THE WOOSTER BLADE
WOOSTER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER • 515 OLDMAN ROAD, WOOSTER, OH • NOV. 17, 2017 • VOLUME XVIII, ISSUE 5
The Wooster Blade analyzes the magnitude of poverty locally and considers its overarching effects. GRAPHIC BY MATTHEW LORENTZ
“While poverty persists, there is no true freedom.” - Nelson Mandela, “The burden of poverty isn’t just that you don’t always have the things you need, it’s the feeling of being embarrassed every day of your life, and you’d do anything to lift that burden.” - Jay-Z, “In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.” - Confucius, “Anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows best way of doing good to the poor is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it.” - Benjamin Franklin, “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt
“While poverty persists, there is no true freedom,” - Nelson Mandela Index: Focus 2-5 A&E 6-9 Sports 10-13 Trends 14-15 Cover 16-19 On Campus 20-24 Feature 25-28 Views 29-32 Quotes compiled from the Borgen Project
THE WOOSTER BLADE | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 2
Research-led study examines political socialization of kids AMBER SWIGART co-editor-in-chief
Angie Bos, Associate Professor of Political Science at the College of Wooster, leads one of four research sites in collecting data for a national study that examines whether boys and girls develop diverging political opinions between first and sixth grade, and what they consider to be opinions held by political leaders. “The project’s purpose is to determine how much children know about politics, and a side note, at what age girls’ interests diverge from pursuing a career or an interest in the political field,” Chloe Cook, research assistant and COW junior, said. Cook helps Bos with whatever she needs throughout the process, ranging from doing groundwork research to coding collected data, she says. According to Bos, the researchers ask students to draw a picture of a political leader, answer questions about their drawings and answer a few questions about their general understanding of politics. While the study roughly replicates a 1960 study on the image of a political leader, the study is unique in the comprehensive information it will provide about students’ political socialization and will present more timely results. One factor in the study’s timeliness is the consistently low representation of women in politics, and the need to evaluate this trend and how it relates to socialization, according to Bos. “We have lots of ‘kind of’ explanations for why women are so woefully underrepresented in political office. We know they run at lower rates and some different things help us understand that, but we do not have the full picture,” Bos said. She also points to the “plateau” trend of female representation, wherein females in the last half of the century gained representation in political office before growth levelled off in
the 1990s. Alysa Tarrant, a COW sophomore who plans to major in communications, has assisted Bos in conducting interviews at elementary schools. Tarrant says students’ definitions of ‘politics’ have surprised her, especially in contrast to how they express their understanding of political ideas. “...Very few children understand what the word ‘politics’ means. It is something that our country seems to talk about endlessly, and yet the youngest and most impressionable of us don’t have any idea
“WE HAVE LOTS OF ‘KIND OF’ EXPLANATIONS FOR WHY WOMEN ARE SO WOEFULLY UNDERREPRESENTED IN POLITICAL OFFICE...BUT WE DO NOT HAVE THE FULL PICTURE,” BOS SAID. what ‘politics’ are, even as they are able to repeat the viewpoints of the adults they are around without understanding it,” Tarrant said. She adds that she expects white male students to know more about politics than their peers, and looks forward to seeing what differences exist from research sites in other areas of the country. The results of the study could give educators insight as to how politics could be better addressed in elementary school to account for possible discrepancies in student perspective. “I am looking forward to seeing the findings and results of Professor Bos’ research study. I think we are always open to ideas that can improve student learning,” Brandon Cobb, Kean Elementary principal, said. The goal is to have the data compiled, checked and ready to analyze in MarchBos. She expects that she and her collaborators will write between five and seven papers about different results of the study.
FOCUS
CORPORATE SPON SORS Corporate $250
Gioninos WMW Logistics Critchfield, Critchfield, and Johnston LTD. Swigart- Braunscheidel Insurance Wooster Motor Ways Bogner Construction Company
Blue Dyer, Roche $500 and Company
THE WOOSTER BLADE | FOCUS | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 3
Books in Stock Used and Rare Books
Clothes Minded Boutique
MADDY McCULLY
Ride On
MADDY McCULLY
MADDY McCULLY
Small Business Saturday emphasizes buying locally HENRY GAMBLE Small Business Saturday is a nationwide event founded in 2010 by American Express. It takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving, according to Main Street Wooster. This year will mark the fourth year this event has taken place in Wooster. As Black Friday celebrates big business, Small Business Saturday promotes small
businesses and encourages local shopping to create a more diverse and close community. According to an informational page on American Express’s website about the event in 2016, Small Business Saturday generated $15.4 billion with the participation of 112 million shoppers. According to CNN Money, Black Friday generated $44.6
Vertical Runner
billion last year, with a base of 154 million shoppers. This year, Money Magazine chose Wooster as the 37 best place to live in America and described one of its key features as, “a historic downtown with a host of shops and restaurants.” Small Business Saturday celebrates local entrepreneurs and the charms of downtown Wooster, which is one of the
Local Roots
MADDY McCULLY
reasons Wooster won this award, according to a 2017 Money Magazine article written by Sergei Klebnikov. This year’s event takes place Nov. 25 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Wooster. More details on Small Business Saturday, including participating businesses, can be found on Mainstreet Wooster’s website.
Urban Cottage
MADDY McCULLY
MADDY McCULLY
THE WOOSTER BLADE | FOCUS | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 4
NASA Glenn Research Center offers many educational opportunities JOHN GORMAN views editor
For those interested in entering a STEM field, the NASA Glenn Research Center offers opportunities to students. According to Dennis Stocker, education outreach liaison for the NASA GRC, roughly 60 percent of NASA employees are some form of engineer, with another 10 percent serving as technicians. The final 30 percent of NASA employees have administrative roles, though they tend to have backgrounds in scientific fields. The NASA GRC offers a number of internships for those interested in science. While the majority of internships are for college students, there are some high school ones available as well. These internships require people to be 16-years-old, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4 point scale and have U.S. citizenship, according to the NASA Interns, Fellows and Scholars websites. As these are highly competitive positions, Stocker recommends interested students become involved in extracurriculars, especially science clubs, and to apply themselves in all aspects of school,
Graphics by Matthew Lorentz
especially in math and science. Additionally, he says NASA looks for applicants with grit and passion. He also stresses the importance of these qualities in all aspects of life, especially for those applying to colleges. For those interested in becoming an astronaut, Stocker explains the two main paths to do so are to become a Air Force fighter pilot with an engineering degree or to obtain a doctorate in a medical field. Additionally, he recommends learning to fly, scuba dive and becoming fluent in Russian. Though the total amount of employees NASA is able to keep is federally regulated, NASA has rapidly begun hiring again, according to Stocker. This increase in hiring can be attributed to the fact that much of the NASA workforce is approaching retirement and NASA is forced to replace the people serving in these jobs.
NASA Glenn Research Center possesses rich history JACOB GOOCH webmaster
The NASA Glenn Research center of Cleveland is one of the oldest aerospace research facilities in the United States, boasting an age of 76 years, which even predates the creation of NASA itself. According to the NASA website description of the center, within this complex, the research teams of NASA work on everything from flames in a zero-G (gravity) environment to directing researchers aboard the International Space Station. According to Dennis Stocker, a 34 year veteran of Educational Outreach at NASA GRC, the research center was founded in 1941 as a engine research laboratory. At this time, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics was the overseeing agency. Stocker then emphasized that later in 1958, the research center was renamed to the Lewis Research Center for all the contributions George W .
Lewis made to the field through his safety testing in 1953. Stocker research cemented the GRC’s place in history when, in the 1960s, the research center helped make liquid hydrogen fuel as a part of the missions to the moon through the work done on space engines. According to NASA.gov, the research center made contributions in engine icing research, quiet engines, communications and rocket engines. According the center’s visitor center, the Lewis Research Center became the John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field in March of 1999 in honor of John H. Glenn, an Ohio Senator and early astronaut. According to the description of missions on the NASA website, the research center contains the SLOPE (simulated lunar operations lab), which focuses on rover design and operation, the zero-gravity testing facility used to expose experiments to a simulated space, a wind tunnel for testing aerospace design, a quiet engine lab to work on decreasing engine noise and various other smaller labs per mission requirements. According to the center’s visitor center, the GRC has been in Northeast Ohio for 76 years .
Glenn Center presents unique opportunities
THE WOOSTER BLADE | FOCUS | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 5
Dennis Stocker, educational outreach specialist, said, “Just take a left at the rocket engine, and I’ll meet you there.” The above photo depicts the Shuttle-Centaur booster, weighing roughly 6,600 pounds. The engine joined the NASA Glenn campus on May 6, 2016, according to the NASA Glenn website.
A look inside the A 2,500 pound checkered drop capsule is captured above. Used for zero gravity testing, scientists at NASA Glenn release similar pods from 432 feet into a pit of small styrofoam pellets. According to the NASA Glenn Center website, during the drop microgravity experiments can be tested for 5.18 seconds. Similar microgravity experiments are normally tested two times per day, as they take a long time to set and are relatively expensive in nature.
Glenn
Research Center and facilities Photos and captions by Spencer Dilyard and Matthew Lorentz.
Below is an aerial view of the zero gravity drop chamber. The chamber spans 556 Hopkins Airport, according to Dennis Stocker, educational outreach specialist. At the bottom awaits a pit of styrofoam pellets to decelerate the drop capsule.
Touring through the Engine Research building, a stop was captured at one of the lab set-ups. The above picture encapsulates an example of a research compilation room, containing monitors and gauges that measure data from a nearby test room, according to educational outreach specialist, Dennis Stocker. In addition, while in the Engine Research building, a trip was made to the Simulated Lunar Operations Lab, where rover experimentation takes place.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
THE WOOSTER BLADE | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 6
eXpressions:
Cleveland Clinic partners with students to combine art and science
ERIN O’DONNELL cover editor
Pulling inspiration from a Cleveland Clinic intern’s work on a five year review of the mortality rates of transmetatarsal amputations, Haley Balas (11) is submitting her piece into the eXpressions program. Her work to be submitted is a 16 x 36 oil on canvas, depicting a girl who underwent a partial leg amputation and died from it. “To be honest, that’s what I chose because I saw the name and I thought, ‘Oh, I know
ERIN O’DONNELL cover editor
Headed by Art Dept. member, Tricia Taggart, select WHS art students are once again participating in the Cleveland Clinic eXpressions program. In the eXpressions program, students partner with the Cleveland Clinic to create a piece of work that conveys a certain aspect of a published piece of research, the eXpressions page on the Cleveland Clinic website reports. A goal that Taggart strives for in her participation in the program is to clearly demonstrate the link between STEM subjects and art. “The eXpressions program is so outside the box of what people think of artists. The kids
really have to use both parts of their brain, and they combine what they learn in science, what they learn in math and they apply it here,” Taggart says of the project. Taggart stresses that in addition to the good it does for the community, the individual artists benefit from the experience as well. “It gives you an opportunity to kind of create commissioned work. You’re given specific criteria and you have to make a visual based on it; using medical and scientific terms is a really difficult task, but that is the closest thing to commissioned work a high school student can experience,” Taggart explained. Ten students have submitted art for the program, coming from Taggart’s AP Studio Art class and Drawing II and III
classes. They include: Haley Balas (11), Dani Legg (11), Sara Monahan (12), Dylan Dagley (11), Caleb Houk (12), Zella Rooker (12), Hannah Taylor (12), Ren Miller (12), Jaidah Carey (12) and Evan Hootman (11). Within eXpressions, the program focuses on four disciplines: science, art, language and math. Students may submit works in any of the four disciplines, however, at WHS, the Art Dept. is solely involved in the program. According to English Dept. member, Kristi Hiner, the English dept. hopes to get involved in the Cleveland Clinic eXpressions program next year, through submissions of student writing pieces. Taggart has been involved in the program for 11 years.
Balas
what amputation means’,” Balas joked. Though her preferred medium is graphite pencil because of the ease of detail, Balas said she used oil for this project, which she had never used before. Tricia Taggart, Art Dept. member in charge of involving WHS in the program, commends Haley for her work in using oil. “It has great composition, great craftsmanship…The values that she achieved, the blending, it’s all beautiful. What stands out to me is the hair, the texture is beautiful, I just think it’s all very well done,” Taggart said.
Balas has been doing art all of her life and began to take it seriously as a potential life path in about eighth grade. “I’ve always drawn a lot, but once I started taking real art classes, I started to consider, ‘I could do this as a job’... I hope to go into art, but we’ll see,” Balas said. Balas has taken Drawing I, II and III, and is currently trying her hand in Painting I before entering AP Studio Art next year, she said. Apart from drawing and painting, Balas is also interested in photography and theater. This is Balas’ first time submitting art for the program.
PHOTO BY SPENCER DILYARD
Haley
Examining the eXpressions program
THE WOOSTER BLADE | A&E | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 7
DANI LEGG ERIN O’DONNELL cover editor
AP Studio Art student, Dani Legg (11), prepares to submit her piece for the Cleveland Clinic eXpressions program. Legg’s work is a 32 x 28 acrylic and air-drying clay on canvas, depicting the symptoms that present themselves in teenagers with sickle-cell anemia. Legg says she chose the topic of sickle-cell anemia because she wanted to create a piece that shows its symptoms, red
rash and yellow eyes, and she even added three dimensional clay figures of sickle cells in the background of the photo. In order to show the symptoms, especially the yellow eyes, Legg used a friend, senior Grace Rickett, as a model. “Grace has these bright blue eyes that make such a great contrast to the yellow that sickle-cell anemia makes,” Legg explained. Tricia Taggart, Art Dept. member and teacher involved with the eXpressions program, is especially impressed with
Legg’s creativity and initiative to start much of her piece from scratch. “She stretched her own canvas, used 3D aspects on it and she even set her own lighting. She wanted very dramatic lighting to show Grace’s blue eyes, they are very intense and detailed,” Taggart said. This year is Legg’s first year being involved with the Cleveland Clinic eXpressions program. She said she has been passionate about art since childhood and hopes to continue her art career.
HANNAH TAYLOR ANNA NACCI WHS artist Hannah Taylor (12) is participating in the Cleveland Clinic’s eXpressions project by creating a painting this year. Taylor said she is excited to participate in the program for the first time. Taylor said her painting for the program is based on research that explains the importance of childhood
immunization. In order to portray the research, Taylor explained her painting has three different children, and all three show potential of some sort. These potentials exaggerate the difference between children who are vaccinated and children who are not. Taylor’s piece for the program helps showcase her favorite kind of art, as she said that her favorite type of art to make is larger paintings. She also enjoys creating other
types of paintings. “My favorite kind of art that I make [is] my larger painting[s]. Specifically, I like painting things that give off an ethereal and dreamy kind of feeling; lately, I like making paintings like those. They give room for a lot of symbolism and meaning,” Taylor said. Tricia Taggart, Art Dept. member, said Taylor is a very talented artist. Taylor said she began seriously creating art about five years ago.
REN MILLER ANNA NACCI WHS artist Ren Miller (12) participated in the Cleveland Clinic’s eXpressions project for the second time this year, last participating in 2016. Miller said her painting for the program is inspired by the research done by Cleveland Clinic intern Andrew Genao. The end result of Genao’s study, “Depression and Anxiety
in Different Ethnic and Racial Groups,” says depression and anxiety are not more likely to affect people based on their race or ethnicity, but rather on their environment. In order to show the findings of the study, Miller said she, “used a central figure in which race and ethnicity are indistinguishable (the skeleton) to portray the effects of depression and anxiety.” She also said she used chaotic brushstrokes, as well as a
yellow color, to portray feelings of anxiety. Other elements used in the painting include crisp figures to portray isolation, and a mirror surrounding the figure’s head to show that both anxiety and depression are mental illnesses. Miller said she has been creating art since she was 8years- old. Along with painting, Miller said she also enjoys drawing, especially when she is able to create her own characters.
PHOTOS BY SPENCER DILYARD
A&E
Ballet Wooster hosts traditional Nutcracker performance MOLLY SCHNEIDER The Nutcracker ballet performance has been a tradition in Wooster ever since 1990, and Ballet Wooster is preparing to put on a new production of this story Dec. 9 and Dec. 10. The Nutcracker ballet originated from Russia in the 1800s, but Ballet Wooster is changing up the traditional Nutcracker to incorporate new effects, according to co-artistic director Brenda Schwinn. “Our production has brand
new beautiful costumes and sets, including a lighted Christmas tree that grows 22 feet tall, as well as other special effects,” Schwinn said. For all the new changes in the scenery and costumes, Ballet Wooster will appeal to the audience as the original Nutcracker did to all ages, according to Schwinn. Ballet Wooster will also include age groups from 5years-old to people 60 and over performing in the show. The traditional Nutcracker features lead Clara at her family’s Christmas party receiving a Nutcracker, which
takes her inside of a dream that leads the rest of the production. This lead role, Clara, is performed by Sara Daugherty (12). According to Daugherty, students and volunteers have worked hard to make The Nutcracker enjoyable for the audience and she encourages people to come watch. “People should come see The Nutcracker because it has a lot of your peers involved, it’s a fun event anyone can enjoy and it’s something that many hours and a lot volunteer work has been poured into,” Daugherty said.
The Nutcracker brings many different groups of dancers together for this production, which is a lot of work and a lot of fun, according to Neena Shell (9), who performs as lead Arabian, a flower and the opening flower vendor. “The best thing about The Nutcracker is working all together to learn dances with everyone in them and learning our own individual dances then bringing it all together to create one full length ballet,” Shell said. The show will be performed in the WHS PAC Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.
Annual community events planned for downtown Wooster KYLE WARD Window Wonderland is an annual tradition hosted in downtown Wooster, and is organized by Main Street Wooster and the Chamber of Commerce. the holiday season in downtown Wooster, as well as supporting small businesses. According to Chamber of Commerce president Justin Starlin, the vast majority of
downtown businesses are participating during the event by decorating their shops with holiday attire via window specials. Starlin also noted that during the evening, the ceremonial lighting of the community Christmas tree takes place, and Santa makes his annual appearance with assistance Main Street Wooster, as well as the Chamber of Commerce, have been hosting Window Wonderland in downtown
Wooster for the last 15 years and plan to keep supporting it, Starlin said. Another event happening this weekend involves the Wooster Potters Guild annual pottery sale. The Potters Guild is comprised of a group of potters locally who are eager to give back to the community. This year, 10 percent of revenue garnered from the sale will be donated to Habitat for Humanity, and the rest of the revenue will go to the guild to be given out as art scholarships.
In past years, the Wayne County Center for the Arts hosted the sale. However, according to Linda Pattin, “The space was no longer available, so we moved back to the College of Wooster, which was the original home for the Potters Guild 40 years ago.” As far as the future for the Potters Guild, Pattin says, “We plan on hosting more community events, and generally just more expansion for the guild.” The sale takes place Nov. 17 from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | A&E | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 9
Wayne Center for the Arts Instructors
Ryan Zarecki has been teaching theater courses and summer camps at the Wayne Center of the Arts for two years. Zarecki has been involved in theater since he was young. Since then, he has participated in many aspects of production. “I’ve worked on operas, musicals, movies, plays and all that. I’ve been onstage, offstage, backstage and under the stage on at least two
separate occasions. I’ve killed kings and I’ve sewn buttons on dresses and loved every minute of it,” Zarecki said. At WCA, Zarecki teaches the imagination players class, the knight school and creative drama courses. In addition to his work at WCA, Zarecki works with the Ohio Shakespeare program and Hathaway Brown Theatre Institute in Cleveland Heights as their fight director.
THOMAS MATTHEW Adam McVicker, a pottery instructor at the Wayne Center of the Arts, grew up in rural Ohio. McVicker became intrigued by art and nature, and eventually earned a degree at Kent State focusing on fine arts and crafts. Early in his career, he was apprenticed under Beth Negro as her studio assistant at the
Wayne Center for the Arts and is now teaching many ceramic classes for all ages at the Wayne Center of the Arts. McVicker said he enjoyed art in his childhood and chose to pursue it. McVicker has been with the Wayne Center for the Arts as an apprentice for two years, while working there for three.
Katie Zarecki
a&e editor
Beth Negro
EVAN DOAN
Adam McVicker
Ryan Zarecki
The Wooster Blade features four employees at the WCA EVAN DOAN a&e editor
Katie Zarecki is the Theater Program Coordinator for the Wayne Center of the Arts, specifically focusing on dance choreography and instruction. Zarecki has been dancing for over 25 years, working as a resident choreographer for many different schools and theaters, including Cleveland Heights High School, Blank Canvas Theater, Ashland University and the Valentine Theater. She graduated from
Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor’s in Music and Vocal Performance, according to the Wayne Center for the Arts website. She has studied many forms of music and dance, including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballroom and lyrical. Zarecki said her love of musical theater has provided a lifelong passion to teach to others, and she continues to pursue it every day onstage and offstage.
THOMAS MATTHEW Beth Negro is a ceramics instructor at the Wayne Center for the Arts. Negro was interested in arts at a young age and was inspired by her grandma, who was talented in art and drawing. Negro discovered the arts center in 1998 while being instructed by Carli Moorfield and, although she left for a
while, she returned in 2014. Negro, being a fan of music and art, teaches at Northwestern High School teaching color guard. Negro teaches multiple ceramic classes at the Arts Center for varying ages and she said she teams up with Adam McVicker, another ceramics instructor, to teach varying ceramics classes.
WCA provides community with artistic opportunities CLARA LEE The Wayne Center for the Arts offers a spectrum of classes in visual arts, pottery, dance, theater and creative writing, as well as private instruction and specialty classes. Classes are available yearround and are divided into three catalogs: Fall, Winter/ Spring and Summer, according to Zara Deardoff, WCA Operations Assistant. “Every catalog, we try to bring
something a little different to the center, or unique, and see how the community responds to that. We do try to accommodate to what the community would like the Center to offer,” Deardoff said. The WCA also offers classes for all age groups. “We have a little bit of everything for everyone. Everyone has a different way to express themselves when it comes to art, and it is important to have different outlets for that,” Deardoff said. Their Visual Arts classes
include painting and drawing, and specialty classes include knitting and expressive arts workshops, according to Joan Reed, a Wayne Arts Center receptionist. Kimberly Payne, Dance Program Coordinator at the Wayne Center for the Arts, says the Center has two divisions of dance: the Community School of Dance and the PreProfessional School of Dance. “Our Community School of Dance offers classes for dancers age 18 months old through adult classes. The class styles
are ballet, tumbling, tap, jazz hip-hop, ballroom, line and contemporary dance. The focus of the Community School of Dance is exploratory, fun and also preparatory. Our Pre-Professional School of Dance is for dancers who are wild about performing and studying dance…the dancers study neo-classical ballet technique, classical variations, contemporary styles and attend rehearsals for productions,” Payne said. In addition to offering classes, the Wayne Arts Center hosts
private parties for special occasions and public events such as Window Wonderland and Brewfest, according to Deardoff. People can register for classes online, at the front desk, or call in, Reed said. Their website is in the process of being updated so registration will be easier, computerfriendly and mostly online, Deardoff said. Class and event information is available and regularly updated on the Wayne Arts Center’s website, wayneartscenter.org.
SPORTS
THE WOOSTER BLADE | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 10
UPCOMING WHS WINTER SPORTS
Q&A
Gymnastics - Sarah Weeks (12)
When and where will the team’s first game/competition take place? What is the previous season record? Who will be the team captains this year? What is your biggest competition for this season and why? What is your personal goal for the season? What do you think the team’s goal will be for this season?
Drawings by Cate Strong. Responses collected by Holly Miller and Melina Mera.
1. ”Our first meet is Dec. 7 at home.” 2. “Our record was 7-1.” 3. “The captains are me [Sarah Weeks], Hannah Knapic and Aleesha Vaughn.” 4. “Wadsworth is our biggest competition because they are one of the better teams in the league.” 5. “My personal goal is to improve on every event.” 6. “The team goals are to go undefeated and be league champs.”
Girls’ & Boys’ Bowling Girls’ and Boys’ Allie Leiendecker (11) Swimming 1. “The Lady Generals will bowl in the Kick Off tournament Michelle Sibilia held in Columbus, Ohio Dec. 2. This tournament is by invitation only.” (11)
1. “Nov. 28 at Firestone.” 2. ”Girls and boys won OCC’s last year.” 3. “Chloe Boucher, Sydney Graham and Emily Miles and for boys, all the seniors.” 4. “Probably OCC or NEAC because Lexington is hard to beat at OCC..” 5. “Just to get best times in my events and go to districts individually again.” 6. “Winning OCC, NEAC, sending as many people to districts as possible, best times individually and in relays.”
Girls Basketball Macyn Siegenthaler (10) 1. “Nov. 27 our game is home vs Elyria.” 2. “19-5 on the year, 11-3 in the OCC,“ 3. Not decided yet. 4. “West Holmes. I mean I’m not completely sure if they are that good this year but they will always be the team that we want to beat because in previous years, they have always beat us and everyone else. But this year, we will get them.” 5. “My personal goal is that I want to stay healthy, so I can help this team be successful.” 6. “I think the team’s goal will be to win the OCC because we are definitely capable to do that.”
2. “Lady Generals 2016-2017 record 10-2; 16-5.” 3. “For varsity this year the co-captains would be me and Alexis Cichello.”
4. “Feb. 3 Wayne Lanes will host the first ever OCC League Championship Varsity Bowling Tournament, which will include Ashland, Lexington, Mansfield Sr. and Wooster.” 5. “This season I would like to try to average 220 and shoot a 300 as well as a 550 series. I would also like to go to state again, not just as an individual, but as a team.” 6. “As a team, one of our goals is to win the conference, another goal is to shoot a series of 2400 as a team.”
Wrestling Cj Leal (11) 1. “Dec. 2, Madison Tom Elis Classic.” 2. “My personal record for singles is 26 wins to 14 losses.” 3. ”Brad Stoll and Brendan Holiday.” 4. “St. Eds, they are the best team in Ohio, also top five in the nation.” 5. “My personal is to go to state.” 6. “I think the team’s goal is to beat the duel competition record.”
Boys Basketball Calvin Blair (12) 1.”Dec. 4 at home.” 2.“21-3.” 3. “Kedric Corbin, Dylan Dagley, Colton Sparks and myself [Calvin Blair].” 4.“Archbishop Hoban. They have great basketball, some players have offers from colleges.” 5.“Personal goal would be for us to beat any team we lost to last year.” 6.“Our team goal would be to win our district and have a record of 16-6 or better.”
THE WOOSTER BLADE | SPORTS | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 11
Wooster Oilers Hockey The Wooster Blade spotlights community’s own NA3HL hockey team, the Wooster Oilers CHRISTOPHER ROCHE focus editor
The Wooster Oilers journeyed into the world of NA3HL hockey in Wooster 12 years ago. NA3HL, or the National American Tier III Hockey League, is comprised of eight divisions, according to the section, “Teams,” on na3hl.com. The Oilers compete in the East Division, a group that includes two teams from Michigan, one from New York and Pennsylvania and an additional team from Toledo, Ohio. Aaron Hernandez, the Wooster Oilers head coach, has been coaching the team every step of
the way for the 12 years they have been in Wooster. Hernandez said some of his fondest memories from coaching include, “seeing how a team of so many different personalities meshed and came together to form a team.” The team is comprised of 23 players, three of whom are returning players from last year’s roster, including Michael Hubbard. Hubbard said, “One of my fondest memories playing with the Oilers is the last game of the season last year in which I was the starting goalie against the Metro Jets in my hometown
of Detroit. The stands were packed for this game with fans, a band, and family and friends I knew from the area. It was my best game I played all season, combined with the high energy of the building and fans, it turned out to be the most fun I’ve ever had in a game. It’s definitely an atmosphere I would love to recreate this season, especially at Alice Noble for a home game,” Hubbard said. Hubbard also explained his favorite part about playing hockey. “What I enjoy most about playing hockey is how goal
and team oriented the game is. Every day I come into practice/games with a goal to achieve and I have the pleasure of working toward it with a great group of guys. So when we achieve our goals it is the greatest feeling that I can’t replace,” Hubbard said. While explaining the recruiting process, Hernandez said he wants to keep the team more Ohio based in order to create more opportunities in our community, and others. According to one article titled “The Call Up” on the Wooster Oilers website, Hernandez was called up to coach the NAHL
team the Odessa Jackalopes after his 2016-2017 season with the Oilers ended. Hernandez said his goals for this season are to make the playoffs and have some players move on to the next level in their hockey career. In June, a 2014-2015 Oilers alumni, Jeffrey Skinner, advanced to the U.S. Hockey League as he was drafted by the Bloomington Thunder, according to the article, “Jeffrey Skinner advances to the USHL Bloomington Thunder,” on woosteroilers.com. According to the Oilers’ website, the Oilers defeated the Lansing Wolves in their last home game Nov. 5. Their next home game is Nov. 18.
Graphic courtesy of woosteroilers.com
SPORTS
ALEXA MITCHELL College sports provide many opportunities for students to play the sport they love while also preparing them for life. There are certain benefits people who play sports receive that help them with their college journey. Colt Morgan, a former WHS football player, is now finishing up his football season at Case Western Reserve University. Morgan explained that the bond and brotherhood he experienced in high school was something that he wanted to feel again. “Your teammates become your closest friends, and, in a way, your family. They support you and have your back through the good and bad,” Morgan said. Former volleyball player at WHS, Navi Kinkopf, currently plays volleyball at Otterbein University. Kinkopf states the bonds and memories created with your teammates are unforgettable. Kinkopf emphasized that playing a college sport helps her manage her time effectively for everything in her schedule, but it takes effort to do so. “You need to have self discipline and prioritize, and once you get a routine going you have more time than you think,”
Kinkopf said. Morgan said that his involvement in sports in college has actually helped him in better organizing his time and workload. “Playing a sport in college has made me a more time efficient person. I have to balance my time between school and sports,” Morgan said. When playing a college sport, a student has to balance classes with a two hour practice each day, and two games a week. Cass Dixon, the Head Volleyball Coach at Ashland University, said college will help students better prepare for their futures by helping them become independent and come up with solutions by themselves. “You learn how to problem solve, whether it is to find a way to beat an opponent or find a way to get the best out of your teammates,” Dixon said. Playing a college sport g i v e s people more
AN V A
U LIE
Before deciding N to play GI a sport in college, students have to weigh the
tools for their future. Coaches are there to help push athletes so that when they graduate they have what they need to be on their own. This extra care and help is an advantage of being a college athlete, Dixon explained. Justin Martin, the assistant volleyball coach for Ashland University, said he wants to teach hard work and discipline and also hopes for his players to become problem solvers. “We have been successful as a program with wins and losses, but the true
advantages a n d disadvantages of playing. There have been many WHS graduates who have gone on to play sports in college. Hanna Morgan plays lacrosse at The University of Findlay, Hannah DeHart cheers at Bowling Green State University, Maureen McKeown runs cross country and track at Ashland University and Peyton Bennington plays basketball at Ashland University. In looking at participating in collegiate level sports, the athletes have seen that it is taking some time to adjust, according to Bennington. “The pace of the game and the athleticism are the major
measure of success is how prepared our players are for life after volleyball is over,” Martin said.
challenges going from high school to college,” Bennington said. Morgan said it is frustrating not being able to play with other girls because they have had more experience and more time getting comfortable with lacrosse at the collegiate level. She emphasized that it is nothing like high school sports. While playing a sport in college, students have to balance homework with hanging out with friends and attending practices for their sports. Morgan and McKeown agree they have experienced many late nights because practice takes up so much time and there is more homework that needs to be done than they had to do in high school. Bennington says he only has about three hours each day to complete his homework and hang out with friends. Another complication that has to be taken into consideration is the fact that college sports’ practices take up a big amount of time throughout the day. “It takes up so much of
your time, and with the immense amount of school work that you now have, it’s like I’m always doing something,” McKeown said. To hang out with friends, students have to make the time. “I make time to hang out with friends. Even though my academics come first, I have made a routine for when I do my studies and then time to hang out with my friends,” DeHart said. There are competitions and practices during the day, which also cause athletes to miss classes. “We’ve had to miss a couple of days, and all my professors are great and send me extra things that I missed,” McKeown said. DeHart said she has to contact the person in charge of the class and email them to get the information she missed. When the sports are in-season, the athletes do miss academic opportunities. “I have not missed out on any academics yet, but I know I will, for sure, miss a lot during the spring time because that is when we are in season,” Morgan said. Bennington said he has not missed anything academically, but the basketball season has not started yet. When the season does start, though, he expects to miss some classes. Playing college sports, student athletes face challenges with time management.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | SPORTS | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 13
Cavs surpass expectations 3 2
1
4
JOHN GORMAN views editor
5 SPENCER DILYARD
On Nov. 7, the Miluakee Bucks played the Cleveland Caveliers in Cleveland. The teams are set to play again on Dec. 19. In photo 1, Buck Tony Snell blocks a shot from Cavalier J.R. Smith. Photo 2 features Giannis Antetokounmpo blow-
Cleveland comes out on top to beat Bucks in thriller JOHN GORMAN views editor
Though off to a rocky 5-6 start, the Cleveland Cavaliers have the talent and ability to continue the tradition of success that was reestablished by Lebron’s return to Cleveland. The Cavaliers, coming off a loss to the conference worst Atlanta Hawks, have shown their trademark lack of effort throughout the early portion of the season. According to NBA.com, the Cavs boast a the league’s worst defensive rating, second worst opponent field goal percentage and have given up the third most points per game in the NBA.
However, the Cavaliers make up for this lack of defensive effort with the league’s third most efficient offense. Furthermore, the offense only stands to improve even more with the addition of All NBA Point Guard Isaiah Thomas, who is recovering from offseason hip surgery. While the defensive issues are something to note, they are not unexpected. The Cavaliers have a penchant for coasting through the regular season and flipping the switch for the postseason. This is largely due to the inherent weaknesses within the Eastern Conference. With three other potential
championship contenders, compared to about twice that in the West, Lebron and company have been able to get away with playing solely offense. Head coach Tyronn Lue stated his goal at the post game press conference is to keep opponents shooting below 45.5 percent shooting. While they have not achieved this lately, they have shown promise, giving up fewer than 30 points in three out of four quarters against the Milwaukee. Though the Cavaliers’ lackadaisical play may seem worrying on the surface, it is important to remember they boast a roster featuring all stars, including Kevin Love, Isaiah Thomas and, of course, Lebron James.
From almost the moment I walked into Quicken Loans Arena to cover the Cleveland Cavaliers, I knew it was going to be an unforgettable experience watching the Cavaliers battle the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 7. Within about 90 seconds, after passing through security and finding my credentials, I passed LeBron James as he prepared for the upcoming matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of the Bucks. After watching stars from both teams warm up, I progressed to the press room and awaited the arrival of head coach Tyronn Lue. While the conference was short, it was fascinating to hear the analysis and speculation from other reporters after we exited. While everyone there writes about sports for a living, they still maintain their enthusiasm about the team the same way a casual fan would. Sitting among the press corps, again, was a unique experience, as nearly everyone was working on stories or emailing contacts midgame, rather than just watching. Additionally, whenever Lebron would block a shot or J.R. would make a three pointer, the entire stadium would erupt, except for the three rows of people around me. After the final buzzer, we all packed back into the small pressroom and waited for Lue’s postgame press conference. Once the questions were done, everyone exited toward the locker rooms, where long lines form as security scrutinizes every credential before admitting entrance. While my journey covering the team ended there, I look forward to being able to watch the team progress in the future and hope to be able to report on the Cavaliers once more.
TRENDS
THE WOOSTER BLADE | NOV. 17, 2017 I PAGE 14
Exploring the prevalence of poverty in Wooster:
Wooster Population in 2015: 26,551 Percent of Employed Working-Age Wooster Residents from 2010-2014: 74% Percent of Working-Age Wooster Residents Seeking Work from 2010-2014: 4% Wooster Poverty Rate in 2015: 19.6% Wayne County Poverty Rate for Children Under 18 from 2010-2014: 20.8% Wooster Median Household Income in 2015: $40,896 Wayne County Median Household Income in 2015: $50,383 Average Wooster Male Salary in 2015: $52,603
BLADE INDEX: A compilation of data relating to poverty locally Data Courtesy of Data USA, the Ohio Department of Medicaid, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Data compiled by Estelle Shaya.
Average Wooster Female Salary in 2015: $37,763 Ratio by Which Men Earn More Than Women in Wooster in 2015: 1.39 to 1 Largest Demographic Living in Poverty in Wooster in 2015: Women 25-34 2014 to 2015 Wooster Employment Growth: 2.12% Mental Health Clinician to Patient Ratio in Ohio in 2015: 1 to 263 Percentage of Wooster Residents Lacking Health Insurance from 20102014: 15% Eligible Medicaid Enrollees as of May, 2016: 21,084 Median Property Value in Wooster in 2015: $126,300 Percent Ownership of Housing Units in 2015: 55.8% Percentage of People in Wayne County Receiving SNAP (Food Stamp) Benefits in 2016: 10% Percentage of People in Wayne County Without a High School Diploma in 2015: 14.8% Percentage of People in Wayne County With a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher in 2015: 20.2%
Hashtags play key role in social media
ALEC PAULEY According to Dictionary.com, the term “hashtag” describes a word or phrase preceded by a hash mark (#), used within a message to identify a keyword or topic of interest and allow for a search for it. Hashtag.com states Chris Messina, a social technology expert, is credited with coming up with the very first hashtag on Twitter. He first posted the hashtag #barcamp in August 2007. Hashtags are often used on various different forms of social media and websites at the ends of messages in order to give a main idea that the message is either supporting or about. They are a commonly used method for people to come together about a subject or idea for a large number of reasons. It states on Hashtag.com that as of March 2016, the hashtag “BlackLivesMatter” has been used over 12 million times to bring to attention some of the injustices that African Americans experience today. Hashtags play a role in the lives of many who communicate via social media.
#
THE WOOSTER BLADE | TRENDS | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 15 #NeverthelessShePersisted @#Movements r
When Republican Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, attempted to silence a fellow Senator, Democrat Elizabeth Warren’s, speech against the attorney general nomination, the Twitter community used his own words against him to form the hashtag “NeverthelessShePersisted.” According to The New York Times article, “‘Nevertheless, She Persisted’: How Senate’s Silencing of Warren Became a Meme,” by Daniel Victor on Feb. 8, 2017, the hashtag became an outcry against issues such as reproductive rights and domestic abuse. Used with another phrase, #LetLizSpeak, the Twitter outcry resulted in mass attention to the issue, and Senator Warren was able to finish her speech, in full, on Facebook.
2:07 PM - 17 Nov 2017
#
#HandsOffMyBC @#Movements r
In reaction to the Trump administration’s recent mandate, which allows for companies to deny employees birth control on the basis of moral or religious objections, verbal protesters have taken up the phrase, #HandsOffMyBC, according to an article on bustle.com by Morgan Brinlee titled, “‘Hands Off My Birth Control’ On Twitter is How Women Are Fighting Back.” The issue is brought up through many different lenses, according to Brinlee’s article, including numerous medical reasons, protection from unwanted pregnancies in both cases of rape, as well as consensual sex and concerns with affordability when the medication is not covered. The hashtag is often used with #IStandWithPP to show support for Planned Parenthood programs.
8:06 PM - 17 Nov 2017
#
#BlackLivesMatter @#Movements
Perhaps the largest political Twitter movement, #BlackLivesMatter caught on quickly after it was started on Facebook in 2013, according to the 2015 Washington Post article, “How Black Lives Matter moved from a hashtag to a real political force,” by Janell Ross. The hashtag originated in protest to racial inequality in the United States, particularly when it came to unfair treatment of people of color by police officers. The hashtag gained momentum with killings in Ferguson, Cleveland and Baltimore and has spiraled into a full-blown political movement.
#MeToo Social media movement exposes sexual misconduct 11:25 PM - 17 Nov 2017
CATHERINE STRONG Celebrities are using their Twitter platforms to expose sexual abuse using the hashtag #MeToo following dozens of rape accusations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, according to The Atlantic article “The movement of #MeToo” by Sophie Gilbert. On Oct. 5th, The New York Times published an article
detailing Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual assault allegations. These included accounts of Weinstein making women massage him, exposing himself to them and promising career advancement for sexual favors, according to the article titled sexual harassment accusers for decades” by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. Among women who have made accusations against Weinstein
for rape and sexual assault are actresses Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, according to the BBC article “How ‘Me Too’ is exposing the scale of sexual abuse” on bbc.com. As of Oct. 31, 27 accusations of sexual assault, and more than 60 allegations of other varying degrees of harassment, have been made against Weinstein, as reported by a Slate article titled “A list of sexual assault and harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein” by
Lila Thulin, which can be found on slate.com. After the allegations against Weinstein emerged, celebrities with large followings have used their social media platforms to highlight their experiences of sexual harassment with the hashtag #MeToo, according to the CNN article “#MeToo: social stories of sexual assault.” American actress Alyssa Milano tweeted “Me Too… Suggested by a friend: ‘If all the
women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem’” on Oct. 15 on Twitter. Twitter users in France use the hashtag #balancetonpronc,which translates to “rat on your dirty old man,” to expose sexual assault in their country, according to The Atlantic’s article “#BalanceTonPronc Is France’s #MeToo.”
THE WOOSTER BLADE | COVER | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 18
Poverty in the EDUCATION system: the effects on a student’s learning ability “SCHOOL DISTRICTS NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CONFRONT NON-ACADEMIC BARRIERS THAT CHILDREN COMING FROM POVERTY MUST FACE ON A DAILY BASIS,” FERGUSON SAID. ALEXIS FLORENCE & JOHN GORMAN cover editor & views editor
Low income students Cornerstone Parkview Melrose Kean Edgewood WHS District
73.54% 49.41% 45.95% 36.62% 45.85% 39.45% 45.76%
Data provided by Karen Bell.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | COVER | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 19
Poverty in HEALTH CARE:
“...43 percent of people with recent illness ended up with serious “‘My leg swelled up to double the size and turned purple,’ But she didn’t seek care because she couldn’t imagine how she’d pay the emergency room bill.” “I was treated at one of the best cancer hospitals in the country, but I know I’ll never have any money again. I’m never going to be out of debt for this.” Quotes complied from an NPR article entitled “Your Stories Of Being Sick Inside The U.S. Health Care System” written by Patti Neighmond
Examining the cost of health care in the United States ERIN O’DONNELL & HANNAH KNAPIC cover editor & sports editor
In Sept. 2016, the U.S. Census Bureau released the 2015 poverty statistics, in which the official rate of poverty was determined to be 13.5 percent, with 43.1 million people falling below the poverty line. According to the Institute for Research on Poverty by the University of WisconsinMadison’s article, “Who is poor?” the Census Bureau of the United States determines poverty using an economic measure. The bureau estimates poverty level by using a necessary minimum income threshold which varies by family composition and is defined as, “...three times the amount of (cash) income that a family is thought to need…” Despite the small decrease in percent of women in poverty (down 1.3 percent as of 2015) women still make up more than 50 percent of those in poverty. In comparison to male poverty rates in 2015, females ages 18 through 64 have a 3.7 percent
higher rate of poverty than men of the same age demographic. The difference in poverty rates between men and women can be attributed to uncontrollable societal, environmental and medical factors. The Center for American Progress explained reasons for the poverty gap between men and women in their article, “The Straight Facts on Women in Poverty.” Among these causes are the wage gap, low paying occupations, raising children, pregnancy and increased chance of domestic violence. Even though the female poverty rate is higher than that of males, meaning fewer funds are available and overall income is lower, women still tend to pay more than men for health care. According to the article, “The Lifetime Distribution of Health Care Costs,” by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, women pay onethird more than men for health care in their lifetimes. In addition, women’s health issues are singular in that they are not necessarily guaranteed through insurance.
Under the new administration’s federal insurance program, “Trumpcare,” health insurance will cost more for any individual who possesses a preexisting condition, according to the trumpcare.com article entitled “Trumpcare and PreExisting Conditions.” Pre-existing conditions that factor into increased medical costs include pregnancy, c-section, infertility, postpartum depression, and many others. The list includes hundreds of potential conditions, the same article reports. For families living in poverty, insurance can be an expense which they cannot budget. According to the aforementioned kairoscenter. org article, “Current US Poverty Statistics,” the federal poverty line is an income of $23,836 per year for a family of four, and $11,892 per year for an individual. Comparatively, as cnbc.com reports, the average family spent just under $18,000 total on insurance in 2016 and the average individual spent a total of $8,210. This statistic includes only
insurance, not essential healthcare supplies, such as tampons, which can cost, on average, $84 per year per woman After insurance, and assuming one menstruating woman in the family, that leaves $5,752 for families under the poverty line to spend on groceries, clothes and other essential items. In order to alleviate the cost of medical expenses in the community, Wooster offers a few options for people struggling with poverty, one such organization being the Viola Startzman Free Clinic. The clinic has a large presence in Wooster, treating between 4,000 and 5,000 patients a year, totaling about 14,000 visits a year, according to the executive director, Jaime Parsons. Parsons stresses that the reason the clinic plays such an important role in the community is because the clinic treats all patients, regardless of insurance status, and offers every service that a traditional doctor’s office can provide. “We do full primary care, dental, behavioral health screenings, domestic violence services through One-Eighty,
prescribe birth control and more,” he said. Any services that we cannot do in-house, we can make arrangements with places in town, like the Cleveland Clinic and Wooster Community Hospital,” Parsons said. The clinic offers free classes for community members to learn how to live healthier, according to Parsons. Currently, the clinic offers a “Food Series,” teaching families how to eat healthily without spending a lot of money. Partnering with The Ohio State University and the College of Wooster, the clinic’s recent big project within was conducting gardening classes and working with the COW community garden, then teaching participants how to can and preserve the items they harvested. The Viola Startzman Free Clinic is currently working on opening another branch in Orrville, using space that has been donated by the Orrville Boys and Girls Club branch. Parsons said the new satellite location will not be full-service, as the Wooster location is.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 20
The
WE
Huddle
Mission
Statement
is,
“to
public schools,” according to the group’s Facebook page.
WE Huddle facilitates conversation ALEXIS FLORENCE & HENRY GAMBLE Wooster Education Huddle is a non-partisan group of Wooster City School District parents and concerned citizens created to improve the Wooster community by advocating for better education. The organization, created in February of 2017, is comprised of about 35 members, with more joining each month. According to Angie Bos, a founding member of the group, most people involved in WE Huddle are connected to,
and have volunteered for, the district. Bos and others in the organization formed the group because they wanted to better their community through education. “Local education, in particular, was a place where we might be able to make an impact,” Bos said. Kate Frichtl is a WCS parent who has attended two group meetings at which candidates for the Wooster Board of Education came and answered questions about their outlook for Wooster education. “Having the school board candidates come was a pretty
unique opportunity,” Frichtl said. Board of Education member Sue Herman said she is thrilled about the group’s mission and advocates for the district to consider the group’s opinions on policy. “I think it would be wonderful if we used them as a resource. The more input we get… the better off we’re going to be,” Herman said. According to Bos, the group has no set leadership and holds meetings every month. More information on dates and times are on their public Facebook page, entitled WE Huddle.
ON CAMPUS
WHS Key Club donates blankets to OneEighty RACHAEL SCHMIDT This winter, the WHS Key Club is working with the Kiwanis Club of Wooster and the Circle K Club of the College of Wooster to make blankets to donate to OneEighty/Every Woman’s House. OneEighty is an organization offering substance abuse prevention, intervention and treatment services. Every Woman’s House provides shelter and support to victims of domestic violence. According to the adviser of WHS Key Club, Paige Arnold, the goal is to make 40 blankets total between Key Club, Kiwanis and Circle K before Christmas. At a recent Key Club meeting,
students made three blankets in about 40 minutes. The blankets are being given to women and children that come from dangerous home environments stated Brittany Brinkerhoff, Vice President of Key Club. “We wanted to give them a little something like a blanket so that they know people are thinking about them and they don’t have to go through this time alone,” Brinkerhoff said. Alyssa Naftzgar (11), secretary of Key Club, is helping with the blanket project. While reflecting on working on this project Naftzgar said, “Key Club has given me opportunities to help both people in need and in our community.” The next Key Club meeting will be Nov. 30.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | ON CAMPUS | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 21
Technology club created at WHS in order to spread information about computer programming and coding RHEANNA VELASQUEZ
10001 1010001 101 01 0100 011 1 01 010100011 110 100011101 010 01 10 1010 1000111 101 000
Wooster High School’s newest club, the Elit, provides students the opportunity to learn about technology and development. The name Elit comes from the Latin word, elit, for developer, according to club co-founder Nolan Khounborin (12). “Basically, we’re a club that specializes in programming, coding, a little bit of engineering robotics here and there. We’re going to help teach students how to write their own programs if they are unable to take the classes in school,” Khounborin said. Peter Savage (12), co-founder, said he decided to create the Elit with Khounborin after realizing the high school did not have outlets for students with interest in all technology and development combined. “Having access to [computer
skills] gives you a really big edge if you want to go into lot of classes you can take that but there’s not the broad range that some schools have, and the answer isn’t necessarily to have all those classes that teach all those things, it’s just to allow the resources to be available to all the students and them be able to come and work on that kind Savage said. Computer Science Dept. member and club adviser Nathan Greene said he is there to facilitate whatever the students’ interests are. “I’m anxious to see what interested in and incorporate them into my teaching,” Greene said. Students will be able to join throughout the school year. The club is open to students of all grades.
SPENCER DILYARD Peter Savage (12) and Nolan Khounborin (12) are the cofounders and co-leaders of the new WHS club computer science club, Elit. Elit will be a place where students can get involved with coding and computer sciences while furthering their knowledge and experience in
JACOB GOOCH
Savage says the club will be doing, “...group projects involving coding, security, analysis, development and whatever else we decide to do. It’s really open to what people in it are interested in and what they feel like doing.” The club founders said their goal for the club was to create a
club that welcomes students of all ages and experience levels to their club. “We want to have fun and learn knew things,” Savage said. Savage also mentioned the possibility of tech and development centric competitions in the future. The coding languages being worked with are primarily java and C-based coding languages. According to Lynda.com, these are the basic languages of most modern computing. Khounborin said the club creative outlet for students. “Peter and I were just sitting there and we realized there are not enough school related outlets for technological interest
at WHS.” The main goal of the club, according to Khounborin, is to “learn new things, work in a group setting on technology… and have fun.” Khounborin and Savage also see room for growth in the computer science classes, saying there are only six students in advanced computer science programs. Their hope is to increase interest in these areas. The club is also, “always open to new members, we’re never going to shut students out. It’s up to the students to join,” Nolan said. The club is set to meet every other Thursday. The next meeting is on Nov. 23.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | ON CAMPUS | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 22
Playing with heart: Featuring the various bands that the WCSD has to offer 5th Grade
6th Grade
DAVID CHENG
DEVIKA WALIA
opportunity to learn an instrument. comprised of 110 members in the 2017-2018 school year. playing an instrument and being a part of a large band with other members. learn are the basics of reading music, playing their instrument and rehearsing. they get to the large band rehearsals. of being in a class with 110 people and listening to couple of weeks, we teach them how to come in, set up and get ready.” people of the same instrument and the band directors, including Adams and Fleischaker, to learn more in depth about how to read their music and learn their instruments and scales. Dan Adams also helps with sixth grade band group rehearsals. music program is that they are exposed to something that is worthy of study, and can continue to learn about,” Dan Adams said. learn in the same environment with the same teacher each and every year, making it much easier for them. on Feb. 13 in the PAC with the sixth grade band.
The sixth grade band at Edgewood Middle School is directed by Daniel Fleischaker. Fleischaker was hired in 2014, replacing Tom Long, the former director of the band. According to the WHS music website, Fleischaker previously taught music in Barberton City Schools, Perry Local Schools in Massillon and Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Ky., before he came to Wooster City Schools. There are 73 sixth grade band members in the 201718 school year, and there are normally between 65 and 80 students each year, Fleischaker said. Students can get involved in the band by letting the band directors know if they would like to join in the beginning of the year, but most students begin playing in the band in their fifth grade year, Fleischaker said. Diane Adams, WHS band director, said that each band member has one lesson specialized to the instrument they play each week. Along with lessons, the full sixth grade band practices together two times a week. Adams says it is beneficial to start band members at a young age. “It is a good age to start them because they are physically big enough to play an instrument and they are at a point where they can understand musical concepts. They learn the basic concepts and then we add new and more difficult concepts as they get older,” Adams said. Fleischaker said that most students play standard instruments, which include the flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, trombone, trumpet and percussion. The sixth grade band has their second concert of the year on Feb. 13 in the PAC.
7th Grade ESTELLE SHAYA
At Edgewood Middle School, 67 students participate in the seventh grade band. The band is directed by Dennis Bartelheim, but is also helped in sectionals by Diane Adams, Doug Bennett and Dan Fleischaker. According to the WHS Music webpage, Bartelheim has taught in Wooster City Schools for 33 years. According to Bartelheim, the band has no members who are just starting on instruments. Rather, it has several new students who have transferred to Edgewood from other county schools, in part to have the opportunity to participate in the band. The band has been working on several pieces. These include an overture, a march, a piece called “Shadows Unleashed” and two pieces that were performed on Veterans Day, according to Bartelheim. With this specific group, Bartelheim said, “Musically, the biggest challenge would be balancing instrumentation.” Several sections have far more members than others, and students are also beginning to take up new instruments like tenor saxophone, tuba and oboe. At the same time, the age group presents its own challenges. Bartelheim said the group changes every day, which can serve for better or for worse with concentration and preparation. Bartelheim said working with this year’s seventh grade band has been rewarding in seeing them grow as musicians. Students begin to see music as more than just the notes on the page and start to add some expressive elements to their playing. “You notice little success stories every few days,” Bartelheim said. The seventh grade band performed with the sixth grade band on Nov. 9 at Edgewood Middle School.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | ON CAMPUS | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 23
8th Grade
Freshman
CLARA LEE
RHEANNA VELASQUEZ
MOLLY SCHNIEDER
SKYY KHOUNBORIN
Eighth grade band is a new experience for students as they transition from the middle school to the high school. Dan Adams is the director for the eighth grade band, which he has directed for six years. “The biggest change [due to moving to WHS] was kind of that fear the eighth graders had to be in marching band, because that was a big transition--they didn’t know what it was going to be like. Now, they’re here in the same building, they know a lot of the same people, so you really notice a little less apprehension, little less anxious behavior that happens in the spring before,” Adams said. Adams, who used to teach fifth and sixth graders, enjoys getting to start off each school day with teaching the eighth graders. “I like students at that age. It’s fun for me to have twelfth graders in my day and eighth graders in my day,” Adams said. The students find playing in the band enjoyable as well. Sylvie Shaya (8), first chair clarinet, says the aspect she enjoys most about band is being able to have all the different parts of music fit together. Molly Snyder (8), third chair saxophone, started band due to her interest in playing an instrument. Snyder says her favorite part about band is performing. The first performance by the eighth grade band will be Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Wooster High School’s freshman band
As the Friday night lights begin to shut off for the marching band, concert band season starts and begins new musical challenges. The concert band is composed of 58 students and 13 different instruments all directed by Douglas Bennett. According to Bennett, marching band and concert band are different instruments with different groups of people. He explains that concert band has to work five days in school, also including sectionals for individuals groups in the concert band, to prepare for their upcoming performances. “That’s a different set of kids who have to get used to playing with one another, and so we spend this time between now and January getting ourselves together,” Bennett said. Concert band is also an enjoyable experience, according to first chair saxophone player Tyler Strand-Fox (10). Strand-Fox explains that band can make you a better person. “I’m in band because I like making music, and it betters you as a person in my opinion,” Strand-Fox explains. According to tuba player Ben Carmel (12), band is a great experience for anyone who’s interested in joining. “If you’re still thinking about doing band do it... there are no bad things about it, really they are only benefits. In my opinion it’s always an enjoyable time,” Carmel said. The next concert band performance will be in January, which is the winter band concert, according to Bennett.
The symphonic band is directed by Dan Adams. He has been directing the symphonic band for 28 years. According to Adams, symphonic band has members who are capable of accepting a challenge. “It is a select group of student musicians, we are able to perform more challenging literature, often music performed by college and professional ensembles.” Those who are chosen show through their auditions that they can handle the advanced music pieces and are able to accept the challenge. Andrew Cochran (12), is a four year member of the symphonic band. Cochran has been playing the trumpet for seven years and is currently first chair in the trumpet section. Cochran had previous music experience before beginning his trumpet career. “I grew up playing the piano and the idea of making music as part of a group provided a new opportunity.” Cochran will continue his trumpet career in college as a participant in pep band. Landon Rice (10) is a first year member in symphonic band. Prior to this year, Rice was first chair in the flute section in freshman band; he is now first chair in symphonic band for the flute section. Rice was inclined to join band due to his love for music, as well as his brother joining the band and enjoying it, which caused Rice to believe he would enjoy it as well.
According to music director Dan Adams, freshman band began in 1996. “The size of 9 through 12 band began to be too large to split into two groups (Concert Band & Symphonic Band). Splitting the group three ways allowed us to have manageable numbers in each ensemble, as well as gave us the ability goals of ninth grade students,” Adams said. Audrey Cochran (9) plays as the she has been practicing the instrument for four years and joined band due to According to Cochran, freshman band is currently practicing “Skydive.” has played since sixth grade. Winter said he joined band at the high school because of both upperclassmen friends and friends in his grade. Winter described the best part of band as, “playing fun music with all of my friends, all in the same room.” Winter said his goals for the year are to improve in rhythm and build higher range, while Cochran described her goals as becoming a better player and encouraging others to join. “I look forward to the musical growth of all the students in the ensemble. These ninth graders show much potential,” Adams said. Jan. 11.
Concert
Symphonic
Photos by Maddy Nacci, Emma LoGiudice, Spencer Dilyard
THE WOOSTER BLADE | ON CAMPUS | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 24
Wooster City Schools receives Purple Star Award EVAN DOAN a&e editor
Wooster City Schools was one of eight school districts in Ohio to be given the Purple Star Award in honor of its steadfast support for veterans and their families. The Purple Star Award is in its first year of implementation and is awarded by the state of Ohio to districts that make a conscious effort to recognize and support veterans, as well as their families members, within the public education system, according to the Ohio Dept. of Education website. In order to qualify for this
award, a district must have a staff point of contact for military students and families who serves as a liaison between them and the school. Additionally, the school must maintain a page dedicated to providing resources for military families. The award was presented by Paolo DeMaria, Ohio’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, to WCSD on Nov. 1 during an assembly with many veterans present. DeMaria said that relatives of veterans and active service members face unique challenges in their education and emphasized that these challenges require a proactive
JACOB GOOCH
awareness. “With military families, there are particular challenges, and we want to meet the needs of those students and be sensitive to the uniqueness of those challenges. Many military children have many more responsibilities and stress than other students. These students are resilient by necessity,” De Maria said. Guidance counselor and
veteran Tyler Egli was the person who applied WCSD for the award. During the assembly, Egli explained the importance of supporting families of veterans and active service members. “In Wayne County alone, we have between 9,000 to 10,000 thousand veterans. Wooster City Schools will continue to support its veterans, active service members, and their
families,” Egli said. A slideshow presented during the assembly outlined the district’s efforts to support military families. According to the presentation, WCSD has partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project, the Honor Flight Network, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Ohio National Guard to promote inclusivity and awareness of veterans.
Edgewood celebrates Veteran’s Day RACHAEL SCHMIDT
PHOTO COURTESY OF CYNTHIA BEEMAN
On Nov. 10, Edgewood Middle School held their eighth annual Veterans Day luncheon honoring veterans for bravely serving our country. Cynthia Beeman, Edgewood’s computer/ technology teacher, has been organizing the luncheon since its first year and said the event has grown from about 75 guests the first year to 300 guests this year. Each year, the veterans are able to eat lunch with family members while listening to music from the middle school choir and orchestra. “A favorite piece that I usually use each year is ‘Honor and Glory’ by Soon Hee Newbold. This composition has a great sound that is appropriate for this occasion,” Loretta Adkins, Edgewood
orchestra director, said. After lunch, the guests go to an assembly in the gym featuring an honor guard, the middle school band and a slideshow of the veterans. Francis E. Buckley, a Vietnam veteran, has attended the luncheon for three years, the first two as part of the honor guard, and this year with his grandson Cayden Buckley. Buckley said it is important for students to know what veterans did and how they served so they may be lead to, “a career path in the military, but not without a good education first.” Student Council plays a large role in this event each year. Student Council member Amy Nielson (7) contributed by greeting people at the door. Nielson said she likes the assembly because it is very memorable and she enjoys playing in the band. Edgewood holds this celebration annually the week of Veteran’s Day.
FEATURE
THE WOOSTER BLADE | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 25
Black Diamonds: RHEANNA VELASQUEZ The conference,
Black Diamonds a collaborative
organizations and individuals, seeks to promote greater welleducational success for African American women and girls. Linda Lanier, Cuyahoga Community College professor and chair of the Black Diamonds Committee, coordinated the in late October. “I have spoken and watched young, talented girls pushed out the emotional toil of African American women who are primary caregivers - often not taking care of themselves,” Lanier said. Lanier explained that she created Black Diamonds to bring young women together and help inform them on
Encouraging African American women to strive for success
resources and steps to improve their lives. Calling the event empowering, WHS guidance counselor Cheryl
especially black women, and to persuade them to take a look at engineering as a career, to help them understand what engineering is, and to encourage them to take on leadership roles if they decide engineering is the
students to grow and realize the opportunities out there for them. with fellow guidance counselor Ann Robison and several WHS students, including Rebekah Barnett (10). Barnett described the event’s speakers as inspirational. “Their life stories and struggles put into perspective that you can persevere through anything,” Barnett said. Heidi Cressman spoke at the function as The University of Akron’s Director of Women in Engineering. Cressman said now, as opposed opportunities are exploding for women and minority engineers to do great things. work,
earn
great
pay,
get
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHERYL GOFF
The following students (from left to right): Alexis Florence, Rebekah Barnett, Daisie Nordick, Asharia Irby and Shaunice Irby attended the Black Diamond Women’s Conference at Cuyahoga Community College. opportunities to travel and where they can use their intelligence and creativity to solve problems that move
the human race forward...My hope in speaking at the event was to shine the light on what opportunities exist for women,
said. Ivanna Ross, an Akron College of Engineering student who attended, said organizations like Black Diamonds, “serve as a safe place where younger women and professionals/STEM career individuals can meet, converse and share their stories...It acts as a support system, it lets us know that yes, it may seem hard at times, but we are not alone.” Lauren Thompson, a mechanical engineering student at The University of Akron added, “We still have work to do...I think the women who ran this conference are on the right track and hopefully the longer this goes on, they will push girls into more rewarding careers.” Over 280 students attended the conference.
Women’s Conference empowers students for the future
2017 ALEXIS FLORENCE WOMENS CONFERENCE
Logo courtesy of events.tri-c.edu Graphic by Matthew Lorentz
cover editor
Everyone at some point in their lives will hear speakers, see demonstrations or attend events that will change the way they approach life. For me, the Black Diamond Women’s Conference
transformed how I think about my future as an AfricanAmerican woman. As a minority in Wooster, Ohio, it is rare for me to encounter people of color, especially females, who are in positions of authority during my everyday life. This gathering brought together successful women who broke down barriers in their These professors, engineers, pilots and doctors shared their experiences; I felt empowered by their stories. It was amazing to meet these women and to build a sense of comradery from our shared strife of being unrepresented and underestimated in life.
Furthermore, the speakers preached about the need for unity. Often I, like most people, consider others who are similar to me as competition instead of allies. But, seeing all the ambitious young women full of potential next to me, I truly realized that, while I might be able to succeed by myself, I will have the ability to accomplish more in my life if I work with other driven people. This conference truly made an impact on my life and was it is important for youth to see people that look like them as coaches, Congresspeople, engineers and teachers.
FEATURE
Local programs AMBREA DELLAFAVE Wooster has a poverty rate of 19.6 percent, according to Data Usa, which is higher than the national average poverty rate. International organizations that help reduce poverty locally include People to People and United Way. Viola Startzman Clinic is an organization primary located in Wooster and in early 2018, a second clinic will be opened in Orrville. People To People of Wayne County is a nonprofit organization, supported by donations, that provides basic human survival needs: food, shelter and clothes. They also offer emergency transportation and basic health care, according to their website. According to United Way of Wayne and Holmes County website, they provide aid to the families with financial instability and a low income, and give them access to basic health care, as well as mental health services. The website states that United Way’s goal is to help children outside of school with their homework and other outside of school activites. They respond to emergency situations, assuring that the families in need have food, shelter and clothes according to their website. Viola Startzman Clinic gives free health and dental care, wellness education, medications and health related services to qualifying lower income residents of Wayne County, according to their website.
Viola Startzman provides local health care SKYY KHOUNBORIN Viola Startzman is a health clinic that provides patients various healthcare services and is located in Wooster. These services range from primary health care to dental care to community resources. The clinic was named after Viola Startzman, who made it her mission to provide health care for low income families in Wayne County. Until her death in August 2013, she remained active in the clinic and as a member of the Board of Trustees, according to Startzmanclinic.org. Jodi Swihart, nurse practitioner at Viola Startzman, is one of the main providers for primary health care. The medical path often is not chosen due to the amount of education that is needed, but Swihart stated, “it chose me. I worked in doctors’ offices, then decided to go back to school. [I]
became a nurse, did that for 10 years, then became a little unfulfilled. A friend talked me into getting my NP [nurse practitioner license] and here I am.” Prior to getting her NP, Swihart was a standard nurse. Swihart has worked at Viola Startzman for six years. Eric Smith, a part time medical director at Viola Startzman, is a contributor to patient health care. Smith provides additional services that nurse practitioners do not provide, such as hypnosis and injections. Smith states that working in the medical field is difficult. “Health care requires balancing multiple competing interests: patient preferences, limitations based upon their finances and family preferences... balancing competing aspects of health...patients often have more than one concern/problem/condition.” Smith began working at Viola Startzman in 2009 and continues to work there to this day.
The United Way aids community families
Holmes County branch of the United Way, described the steps taken to aid those in poverty in our community. “There are three things that we do to move people out of poverty locally. The first thing is we stabilize the environment, the second thing we do is we remove barriers and the third thing we do is build resources,” Newberry-Yokley said. Within the organization, several different programs are offered for each individual’s situation. Community impact coordinator Kyle Putinski EMILY JEWELL explained the various programs offered to those in need of aid. “All of our programs help the The United Way is a nonprofit community. We have programs that organization that focuses on the focus on youth or students to achieve economic security, health and academic success...” Putinski said. The United Way is a volunteer education of communities throughout based organization, so if interested the world. For communities in poverty, the goal in aiding the community, people are of the organization is, “Mobilizing recommended by the organization to community resources to help people donate time or money. measurably improve their lives,” according to The United Way website. Through identifying the main causes of poverty in each individual community, the United Way takes the necessary steps in order to remedy those issues. Laura Newberry-Yokley, the marketing and community engagement director of the Wayne and
THE WOOSTER BLADE | FEATURE | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 27
People to People supports families in Wayne County
Community Action provides services to help families ALEXIS FLORENCE cover editor
Community Action is an organization located in Wayne county since the year 1966 and works to, as stated in their “build bridges of hope and people to resources where basic needs are met and education becomes a lifelong journey.” CA recently found a new home in the former Lincoln Way Elementary building on Pittsburgh Ave. in Wooster. Previously the centers, where the organization worked with clients, were located in church basements while were in a separate location. Senior Vice President and Chief has been working with CA for 37 years said the new building has helped in reaching out to clients and becoming a pillar in the community. “The location, in terms of the neighborhood, a lot of our clients are in walking distance… and the history, of when it was Lincoln
Way Elementary, was that it is a neighborhood gathering place,” Ackerman explained. Community Action works to take the best approach in serving their community by doing a community assessment every year. of programs, most at no cost to their clients who have to meet certain income guidelines that can be found on their website. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) works with the utilities company to help clients who are unable to pay for their various utilities. The Intake Supervisor, Angie Miller, who oversees this program further explained CA accepts clients who come in with energy needs and use grants to keep their services from being interrupted. “We will see customers by walk-ins and appointments… [clients] are coming in with those needs… and with grants we are able to pay those and keep their services from being interrupted,” Miller said. The housing assistance program, which Mark Wilson,
LEGAL AID JOHN GORMAN views editor
Community Legal Aid is a non-profit law firm for low income individuals and families in northeast and central Ohio, according to their website.
CORINNE WILES
oversees, helps clients by installing insulation in a house, examining furnaces and providing electrical upgrades. “We take funding from the state and the utility companies and try to provide people with a better living situations,” Wilson said. One of the most wellknown services, and the biggest funding source, is the national Head Start program. Kristin Cooke, the Child and has been with CA for almost two years and has been working with Head Start for about 14 years. The program, which serves 119 children, has both the children and the parents set goals for the future because, as Cooke explains, “HeadStart is not just about educating the child, but it’s education and supporting the whole family.” Community Action receives a mix of state, private and mostly federal funding. Furthermore, the group works with other organizations in Wayne County like United Way and the Salvation Army. More information about Community Action can be found on their website www.cawm.org.
Wayne County’s People to People Ministries, a nonprofit organization, strives to help those in need within the community, according to Joe Szeker said the organization was established in 1978 and was started by 10 or 12 churches that were receiving requests from community members asking for help in their everyday lives. In addition to a few employees, People to People Ministries is completely run by volunteers. Members of the community only have to meet a few requirements to qualify for services. People have to show proof of their identity and residency in Wayne County for the past 90 days, Szeker said. If people meet this criterion, the organization can help. When people find themselves in need of necessities such as food, clothing and/ or financial services, the Ministry can assist them. According to Szeker, “We
find out what kind of financial situation people are in… they fall into a certain level of the poverty level but when it comes to food and clothes, we pretty much serve everyone.” The official People to People Ministries Mission Statement highlights the purpose of the ministry. “The purpose of [People to People Ministries] is to provide an immediate, realistic and compassionate response to people with these basic needs when these needs are not being met through any other programs.” This non-profit organization uses their mission statement as a goal of how they want to assist people in the community.
Graphics by Matthew Lorentz.
gives assistance to low income individuals
Offering services including screening for those needing legal assistance, representing clients and educating the community on legal issues, Community Legal Aid provides a services to individuals and families who may not otherwise be able to pay for
their legal aid, according to the organization’s website. The organization’s dashboard says that in the past quarter Community Legal Aid has closed 3,227 cases with a 95 percent success rate. Additionally, they estimate a nearly $10 million economic
benefit to clients. According to the group’s mission statement, “Community Legal Aid specializes in poverty law and is devoted to providing free, high-quality civil legal services to those in need in eight counties throughout central
northeast Ohio.” Community Legal Aid handles cases ranging from preventing foreclosures to custody resolution to immigration resolutions. Community Legal Aid does pro bono work and provides traditional legal services.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | FEATURE | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 28
Banning of literature in schools sparks controversy Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 saw bans over its extremely graphic descriptions of sexual acts, as well as other violent content. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald was challenged by the Baptist College of South Carolina over the references to sex and foul language, as recorded by the “Banned and/ or Challenged Books from the
AVERY ROSS With the recent controversy surrounding the banning of To Kill a Mockingbird in Biloxi, Miss., the topic of banned literature has come back into the forefront of popular culture. Books have been banned for hundreds of years both inside and outside of the United States, most often as the result of religious and social intolerances and/or what is deemed as unacceptably graphic content, as outlined by the “History of book banning in America” from pbs.org. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird has been banned in a variety of schools, due to its “degrading and racist” tones, as stated by bannedbooksweek. thoughts of many readers who have seen the rather extreme examples of racial prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird as a means to deliver a more progressive message. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, both by Mark Twain, have been the subject of similar
100 Novels of the 20th Century” from ala.org.
Mockingbird controversy due to the racist overtones featured prominently in both novels. Both the book and movie adaptation of Gone With the Wind have also seen bannings over their “realistic” portrayal of racism and slavery, as covered by nypost.org.
To Kill a Sexual content and matters of sexuality often lead to the banning of literature. Beloved, by Toni Morrison, was banned as a result its violent and sexual contents, as well as a controversial “discussion of beastiality,” shown by marshall. edu.
censorship policy. As stated by Becky Vaeth, Adult Services Manager at the Wooster branch; “We want to make sure materials our patrons want are accessible, while being respectful of community standards.” which claims that “...no book or other library material shall be removed from the library except under court order.” interesting, they can visit bannedbooksweek.org, as the site holds a wealth of information surrounding the censorship of literature.
Value of banned, controversial topics considered
HANNAH KNAPIC sports editor
Banning of books in American schools is not an uncommon phenomena, but after the recent removal of Harper Lee’s To Kill
a Mockingbird by a Mississippi school district, it is clear the vitality of teaching class literature needs to be reiterated. In The New York Times article, “‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Removed From School in Mississippi,” by Christina Caron, discomfort of the district’s citizens caused the removal of the novel from eighth grade reading requirements. The book, according to Caron, has caused controversy through, “Its candid exploration of racism and discrimination…” However, this descriptive exploration of racism and discrimination present in Lee’s
novel provides a timeless lesson to people of all ages. The struggles of Jem and Scout, the two main characters, to understand how people in the town can be so unforgiving based on skin color aid in shaping students’ ethical awareness of the inequality that was, and continues to be, present in American society. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of many books that have been banned because of the discomfort caused by the content. According to the section, “Banned Books That Shaped America,” on bannedbooks. org, classic novels such as The
To Kill A Mockingbird
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby have been banned because of content that people have deemed inappropriate. Although this content may be sensitive for younger audiences, the novels portray important moral lessons over topics such as racism and the insensitivity of the American dream. Banning books for immature audiences may be justified, but the ethical lessons taught to young adults will help shape people into a more responsible, respectful and aware collective society.
Catch-22
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Kite Runner
The
VIEWS .
THE WOOSTER BLADE | NOV 17, 2017 | PAGE 29
DRUG FREE CLUBS OF AMERICA
Drugs Free Clubs of America comes to WHS and aims to reduce drug use for students.
Graphic by Matthew Lorentz
Student Opinions: Do you think the Drugs Free Clubs of America program will be effective? Why or why not? “Yes...it will give kids a way out of peer pressure.” Madison McCoy (10) “Yes, because kids would want rewards for good behavior.” Brittany Brinkerhoff (11) “No, not really because I don’t think there will be a lot of people to join the club.” Andrew Martinez (11) “No, because it’s optional.” Quinn Fannin (10) “I think it should be effective because the fear will help make some of these decisions.” Wyatt Ammon (11) “No, because it won’t stop kids from doing drugs, it just rewards kids for not doing drugs, and those kids don’t need motivation.” Jacob Nurse (10) “Honestly yes, because if people don’t pass, their parents will be called and they will be punished.” Eric Mountel (10) Monastra (10)
THE WOOSTER BLADE | VIEWS | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 30
Examining and debating later school start times Although there are no proposed changes to the current school start time in WCSD, school start times have been a common point of contention for years. Currently, 43 percent of U.S. public schools start before 8 a.m., according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Below, two staff writers detail some of the most pressing matters surrounding when we go to school.
Late starts affect transportation
REECE MITCHELL
School start times for kids have been a long debate: should we start later, should we not? We should not start school any later. Transportation, after school activities and even getting a taste of job hours in real life are reasons to not start the school day later. School times are set to try and make it easier for parents who would like to
a give them a taste of what it is like to work a job. I think waking up in the morning early to go to school portrays a sense of responsibility that may help in many students’ lives. If schools start earlier, than that would mean it would end later in the day. An earlier start would lead to kids having less time in the rest of the day to be involved in extracurricular activities
work. If we start school later, then more students would need to ride the bus, forcing schools to get more buses and recruit new drivers. If a school should decide to start school
students would have less time in the day to visit public libraries or other public services to help with their studies. If one school started later, it would be much easier on other district schools schedules to have everyone start late, so why change? Switching everyone’s schedule will mess with not only the students’ agendas, but will make it harder for parents to participate in their kids school lives.
only in their sports practices, but would games and other activities with other Many jobs require an early start for work, and school is meant to prepare students for a real life experience and
DAVID CHENG
The school year is hard enough as it is. Stress, paired with an early start time, just makes students’ health worse and decreases their performance. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine published a statement on their website stating the school day should start no later than 8:30 a.m. The idea of later start times is not new, but this is a rare occasion when the AASM agreed upon a position on this topic. One of the main reasons that we should have later start times is the health concerns that come with sleep deprivation. The recommended hours of sleep that teens should get a day is between eight to ten hours. However, according to the Center for Disease Control’s Division of Population Health, 70 percent of students get less than seven hours. The CDC says chronic sleep loss is associated with lower performance
in school, higher risks of depressive symptoms, obesity, motor-vehicle accidents and cardiovascular problems, Many opponents to later start times argue that children will have to come home from school in the dark and they will miss out on sports and other extracurricular activities, but these are all red herrings; the real issue at stake here is the issue of students’ health. It is easier for elementary students to get enough sleep because they have less of a work load, but when students enter middle and high school, there is more work, and combined with going through puberty, it is harder to achieve the recommended amount of sleep. If the goal of schools is to create better students for the future, then school districts need to reevaluate their position on start times. If nothing is done now to help students health, then there will be lasting health risks.
THE WOOSTER BLADE | VIEWS | NOV. 17, 2017 | PAGE 31
Examining the
Sexual Assault: assault nationally
Have you ever been sexually harmed or assaulted?
and locally
#MeToo campaign helps to bring about much needed awareness
MADDY NACCI feature editor
In light of the recent allegations and the #MeToo movement across the country, it is time to reevaluate how American society looks at sexual harassment. According to The New York Times article, “The Woman Who Created #MeToo Long Before Hashtags,” Tarana Burke began the Me Too movement in 1997 to help victims of sexual harassment and assault. Recently, Me Too has been brought into the social media spotlight when actress Alyssa Milano first used the hashtag to share her experiences and to give sexual assault victims a voice. Since then, victims have continuously stepped forward to share their experiences together and have given a whole new face to sexual harassment. Christine Williams, Mount Vernon juvenile prosecutor, said, “Sexual harassment is harassment in the workplace
or other social or professional situations involving the making of unwanted sexual advancements or obscene remarks.” The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission echoes this definition of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment must be defined in a specific manner to educate people and validate the means for filing a grievance or complaint. In a recent Washington Post and ABC News Poll, one third of women said they experienced sexual advances from a male with whom they work, or a male who has influence over their job and of those women, a third of them said the advances were an instance of sexual abuse. The majority of victims of sexual abuse do not report the instance. Many women who have come forward have been left feeling unvalued and end up having to move jobs. “When coming forward, women have described feeling unsafe or uncomfortable, as well as feeling as though their careers were compromised as a result,” said author Anna North in the Vox article “Want to stop sexual harassment? Start helping women.” Part of the reason that sexual harassment is so prevalent lies in the fact that women feel unsafe and unequal in the workplace. It is time to change this.
All victims should feel safe in their workplace and trust the manager or a human resources representative enough to report grievances or file a complaint. The College of Wooster has an organization that strives to make victims feel safe and supported as they face issues on and off campus. K(no)w is an education based sexual respect advocacy group at The College of Wooster that promotes an anti-rape culture and works to provide a safe space for victims, says co-president Colleen Gilfether. Gilfether emphasized that people have the choice to decide if they want to speak out on their experiences or not, but everyone should have the opportunity to do so because it really helps those affected. She believes the goal of the Me Too campaign helps those who have been affected and helps raise awareness on the subject of sexual harassment. At WHS, students should know that their anti-harassment officers are Rich Leone and Karen Arbogast and feel safe reporting instances to them or other faculty members. While it is shocking that every time you open Twitter, you see another person using the #MeToo, this is a positive step in the right direction, getting victims to share and relate with others while sending the message that sexual harassment is not okay in the workplace or anywhere.
16% 84%
No Yes
If you have, did you report the harassment or assault? 15% 85%
No Yes
Are you aware of to whom you should report harassment or assault in WHS?
54%
46%
No Yes
A total of 213 WHS students were polled on Nov. 15. Graphics by David Cheng