Identity Found

Grace Cardenas came to Worthington Christian as a 7th grader. Cardenas was born in Europe and has found herself living in England, Germany, and Switzerland. She can speak German, Spanish, Swiss dialect, and English. Her experiences and background look very different from most people at Worthington Christian. Although this past has allowed Cardenas to become open-minded to different peoples and cultures, it presents an identity crisis. 

 The introduction to America was a major change for Cardenas. Once her mother decided to move their family to Ohio, Cardenas didn’t know what to expect. After she arrived in America and started attending Worthington Christian, Cardenas experienced a heavy culture shock. On top of increased difficulty in academics due to the new language, her social life seemed to be a challenge. Cardenas felt isolated and alone within a new culture and community. “Sometimes I found myself excluded,” Cardenas reflected, “but I eventually managed to find a friend group that fit me and my culture.” 

A Christian school was a new environment for Cardenas. At first, her belief wavered. “It took me a while to figure out if I really did believe that Christ is my savior. In the end, Worthington Christian led me to believe that Jesus is the way. My faith has grown stronger ever since.” At first, Worthington Christian was a foreign place to Cardenas. In the end, however, she became comfortable within her identity and found herself walking with Jesus. 

Cardenas had some valuable advice to share with the underclassman of Worthington Christian. “Don’t change for anyone”, Cardenas stressed, “In the end, people will look up and admire that you are different, and you are true to yourself.” High school is a tough time to find one’s identity. From cultural influences to peer pressure, kids can find themselves changing into someone they are not. Cardenas struggled with finding her identity at the start. However, Christ and her peers gave her the confidence she needed, allowing her to be the person she is today. Cardenas plans to attend Ohio State Newark, majoring in physiology, which is the study of how the human body works.

~ Tommy Anthony 

 

The Battle for Life: Pro-Choice VS Pro-Life Views in School

 

Abortion: A great debate in our society that has transformed our communities. A sensitive controversial topic that has been widespread throughout our nation and around the globe. Even in the halls of WC, there exists a wide variety of viewpoints concerning abortion. 

 

Some have estimated that as many as 1 out of 3 women have experienced an abortion, whether it was the abortion pill or a surgical abortion. This figure is reliant on the reporting and data-collection methods, but a staggering figure nonetheless. Many women are influenced by the people around them. Many of these women are vulnerable and they do not think they have enough money or resources to support their baby or themselves. 

What is abortion? 

Abortion is the killing of the fetus inside of a woman’s body. Abortion is murder. There are 2 main types of abortion: chemical and surgical abortion. A chemical abortion forces the body to contract, forcing the baby out at home, usually over the toilet. This is a 2-pill process. The first pill stops the baby from growing. The second pill releases the baby from the woman's body by putting her body into labor. A surgical abortion is very self-explanatory. The baby is killed and surgically removed from the woman’s body. Both leave the woman with extensive collateral damage.  This affects the woman physically and mentally. The woman is embraced with much sadness and grief. Many women regret their decision. Many times, women will make their decision to abort their baby out of anger or harsh and irrational decisions in the moment because their mental state is compromised.  A baby inside of a mother womb is not just tissue inside of her, but it is a real baby, created purposefully in the image of God. By killing the baby, you are hypothetically denying Gods wonderful creation. Many women say that it is not a real baby until a certain number of weeks. Their minds are quickly changed after seeing the baby inside of them after having an ultrasound. They cannot deny the life of the baby after visually seeing the ultrasound and hearing their baby’s heartbeat. 

 

Kathy Scanlon, president at Pregnancy Decision Health Center in Columbus, Ohio, recently met with us to explain how abortion impacts our communities. Scanlon emphasized the importance of life; born and unborn. She explained how many women come in seeking help. They tell PDHC that they are not prepared to have a child and then cannot possibly do it. They say that their lives would be ruined if they have the baby and that their parents would never forgive them. These young women come in hopeless. PDHC partners with the women and provide care for them. Whether they have already had an abortion in the past, or they are currently pregnant, PDHC offers help and hope. They offer financial help and parenting classes. They also offer spiritual care to women who are struggling in their faith. They lead these desperate women to God when they need it the most.  Scanlon emphasized that many of the women who come in to PDHC are debating whether they should have the baby or not. Sometimes the women just want to have someone to talk to because no one else will.  PDHC reported that in 2020, 99% of the women who saw their baby in an ultrasound and heard the baby's heartbeat, ultimately chose life.  This resulted in 1,185 children being born in central Ohio last year, who may have otherwise, never had a future.

 

Photo cred: Brian Bayless 

 Worthington Christian Upper School junior, Faith Slagle, proclaimed that the subject of abortion
enraged her. Slagle said that every time she digs deeper into the topic and every time she talks to someone else about it, the stronger her beliefs become. “I don’t understand why women could still go through this even when they know what the outcome will be.” Even women who have had abortions have said that they have had mental affects, but what I don’t understand is that they still say its ok and you'll get through it,” Slagle wondered.  

Slagle’s passion for this subject lead her to create an AP art concentration on the topic on abortion and forgiveness. 

 

 

We spoke with another Worthington Christian student about her beliefs on abortion. The anonymous student said that she has been most impacted by her dad. “I think the person that has most impacted me was my dad. He has 3 girls, so bless his heart in that. He’s always told me that it's my body so it's my choice.” The student said that she believes that a baby isn't real until the baby’s brain is fully developed in the womb. She says that the baby is “brain dead” until then. The student also remarked, “I have 2 younger sisters so it's likely that they could have something like this happen to them and I don’t think that the government should be making them have that baby.” 

 

Abortion impacts everyone- pro life and pro choice. When a mother is given the opportunity to hear their baby’s heartbeat and see their child in an ultrasound, the majority of women ultimately choose life . Life is a  gift, a wonderful gift from God. We shouldn’t change His creation and decline His wonderful gift. We are here for a purpose; to show God's gracious love to others. No life is a mistake by God. 

Photo used courtesy of pexels.com

As Psalm 139:13 says, “For you have formed my inward parts; you knitted me in my mother’s womb.”  

 ~Eva Albert

Worthington Christian Launches eSports Club

 

“In eighth grade, everyone was playing Rainbow 6 Siege and we just weren’t good enough, so we picked up this new game called Rocket League and it’s been a great journey since,” recounted Kael Oosterbaan after the Worthington Christian's inaugural Rocket League championship win against Lima Shawnee High School.  

2021 Fortnite Team

This year was the first year for Worthington Christian’s eSports program and a successful first year at that. Mrs. Cain, the technology director, decided to request an eSports team for WCS after attending technology conferences and gauging student interest. Dr. Buzz approved the program wholeheartedly, and WCS’s first club seasons of Fortnite and Rocket League began. The teams played under eSports Ohio, or ESO, during the spring season. Cain remarked, “I wasn’t sure what to expect for the first season, in terms of logistics or skill levels. I have been so pleased with our results in state standings.” The league has multiple levels (club, junior varsity, and varsity). WCS started off at the club level in its initial season but is looking to move up the ranks for the coming season, according to Cain. 

Keegan Oberbrunner, a captain on the Fortnite team, already had a successful Fortnite YouTube channel and Twitch streaming channel before the season started. He plays Fortnite live and makes highlight compilations. “As a captain, I feel like I can help our team come together and coordinate to win our games,” stressed Oberbrunner, in an interview. He also talked about how he feels like the real-time chat via the Twitch app gives him the opportunity to connect with people who support him throughout the globe. He hopes that his pre-established platforms will assist him in the world of eSports as a career. 

Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, provides a flourishing competitive and community-focused experience in the realm of eSports. The competitive side includes scholarships for Overwatch and League of Legends, as well as other tournaments and competitions. The community side includes casual tournaments on campus and other activities. Over 39% of students enrolling at GCU listed eSports as their deciding factor, according to Mr. Albert Lee, the eSports department supervisor. As far as careers in eSports, every job is unique. Having a pre-established platform or fanbase assists you greatly, as well as practical experience in the competitive field. Experience and creations are number one when it comes to the world of eSports. 

eSports is still a very much unproven field of work when it comes to the certainty of employment, but it offers a new way for people to do what they love for a living, as well as a way for people to connect in a fun, competitive environment. 

~Kavan O'Neil