Madison Messenger - September 13th, 2020

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PAGE 4 - MADISON MESSENGER - September 13, 2020 opinion www.madisonmessengernews.com Addressing rumors about quarantine shelters Recently, rumors circulated that students could be suddenly quarantined in FEMA-style camp shelters. Madison County Public Health, along with the Ohio Department of Health and Governor Mike DeWine, want all Madison County residents to know there is no truth to this rumor. Rumors of the creation of makeshift quarantine locations, termed “sudden sleepovers,” stemmed from a combination of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updating existing general preparedness guidance for communities and the recent renewal of the state order for non-congregate sheltering on Aug. 31. The state order, entitled “Director’s Order for Non-Congregate Sheltering to be Utilized Throughout Ohio,” has been in place since March 31. It allows the state to use FEMA funding to provide shelter to people who are unable to safely quarantine in their homes. Non-congregate sheltering has been used in most Ohio counties during the pandemic. This is nothing new. Counties have offered empty college dorms, hotels, camps or lodges for isolated or quarantined people who do open forum by Chris Cook not have living conditions at home that allow for social distancing from other household members. Often this also includes victims of domestic violence, homeless individuals, or healthcare workers and first responders who choose not to return home at the end of the workday to avoid exposing a vulnerable family member. During DeWine’s press conference on Sept. 8, he was very clear that these rumors have no substance behind them. “I am aware that there are rumors on the Internet that incorrectly claim these orders allow children to be separated from their parents without permission,” he said. “Let me just say this is absolutely ridiculous. It is not true. There is no intention that anyone has to separate children.” DeWine also said that there was “no truth to the rumors, at all. Families will not be separated. Children will not be taken away from their loved ones.” The CDC has always had disaster response guidance for children and adults on their website as part of their general emergency preparedness education. September is National Preparedness Month, and as such, this entire month has been dedicated to helping communities prepare for all types of disasters. The connection between the state order being renewed and September being National Preparedness Month is arbitrary. The rumors are purely someone trying to create a story where there isn’t one. Social media can be a great way for people to remain connected but can also be used to push false information right in front of people. Get your news from trustworthy sources during the pandemic. For daily updates, please visit Madison County Public Health’s website, covid.madisonph.org, and coronavirus.ohio.gov. Chris Cook is Madison County’s health commissioner. Excellent dudes are back to ‘Face the Music’ I don’t often feel a sense of genuine excitement when getting ready to watch a new movie and yet there I was last weekend, willing to fork over a decent chunk of coin to see the latest adventures of Bill S. Preston Esquire and Ted “Theodore” Logan in “Face the Music.” For those who are familiar with these characters, this decision and its accompanying level of high interest may seem like a real head scratcher. After all, it has been almost three decades since the loveable doofuses, played by Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves, graced the screen, and it’s not as if their last foray set the cinematic world on fire. But I had many reasons why I wanted to see the exploits of a now aged Bill and Ted, the main one being that they have always brought a spot of joy into my life. When I watched their “Excellent Adventure” for the first time, I fell in love with the sweet nature of the somewhat dim dudes who collected historical figures (and babes) via a traveling telephone booth so they could pass their history report and save the world with music from their band. It is an affection that has only grown during repeat viewings and, no, that feeling did not dissipate with its reviled follow-up feature in 1991. (It wasn’t that bad.) With so much heinousness going on in this country and the world, a lot of people are looking for something good to take their mind off of things. I felt that Bill and Ted could do that for me, however briefly. And it did. That is not to say this is a perfect film that everyone is going to love—my sister called it “most non-triumphant”—but I enjoyed it for what it was and for what it tried to be. Set 24 years after the Wyld Stallyns concert that fulfilled their destiny to bring forth peace and harmony to the world, we learn that it did not, in fact, bring forth the perfect utopia. On the contrary, their band is right on the cusp of being seriously forgotten (they hardly draw a crowd at the local lodge) and their tunes have no lasting momentum, not even in the bargain bin. Despite their failures, Bill and Ted (played by Winter and Reeves, respectively) have not given up on their quest to change the world so they dedicate their time to learning and perfecting new styles, such as throat singing and the Theremin. Their steadfast belief in their destiny, however, has caused a massive rift in their marriages to their historical princesses, Joanna (Jayma Mays) and Elizabeth (Erinn Hayes). the reel deal by Dedra Cordle Where? E D D H E E A A X P Q S Z W Z V R D E D U L C E S O E R B L N A E I D O H V O W S Y K T Y R W S H N U O T C O W T A J Q I E O G W B L N L U I U L H D B E P R A Y D C L T T O L I A E L A E A E R T N S H H S T O Y Y T W E E X E O I I T U H R O P X Y G D N P V D N I H E B N O U E Z I J K E E L W A R A D T J T M S J O R A G O N E B F A R O U N D M H K R L O D Q H W R M P I C D E T R E A N O T P K E B E N E A T H B J U R To address their marital woes, Joanna and Elizabeth suggest counseling but their husbands refuse to do things independently of each other. After being asked to leave the session, Bill and Ted are approached by a futuristic being (Kristen Schall) who whisks them to the 28th century where they learn two life-altering facts: the first is that if they do not create the song to bring the world together, time and space will collapse, and second is they will be killed if they cannot complete the task in 77 minutes and 25 seconds. In order to stop two bogus things from happening, Bill and Ted hatch a plot to steal the song from their future selves, only to find that it entails a whole lot of disappointment and a lengthy prison sentence. As our two heroic doofuses face off in hilarious fashion with their possible “future uses,” their like-minded daughters, Thea (Samara Weaving) and Billie (Brigette Lundy- Paine), travel to the past to create a super band to save their fathers’ lives, their parents’ marriages and reality as we know it. (It’s a family tradition at this point.) While the humor in “Bill & Ted Face the Music” is not as sharp and frequent as it was in “Excellent Adventure,” nor does it have its sequel’s iconic portrayal of a lonely entity like Death (William Sadler, reprising his role) who just wants to rock, it does come close to hitting those marks with lots of absurdist bits and ongoing jokes while still maintaining the goofy warmth of its C K H R Q I N E D D I H P H R Messenger Word Search ABOVE ABROAD ALONG AROUND ATOP BELOW BESIDE BEHIND BEYOND BENEATH CLOSE DEEPER EVERYWHERE FAR GONE HITHER Solution on page 11 See BILL & TED page 5 Created by Sue Bender HIDDEN INSIDE INCLUDED JUXTAPOSED LEEWARD NEAR OPEN OVERHEAD OUTSIDE PROMINENT REMOTE SECLUDED THERE UNDER WITHIN WITHOUT
www.madisonmessengernews.com opinion September 13, 2020 - MADISON MESSENGER - Page 5 Call to action: Connecting kids with nature Each day, our youth will likely spend a meager four to seven minutes playing outside. This number becomes concerning when a recent survey suggests children are spending more than seven hours a day in front of a screen. This increase in screen time is associated with an overall decrease in psychological well-being and physical fitness. Though this information is personally gut wrenching, it isn’t the motivation behind my cry for help. I am driven by firsthand experiences shared with my students in a rural high school outside of Columbus, Ohio. I am fortunate to work in a school district that has plenty of greenspace and ample opportunities to venture outdoors. However, my students are becoming more and more reluctant to join me as I attempt to hold class outside. The outdoors are becoming a foreign world. What I rely on as a source of imagination, creation and calm is a source of discomfort for my students. I can’t help but question the future of our planet and the generation we will be leaving it to. Nevertheless, I choose to revel in the hope that we aren’t too far gone. In the fall of 2019, I created an after school nature club to facilitate the bond between nature and adolescents. The students met one hour a week for 18 weeks. During this time, students made an effort to explore school grounds, restore native vegetation, identify local species and simply disconnect. Astonishingly, this disconnection allowed my students to become attuned to the natural world and experience the interconnectedness amongst all living things. After just one semester, students expressed their increased empathy for the natural world and their newfound desire to protect it. I observed that students’ mental health and physical fitness had improved and they expressed feeling calmer and happier. Studies suggest that children who are more connected to the natural world are more likely to develop pro-environmental behaviors as an adult. So, how do we, as parents, guardians or educators, establish nature connectedness? First and foremost, BILL & TED Continued from page 4 predecessors. The latest, and likely last, journey of Bill and Ted is not going to be for everyone. Not even some fans of the previous installments will enjoy it, but it did not disappoint in bringing me a spot of joy. Whether I still feel the same when I get my credit card bill with A Madison-Plains High School student captured this image of a Monarch butterfly in the Eagle Land Lab during a Nature Club outing. Molly Niese, a science teacher at Madison-Plains, created the Nature Club as a learning tool and way to connect students with the environment. set ground rules and require a daily amount of unstructured outdoor activity free of technology. A study published in the peer reviewed journal Nature recommends 120 weekly minutes to promote good health and well being. Currently, no designated time has been determined in order to develop a connection with nature, however most studies state that simply spending more time outdoors does the trick. This time could be spent in a backyard, a local park or any greenspace. Additionally, this connection can be strengthened if the child is accompanied by an adult or family member they admire or trust. As that person of influence, take time to venture outside with your child and show interest in the natural world and its astounding intricacy. Children are incredibly curious and are more likely to feel a connection to the natural world if they are familiar with it. As a parent or guardian, attempt to identify species and put names to faces with your child. Don’t panic if you aren’t an expert, there are apps for that. Apps such as iNaturalist are a great way to photograph your findings and have them identified by other members. You may also consider an- this purchase on it is another matter, but I can’t say I’m sorry for spending some money and time on these sweet doofuses again. Grade: B Dedra Cordle is a Messenger staff writer and columnist. Resources: • Adams, J. U. (2019, December). The Nature Antidote. Audubon, 36—41. • Cohen, D. (n.d.). Why Kids Need to Spend Time in Nature. Retrieved from https://childmind.org/article/why-kidsneed-to-spend-time-in-nature/ • Hinds, J., & Sparks, P. (2008). Engaging with the natural environment: The role of affective connection and identity. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 28(2), 109-120. • Louv, Richard, 2008. Last Child in open forum by Molly Niese thropomorphism and creating simple stories about local species. Giving organisms appropriate human-like qualities is likely to generate a connection. As an educator, I find myself in the position to elicit change. A formal nature club is not necessary, however making the conscious decision to get outside and observe is something we are all capable of. The evidence regarding connectedness to nature and pro-environmental behavior is strong. Yet, as these studies rise to the surface, adolescents are continuing to stay inside. I urge adults with young people they care about to take them on weekly outdoor adventures,whether it be in their own backyard, to the local park or a walk around the block. Molly Niese is a science teacher at Madison-Plains High School. the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder. In: And the Nature Principle: Reconnecting with Life in a Virtual Age. Algonquin Books. • Tanner, T. (1980). “Significant Life Experiences: A New Research Area in Environmental Education.” Journal of Environmental Education 11(4): 20-24. • White, M.P., Alcock, I., Grellier, J. et al. Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing. Sci Rep 9, 7730 (2019).
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Madison Messenger - September 13th, 2020

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