The Wooster Blade - Issue 7 by The Wooster Blade

204 THE WOOSTER BLADE

WOOSTER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER • 515 OLDMAN ROAD, WOOSTER, OH • DEC. 19, 2014 • VOLUME XV, ISSUE 7

A YEAR IN REVIEW

FRONT

THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 2

front section

1-2

on campus 4-5

focus 6-7

sports

8-9

cover section

3, 10-11

feature

a&e

trends 14

views

15-16

With 2014 came a great deal of changes, both inside and outside the halls of WHS. The Wooster Blade rewinds the clock to display the highlights of 2014.

THE WOOSTER BLADE

Index

Co-Editors-in-Chief Taylor Bennington and Jack Reynolds • Co-Webmasters Han Mahle and Shreya Gurumurthy • Business Managers Alex Hasapis and Paige Clayton • Graphics Editor Alex Hasapis • Managing Editor Paige Clayton • Front Editor Alli Wigham • Design Managers Samantha Brunn and Alli Wigham • On Campus Editor Jack Hartmann and Gaelan Gatz • Focus Editors Shiyuan Wang and Becca Foley • Trends Editors Bri Bocook and Claire Lanham • Sports Editors Eric Belcik and Luke Wiest • Arts & Entertainment Editors Mike O’Donnell and Ben Snoddy • Feature Editors Olivia Bernadine, Stefi Hernandez and Chloe Landers • Cover Editors Samantha Brunn and Mary Grace Gorman • Views Editors Alex Barnard and Stephen Kridel • Staff Writers Kayla Barnet, David Burnett, Isabelle Cannon, Kayla Cooper, Matt Friedhoff, Sarah Hopkins, Emma Jeffries, Nate King-Smith, Claire Lanham, Tatumn McGrew, Maureen McKeown, Ryan Miller, Hanna Morgan and Olivia Sleek • Photographers Casey Baik, Maggie Flechler, Becca Foley, Fred Holmes, Marcus Jeffries, Claire Lanham, Cain Lanker, Maureen McKeown, Madison Culver, Austin Miko and Grant Peabody • Cartoonists Grace Cheng, and Fred Holmes • Adviser Kristi Hiner The Wooster Blade is a biweekly student publication printed every other Friday by the Newspaper Production classes at Wooster High School. The paper is designated as an open forum and follows publishing guidelines as established in a district-wide publications policy protecting students’ freedom of expression. All copy, art and photography are property of The Wooster Blade and cannot be reproduced without permission. Letters to the editor are limited to 300 words and The Wooster Blade reserves the right to print and edit as per length and content. The Wooster Blade is a member of Quill and Scroll, National Scholastic Press Association and Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The Wooster Blade is printed in cooperation with Wooster’s The Daily Record. Letters and inquiries should be addressed to The Wooster Blade, 515 Oldman Road Wooster, Ohio 44691. The Wooster Blade can be contacted at 330-345-4000 ext. 3210 or at thewoosterblade@gmail.com.

Front photos by: Han Mahle, Jesse Wiles, Joseph Gorman, Grace MacMillan, Cain Lanker and Alex Hasapis

COVER

THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 3

yes

11.5%

Did you take the ACT/SAT for the ﬁrst time?

Did you travel somewhere you’ve never been?

Did you go to a concert for the ﬁrst time?

cat lizard

fro

ge r

yes 61.5%

Did you join a new sport or activity?

ﬁsh

ine

33%

DOG

yes

NO S 3 0 70 % %

NO 74%

Sarah Hopkins, Hanna Morgan, Isabelle Cannon, Maureen McKeown, Nate King-Smith, Gaelen Gatz, Stephen Kridel, Kayla Barnet, Kayla Cooper, Olivia Sleek, and Shreya Gurumurthy compiled the poll. On Dec. 12-16, 182 students were polled in random classrooms.

Did you enter into a new relationship?

WHS’s Year of Firsts

YES 26%

Did you get your ﬁrst job?

14% Yes

Did you use an illegal substance for the ﬁrst time?

Did you get a new pet?

World Shoes: Photo by Joseph Gorman Worker: Graphic by Joseph Gorman ACT and SAT logos: Fair Use ACTStudent. org, Sat.CollegeBoard.org Marijuana Leaf: Graphic by Joseph Gorman Boy and Girl: Graphic by Shreya Gurumurthy Heart: Graphic by Nate King-Smith

THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 4

New improv comedy club adds to the many programs and activities at WHS NATE KING-SMITH staﬀ writer

WHS offers variety of interesting clubs and activities in which students can participate. One of these engaging clubs is the new Improv Comedy Club. Kristin Broda, English Department member, is the improv club’s adviser. She says that she was approached by a student, Noah McKee (11), last fall who wanted to start a comedy club in the school. Together, Broda and McKee proposed their idea of an improv club to Student Council and they voted in favor of the club’s formation. Grady Suggs (11) is a member of the improv club and believes

it is a great way to enhance your entertainment skills. “We mostly play games that involve enhancing your acting and improv skills as well as teamwork,” Suggs said. Broda says the club is a healthy outlet for students to build skills such as collaborating with others, trying new things, and building self confidence. Mckee also recognizes the way the club has helped others and himself develop. “We have definitely grown in our skill and maturity and have learned certain skills that we wouldn’t have discovered just on our own,” McKee said. This young club currently consists of roughly 20 people and they see one or two more

members every meeting. According to Broda, the club plans on hosting an improv olympics where other schools could come to compete in friendly competition in improv games. Apart from the improv olympics that Broda has in mind, McKee has his own objectives for getting the club more involved. “The club is only just starting. Eventually, we plan to do performances, skits, video skits, stand up, improv showings and, hopefully, reinstate the open mic night at the library,” McKee said. Improv club allows students to express themselves. Their next meeting is Jan. 15, 2015 in Broda’s room, C221.

Teen Institute posters explained TAYLOR BENNINGTON co-editor-in-chief

Flyers posted around WHS by the Wooster Teen Institute in regard to teen substance abuse has resulted in discussion amongst the student body. Miranda Miller, member of the WTI youth board, the governing body of WTI, exclaimed that the intent of the posters was to draw attention to red ribbon week that was slated to take place the following week. The majority of the posters posted around the school provided no citation of the source data, but Phyllis Jones, WTI adviser, provided the survey where most of the data was derived. Jones provided a survey conducted by Dr.Michael Vimont that was held in the WCSD in the 2012-2013 school year. Vimont’s survey analyzed 831 students in grades 10 and 12 at WHS.

The survey outlines abuse of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana at WHS, and concluded that 14.6 percent of students in grade 10 drink alcohol monthly, 9.4 percent smoke tobacco on a monthly basis and 12.9 percent smoke marijuana monthly. Vimont’s survey further concluded that 25 percent of seniors drink alcohol, 14 percent smoke tobacco and 22 percent smoke marijuana. Recent polling data, conducted by The Wooster Blade, suggests the usage of marijuana amongst students is higher than what is reported in Vimont’s survey, at 35 percent. Concerns have been raised by members of the WTI youth board that the flyers have not been received well by the student body. “I have heard no positive comments about the flyers,” Emma Lenart, youth board member, said. The controversy behind the flyers’ perception by the student body has raised some

concerns within the group as to how the decision was made to hang up the posters. “The decision to put the posters up was not a decision made by the youth board… previously posters were approved by the youth board before they were posted,” Liz Keller [12], youth board member said. But, in some cases negative attention can be better than no attention. “…all the talk about [the posters] shows that at least people pay attention to them even if they don’t believe [the facts]” Katie Mount [11], youth board said. Although there was some disagreement about the information on the flyers, The Wooster Teen Institute will continue to pursue their mission of promoting a healthy and happy lifestyle for all high school students by advocating for a drug, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other substance abuse prevention.

ON CAMPUS

WCSD moves to PARCC EMMA JEFFERIES staﬀ writer

With revised assessments, The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers testing will now be taken in place of the OAA and OGT. PARCC tests are computer based assessments for grades K-10 in the subjects of math, English and social studies. “These high quality computer based K-10 assessments give...better information as to whether students are on track in their learning and for success after high school,” according to parcconline.org. The PARCC testing system also states it will give timely information about students needs and those who are

falling behind. English Dept. member Sue Herman expresses her concerns about the new testing system. “I’m worried about the online component...I don’t think that is the way students want to work,” Herman said. Principal Tyler Keener explained the new PARCC testing will be more rigorous than the OAA and the OGT. “In the long run, I feel they will be more fair, the new testing can give a clearer picture of what growth will take place in a year,” Keener said. Keener adds that with the system being new, there are still questions, but the teachers at WHS provide great class instruction and preparation.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | ON CAMPUS | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 5

WHS Speech and Debate team achieves high honors DAVE BURNETT

staﬀ writer Of the dozens of extracurricular programs offered at WHS, the Speech and Debate team has enjoyed the highest levels of success over its 103 year history. The team has qualified to 64 national championship tournaments, which is more than any public or private high school in the nation, according to the National Speech and Debate Association’s website. This year’s team has reached a new level of success. Currently possessing 316 degrees, the team stands ranked at 25 in the nation. Head coach Bill Franck explains, “Students get points for competing at a high level, which cumulatively translates

to points and degrees. We’ve got 60 kids and over 300 degrees, averaging more than five degrees per student. That’s a great sign for our program, as these degrees grow exponentially harder to get as your career goes on.” Individuals are also bursting into the national rankings. These students include Alex Hasapis, ranked third in Prose Reading; Matt Friedhoff, third in Dramatic Interp; Zack Buchholz and Tom Myers, fourth in Duo Interp; and Alli Wigham and Drew Arbogast, ranked third and tenth in Oratorical Interp, respectively, according to the National Speech and Debate Association’s website. Frank expressed optimism for the team’s final three months of regular season competition.

WHS Speech and Debate Upcoming Competitions: -Sylvania Invitational Jan. 9-10 -Sharen B. Althoff Rotary Invitational Jan. 16-17 -State qualifying tournament Jan. 31 Franck said, “This team has a tremendous opportunity to represent the community well as we head down the home stretch of the season. The small local tournaments are coming to an end. There’s no easy tournaments left.” The team will attend its final tournament of 2014 at Highland on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20.

Students carol for elders MATT FRIEDHOFF staﬀ writer

The WHS Student Government is going caroling before winter break as an act of community service. David Burnett, WHS Student Body Vice President, explains that Student Government is going caroling at Glendora, a local nursing home. “This is a first for the Student Government here at Wooster, and it’s a tremendous opportunity to reach out to our senior citizens,” Burnett explains. Taylor Bennington, WHS Student Body President, explains why the Student Government chooses to partake in community service in general. “As a student government, it is so important that we try to give back to a community

that gives us so much. We’re so fortunate to have the support of the community here in Wooster, that many schools don’t have,” Bennington said. Tracy McElroy, Student Government Co-Adviser, explained that the Student Government normally rings bells for the Salvation Army, but notes that students decided to do something different this year. Bennington said the group wanted to go in a different direction with their annual holiday community service participation, stating, “We’re going out into the community now, going caroling as a group to show group unity and school unity, which is what we’ve been seeing all year.” Burnett hopes the caroling group will consist of about 10 to 15 people including faculty, administrators and members of the student body.

CORPORATE SPONSORS Thank you for your generous support!

Gold

Corporate

LuK USA

Baaron Inc. Bogner Construction Company Bryan M. Scott, DDS D+S Distribution, Inc. Dyer Hughes Roche, Inc. Franklin Gas and Oil McIntire, Bradham, and Sleek Reynolds Law Office Richard Law Office Seaman Corporation Spurgeon Chevorlet Wooster Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center

$2,000

$250

Blue $500

Metals USA Western Reserve Group

FOCUS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 6

Putting the pieces together: What was not in the news this year? In December 2014, City Square Steakhouse in downtown Wooster was named on OpenTable’s list of ‘Top According to an article written by Gemma Tarlach in Discover magazine, 100 Steakhouses in a new specimen of the dinosaur America.’ According to Spinosaurus aegyptiacus was discovered opentable.com, in Saharan Morocco, which conﬁrmed this list was at 50 feet long, was the largest land determined predator ever known, at least eight feet after reading longer than Tyrannosarus rex. Earlier millions this year, this dinosaur was discovered of reviews by a group of paleontologists to also be from verified the only aquatic dinosaur ever diners. identified, due to its powerful tail vertebrae, short leg and ﬂat feet.

The buildings formerly known as Wayne Elementary and Maurer Field were auctioned to private owners. After closing as an elementary school for WCS after the 20112012 school year, the building has since stored items owned by the district, while Maurer will now start being the home of WHS Lacrosse and Wooster Youth Instructional Football.

Joining Sedna and Pluto, the minor planet 2012 VP113 was discovered in March 2014 and is now considered a dwarf planet, according to nasa.gov. This planet now has the furthest known orbit in our solar system, beating previously discovered Sedna. An outlier of our solar system, 2012 VP113 suggests the existence of hundreds of other similar worlds in the distant solar system.

Blurbs written by Becca Foley and Mike O’Donnell

Call, Click or Come On In 3786 Burbank Rd., Suite 601 Wooster, OH 44691 330.345.5550 AAA.com/Give

LIMITED TIME OFFER Savings valid on new Memberships in Ohio Auto Club territory. Savings on Classic Memberships. Offer ends December 31, 2014. Memberships can be upgraded, standard fees apply. Offer not combinable with other discounts or offers.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | FOCUS | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 7

A look at our elementary school principals:

What is your favorite thing about working at your school? Eric Vizzo

Cornerstone Middle School “I believe in the power of education to make a diﬀerence in students and families for generations to come. Education helps to break the cycle of generational poverty and turn lives around... I look forward to the challenges of making these hopes a reality.”

Jodie Hughes

Melrose Elementary School

Quotes collected by Shiyuan Wang, photos by Casey Baik and Marcus Jeﬀries

“It is an amazing environment with super students, and has an awesome staﬀ that do what is best for students 100 percent of the time. I cannot imagine a better place to go to work everyday.”

Knapic brings a fresh look to WCSD CHLOE LANDERS feature editor

On Nov. 25, Dr. Michael Knapic was sworn into the Wooster Board of Education, taking Michael Steiner’s place. Being one of five members, Knapic is very eager to begin his journey on the Wooster BOE. According to Knapic, the primary goal in his application to the board was to get involved with the community through a service standpoint. Constant challenges are often thrown at schools, Knapic said, hoping that he could help meet the challenges of the changing laws and responsibly dealing with school program funding plans. “My main focus for our schools are to support our teachers and faculty in driving the students toward greater academic achievement in an environment that also encourages the development of well-rounded, respectful and productive members of our community. I believe we do that through our classroom efforts and through striving for excellence in all of our extracurricular programs as well,” Knapic said. The board reviewed 11 candidate applications and selected Knapic, Richard Leone, Director of Secondary Education, said. Being a well-respected member in the Wooster community is one example of why Leone believes Knapic will be a great addition to the BOE. “He [Knapic] has a dynamic personality that will engage all of our school stakeholders and possesses many positive attributes that will benefit our schools and students,” Knapic said. Dr. Michael Tefs, Superintendent of Wooster City Schools, agrees with Leone in that Knapic will bring good ideas and solutions to the Wooster City School District. Tefs finds Knapic to be a relatable member of the board because of his parental experience, which gives him more insight in how the district works. Tefs said that having a family history of BOE members made Knapic a valid and great candidate, as his father was a BOE president in Rittman and his sister a BOE member in Norwayne. “He has a terrific resume, both academically and professionally. His business acumen is also very impressive as well,” Tefs said. The next BOE meeting will be Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. in the WHS LGIR.

Dean Frank

Edgewood Elementary School

“We have a great group of teachers and staﬀ that make this a wonderful place to work.”

Kate Kandel

Kean Elementary School “I love to engage with the students and watch their excitement as they continue to grow as individuals, academically and socially. My entire staﬀ is dedicated to improving student outcomes and they work collaboratively daily. I enjoy the families, working with PTO and the Wooster Community.”

Sara Crooks

Parkview Elementary School “I enjoy working at Parkview because of the energy of the students and the dedication of the staﬀ. It is a positive and caring place to come to every day where the staﬀ and the students challenge each other to always do their best.”

Kaylee Early

Cornerstone Administrative Intern “The staﬀ and students are always doing such amazing things. Our Cornerstone community works very well together, always focusing on the success of our students.”

SPORTS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 8

Year in Review: Top 14 unforgettable sports moments of 2014

The King has returned from his pilgrimage to South Beach. LeBron’s coming home party has revitalized the entire city of the Cleveland. Sports Illustrated was the first to break the information, in an article titled, “I’m Coming Home,” written by both LeBron James and Lee Jenkins. LeBron has returned to his home and is after the one thing Cleveland wants the most: a championship. Germany’s road to glory was one of complete dominance. Winning six of seven games, and tying Ghana in the group stage, Germany was never phased during the competition. It was the combination of high quality players that overpowered every other team. Manuel Neuer won the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Mario Goetze scored the winning goal against Lionel Messi, and the Argentinian squad in the World Cup Final Game.

After a rough start to the season, the Wooster Generals football team battled its way to their first playoff win since 1986. The team’s key win, which secured their playoff berth, was against West Holmes, by a score of 35-28. Led by Marquise Blair (12), Wooster beat Hamilton Township 35-21. Blair, Syracuse commit, scored all 5 five touchdowns.

After winning the Big Ten Championship game 59-0, The Ohio State football team was ranked fourth in the college football playoff poll. This ranking placed Ohio State in the first annual college football playoff where they will face the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Both the boys’ and girls’ swimming teams at WHS had very successful seasons this past year. The boys’ team won the OCC tournament and sent five swimmers to the state tournament, while the girls team won the OCC tournament and sent five swimmers to the state tournament. Jeff DeHaan, boys coach, and Chris Matthew, girls coach, both won the OCC Coach of the Year awards. Matt Dyer (11) and Gabrielle Sibilia (12) both won the OCC swimmer of the year.

Over the past few months, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has swept across social media. However, most do not know the origin of the challenge. ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi broke the story of Pete Frates, former Boston College baseball player, who started the ALS Challenge after being diagnosed with the disease. Frates challenged Boston Red Sox players, which led to the growth of the challenge. According to International Business Times, the ALS Challenge has raised over $100 million.

Mount St. Joseph freshman, Lauren Hill, played 47 seconds in her team’s season-opener, but she fulfilled her dream of playing college basketball. Hill was diagnosed with brain cancer in September and was told she has only months to live. Mount St. Joseph moved up the game against Hiram, so Hill could play and score in her first college basketball game. Hill has been all over the media, receiving compliments from famous celebrities like, LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

R i c h a r d Sherman and the Seattle Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII by a score of 38-3. The Seahawks won all three parts of the game, by scoring a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams. Going into the game, most critics thought the game would be close because Denver had the number one offense, and Seattle had the number one defense.

10.

The end of the BCS era ended just as it began, with Florida State winning the National Championship Game. Led by controversial quarterback, Jameis Winston, the Seminoles went undefeated, blowing most teams out of the water. Winston, Heisman winner, led a gamewinning drive in the last minute of the fourth quarter to beat the Auburn Tigers 34-31. The ending of the BCS era has brought on the college playoff. The four team playoff will be selected by a 13 person committee. The inaugural playoff consists of the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Oregon Ducks, the Florida State Seminoles and The Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State plays Alabama and Florida State plays Oregon on Jan. 1. The championship game is on Jan. 6.

12.

In a rematch of the 2013 NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs dominated the Miami Heat en route to avenging their 2013 loss. The Spurs showcased their depth throughout the entire series. The Spurs won the series 4-1, and Kawhi Leonard was named Finals MVP. This loss was LeBron’s and the Miami Heat’s second loss in the finals in the past four years. The Spur’s age did not slow them down Derek Jeter played 20 as they were able to easily seasons for the New York handle the younger Heat K e v i n Yankees before announcing team. W h i t e he would retire at the end of ran in The San the Ohio the 2014 MLB season. Jeter won five World Francisco State Cross Country Series with the Yankees and became part of Giants Championship in the 3,000 hit club. The Captain hit a walkwon a November to cap off a off single in his last home game at Yankee dramatic and competitive distinguished running Stadium. World Series in October. career. White placed 18 and won All-Ohio honors for the second year The series went to game in a row. This past April, White qualified to the state tournament seven after impressive in the 800m run. White finished in third place and thus became an offense from the Kansas all Ohio runner. White’s success was not limited to solely running. City Royals and equally White as an alternate to the state tournament for the boys swim team impressive pitching in the 4X100 meter freestyle relay. Kevin also helped secure the OCC from World Series MVP tournament for the boys team. Kevin plans to run both cross country Madison Bumgarner. and track for Loyola University after high school. Bumgarner came on for the Giants as a reliever in game seven and led Blurbs compiled by Eric Belcik and Luke Wiest. them to a 3-2 victory and their third World Series in five years. Considering the Royals had not been to the World Series since 1986, the fans of Kansas City were proud of their team’s success.

11.

Thank You, East of Chicago Pizza, for generously providing our work night meal.

13.

14.

T h e Wooster b o y s ’ soccer team beat Wadsworth for the first time in history in October. The boys won 1-0 with a goal in the second half and shutout the Wadsworth Grizzlies. The soccer team previously played Wadsworth for over 15 years without a win.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | SPORTS | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 9

Athletes face challenges transitioning between sports BRI BOCOOK trends editor

Many students are two sport athletes who transition from fall to winter sports. Students can see this transition as beneficial, but it can also have its detriments. Aaron Saal (12) makes his transition from football to wrestling and says the hardest part about the transition is getting used to practicing for a different sport. “Transitioning from one sport to the next is difficult because you are so used to the practice schedule of one sport and then the next week you have to change for the other sport,” Saal said. Saal believes the quick transition is beneficial

CAIN LANKER AND ALEX HASAPIS

Tyson Jackson (12) transitioned from football this fall to the ongoing season of basketball. Jackson was an All-Ohio special mention in football. because it keeps him active and healthy and prevents him from being lazy.

Skylar Clapp (10) said she agrees with Saal about the benefits of transitioning, as

“I think the main challenge from going to basketball from football is the fact that it’s hard to shoot since we haven’t played basketball in a while.”

- Peyton Bennington (10) “I try not to take much of a break, so right when volleyball ends, I join the girls who don’t play a fall sport with off-season workouts.”

- Erin Daugherty (11)

“Well actually, the physical aspect of the transition is much easier when you are coming from another sport. You are already conditioned, although it does take a little time to get into a basketball pace as its played much faster than football.”

- Armand Rutter (10)

she transitions from soccer to basketball. She loves being active and it helps her stay in shape, something she enjoys, but there are downfalls to the transition. “It’s beneficial because you are always doing something and staying in shape, but it is also not beneficial because you never have spare time for yourself or school work,” Clapp said. A detriment to the system of transitioning for Marisa Zerrer (9), a volleyball to basketball athlete, is the differences between the sports she plays. “I am so used to playing volleyball and then I have to go to basketball, to completely different sports, along with their practices. It is also hard because

you go from one coach to another and their ways of doing things could be very different,” Zerrer said. Another downfall of the quick transition from volleyball to basketball is getting used to the sport and being able to fit in with other girls that are focused on just that sport. Zerrer does not let these downfalls stop her, though as she does enjoy being active. “It keeps me in shape and on my toes for half of the year and gives me something to do that I am actually passionate about, instead of just not doing anything,” Zerrer said. All three athletes say the transition may be hard, but the best part is being a part of the team and having fun.

THE WOOSTER BLADE | COVER | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 10

MemorableMoments of2014 MICHAEL BROWN KILLED IN FERGUSON, MO. LEADS TO PROTESTS

MO’NE DAVIS THROWS COMPLETE GAME SHUT OUT IN LITTLE LEAGUE WORLD SERIES

AUG. 9

AUG. 15

U2 DISTRIBUTES FREE ALBUM TO APPLE CONSUMERS NOV. 13 SEPT. 9

ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE TAKES SOCIAL MEDIA BY STORM

ROSETTA MISSON LANDS ON COMET NOV. 12

KIM KARDASHIAN PAPER MAGAZINE COVER

DEC. 15

ISLAMIC GUNMAN HOLDS SYDNEY SIEGE HOSTAGE SITUATION

ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER OPENS NOV. 3

JULY 17

#BREAKTHEINTERNET

TONIGHT WITH JIMMY FALON PREMIERES FEB. 17

SEPT. 18

SCOTLAND HOLDS INDEPENDENCE VOTE

CURE FOR HEPATITIS C FOUND

2015

CHURCH OF ENGLAND ALLOWS WOMEN TO BECOME BISHOPS NOV. 17

OCT. 11

CLEVELAND. OH KILLED AFTER PULLING TOY GUN ON POLICE

EMMA WATSON GIVES UN ‘HE FOR SHE’ SPEECH

FEB. 19

SEPT. 21 SEPT. 26 APRIL 8

LUIS SUAREZ BITE INCIDENT AT THE WORLD CUP

CLAUDE MONET’S WATER LILLIES SOLD FOR $54 MILLION

OCT. 10

MALALA YOUSAFZAI WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

JUNE 24

“GANGNAM STYLE” REACHES 2 BILLION VIEWS

43 MEXICO STUDENTS GO MISSING MAY 30

ELLEN’S OSCAR SELFIE

NIGERIAN SCHOOL GIRLS ABDUCTED, PROMPTS #BRINGBACKOURGIRLS

ERIC GARNER SUFFERS CHOKEHOLD, DIES, AFTER CONFRONTATION WITH NY POLICE

JUNE 24

NOV. 22 TAMIR RICE,

FACEBOOK BUYS ‘WHAT’S APP’

AUG. 6

WRECKAGE OF SANTA MARIA CLAIMED TO BE FOUND OFF COAST OF HAITI APRIL 14

MAY 1

Facts compiled by Samantha Brunn

CASE

Y BAI

THE WOOSTER BLADE | COVER | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 11

JANUARY Governor John Kasich adds additional calamity days (Photo by Becca Foley) FEBRUARY Winter Olympics begin in Sochi (Photo fair use: Atos via Flickr)

A YEAR IN PHOTOS

MARCH Malaysian Airlines flight disappears (Photo fair use: Glenn Beltz via Flickr) APRIL WHS band performs at Fenway Park in Boston (Photo by Fred Holmes) MAY Follis Field turf construction begins (Photo by Austin Miko) JUNE Principal Anita Jorney-Gifford ends tenure at WHS (Photo by Joseph Gorman) JULY LeBron James returns to Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo fair use: Keith Allison via Flickr) AUGUST Police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson sparks protests (Photo courtesy of Sid Hastings) SEPTEMBER CDC confirms first case of Ebola in US (Photo fair use: NIAID via Flickr) OCTOBER Wooster defeats West Holmes to secure playoff spot (Photo by Han Mahle) NOVEMBER WCSD closes for a day due to a district threat (Photo by Alex Hasapis) DECEMBER Pep band returns to WHS (Photo by Grant Peabody) Compiled by Mary Grace Gorman

FEATURE

THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 12

CRAZES OF 2014

Fault in our Stars- Over the summer, people, especially teens, crazed over the new movie based off a John Green book. Yik Yak- This anonymous confession app became extremely popular on most college campuses. There is much controversy surrounding the anonymity of the app. ALS Ice bucket challenge- Most Facebook feeds became bombarded with celebrities, students and the general public dumping ice over themselves. According to Forbes, overall, the challenge raised $100 million for research on the disease. Malaysian Airlines- When the plane went missing in March, news stations were constantly covering the stories attempting to keep the public informed with what little they knew. The plane was never found, but officials around the world are still searching for clues. Ebola outbreak- Around November, the world became terrified of the deadly disease. When the first case was diagnosed in Texas, the United States went into a panic. Flappy bird-- According to cnet.com, the game was downloaded over 50 million times. Creator, Dong Nguyen, soon pulled the addicting game from the app store causing a flappy bird craze. The World Cup- During the summer, the world watched and cheered for their favorite team. In the end, Germany went home with their fourth World Cup title.

Frozen- People of all ages loved the Disney movie, especially characters Elsa and Olaf. The film made over $1 billion at the worldwide box office and won two Academy Awards.

Photos courtesy of fair use: penguin.com, yikyakapp.com, Grant Peabody, shutterstock. com, imdb.com, pixabay.com, GEARS Studios, ﬂickr.com

The good, the bad and the ugly: a few of the short-lived obsessions from a year ﬁlled with ﬂeeting passions.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 13

HEARD

“I’m gonna love ya, I’m gonna love ya, gonna love ya, gonna love ya, like a fox with a baby.” -Theo Crawford (10)

“Got a list of Starbucks lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane.” -Anna Fash (12)

“Got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane.” -Taylor Swift

REAL

“I worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies.” -Hozier

“I’m gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier. I’m gonna live like tomorrow doesn’t exist. Like it doesn’t exist.” -Sia

HEARD

“I worship like a dog on a Saturday Night.” -Nikeya Hunt (10)

“I’m gonna swing from the chandelier, from the chandelier. I’m gonna live like tomorrow dozen éclairs. Like a dozen éclairs.” -Andrew Savage (10)

REAL

“I’m gonna love ya, I’m gonna love ya, gonna love ya, gonna love ya, Like a black widow baby” -Iggy Azalea

HEARD

Students sing out their misheard lyrics of the year

Quotes compiled by Tatumn McGrew. Photos courtesy of fair use from ﬂickr.com

Year in review: the best of pop culture during 2014 BOOKS ACTORS ALBUMS In the Lonely Hour - Sam Smith

Yes Please - Amy Poehler

Matthew McConaughey - Interstellar

Hozier - Hozier

Hope to Die - James Patterson

Rosamund Pike - Gone Girl

1989 - Taylor Swift

One More Thing - B.J. Novak

Ansel Elgort - Fault in Our Stars

Ghost Stories - Coldplay

The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd

Chris Pratt- Guardians of the Galaxy

X - Ed Sheeran

We Were Liars - E. Lockheart

Melissa McCarthy - Tammy

Lazaretto - Jack White

All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr

Shailene Woodley - Divergent

Sonic Highway - Foo Fighters

Flash Street Boys - Michael Lewis

Steve Carrell - Foxcatcher

V - Maroon 5

What I Know for Sure - Oprah Winfrey

Jeﬀ Daniels - The Newsroom

TRENDS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 14

#Ebola

#KingofComedy

#ICantBreathe

#Malala

#FreeOurGirls

#ISIS

#HeForShe

#WhereAreThey

#BlackOutBlackFriday

A year in review: popular and powerful hashtags from the year 2014 Remember when your parents could make everything better?

Auto | Home | Farm | Business

Yeah, we’re like that.

Photos courtesy of fair use: Ron Henry, fuseboxradio, World Bank Photo Collection, Stephen Melkisethian, Pieter van Marion, UN Women, A Jones, UDFID, ﬂickr.com. Hashtags compiled by: Steﬁ Hernandez and Paige Clayton

We know that sometimes things happen that are too big for you to handle on your own. With Western Reserve Group’s home and auto coverage, you can rest easy that we’ll make things better again. Contact your local Western Reserve Group agent today. 800.362.0426 | www.wrg-ins.com

VIEWS

THE WOOSTER BLADE | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 15

Frigid incidents

Fair use: Creative Commons.org Flickr

HeForShe campaign

120

Emma Watson delivered an empowering speech that received a standing ovation at the UN to launch the UN’s new campaign “HeForShe,” which is meant to raise awareness for gender equality by having men publicly express their support for it. According to vanityfair.com, Watson’s other hopes for the campaign are to dissipate the hate for the word “feminism” which is now often associated with women whose beliefs are seen to be too strong, anti-men, unattractive or too aggressive.

Oct. 10

Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize along with Kailash Satyarthi. “Ms. Yousafzai said she was there to stand up for the rights of forgotten and frightened children, and raise their voice rather than pity them” bbc. com said. Yousafzai, who is only 17, was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 for campaigning for girls’ education. After being in a coma, Yousafzai, who now resides in England, announced that she would continue to advocate for women’s rights.

Year ends with potential for changes

HAN MAHLE graphics editor

March 22

Broiling events

100

Sept. 18

Nobel Prize

Fair use: Creative Commons.org Flickr

As 2014 comes to a close, it is important to take time to reflect upon and remember the defining events that impacted communities in Wayne County and Northeast Ohio. From school safety concerns and improvements in the Wooster City School district to the protests and unrest following the fatal shootings of Tamir Rice, in Cleveland, and Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Mo., the Wooster community has faced a wide range of serious social and cultural issues. A renewed focus on school pride and an improvement in athletic and academic facilities have started off the new tenure of principal Tyler Keener on a positive note.

Guinea confirmed that the deadly disease Ebola killed 59 of their people. These deaths sparked a worldwide scare that the disease, with no known cure, would wipe out chunks of the world’s population. According to cdc.gov, since the initial outbreak in Africa, Guinea has lost 1,428 people, with Liberia and Sierra Leone following close behind in second and third place for most deaths. The total deaths now total at 6,373 people with nearly 12,000 laboratory confirmed cases.

Ebola in West Africa

However, recent threats to school safety have shown the necessity for increased security procedures throughout the Wooster City School District. In 2015, new security measures must be implemented and existing procedures improves to ensure the maximum safety for students. There must be more effort put toward identifying individuals buzzing in at the main doors. Too often are visitors allowed in without a confirmation of their identity. Moreover, the main doors are open during fifth period lunches, posing a security risk. In the next year, the administration should take into account student and community input to ensure transparency and accountability in the formation of new security procedures. This year will also be remembered as a year of great activism and outspoken protest. The events and unrest from Ferguson, Mo., also found their way close to home with the tragic death of Tamir Rice, a 12-year old boy killed by a Cleveland police officer while holding a toy gun. His death, along with the

death of Eric Garner, who died while being arrested by New York Police Department officers, sparked a nationwide protest movement against police violence and racial injustice. The hashtag #ICantBreathe has become both a motto and rallying cry for protesters around the nation, and references the words Eric Garner yelled while being restrained by police officers. These events exemplify the shift in public awareness and action in 2014 that should continue into the new year. The massive growth of social media has connected people across borders and beliefs like never before, making possible much of the spirited protest and activism we saw this year. The more connected world brings exciting possibilities for meaningful social change around the world. In order for change to occur, the open public forum should not be infringed upon or censored. Students should not be afraid to voice their opinions on social media and publicly and should take action to support the causes they feel passionate about.

A 12-year-old boy was shot by Cleveland police officers after dispatch received a call that a “man” had a gun at the park that was “probably fake.” The officers were only 10 feet away when they fired at Tamir Rice, who reached for his toy gun when they asked him to put his hands up. According to rt.com, an investigation is being conducted whether the officer used excessive force unjustifiably.

Nov. 24

Cleveland shooting

THE WOOSTER BLADE | VIEWS | DEC. 19, 2014 | PAGE 16

A District in Review: A look back on the changes seen in the Wooster City School District this past semester

s the year comes to an end, The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes it is time to reflect on 2014. First, we will start with the school district’s decision to hire Tyler Keener as the Wooster High School principal. Keener has provided a fresh look to leadership at WHS. As part of this new wave, students are now are able to listen daily announcements that have taken a two year hiatus, mass communication through phone blasts and a social media presence that had not existed before his tenure. The new campaign for school spirit has also been advanced with the help of Keener. The Wooster Blade Editorial Board applauds the leadership of the WHS Student Government for their relentless efforts to change the culture of WHS. Increased pep rallies, the naming of the student section, opening of The General Store, and an increased presence in student leadership that the student government

has fostered this year is commendable. However, The Wooster Blade Editorial Board also recognizes that mistakes have been made along the way. We believe that students should not have been forced to participate in the lip dub video that was filmed in October, and the spirit weeks around the time of football team’s victory streak were slightly redundant. But, we believe these problems have been resolved. Next, we would like to once again commend Dr.Michael Tefs, Chief of Police Matthew Fisher and Keener for their leadership during the threat scenario that happened in November. We are reassured with the idea that students do truly come first in our district, at least in some cases. Along with the day off school we had in November due to the threat scenario, we have now exhausted half of our calamity days the district has given us. Earlier this year, the Ohio legislature switched the school calendar from days to hours, and as a result many districts

ALEX HASAPIS

Students ﬁll the hallways at Wooster High School after one of the four lunches during the school day. A fourth lunch was added several years ago to accommodate the eighth graders who were incorporated into the high school. across increased the amount of calamity days offered in order to keep costs low and students safe; WCSD did the opposite. The Wooster Blade Editorial Board believes the decision to reduce the number of calamity

days from five to two is an unwarranted decision made by the district administration in an effort to promote their campaign of “world class academic achievement”. But, let us make something very clear: there is

nothing world class about the “education” that takes on the make up days. Regardless of the calamity days, we still find hope and are optimistic about the positive culture change taking place.

New bussing policy fosters questions for WHS faculty member

CHARLES CERNIGLIA guest columnist

In order to alleviate a recurring shortage of drivers during the busy fall and spring athletic seasons, Wooster City Schools is

currently in the process of transitioning from a threetiered to a two-tiered bussing system. This transition has necessitated a revision of the high school schedule, shifting the start and end times later in the day to bring them more in line with those at the middle and elementary schools. During this revision, several other key goals will be addressed. One such goal will be to sync the eighth grade class times with the high school class times, allowing the building to function on a single bell schedule. A single building

schedule will require four lunch periods, where there currently exists three. This change will also provide every student with study hall/intervention time, provide additional time for lower performing students, allow AP science classes to be taught in a single period and will equalize the lunches. There are two important constraints with which this new schedule must comply. First, the contractual teacher workday is seven and one half hours. Secondly, the Ohio Improvement Process has requirements for Teacher Based Teams. Maintaining

the required time for TBTs in the morning, while extending the student day by adding a fourth lunch, and respecting the mutually agreed upon contract, has pushed the end of the student school day much closer to the end of the teacher workday. This shortened window of time between the ends of the teacher and student days has raised two additional obstacles. First, the halls must be monitored after the ﬁnal bell sounds. Secondly, and more importantly, the addition of dozens of teachers’ cars with a new pattern of traﬃc could

prove dangerous to walkers and student drivers, as well as cause additional traffic congestion. Mr. Keener and our administrative team have led an open and collaborative process, seeking input, making improvements and alleviating problems where they exist. While no schedule has officially been selected and further revisions may be needed, great progress has been made, and I am highly optimistic that what results will achieve our educational goals, fulfill our legal obligations and provide for the safety of our students.