The Wooster Blade, Volume MMXXIII, Issue 8

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Response systems in the brain control feelings of love

OLIVIA HINER co-editor-in-chief

Valentine’s Day is known as being a day for love, but what many may fail to realize is how neurological love actually is.

The age-old question “Is love real?” is a debated topic. To answer this, Amy Jo Stavnezer, professor of neurobiology at The College of Wooster said: “...Technically you are nothing but the combination of chemical and electrical reactions in our brain, but that doesn’t mean that your life, emotions, feelings, perceptions, memories, etc. aren’t real – it just means they are created by your brain. So, yes, in the end, love is the result of many, many chemical and electrical reactions in many, many regions of your brain, and love is a real emotional and physical phenomenon… There are brain areas that become more active when being measured in a brain scanner when we look at the faces of people that we love – that’s real, and it is brain activity.”

When looking at love itself, there are many different forms or definitions.

When looking romantically, Stavnezer discussed that one feels a higher stress response, lower serotonin levels and higher oxytocin levels. Oxytocin is known

as, “the love hormone,” and according to a health.harvard.edu article from July 20, 2021, it’s a,

“hormone that’s produced in the hypothalamus and released into the bloodstream by the pituitary

gland. Its main function is to facilitate childbirth, which is one of the reasons it is called the ‘love drug’ or love hormone.”

Along with these levels, Stavnezer discusses how love activates stress response systems. Stavnezer states that, “that’s in part why we feel nervous and anxious at the start of a relationship. Our stress responses are driven by 2 main systems –the autonomic nervous system which uses norepinephrine, as its main chemical signal, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) that leads to the release of cortisol. These systems tend to be more active early in love, in the falling in love phase.”

Not only are there effects in the brain, but love leads to other benefits as well.

Melanie Vinion, IB science teacher, lists that the benefits of love include decreased risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure and improved immune health.

When looking biologically, Vinion said that love is a neurochemical event. She states, “Love begins in the womb, literally shapes our brains, and determines how we think, feel and act throughout life…”

So, the answer to “is love real?” can actually be answered when looking at the response systems within the brain.

WHS reinstates allowing underclassman at Prom

BRITTANY WACHTEL co-editor-in-chief

WHS principal Scott Musser recently made changes to the Prom policy.

With these new changes, freshman and sophomore students will now be permitted to go to Prom if invited by a junior or senior student.

Musser said that what prompted this decision was a student coming to him and asking why underclassmen were not allowed to do so in the past. , “... we weren’t really sure of the origin of the rules to why they (underclassmen) weren’t allowed… we looked at other schools and they allow that… so we said sure.”

For Post-Prom, underclassmen will also be allowed to participate. Musser says that “If we have any issues with an individual, we will just ask them to leave.”

As for those who may be apprehensive about the new policy, Musser explains, “... still not everyone can go, you still have to be invited by an upperclassman…

Ultimately, I think juniors and seniors are still going to go with people that they want to go with… and I think that regardless, I want all the students to have a really good time at Prom, and if that means that they want to take a date from ninth or tenth grade… then I think it’s okay.” Prom will be held May 13.

Celebrating Palentines Day Media affects ideas of love

MOLLY BYRNE staff writer

From when we were young elementary students through our time as high school students, we have all celebrated Valentine’s Day, where people celebrate the feeling of love for their loved ones. For some people, this is a Hallmark card holiday, while others celebrate with gifts or candy. This is the traditional sentiment for Valentine’s Day; however, it is not always the same for everyone. Many choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day by celebrating love for their friends or parents on this day instead of a spouse or partner.

According to Google, “Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. In honor of one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, through later folk traditions, has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world.”

Based on Google’s definition, Valentine’s Day is meant to be spent with loved ones, regardless of the relationship.

It is a day of celebration for the love that one has in their life from anyone.

According to an article by Brittany Bromberg, published in the Odyssey on Oct. 05, 2016, commonly, there is a stigma attached to this holiday that if one isn’t in a romantic relationship, they are unable to celebrate or look pathetic for celebrating without a spouse. However, while traditionally, many spend Feb. 14 with their spouse or significant other, for others, it is a normal day, no celebration or gifts or fancy dinner. Others may want to recognize their families, friends, coworkers, etc. for the support and love they show throughout the year.

Valentine’s Day does not have to be a day that is centered on getting a gift or going to a fancy dinner or scrambling to find a date; instead it may look as simple as a text message telling someone that you love them.

LILY CAMPBELL-LEHTINEN staff writer

According to Google, love is defined as, “a feeling of deep affection for someone.”

However, the real definition of love is under debate due to influence of movies and books that attempt to define for us what love should be.

Mount Elizabeth Hospitals states that “the initial happy feelings of being in love is stimulated by three chemicals in the brain: noradrenaline, which makes our heart race, dopamine aka: the feel good chemical, and phenylethylamine that is released when we are near our crush.” These chemicals are the main reason why people are attracted to one another.

According to Identity, a fashion and lifestyle magazine, books and movies also portray love in an unrealistic way. “Books and movies romanticize the pain associated with loving someone, making us feel like love is painful and that we should carry on with the relationship. But love and pain

are two different feelings that have nothing to do with one another. Love is painful sometimes, but it should never be painful all the time,” stated Identity Identity also mentions how, “You shouldn’t make your relationship with your partner the only important thing in your life. You have to allocate time for your career, health, solitude, and your family and friends too.”

STMU Research Scholars also states that young people, in particular, are more affected by movie and film portrayals of love than older generations. “Younger audiences tend to be influenced by romance portrayed in movies, as most of them haven’t had the time to form genuine relationships. They tend to idealize certain relationships and use romance in films and television shows as sort of a guide for how they should live their lives or what choices they should make.”

STMU also notes that younger generations are more vulnerable to being influenced by media and this affects their ability to comprehend what love should look like.

WCS district updates Master Plan

BEN STAVNEZER

feature editor

The WCS Facilities Master Plan will transition buildings to an approach more in line with the grade levels of their students. This is according to the members of the planning committee and district staff, to ensure equity is upheld in each student’s learning environment and consistent instruction.

Phase 1 of the plan will include constructing a new grades six to eight middle school, as well as a football and soccer field and a track for the middle school on the high school campus and a new PreKindergarten through second grade elementary school at Cornerstone’s location.

According to the architecture firm GDP Group’s study, Cornerstone’s educational adequacy has been determined to be lacking when compared to the adequacy that could be provided in a newly constructed building as well as no secure entrance in the building for safe clearance of visitors before entering the building.

Elaborating on Cornerstone’s reconstruction, WCS Superintendent Gabe Tudor says that “We are keeping the preschool, gymnasium, and portions of the front facade if feasible.”

Phase 2 of the Master Plan will include constructing a new grades three to five elementary school and renovating the existing high school.

Tudor says the timeline should

begin with the new middle school. “If the levy passes, the middle school would likely open in the fall of 2026. Unless we are able to build both schools at the same time, Cornerstone will be constructed after the middle school and would open in the fall of 2028.”

WCSD intends to place a 6.7 mil bond issue on the May 2023 ballot to fund the construction of new facilities and renovation of existing facilities as outlined in the master plan. This plan aims to benefit Wooster’s students with the district’s highquality instruction and services, estimating that over the next five years there will be a potential increase of 800 additional students in the district.

Furlong steps down as Director of Technology within WCS district

GRACE KOSTOHRYZ staff

For the past 12 years, Director of Technology, Rebecca Furlong, has collaborated with teachers, administrators and members of the Technology Dept.

At the Wooster Board of Education meeting on Jan. 24, Furlong’s resignation was accepted, effective Feb. 21.

Before becoming the Director of Technology, Furlong, who has worked in the WCS district for 22 years, taught math to eighth graders at Edgewood.

Working in one place for 22 years means there will be many experiences associated with the job. For Furlong, she notes the many positives experienced while working for WCS. “Staff, students and the Wooster Community are never satisfied with ‘average’; they are always looking to address challenges head on and use experiences and knowledge to do better every day. This mindset helps drive my motivation to do the same,” Furlong said.

It is important for the Technology Dept. to work closely with the rest of the district since technology

is used every day. “Our school board, administration and staff have always been willing to embrace change in technology over the years and have supported many big projects,” Furlong said. One of the most recent changes for the district has been going one-toone with Chromebooks.

Furlong also notes the amount of drastic technological improvements in the last 20 years. “When I started as Director of Technology in 2009, there was no wireless internet access in the buildings, about 350 computers for students to share, no smart boards or document cameras, projectors sat on teachers’ desks, and Google Workspace didn’t exist

Advanced Theater class earns superior rating

TRISTAN MILLER staff writer

Recently, the Wayne County One Act Play Festival took place at Waynedale High School, where seven schools from around Wayne county performed.

Waynedale has hosted this event for more than 40 years, which includes groups from each of the high schools who perform a theater piece of their choice for the audience at the event.

yet,” Furlong said. Going forward, Furlong will be the Operations Manager at Tri-County Computer Services Association (TCCSA). “This is the agency that provides Internet, phones and software, like ProgressBook, to schools in Ashland, Wayne and Holmes County,” Furlong said.

According to Gabe Tudor, Superintendent of Wooster City Schools, “Mrs. Furlong is an outstanding leader and an even better person. We will miss her dearly, but are thankful for how well she has led her department and that we will still be able to work with her in her new role at TCCSA,” Tudor said.

This year, the group of students from WHS, students from Kristin Broda’s Advanced Theater class, performed 10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse, which is a comedy piece about surviving zombies, as the name suggests.

The group received the highest rating possible, a superior rating, for their act.

Wooster actor and Drama Club President, Caleb Singer-Holden (12), was also named to the All County Cast for the second year in a row for his acting in this piece.

In looking at this experience, Singer-Holden, notes that in the two years that he has been able to compete at this festival, he sees it as a beneficial experience.

“It is a great opportunity for students to watch people just like them perform. It is not often that we get to see other teenagers perform, especially teens who like to perform the same things that we like to do,” Singer-Holden said. This festival is a non-competitive place for young actors to perform and show their talents. Dalton Drama Club director Robin EvansDelCiappo stated, in an article for Dalton Kidron news on Jan 22, “The students take away how all aspects of their work, from crew work to acting techniques, will be analyzed and evaluated by adjudicators.”The festival uses judges to rate each piece performed and rates actors’ talents.

This year multiple notable individuals adjudicated, including Brian Chandler, who is an associate professor of theater arts at the University of Akron. While there is no named winner of the One Act play festival each team still receives an individual score.

The Wayne County One Act Play Festival showed off the talents of actors from schools all around Wayne County on Jan. 24 and finished another year of this annual tradition.

Photo fair use courtesy of woostercityschools.org

writer

Photo courtesey of CJ Furlong

WHS students in the Advanced Theater class, Ashton Schamp, Stella Powers, Lavender Drager, and Haakon Moninger perform 10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse for students in the PAC on Feb. 1.

WCS Director of Technology Rebecca Furlong on a visit to Yale University.

O’Huddle offers support, service and mentorship

Two WHS divers, McConnell and Frantz,

CALEB KOSTOHRYZ staff writer

Owen McConnell (12) and Colleen Frantz (10) are the two standout divers for the WHS swimming and diving team, having both experienced recent success at the OCC and NEAC championships.

place at NEAC’s and second place at OCC’s, and as a sophomore, she earned first place at NEAC’s and OCC’s and was named OCC diver of the year.

MATTIE DUNLAP cover editor

OHuddle is a nonprofit organization that provides a school-based mentorship program that currently serves 16 school buildings in eight districts.

According to their website, OHuddle currently has around 300 volunteer mentors who have aided 573 youth through OHuddle’s three services: youth group, mentorship and service coordination.

OHuddle’s mission, according to their website, is to, “awaken youth to their unique value through hope filled relationships and one to one mentorships”

Sarah Reith, executive director of OHuddle, explains the concept of OHuddle.

“OHuddle provides service coordination to find resources around each student's sparks of interest. Every leader who has made an impact on the world has had a mentor in their life. We are grateful to have more than 300 volunteers dedicate time to make sure that students in our community have many opportunities and resources to engage their talents,” Reith said.

Tessa Dalessandro, a third year WHS site coordinator, explains the importance of OHuddle in the community.

“By using 40 Developmental As-

sets…students are challenged to think outside the box, set goals and work toward them, try new things, take inventory of their choices, friend groups, adult role models, decision making and how they spend their free time…The impact [of OHuddle] is immeasurable,” Dalessandro said.

OHuddle also supports youth in the community in ways other than mentorship. Just this past weekend, on Jan. 21, OHuddle hosted its second annual Prom Boutique. The Prom Boutique, which sold gently used gowns to youth, brought in nearly 500 people where 80% of the families bought at least one dress according to Erica Owolabi, the Triway High School OHuddle site coordinator.

Owolabi attended OHuddle’s Prom Boutique and explained the impact of the boutique on the community.

“Prom dress shopping is such a monumental experience, but dresses are expensive. Our event allows every student an opportunity to shop for their perfect dress without the huge cost that typically comes with it,” Owolabi said.

On Feb. 25, OHuddle will be hosting their next event, the fifth annual Golden Circle Speaker Dinner, which will serve as a fundraiser for OHuddle’s mentorship service. In-person and virtual attendance tickets can be bought online on the OHuddle website.

Scheduling advice: Students offer guidance

as hard as some make it,” Gireesh said.

Scheduling for classes is often a difficult time for students.

Deciding what classes to take is a hard process. With students receiving scheduling information on February 8th there will most likely be lots of questions being asked. Some advice can go a long way in helping students.

Ishaan Gireesh (12) said that one of his major recommendations in selecting courses is to take fun classes with friends, saying, “Scheduling with friends, you won’t have fun in a class if you don’t know anybody, which will hurt your motivation in the class.” Also, Gireesh recommends that students take CCP and AP classes.

If you’re planning to go to a state school CCP is the way to go, AP if you’re going out of state, AP is not

An issue some students also face is with balancing home and school life .w “Usually do what you think is best/what you can handle,”

Gireesh said.

Few students also take into account planning ahead when it comes to scheduling. Cheryl Goff, WHS guidance counselor, said that students never think of their freshman year as important. “I let them know it is very important, it is the foundation you build upon… This is when your Grade Point Average (GPA) usually begins,” Goff said.

Goff recommends going to counselors with any help they may need ”[Students]can send their counselor a ‘request to see the counselor’ or stop by the guidance office with a pass,” Giff said.

Scheduling can be a headache, however with some help it does not have to be that way.

As a freshman, Frantz started competing as a swimmer, but decided to dive this year. “I decided to switch from swimming to diving because I had a better opportunity to make it farther in diving, and having to miss practices with both sports wouldn't allow me to get better with either one,” Frantz said. As a freshman, Frantz earned first

Diving is as much, if not more, mental than it is physical. “Every diver has mental blocks that set you back, so you have to tell yourself that you will do it, or you’re going to be stuck on it for a while,” Frantz said.

McConnell started diving when his gymnastics practice got canceled due to weather and he went to a diving practice. By the end of the practice, he had six dives and was signed up for OCC’s which was in three days.

McConnell is also a gymnast,

which encompasses skills that carry over well to diving. “Being a gymnast helps me so much in diving… doing the crazy skills I do at gymnastics has given me insane air awareness and I’m fully aware of my body and surroundings…,” McConnell said.

This year, Owen earned first place at NEAC’s and OCC’s. His favorite diving memory was winning OCC’s this year as a senior.

Chris Matthew, head swim coach said, “When you have a diver, they help a ton at conference championships. Very few schools have divers, so I feel fortunate that we have two.”

Colleen and Owen will both be competing at districts on Feb. 13.

Valedictorian requirements spark debate about emphasis on ACT scores

JACKSON STANSIFER staff writer

Beginning with the class of 2022, the valedictorian requirements at WHS shifted.

According to Board Policy 5430, a valedictorian is the student with the highest ACT score, while any ties are settled by ranking students by cumulative weighted GPA. Casey Lin, 2022 WHS alum , who graduated during this system’s inaugural year, voiced her concerns about the new requirements when they were initially announced.

“I thought it was going to create unnecessary competition among classmates and make a simple score social validation for intelligence,” Lin said.

More recently, Margaret Davis, assistant principal at WHS, explained that the relatively new valedictorian system at WHS remains a topic of discussion and

debate for students.

“Students [have] raised concerns about the fairness of the current requirements because of the emphasis on the ACT,” she stated.

One of these students is Jacob Hannan, a current senior at WHS, who agreed that the new system is flawed, and explained his perspective on the situation.

“The ACT measures one and only one thing: how well a student can take the ACT. It reveals very little about a student’s effort in classes, a student’s participation in activities, or a student’s impact on their surroundings,” Hannan said.

While issues concerning ACT emphasis increase the necessity to review the current valedictorian system, Lin explained that the best system might be no system at all.

“I do not think a ranking system is healthy for the students, for it creates unnecessary competition. Instead of focusing on the process of learning, many may want to

compete for a higher ranking,” Lin said.

Hannan (12) agreed with Lin that the current system is insufficient, as he explained that there are more comprehensive ways to measure students’ academic success and effort than an ACT score, but also admitted that finding an ideal system would be difficult.

“Unfortunately, I see no easy way to [select a valedictorian], as almost every possible valedictorian requirement has some big flaws,” Hannan said.

Whether WHS chooses to keep the current valedictorian requirements, alter them, or get rid of the valedictorian honor altogether, Davis affirmed that there is an ongoing discussion among administration to change the system for selecting a valedictorian at WHS, although they are not yet sure what this process will look like, or how long any revisions may take to go into effect.

Intro Film Classes

Wayne Center For the Arts in partnership with the Lyric Theater

You will learn the basics of creating a video from start to finsih. Come with an idea or we will help inspire one...anything from a short comedic skit to a short documentary film...anything goes! To enroll visit WayneCenterFortheArts.org Winter Classes.

Intro to Film for Adults (16+) Mondays, Feb. 13-March 13 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Intro to Film for Children (10-15) Wednesdays, Feb. 15-March 15 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

CALEB SINGER-HOLDEN staff writer

make a splash at OCC’S and NEAC’s

Laynee Eslich

O’Huddle sells formal dresses at the secound annual Prom Boutique.

CPR is a lifesaving skill for teens to learn

REBEKAH LAY staff writer

CPR, a life saving technique, saves and can save, many people who would otherwise die…and schools should teach it.

The life saving skill, known as CPR, is used when a person’s heart goes into cardiac arrest, which means that the heart has stilled and is not pumping blood the way it should. According to the CDC website (Three things to know about CPR), 9 out of 10 people who have gone into cardiac arrest while away from the hospital pass away, though CPR can double and even triple the chances of survival.

CPR is used to help a person suffering from cardiac arrest by forcing and keeping blood flow active, and this life saving technique can give opportunity for medical staff such as EMT’s to arrive.

Ryan Conrad, Science Dept. member, was an EMT/Firefighter for 15 years and is currently an American Heart Association CPR

Where to learn:

American Red Cross - Online and In-Person training is available.

American Heart Association - Online and In-Person training is available.

instructor, who teaches CPR to schools, businesses, and other medical providers. “It would be in the community’s best interest to educate all public high school students to ensure that most of the public learns the basics of these life saving skills.”

Since knowledge of these life saving skills are important to keep a person alive, it is vital to have hands-on experience to put those skills into use. Conrad states, “CPR education has come a long way as there are some very good learning resources available in the form of mannequin feedback devices that let you know if your chest compression depth and rate is adequate.” Since there are devices to practice good form, ensuring that it is being performed correctly, then it seems vital that these

technologies are open for the public so that everybody can learn CPR. Students learning CPR will gain lifelong knowledge that may one day save a life.

According to citizencpr.org “CPR in Schools,” “Empowering all youth with CPR and AED training in school will dramatically increase the number of first responders in communities each year and save lives.”

Even though many youth may not encounter a time where they will need to use CPR, it is better to be overly prepared instead of not prepared at all. For further information on CPR and other life saving techniques, organizations such as the American Heart Association and the Red Cross are helpful not only for information, but for training as

Alice Roosevelt leaves indelible impact

RHYS FLORENCE-SMITH

Teddy Roosevelt once said, “I can do one of two things, I can be president of the United States or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both.”

As the oldest daughter to Theodore Roosevelt, Alice Roosevelt hosted a debut ball when her father was ushered into the White house following the assassination of President McKinley.

According to Lina Mann at White House History, the ball was the beginning of Alice’s long relationship with the press.

Mann goes on to describe how, “The press nicknamed her ‘Princess Alice’ and her celebrity status was

born.”

Shortly after her debut in the White House’s ball, Alice began her antics. The Theodore Roosevelt Center lists a few of Alice’s stunts as, “smoking on the White House roof, carrying a snake in her purse, and betting at horse races.” These escapades lead the press and public to revere Alice as a celebrity.

Another aspect of Alice’s life, that caused the public spotlight to swivel to her, was her opinion on marriage.

Leah Silverman, from All Things Interesting, states in her article, “Alice Roosevelt Longworth: The Story Of The Original White House Wild Child,” “Alice Roosevelt was against marriage. She distrusted men, she was headstrong, and she regarded herself as a solitary

Persis Yoder creates business

ETHAN KEATING staff writer

Wooster resident, Persis Yoder was taught the basics of crocheting by their mom when they were little, but they did not start to take it up seriously until last summer.

good, the yarn is soft and it is put together very nicely,” LoGiudice said.

Stella Powers (12) received a dinosaur for Christmas this year.

woman in her own right. But her strong personality and thenshocking single-woman lifestyle became great fodder for gossip and high society magazines.”

Alice did eventually marry Republican Senator Nicholas Longworth and went on to become an important figure in the women’s suffrage movement.

Laurie Todd-Smith, the director of the America First Policy Institute’s Center for Education, states in her article, “Celebrating Women’s History Month through the Accomplishments of Women”, “Through her campaigning and official diplomatic missions on behalf of her father, President Theodore Roosevelt, Alice created a model for women to engage in politics energetically.”

MICRO-FOCUS

“It started with just making little octopi as a hobby for my mental health, but I ended up selling a lot at my mom’s workplace for a donation,” Yoder said . Yoder, who prefers to go by gender-neutral pronouns, then donated all the proceeds from that sale to the Wayne County Humane Society.

Later in the fall, Yoder started crocheting dinosaur plushies and selling them. The cost of the dinosaur plushies ranges from $45 to $55 depending on the size due to the time intensity and expensive materials it takes to create the plushies. Yoder also started making bumblebee plushies, which sells for $25.

The process of making the plushies, especially the dinosaurs, is a time-intensive process.

“I have to crochet all the individual pieces and limbs and then put it together. The whole process takes me about five hours for one dino,” Yoder said.

Hannah LoGiudice (12) purchased a medium dinosaur.

“The quality of the product is very

“I definitely recommend that others buy one. They’re super soft and cute, and a great gift for pretty much anyone who loves stuffed animals or dinosaurs,” Powers said.

In addition to crocheting, Yoder also has been a dancer for many years and for the past several years has been doing theater, including playing Ethyl Savage in the 2022 WHS Drama Club production of The Curious Savage. This fall Yoder plans on attending college for theater and dance somewhere in Ohio.

Yoder loves art for several reasons. First, they simply love making people happy.

“The joy I see in people receiving my plushies is unlike anything else, it’s incredibly rewarding to know something I make can impact someone so positively,” Yoder said.

Additionally, Yoder loves the use of expression.

“There’s so many ways to express different emotions, feelings, and situations through art, and can be interpreted in so many different ways, making it relatable to many different people,” Yoder said.

The plushies are made to order and orders can be placed, via Instagram, at @july_ky_ .

Green Club bench update ONU participates in Nursing Without Borders program in early May

LUCIA PERFETTI guest writer

On Dec. 5, WHS Green Club began collecting plastic bottle caps, which must be 8-inches in diameter or less.

Since then, we have collected, washed and dried over 10,000 bottle caps, which sounds, and feels, like a lot of caps, but we are only onequarter of the way to reaching our goal of 100 pounds of bottle caps.

Once Green Club has received and

cleaned 100 pounds of caps, we will be able to send them to a facility to get the plastic caps turned into a new bench, which will be similar to that currently in the second courtyard.

To donate caps to the cause, you can collect any plastic bottle caps you use at home, school or work and dump them in your designated bin, either upstairs by the BLADE room or in the Commons.

For updates, follow our Instagram @whsgreenclub_ or text “@greenwhs” to 81010.

HANNAH LOGIUDICE on-campus editor

Ohio Northern University is sponsoring Ohio Northern Nursing Without Borders, which is a student humanitarian organization that travels to the Dominican Republic every May on a medical outreach

trip.

Emma LoGiudice, a current junior nursing major at Ohio Northern University and 2020 WHS alum, will be traveling with Nursing Without Borders as a student nurse. Each year, health care and donated supplies, as well as health education, are provided to over 500 Dominican and Haitian people during the outreach trip.

Ohio Northern is seeking donations of vitamins, calcium tablets, folic acid tablets, antibiotic ointment, antifungal ointment, hydrocortisone cream, hygiene products such as hand sanitizer, soap toothbrushes and toothpaste. Donations can be brought to the First Presbyterian Church of Wooster and are asked to be completed by April 1.

staff writer

Photo courtesy of Persis Yoder

Best rom coms listed by decade

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I selected my favorite romantic comedy from each decade since the 1980s. I selected my favorites based on three categories, how romantic the movie is, how funny it is, and how much I enjoyed the film.

Rom coms complicate real life romances

LAURA RAPPORT a&e editor

1980s : The Princess Bride

Based on William Goldman’s 1973 fantasy novel of the same name, The Princess Bride, released in 1987, it is a hilarious, romantic, adventure that all people can enjoy. The story follows Buttercup (Robin Wright) and her lover Westley (Cary Elwes) as they fight for their love against Buttercup’s evil fiancee, Prince Humperdinck.

1990s : 10 Things I Hate About You

Based on Shakespeare’s play The

Taming of the Shrew, this Disney classic tells the story of Patrick (Heath Ledger) a rebellious teenager who bets he can date and then break up with Kat (Julia Stiles) his shrewish classmate. The movie is sweet, hilarious and quickly became a cult classic following its 1999 release.

2000s : How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Released in 2003, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days follows Andie, a journalist who is assigned a story about how to get a guy to break up with you, and Ben, who makes a bet with his friends that he can get someone to fall in love with him in 10 days. The film is hilarious and the two leads (Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey) have incredible chemistry.

2010s : Crazy Rich Asians

Released in 2018, Crazy Rich Asians, based on the book by Kevin Kwan, made history for being the first film from a major Hollywood studio to feature a majority Asian cast. The film follows Rachel, an NYU professor who goes to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick for a friend’s wedding. While in Singapore, Rachel learns Nick’s family is one of the richest in Asia.

2020s : Palm Springs Palm Springs, released in 2020, tells the story of Nyles and Sarah, two strangers who meet at a wedding, get sucked into a time loop, and are forced to relive the day of the wedding repeatedly. While stuck in the loop, the pair begins to fall for each other. The film is clever and romantic.

Valentine’s cards possess rich history

HANNAH LOGUIDICE on campus editor

The origins of Valentine’s Day date back to Rome around 496 AD, according to a 2022 BBC article written by Anna Maria Barry.“From 13 to 15 February, ancient Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia. Many believe that the origins of Valentine’s Day can be traced back to this ancient fertility festival,” Barry said. Though this is the origin of Valentine’s Day, the holiday has evolved significantly over the years. In modern day, Valentine’s Day is celebrated by people all over the world.

To celebrate, people give gifts to the people in their lives they care about, and one of the more common gifts is a Valentine’s day card.

Similar to the holiday itself, Valentine’s Day cards have gone through a significant evolution. According to Barry, the first surviving Valentine’s Day greeting was written in the 15th century by the Duke of Orleans to his wife while he was imprisoned. The letter said, “Je suis desja d’amour tanné. Ma tres doulce Valentinée,” which translates to: “I am already sick of love, my very gentle Valentine.”

Valentine’s Day cards began to be common in the 1700s when, according to the BBC, the first

printed card was published by John Fairburn. The card was hand colored and pierced with lace and depicted cupids, doves and flowers.

In the 19th century, printing became more common, and the use of Valentines Day cards became increasingly common, and more modern day humorous designs became popular.

According to an article by Hallmark, the true rise of the modern Valentines Day card began in 1910 with the first publishing of Hallmark Valentine’s Day cards, Hallmark has been printing Valentines Day cards ever since and have become a staple in many people’s Valentine’s Day traditions.

Feb. 14 is a day every year for romantic dinners, dates with a loved one, or sitting at home alone and watching rom coms.

Everyone has their one go-to movie for when they want to experience what it would feel like to fall in love. Whether you are a fan of The Notebook or 10 Things

I Hate About You, one sentiment reigns true: people want their lives to be like a rom com.

From a young age, people watch movies such as Cinderella and hope that one day they will have a love story that is worthy to be shown on the big screen. Even rom coms such as The Notebook that romanticize some parts of relationships that are not ideal.

But, why can’t life be like a rom com?

All rom com movies feature seemingly real situations, such as illness or cheating, but somehow the story always ends up coming together perfectly in the end.

Sadly, real life is full of challenges that are usually unpredictable. Life does not come with a guide that will help people find the loves of their lives , and there is no user manual when it comes to dealing with difficult

relationships.

As amazing as it would be if it did happen, a young Heath Ledger will, most likely, not direct an entire marching band to serenade you after you get done with soccer practice. The odds of a tainted lover standing outside of your bedroom window with a boombox are also not in your favor.

Even though it is sad to think about the fact that you will never have a love like Jack and Rose from Titanic, there is still hope.

Cling onto the fact that you may be lucky enough to, some day, experience a love that will shape the way that you look at life. A kind of love that will shake you to your core, and will make you come out a stronger person; a kind of love that sweeps you off your feet and makes you feel like the luckiest person in the world.

So, even though you may never sail the ocean with your one true love, or kiss your high school crush on your 16th birthday, there is still value in romanticizing the relationships that will come your way.

BRITTANY WACHTEL co-editor-in-chief

LIFE DOES NOT COME WITH A GUIDE THAT WILL HELP PEOPLE FIND THE LOVES OF THEIR LIVE, AND THERE IS NO USER MANUAL WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIPS.

Spare shines light on royal life

King Charles III, and his older brother William, Prince of Wales, where he tried to explain why he stepped down from royal duties.

Prince Harry then goes on to say that this book is his explanation of why he left because he feels that many people, including his father and brother, still do not understand his reason for leaving.

LAURA RAPPORT

a&e editor

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex’s memoir Spare, released on Jan. 10, has already become infamous amongst anyone who pays attention to the royal family.

The Duke of Sussex’s profoundly personal memoir has been named the fastest-selling non-fiction book of all time by Guinness World Records.

The introduction of the book begins with Prince Harry recounting a story of his meeting with his father,

The book is split into three parts, entitled “Out of the Night That Covers Me”, “Bloody, But Unbowed”, and “Captain of my Soul”, and covers a variety of topics, including his reaction to his mother, Princess Diana’s death, his time at the boarding school Eaton, his military service, his at times strained relationship with his brother, the trauma he faced as a result of being hounded by paparazzi for all of his life, his marriage to Meghan Markle, the birth of his son Archie, his decision to step down as a senior royal, and the birth of his daughter Lillibet.

Spare, although at times so

personal it distracts from the more dramatic parts, such as when he tells a lengthy story about his privates getting frostbite, is a sobering look at the reality that Prince Harry and the royal family face.

Prince Harry’s life has been tragic.

In the book, he goes into detail about being stalked by paparazzi, being bullied by his older brother, and being portrayed as “naughty.”

Spare is not only a book about the life of a royal, it tells the story of a person who made a lot of mistakes, but learned and grew from them.

He details how tabloids twisted parts of his life, and later Meghan’s life, and how it nearly drove him insane.

Spare addresses problems within the royal family head-on, and forces readers to reckon with how they have viewed the royal family. It is an incredible memoir, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in Prince Harry’s story and the royal family.

Writer tests viral Tik Tok hacks

The Last of Us: TV show vs. video game

show interesting for fans of the original game.

STELLA POWERS trends editor

HBO has recently released the first four episodes of its new postapocalyptic series, The Last of Us. Based on the 2013 Naughty Dog game of the same title, the show follows survivors Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) on their journey to survive in a world plagued by the Cordyceps brain infection.

An unlikely pairing, Joel, a hardened survivor and smuggler, is tasked by the Firefly rebellion to transport Ellie, a 14-year-old girl presumed to be immune to the infection, to a different Firefly base for testing.

While the game follows the same characters and storyline, the series has incorporated some notable differences in order to keep the

The similarities are indisputable, ranging from overlapping dialogue and costuming, to replication of sets, and Merle Dandridge reprising her role from the game. There are also plenty of differences; some more prominent than others. To begin, the show’s introduction is in 2003, whereas the game begins in 2013. The show also provides more backstory to Sarah, the daughter of Joel, than the game does.

However, the most impactful difference has to do with how the infection is transmitted.

In the original game, the infection can be passed on through spores. Contrary to this, it is transmitted through the tendrils of the infected in the series.

The changes made have mostly been beneficial and added to the quality of the show. While there are definitely moments that should have been left unchanged, the majority of these differences have made the story more engaging.

While the TV adaptation of The Last of Us mostly stays true to the original source material, there are plenty of notable differences that keep the series interesting for fans of the game.

TikTok trend raises questions about feline behavior

In the age of Tik Tok, hacks to improve your everyday life are constantly popping up on social media.

The real question is, do these hacks

actually work? I selected two viral Tik Tok everyday life hacks to try and review due to their simplicity and my belief that these hacks may help ordinary people with day to day activities and tasks.

The first everyday life hack I have chosen is a hack to make your iPhone’s music louder. The hack says to go into your iPhone’s settings and select the Music settings. After going into Music settings, you go to the EQ setting and change it to Late Night. Prior to the Late Night setting, the music ranges from 115 decibels to 124 decibels. After the setting was changed to Late Night, the music ranged from 120 decibels to 128

decibels. While the hack does make the music slightly louder, I do not believe it is a large enough change to truly call the setting change a hack. Another viral hack I tried was a hack to reseal your chip bag without a clip. The hack prompts you to fold in the corners at the top of the bag and then roll down the top of the bag. You roll down the bag away from you. Once you have rolled down the top of the bag, you flip the corners back over to create a seal. This hack worked really well. The bag seemed sealed, and it was a quick and easy way to keep your chips or pretzels fresh without a clip.

Cats such as Nino Da Babino, pictured above, are said to believe that their humans are larger cats, leading them to be excited when their human wakes up.

Dell’amore from the National Geographic on Jan. 28, 2014, anthrozoologist John Bradshaw says that cats are not heavy sleepers, so they get concerned when humans sleep for long periods of time without waking. When their human wakes up, they get excited that their human is still alive.

BRITTANY WACHTEL

co-editor-in-chief

Tik Tok is full of conspiracy theories, rumors and ideas presented as facts.

More recently, a Tik Tok has gone viral by user @twocrazycatladies that says humans are misunderstanding their cat’s behaviors.

This Tik Tok says that when cats are hyper in the mornings, they are not hungry, they are instead excited that their humans are awake because they believe that their human owners are actually large cats.

What did this have to do with excitement upon a human waking up?

In an article published by Christine

Bradshaw has been studying cats for over 30 years and claims that cats never went through vital evolutionary changes necessary to be considered fully domesticated. Due to this wild quality, cats view humans as their mother cat and look to humans for comfort.

Bradshaw said cats do think that humans are just large cats, and that their interactions with humans prove that point. Bradshaw explains, “We’ve yet to discover anything about cat behavior that suggests they have a separate box they put us in when they’re socializing with us. They obviously know we’re bigger than them, but they don’t seem to have adapted their social behavior much.”

Although not everything on Tik Tok is true, it is proven correct by Bradshaw that cats do, in fact, view their humans as larger cats.

Photo by Brittany Wachtel

NORA LEVY sports editor

I first selected the music category in settings.

I then scrolled down until I saw the EQ setting

Finally, I changed the EQ settings to “Late Night” and exited out of settings.

Photos and captions by Nora Levy

Choose your own adventure

Valentine’s Day gift guide

According to a Feb. 5, 2022, National Geographic article written by Sydney Combs, Valentine’s Day began as the pagan holiday Lupercalia. In the late fifth century Pope Gelasius put an end to the celebration; Feb. 14 was later declared a day of feast to celebrate Saint Valentine. Over the 20th century, Valentine's Day became more commercialized, people would buy cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts for their loved ones. Graphics and gift selection by Jamie Ogle

BLADE staff expresses the importance of classroom Valentine’s Day parties

Valentine’s Day in elementary school classrooms is a time for students to appreciate their classmates through the giving of cards and candy.

For most, Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate the love you share with a romantic partner, but there is value in continuing to teach children that Valentine’s Day is a time to appreciate all people in your life, not just romantic partners.

At a middle school and high

school education level, it is uncommon for classrooms to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but there is still merit in celebrating the concept that everyone deserves to be appreciated. For children who may not have an example of a loving relationship at home, being taught that Valentine’s Day can be celebrated by anyone is an important way to introduce children to the true meaning of what this day is about.

As an editorial staff, we would like to thank all teachers who make the classroom a place where inclusion and safe environments are provided to students. Middle school and high school classrooms that are able would greatly benefit from celebrating Valentine’s Day amongst the students. No matter the day of year, everyone deserves appreciation, and Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to do so.

Head to Head: Should the Oscars allow nominations of streaming services?

The past few years, though, due to quarantine restrictions, theaters were not open; thus, making it impossible for movies to make it to the big screen. The rules were bent in order for the annual event to occur during a dangerous time, meaning that all streaming movies had access to be Oscar worthy.

Procedures should better welcome new WHS students

Starting at a new school can be a difficult and scary process. While WHS has various procedures for making this transition easier, having a mentor system in place could greatly benefit these students and help them adjust to the new school.

According to Carol Mills, WHS guidance office secretary, there are many processes currently in place for welcoming new students.

As soon as the school is contacted regarding the student, the process for welcoming them begins.

come to the office if they are lost or need assistance during their school day

According to Scott Musser, WHS principal, the administration is working to implement a new procedure involving student ambassadors.

LAYNEE ESLICH staff writer

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has always required a theatrical release in order for a movie to be nominated for the Oscar, at least one week in Los Angeles.

For the 2023 Oscars, the rules went back to the original ones, in which a film must have at least a seven day theatrical release. The requirement is to keep the integrity of the Oscars, according to the Oscars official website. This created outrage, as many viewers believe there are many movies that deserve recognition and may not have had the pay grade or fulfill the theatrical release policy. The rules exist for good reason, and that they should

for awards.

Due to the pandemic in 2020 and in 2021 and its effects on the movie industry and theaters, the Oscars decided to allow non theatrically released films to be nominated for those years awards.

still stand, regardless of streaming films.

Not only would having all movies be eligible to change the way future movies will be awarded, but the rule makes it easier to compare our movies to the past.

The film industry must stay consistent, in terms of recognizing and rewarding movies, in order to create a fair environment for people to see them.

The difference of watching a movie in a theater, versus at home, may be the deciding factor in how viewers vote, which should not be the way film is evaluated. Films must be displayed to the public in a common way to be compared; therefore, movies must have a theatrical release to be considered for the Oscars.

their recognition when it comes to awards.

“When they arrive at the school, I retrieve them from the main office and bring them to guidance. At that point, I give them a ‘Welcome to WHS folder,’ which includes a school calendar, bell schedule, map, list of activities/clubs/sports, and information regarding their email and Progressbook accounts,” said Mills.

Students are always welcome to

“They would help mentor a student for the day. They would follow that student’s schedule, and just kind of see, have someone to know, get invited to sit with them at lunch, just to kind of get to know the building a little bit,” shared Musser. “And then possibly the next day they would go on their own schedule, and still have someone checking in on them, another student.”

Although there is a process in place for welcoming new students, there is always room for improvement. Introducing a mentoring system for new students would help them to feel more welcome at WHS.

The Last of Us: Show promotes discussion of zombie apocalypse

of a tall plant before sprouting out of its skull and spewing more fungi into the air.

JAELYN FREDERICK staff writer

Throughout the years, the Oscars have only allowed movies that have been theatrically released for at least seven days to be nominated

Since the nomination list was recently announced, many have been arguing about whether or not non theatrically released films should still be considered for nominations. Every movie should be considered for a nomination even if it was not theatrically released because some movies do not have the budget or connections to put their movies in theaters.

This can make it very difficult for independent filmmakers to get

One movie that was not in theaters, but was still nominated for the Animated Feature Film Award, is Turning Red This movie was sent straight to Disney+ due to the omicron breakout. Though it was in theaters in areas that do not have Disney+, with this rule, Turning Red would not have been nominated for the Animated Feature Film Award . This rule would have taken away this opportunity for all of the people who worked on this movie. Whether a movie is put in theaters does not determine whether a movie is bad or good, and it should not be the one thing that stops a movie from receiving an award.

RHYS FLORENCE-SMITH staff writer

In the video game, The Last of Us, the world has been overrun by corpses controlled by a fungus called “Cordyceps.” The fungus in the game is a real thing, though.

In real life, however, the fungus only controls ants. The fungus infects the ants and replaces its nervous system with tendrils of mycelia. Following this, the fungus compels the ant to climb to the top

Journalist Ashley Stimpson alleviates some concern about a fungus-zombie outbreak in her article from January of 2023 for Popular Mechanics stating, “We’re complicated creatures with a body temperature too high for most fungi to survive, not to mention our advanced immune systems.”

Shmuel Shohan, an infectious disease expert stated in an article for National Geographic from January of 2023, “As the Earth warms up, there is concern that the change between environment temperature and body temperature won’t be as dramatic,”

Thus, climate change could increase the probability for a fungus, such as Cordyceps to adapt to human temperatures and infect humans who are immunocompromised. Although the chance of this happening anytime soon is very low.

Editors-in-Chief Brittany Wachtel, Olivia Hiner • Graphics Editor Nora Levy, Ben Stavnezer • Feature Editors Ben Stavnezer • Cover Editors Mattie Dunlap, Molly Byrne• On Campus Editor Hannah LoGiudice • Focus Editor Grace Kostohryz • Sports Editor Nora Levy • Trends Editor Stella Powers

• A & E Editor Laura Rapport • Views Editors Brittany Wachtel, Olivia Hiner • Staff Writers Lily Campbell-Lehtinen, Laynee Eslich, Rhys Florence-Smith, Jaelyn Frederick, Ethan Keating, Caleb Kostohryz, Rebekah Lay, Tristan Miller, Jamie Ogle, Caleb Singer-Holden, Jackson Stansifer • Head Photographers Nora Levy, Ben Stavnezer • Photographers Brittany Wachtel, Ben Stavnezer, Nora Levy, Lily Campbell-Lehtinen, Hannah LoGiudice, Ethan Keating, Molly Byrne, Caleb Kostohryz, Rebekah Lay, Laynee Eslich, Caleb Singer-Holden • 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. 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.