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The Origins of St. Patrick's Day the Dangers of Mass Hysteria

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The Origins of St. Patrick's Day the Dangers of Mass Hysteria The Badger Pause Volume 14, Issue 5 14510 N. Cheshire Street, Burton Ohio March 2018 The origins of St. Patrick’s Day by Nick Misconin, BP Staff Writer St. Patrick’s Day is an annual holiday of St. Patrick’s commonly celebrated by those of Irish Day activities descent across North America. Does would be most this mean that all Irish people celebrate bigger cities the holiday? Well, not quite. St. Pat- having parades rick’s Day in the United States is very to celebrate the different from the St. Patrick’s Day in day. Another Ireland. activity for the It all started a long time ago in 17th adults is drink- century Ireland when the Catholic ing alcohol, Church, the Lutheran Church, the East while everyone Orthodox Church, and the Church of consumes other Ireland declared March 17th the feast Irish foods day of St. Patrick. St. Patrick became and drinks. the patron saint of Ireland, and March Soda bread 17th was chosen because it was the day and corned he died in the 5th century. Nowadays, beef&cabbage however, the holiday is spectacularly are probably different. the two most Today St. Patrick’s Day is not exactly popular, both the same as it was centuries ago. You of which I can see, St. Patrick’s Day has spread from personally rec- the U.S. Originally, it was a feast day, ommend. but now it is commonly celebrated to Considering Photo coutesy of timeanddate.com commemorate those of Irish descent. the holiday has A group of people celebrating St. Patrick’s day in the modern way in the good old U.S. of A., leprechauns and all. Despite originally being St. Patrick’s religious roots, feast day, the actual day we celebrate the modern day version could be seen gold at the end of the rainbow. This cut celebration for the patron saint of today began in the 19th century in the in this light. For one, some believe the is viewed in a negative context be- Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day in the eyes of USA. The new and improved version day misrepresents Irish culture. This is cause not every Irish person is a little, others is a big party to celebrate Irish of this old holiday reached Ireland a because other people use the day as an bearded Irish man that conducts mis- heritage. All in all, the holiday has reli- century later. excuse to celebrate, despite maybe not chief. Others consider the holiday to gious roots, but is celebrated outside of The United States participates in having any Irish blood. Not only that, be a simple day used to commercial- religious context. It has widely varying some unique activities to celebrate the but there are some negative stereotypes ize. This lies within the fact that maybe traditions and events between different holiday. A famous annual activity in associated with the holiday including the holiday has strayed too far from its places. Whether you celebrate the holi- Chicago, Illinois includes dyeing the the Leprechaun. That iconic short-stat- original purpose. I believe that St. Pat- day or not, have a Happy St. Patty’s Chicago River green. The most popular ured creature with the pot of rick’s feast day was the original, clean- Day! The dangers of mass hysteria by Lexi Caponi, BP Staff Editor Mostly everyone has heard of the 200 were accused. This is the most exposure to toxic chemicals have been And the condition of starvation and Salem Witch Trials in 1700’s, whether commonly known case of mass hyste- known to trigger classic stress-reac- disease would make it seem as if an it be in passing or during a lecture ria. Mass hysteria is a phenomenon that tions such as fainting, nausea, weak- unknown affliction could easily pass in class. We all know the gist of the transmits collective illusions of threats ness and hyperventilation. through town and affect a large amount pattern. Town thought women were or ideals through a population as a re- Another odd but popular example of of people. This would just cause more witches, town burned innocent people sult of rumors and fear. In Western set- mass hysteria is the Dancing Plague people to become afraid of getting the to kill the witches, 24 people died, over tings, plausible fears of poisoning or of 1518. A woman named Mrs. Trof- dancing mania. Photo courtesy of historykey.com fea started randomly dancing one day Mass hysteria is an assumed threat in Strasbourg, France. For a few days that causes physical symptoms among it was just her dancing, but within a a large group of people. Mass hysteria week, 34 other had joined her. By the is typically caused by rumors, though end of the month 400 people were not always. In 1997, a Pokémon epi- dancing in the streets. They never sode aired in Japan that caused sei- rested, and as many as 15 people died zures, dizziness, nausea, bad vision, per day due to exhaustion, heart attack, and shortness of breath in as many as or stroke. The affliction was caused 12,000 kids, ages from six to 16. The by “hot blood”. Instead of bleeding flashing light sequence that caused the victims, the prescription was more this outbreak had been used numer- dancing. Authorities even built a stage ous times before in the show and no and paid musicians to encourage the prior cases had been reported. The afflicted to dance. company ran tests, but after finding no Most historians, such as Dr. John conclusive evidence that the flashing Waller, a History of Medicine Profes- sequence caused the symptoms, Poké- sor at Michigan State University, be- mon returned to the air four months lieve the real diagnosis for the Dancing later, and no such attack has happened Plague was mass hysteria. Waller states since then. that, “In the decade before the dancing Stressful situations can cause mass plague of 1518, famine, sickness and hysteria. Mass hysteria just proves terrible cold caused widespread despair that the mind can make the body sick. in Strasbourg and its environs.” The When this happens in a group setting, people of Strasbourg we also supersti- it can get out of control and spread at a tious. All prime conditions for some rapid rate. It can go away as quickly as good ol’ mass hysteria. Being super- it started, because the physical symp- stitious makes people afraid of more toms only occur because the mind told People dance during the dancing plague of 1518. things than if one weren’t superstitious. it to. 2 Editorials March 2018 Beginners’ guide to Dungeons and Dragons by Sam Martinjako, Local Magic Man In the time of TVs, games, love, tack and kill the monster you are has a way around it. “I try to avoid overall complexity of the experi- and a distinct lack of Cholera, combatting. However, in DnD, you the restriction of finding nobody in ence. Though, all of this stuff im- there’s little reason to leave much have many more options. If you person to play DnD, so I find them plies that you are simply a player of anything up to the imagination. have a high charisma stat, you can online,” she states. “The website in a part of another person’s game. Escapist fantasy is as popular a use your charms to woo enemies or Roll20 makes this really easy. I can Being the Game Master (GM), or genre as ever, and there is plenty coerce them into giving up. It all find people from all over the world Dungeon Master (DM), is a com- of ways to get your fix. One of just depends on you and how lucky that have the same interests that I pletely different experience. You the more popular ways is through you can get when rolling dice. do to play a campaign I’ve catered don’t make characters, you don’t music, another one is through film. One of the most important as- pretty personally. I’ve found people make decisions, and you don’t even Gaining in popularity is watching pects of DnD besides the freedom who are willing to live in the stories really play the game; you control cartoons and anime as there are so is something that most video game that I make, which is pretty chill.” the game. GMs make the story of many different options that you are RPGs lack, which is the fact that Of course though, DnD is not the game the players are a part of certain to find something that suits you must play it with other people. without its flaws. After all, in order and are responsible for world build- you. However, above even those is It’s not like an to even get into ing, interactions, non-player char- playing video games. Titles such MMO where you DnD, you need acters, and everything behind the as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, have tons of peo- to defeat two scenes. This prospect is an intimi- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the ple playing on the of its hardest dating one, so it’s better to jump Wild, and Persona 5 provide play- same server, you bosses: charac- in as a player before you try to run ers with seemingly endless adven- have to have a de- ter creation and your own game. ture and tons of side quests to keep fined group of peo- having friends The amount of freedom and fun them busy for literally hundreds of ple that you choose that play it.
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