arboretum members.
Snow Trails Ski Resort in Mansfield offers skiing, snowboarding and tubing for all ages and skill levels, as well as extended hours from Dec. 17 to Jan. 2.
Great Lakes Theater Company’s production of A Christmas Carol is running at Playhouse Square in Cleveland from until Dec. 23. Ticket prices range from $28 to $75.
In Akron, Lock 3 hosts Ohio’s largest seasonal outdoor skating rink at 10,000 sq. ft. The rink is open for the majority of December and January. Skating is free and skate rentals are $3.
In Strongsville, two 700 ft. ice toboggan chutes are open until early March. All day passes are available for $12 and one-ride tickets for $6.
Organizations like Wayne County Children Services and People to People have programs to donate toys and clothes during the holiday season.
Blurbs by Emma Strong Graphics by Matt Lorentz
THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 16, 2016 | FEATURE | PAGE 24 Graphics by Matt Lorentz Illustrations by Leah Sim
HANNA MORGAN feature editor
Having a pet at home can not only improve one’s health and social skills, but a new friend is gained as well. When quality time is spent with a furry friend, it can have an everlasting positive impact on one’s life. In an article called “6 Ways Pets can Improve Your Health,” published in Oct. 2013 by Lisa Fields on WebMD, Dr. Allen R. McConnell, who is a pet researcher and a professor of psychology at Miami University was interviewed. “We found that pet owners, on non-owners, especially when they have a higher quality relationship with their pets,” McConnell said. The strength in relationship varies from person to person. If people have a dog, they are less likely to get heart cancer. The aforementioned WebMD article says dog owners are more active because they have to take more care of their pet, which requires more movement. Owners who walk their dogs more are found to have a lower blood pressure. Animalsmart.org says playing with a pet helps increase the levels of stress, reducing hormones and decrease the production of stress, causing hormones. An article called “17 Health mritechnicianschools.net, published in June 2010 says having
as well, like an improved immune system, reduced blood pressure and reduced stress. Reducing stress helps all around physical health, so having a pet around has a direct correlation with better health. An article written by Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal in December 2016 called
Great jobs, great lives! GALLUP
“Mood boosting Power of Dogs,” on Helpguide.org, says dogs are very good at recognizing tones of voice, gestures and body language. Dogs will actually try to understand what people are feeling and thinking, and try to help one cope with their emotions. It is proven that having a pet around can help one retain good health and even improve one’s health who is not in the best condition. Pets are there to not only be a friend and loyal companion, but to help get through tough life situations.
just completed research on the largest ever representative sample of college graduates, and the results were clear. Graduates with “great jobs and great lives” were those who had a mentor in college and completed a longterm project as a student. Those results tell Gallup Executive Director Brandon Busteed that Wooster is doing “exactly what should be happening.”
wooster.edu Wooster, OH!
TRENDS
THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 25
The best moments of 2016 captured in a photo
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What’s Inside?
From the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the NBA Championship to the Presidential election, 2016 has been one for the record books. The year can be described in a one word; the moments captured by cameras are worth a thousand words. Students at WHS were asked to submit photos of the best moment of the year for them that were captured in a single photograph.. 1: Katey Arbogast (11) and brother Drew smiling for the camera as OSU beats Michigan in overtime 30 to 27. 2: The cross country team has a dance party at the Orrville Invitational before going on to win the meet. 3: Logan Selby (12), Jordan Schimdt (12) and Alex Ngyuen (12) set up hammocks for a day of relaxation in honor of National Hammock Day. 4: Hannah Sanchez (12) Jessie Ballow (12), Halle Kotulock (12), Hanna Morgan (12) and Molly Kilbourne (12) all pose for a picture before signing to their colleges for lacrosse. 5:Libby (12) and Carmen (10) Szukaitis take a picture with their parents in front of Expedition Everest in Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. 6: Julia Hootman (8), Sophia VanSickle (9), Katie Lake (10), Angelina Fox (9), and Olivia Sleek (12) pose for a picture after a performance of the high school musical Guys & Dolls. Photos Courtesy of Katey Arbogast, Libby Szukaitis, Lane Wilson, Logan Selby, Jessie Ballow and Julia Hootman. Blurbs by Olivia Sleek.
a closer look at the trends section
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2016 PHOTOS Photos of the best moments of 2016
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HOLIDAYS See December holidays around the world
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GIFT GUIDES PART 1 Perfect Gift Ideas for family and friends
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GIFT GUIDES PART 2 Perfect gift ideas for family and friends
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HOLIDAYS
THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 16, 2016 | TRENDS | PAGE 26
Kwanzaa The holiday of Kwanzaa is celebrated from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. According to “Kwanzaa” on whychristmas.com, this festival celebrates the heritage of people of African descent. This holiday parallels the local harvest festivals held throughout Africa, in fact, “Kwanzaa,” comes fruits.” During Kwanzaa, a candle holder, called a kinara, is used. The candles represent the principles of Kwanzaa, which include: unity, self-determination, purpose, creativity and faith.
Omisoka is the name for the Japanese celebration on New Year’s Eve. According to “Omisoka: Japanese New Year!” on kidzworld.com, people clean their homes to create a clean start for the new year, a practice called “osoji.” At 11 p.m., a feast is held by family and friends. Long noodles (toshikoshi-soba) are eaten to bring long life. At midnight, some attend religious services at Shinto temples, where an iron bell is rung at midnight.
Omisoka
International Graphic by Matthew Lorentz According to independent.co.uk, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia on Christmas Day, single people stand facing away from a door and throw their shoes to determine how much longer they will be single. If the tip of the shoe points toward the door, that means they will be getting married soon; however, if it points away, they will not.
Throwing a Shoe
Banana & Mango Christmas Trees According to independent.co.uk, although only 2.3 percent of the population in India are Christian, those who celebrate Christmas partake in midnight mass and gift giving. However, instead trees, banana or mango trees are used as decorations instead. These trees are decorated the way typical Christmas trees would be with ornaments. The leaves of these fruit trees are also used to decorate houses.
TRADITIONS
Instead of getting coal under the tree in Germany and Austria, naughty children are punished by Krampus, Santa’s evil counterpart, whose name comes from the German word for “claw.” According to Smithsonianmag.com, Krampus is a creature that has horns curl up from his head and a half goat, half demon body. During the Christmas season, the creature punishes children who have misbehaved in regions including Austria, Bavaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Northern Italy.
On Dec. 12, Mexicans and Catholics celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In 1531, Catholics believe Mary, the Mother of God, appeared to a Mexican peasant, Juan Diego, on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico. They believe Mary requested a church be built on that hill so people could worship God there. On her third appearance on Dec. 12, Catholics believe she miraculously imprinted her image on Diego’s cloak, according to “Our Lady of Guadalupe” on www.catholic.org. This cloak is still displayed in the cathedral built on that hill. According to “Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Mexico” on timeanddate.com, Mexicans celebrate this day with public festivities and prayer.
Celebrations
Blurbs by Tatumn McGrew and Rachel Dugan Wood
Santa’s Evil Twin: Krampus
Our Lady of Guadalupe
THE WOOSTER BLADE | TRENDS | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 27
OH GOODIE! Affordable gifts that will check off everyone on your list.
Images courtsey of Google Images on Creativecommons.com
Fashionista
Writers
The Evernote Smart Notebook, from Moleskine, is a perfect gift to buy for your writing friends this holiday season. Ringing in at a price of $29.95, this notebook allows its users to capture whatever is written within the notebook using the Evernote Page Camera app, which is available for the current iOS and Android releases. Once the written pages are converted into digital ones, they can be tagged and later searched for, creating a more organized layout for writers, according to moleskin.com.
Shopping for someone who seems to look like they belong on the runway? There is an easy answer for the perfect gift for these fashionistas: layers. Layers have become a new crave in the 2016 fashion world, especially hitting after fashionisers.com released the top “10 Winter 2016-2017 Fashion Trends” and layering was number two. An easy way to please any fashionista could be just getting a long Tunic Tee from Old Navy, which normally costs around $15, so that cost is not bad either.
This holiday season, Fanatics.com can make it easy to find the perfect gift for a sport lover. Merchandise from your favorite team will make anyone’s Christmas. Jerseys and apparel from the NFL, NBA, NCAA and MLB are available, ranging in prices from $15 to $150.
Blurbs by Matt Lorentz, Holly Miller, and Maureen McKeown
Sports
THE WOOSTER BLADE | TRENDS | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 28
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T h e smartphone microscope is the best gift to get your science fanatic friend this holiday. The microscope is simple, yet
DIY water marble mugs are a quick, affordable and homemade gift for any friend or relative this Christmas. All you need is a white coffee mug, nail polish and a small plastic container which can all be found at Walmart or any other drug store. Fill the container with water, pour nail polish on the surface of water and dip coffee mug into the water. Thus, you turn a boring white mug into a beautiful and personal DIY gift. Prices ranges from $5 to $15. to b y
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Blurbs written by Holly Miller, Sam Schonfeld and Matt Lorentz.
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Still looking for a good gift to buy a technophile in your life? The Hydra SmartBottle, from ThinkGeek. com, is a great option. This versatile water bottle contains a Bluetooth speaker, a micro-USB port, a carabiner with bottle opener, a power bank for charging and an array of LED lights within. Although the price of $59.99 may initially deter you from purchasing this water bottle, the reusability and versatility of this container is exponential.
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Photo courtesy of hydra-smartbottle.com
The perfect gift for all the different people in your life.
nifty gift only costs around $20 and can be found online at Discovery Channel, compared to full-scale microscopes that can costs thousands of dollars. The handheld microscope is compatible with most smartphone cameras, allowing the user to examine everyday items at greater detail. The lens has up to a 30 time
the science lover to study and enjoy the world around them like never before.
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HOLIDAY HEAD-TO-HEAD students quarrel over festivities
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SYLLABUS SORROWS how WHS disadvantages the arts
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THE WOOSTER BLADE STAFF weighs in on prominent issues
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THE WOOSTER BLADE | VIEWS | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 30
Staff members debate the value of the holiday season JACOB GOOCH Holidays are, frankly, overrated and consume an unhealthy amount of our time and money, have no way for people to truly get something of value out of it and also cause higher obesity rates in the United States. According to 2010 US Census data, there are 11,536,504 people residing in the state of Ohio. Based on that number, $10.72 billion will be spent this year on holiday shopping. To put that into perspective: with that money, a person could buy an iPhone 7 Plus for everyone in the State of Ohio (based on Dec. 7 apple prices) and still have almost $3 million let over. The survey also asked “Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?,” with 39 percent of those surveyed responding yes. Meaning that, as of Nov. 21, 39 percent of Americans are already shopping for holiday gifts making the holiday season effectively run from the last week of November to Jan. 1, marking a new year. Rachel Brown, RN, LDN of the Obesity Action Coalition, highlights in an article, entitled
“Emotional and Healthy Eating During the Holidays,” the holidays as a clear cause of weight gain through emotional eating and the abundance of food in general. Brown, in this article, focuses on the holidays causing stress and leading to, “emotional eating” and ways to prevent it, but the simplest way to prevent this problem that leads to higher obesity in the U.S. is to eliminate holidays. The holidays are not really a blessing: they are a front for businesses to rake in the money, people to lose control of their time management and create an obese America. The holidays are, quite simply, a death trap that must be abandoned.
“Every year on Christmas Eve, my family gets together and we have something called grab box, where we put tons of gag gifts in and wrap them up. We start with the youngest and they pick a gift out, and then, we pick one by one up to the oldest person until all the gifts are gone.” -Aleesha Vaughn (11)
AMBER SWIGART cover editor
I will be the first to admit that at a glance, the holidays may seem like childlike, foolish speculation that turn religious celebrations into a promotion of America’s consumerist culture. However, when looking beyond superficial symbols of Christmas sales and countdowns to Dec. 25, the sense of community, joy of giving and innocent glee that brings us together during the holiday season is priceless. No argument against the holidays could withstand the strength of a child’s smile when they discover, on Christmas morning, that Santa visited the night before; the tender feeling that one gains when giving a heartfelt gift to a friend after anticipating the reaction for weeks on end; or the comfort received through a family dinner and reminiscence about
WHS Christmas Traditions: “On Christmas Eve, we always do a white elephant gift exchange and play board games. Later that evening, my family eats pozole, a hominy and chile soup with tamales.” -Hannah Sanchez (12)
“We make reindeer food. We put different kinds of cereal and glitter in a bag, mix it up, and then usually my little brothers go outside and throw it all around our front yard.” -Sara Daugherty (11)
Christmases past. The holiday spirit even provides health benefits, like an increase in the happinesscausing chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin, according to Michele O’Connor in the article “Christmas can be good for your health,” on the website mirror.co.uk, meaning that your body recognizes the unique effects of the Christmas season. Furthermore, expressing love for friends or contributing to local charities through small acts of kindness, like gifts or donations, improves their wellbeing in addition to that of the gift giver, according to the article “A Gift That Gives Right Back? The Giving Itself” on The New York Times website. Although it may not seem immediately necessary to society, we could all use a short break from the stresses of everyday life and a reminder of what is important: family, generosity and the extent to which we are truly happy. In short; do not be a grinch this holiday season. Indulge yourself in the superfluous festiveness, and you, too, may find visions of sugar plums dancing in your head.
“Well, my family is part Swedish, so on Christmas Eve, we invite everyone over and have a big Swedish smorgasbord. It’s open to any friends or family who may be alone on Christmas.” -Olivia Stokes (12)
Picture taken by Grant Peabody, graphics made by Matt Lorentz and quotes compiled by Valerie Anderson.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | VIEWS | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 31
SARAH HOPKINS co-editor-in-chief
I have never been good at math or science. Born into a family of Englishhistory double majors and copy editors, I can still remember my mother coming home from parent-teacher conferences and relaying how my sixth grade teacher had said, “So...Sarah really is not a science person, is she?” My inclination toward the humanities only deepens the heartache with which I am faced as creative and language based classes are swapped out for more STEM based courses. Do not get me wrong; I support science and math classes, just as I support any academic subject in moderation. I am so grateful for all the biology and calculus students in the world because they are doing jobs I do not understand, and, as a society, we would not be able to advance technologically without them. However, we could not survive without the humanities either, and that is what it is looking like the future of education will consist of if courses within the
humanities continue to be put on the backburner by politicians and educators. According to a New York Times article, entitled “A Rising Call to Promote STEM Education and Cut Liberal Arts Funding,” many Republican governors, like Matt Bevin of Kentucky and Patrick McCrory of North Carolina, are trying to limit funding at public colleges and universities for humanities majors, while encouraging science and technology based majors. “There will be more incentives to electrical engineers than French literature majors, there just will,” Bevin said. Even at WHS there are many more science courses and electives than there are English courses, making it difficult for students interested in creative writing or literature to further their studies. “Why America’s obsession with STEM education is dangerous,” from The Washington Post, counters that “No matter how strong your math and science skills are, you still need to know how to learn, think and even write.” Science and math and the humanities
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must coexist equally to most benefit the world, as late Apple CEO Steve Jobs illustrated when he said, “it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our hearts sing.” Also, while putting math and science on a pedestal makes the students gifted in those areas feel great, it causes students interested in subjects like English, social studies and foreign language to feel unvalued. In the end, I am just hopeful that all students and humans, regardless of subject area strengths, are valued for their academic individuality, because the world needs people who think systematically, creatively, mathematically and freely.
While Steve Jobs introduced the first computer with a graphical user interface for consumer use, the model was not an original creation; it was a conglomeration of ideas and features, compounded into something significant in its own right. Jobs saw these features during a visit to the Xerox research center a year previously, unpatented and available for use, and combined and implemented them to form the first Mac computer. When Android introduced its first smartphone, however, Jobs ridiculed it as flagrant
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plagiarism. “I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this,” he said according to pcmag.com Originality is something I do not consider to be real in its most literal sense. Dictionary.com defines something original as, “arising or proceeding independently from anything else,” but is it possible for any work of art or invention to be truly original? What we so often brand as the very first of its kind is, in actuality, an assortment of similar ideas tweaked and molded into something significant in its own right. This free flow and mixture of ideas should not be restricted or frowned upon, if we are to continue to encourage the pioneering of innovative ideas. People often get so caught up in the ideal of “creative genius” that it restricts creative potential. Novelist and poet C.S. Lewis supported this view, saying, “Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it,” according to brainyquote.com. It is important to respect and credit the works of others, but if we allow this fear of “stolen ideas” to control us, we are only limiting our creative genius and its contribution to our future.
WOOSTER
BLADE
Editors-in-Chief Sarah Hopkins, Nate KingSmith Webmaster Alexander Thompson Graphics Managers Spencer Dilyard, Matthew Lorentz Business Managers Grant Peabody, Estelle Shaya On Campus Editors Drosos Kardulias, Tatumn McGrew, Kayla Cooper Focus Editors Austin McCully, Ryan Miller Sports Editors A & E Editors Kayla Barnet, Nick Cosmo Trends Editor Olivia Sleek Cover Editors Erin O’Donnell, Amber Swigart, Valerie Anderson, Hannah Knapic Views Editors Evan Doan, Maureen McKeown Feature Editors Hanna Morgan, Emma Strong Staff Writers Madison Culver-Lee, Jacob Gooch, John Gorman, Glara Lee, Holly Miller, Christopher Roche, Samuel Schonfeld, Leah Sim, Rachel Dugan Wood Design Managers Isabelle Cannon, Estelle Shaya Head Photographer Grant Peabody Photographers Madison Culver-Lee, Hannah Knapic, Tracy Morgan, Chelsea Patterson Cartoonists 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 of The Wooster Blade and cannot be reproduced without permission. Letters to the editor are limited to 300 words and The Wooster Blade reserves the right to print and edit as per length and content. The Wooster Blade is a member of Quill and Scroll, National Scholastic Press Association and Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The Wooster Blade is printed in cooperation with Wooster’s The Daily Record. Letters and inquiries should be addressed to The Wooster Blade, 515 Oldman Road Wooster, Ohio 44691. The Wooster Blade can be contacted at 330-345-4000 ext. 3210. The newspaper can also be found online at thewoosterblade.com.
OUR VIEW
Consumerism’s consumption of the holiday spirit For many American families, the Christmas season centers around exchanging gifts. Giving presents is a tradition, but the increasing trend of valuing gifts based on the amount spent on them diminishes the tradition’s genuine intentions of expressing love to others. Instead of giving to others who are less fortunate and spreading happiness for all to hear, we have become selfish and let material things become more important than the original intentions of the practice of gift-giving.
Materialism has become increasingly prevalent in American society, likely because of the consumerist culture that media, especially social media, has broadcasted since its creation. “How did Christmas Become Commercialized?” from Smallbiztrends.com reminds readers what Christmas has become, “From gift wrapping to Christmas trees, department store Santas and beyond, what started as a religious holiday has taken on commercial significance.” Furthermore, prioritizing
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education. The Wooster Blade Editorial Board has serious concerns regarding DeVos’s support of programs, such as school vouchers, that funnels funds from public schools into charter schools. As students, The Wooster Blade Editorial Board call on DeVos to strengthen public schools, considering how many students rely on them as their sole source of education Stephen Henderson wrote, in a Dec. 6 Detroit Free Press article, that DeVos has, in large part, lead the charge for unregulated charter schools in Michigan. In the same article, Henderson goes on to write that in 2000, the DeVos family spent $5.6 million in an unsuccessful campaign to amend the
Michigan Constitution to allow for school vouchers, this summer, they were spending $1.45 million to stop a bipartisan provision in the Michigan legislature that would have brought more oversight to Detroit’s charters. Since 2001, they have spent a total of $2 billion on their own political action committee, the Great Lakes Education Project, which has lobbied to the Michigan state legislature to expand charter schools. This editorial takes no strong stance on charter schools in general, but The Wooster Blade Editorial Board is vehemently opposed to the practice of diverting and allocating more funds and resources into charter schools when the public school system, which serves the majority of American students, so desparately needs them. In Michigan, charter schools perform about the same as public schools
gifts over the time spent with close ones can lessen one’s enjoyment of the holiday, according to a study entitled “What Makes for a Merry Christmas?” conducted by Tim Kasser and Kennon M. Sheldon in the Journal of Happiness Studies. “...[T]he path to a merry Christmas comes not from purchasing many expensive gifts at the mall, wrapping them, and placing them under the tree, but instead from satisfying deeper needs to be close to one’s family and find meaning in life,” the study’s conclusion states.
While it is surely hard to generalize what could be considered the true meaning of Christmas, the holiday did not originate as an excuse for retailers to start boasting Christmas sales even before Thanksgiving takes place. This Christmas season, along with going out to buy the latest technology or staying up late to get the best online deals, the Wooster Blade Editorial Board encourages you to instead give those whom you love and whom you are passionate about something sentimental and personal.
Graphic by Matt Lorentz
THE
THE VOICE OF WOOSTER HIGH SCHOOL
THE WOOSTER BLADE | VIEWS | DEC. 16, 2016 | PAGE 32
DeVos’s appointment raises educational concerns on tests, according to Henderson’s article, but to find the real harm of DeVos’s lobbying you have to look to Detroit. In the city, where almost 80 percent of the state’s charters are located, many students’ only option is a charter school, which a Detroit Free Press investigation found to be just as abysmal in terms of educational quality as Detroit Public Schools. In addition, charter schools lack the needed regulations that are necessary to ensure that funds are appropriatly allocated, budgeted and spent in charter schools. Ohio students have seen the effect of the lack of regulation in charter schools. Politico’s Kimberly Hefling wrote on March 14 of this year that even before the dust had settled on Ohio’s effort to reform troubled brick and mortar charters we were already embroiled in scandal, this
time over online charter schools fudging most of their numbers. If DeVos is confirmed as Sec. of Ed., The Wooster Blade Editorial Board exhorts lawmakers to make sure DeVos focuses on fixing the problems we have now, not creating new ones.
Trump’s Cabinet Appointments as of Dec. 14, according to The New York Times Transportation— Elaine L. Chao Commerce—Wilbur Ross Central Intelligence Agency— Mike Pompeo Health and Human Services— Tom Price Education— Betsy DeVos United Nations— Nikki R. Haley Attorney General— Jeff Sessions Treasury— Steven Mnuchin Health and Human Services — Tom Price Housing and Urban Development — Ben Carson