Fri., Nov. 8, 2019 Volume CXIV, Issue 4 The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School WHHSCBOX.COM
pg. 4 BLINK IF YOU MISSED IT. The light festival took over Cincinnati for the second time
pg. 5 ACT NEW FORMAT. In 2020, ACT retakes will be taken online and by section
pg. 6 JOKER v. VENOM. Chatterbox’s resident movie critic gives his two cents
Tik Tok under fire for breach of privacy WHHS’ own Tik Tok stars Kayla Bryant, ‘21
ABIGAIL JAY / CHATTERBOX
SENIORS Alma Russell and Cat Henning practice a popular dance from the app Tik Tok while SENIOR Elliot Hull frames the shot. Tik Tok has taken WHHS by storm, with several students gaining thousands of likes each day. Azariah Cuff, ‘23
out the individual even knowing. Recently, Tik Tok has been creating privacy concerns The topic of social media and its effect due to its lack of privacy settings available on teenagers in today’s society has been long and the fact that the young users on the app debated in schools across the globe. For feel “exploited by creators through digital some, it’s perfectly acceptable, no questions gifting,” as reported by BBC. asked. For others, it’s the complete opposite. This isn’t the first time Tik Tok has faced The fact that there’s no way to ensure that complaints over this issue. Kerry Flynn, the content you post on Twitter, Snapchat a writer for the online magazine Digiday, and Instagram are completely safe under wrote about Tik Tok’s mounting privacy islock and key is a particular area of concern sues. In his 2018 article, Flynn said that Tik for many. Although you may never be part Tok faced “a criminal record of $5.7 million of a terrorist plot to take down the U.S., you for illegally collecting personal information can never guarantee that there isn’t a chance of children.” Furthermore a court in India that the sacred door to your private life “banned TikTok for exposing children to could any day be unlocked by corporations sexual predators, pornographic content and and government agencies alike. cyberbullying,” as reported by CNN. The popular social media app Tik Tok, However, the problem that people might has been a rave topic throughout many high have with Tik Tok’s privacy terms this time, school lunchrooms and beyond. This app isn’t with general stolen information and exposure, it’s with “It should be illegal. It’s basically like steal- the people behind it. Recently, citizens in ing something from the store, but instead Hong Kong, China have been protesting you’re stealing someone’s information,” proposals towards - Chara Sarr, ‘25 the extradition bill has been used globally by all ages, races and in order to reclaim their civil liberties. The genders. There have even been cliques and bill allowed local authorities to detain and memes formed from the pop culture phe- deliver criminal fugitives to mainland China nomenon that are clearly displayed on the under specific circumstances. However, this “for you” page of the app itself. bill was withdrawn weeks later, but police Previously called Musical.ly, this main- brutality and immeasurable amounts of viostream app makes history as the “superior lence against the protesters have continued of social media” breaking the charts, and to persist. enticing its users. According to the marketTik Tok is owned by a Chinese company ing website, Konstruct Digital, “TikTok named ByteDance, but many people, spewas downloaded 68 million times in Octo- cifically teens in the United States, are unber 2018, making it the world’s third most aware of this. According to USA Today, the downloaded application.” company has been using this as an “internaThis could also mean that the more people tional strategy” to break into U.S. markets. using the app, the more exposure they have This could be true, but there also could be to the risks of having their private informa- a chance that the company had another ultion leaked or stored in secret databases with- terior motive, and based upon the public’s
current knowledge of the state of the Chinese government, the possible outcomes of the stolen information is becoming all too surreal. Claudia Binacotti, a writer for the Pearson Institute of Economics, wrote that ByteDance could be using Tik Tok as an alleged platform for future military tactics. “They upload videos of themselves, often executing fitness exercises, in uniform and with ID tags in plain sight. The filming happens inside military facilities, and sometimes in what looks like a war theater. TikTok, like the vast majority of social apps, collects location data,” Binacotti wrote. Many parents have been raising their eyebrows as to whether Tik Tok is even a generally safe platform for their kids. WHHS students also express their concerns, and ask the question if social media itself could possibly jeopardize their safety with just one click of a button. “It should be illegal. It’s basically like stealing something from the store, but instead you’re stealing someone’s information,” Chara Sarr, ‘25, said. Tik Tok’s privacy policy states that they “collect contact details, content you create, and your location,” as well as “information contained in the messages you send through our platform and information from your phone book, if you grant us access to your phone book on your mobile device.” The privacy concerns have created skepticism, just as any controversial topic would. The cause could either be viewed as a glitch in the system or simply just the negligence of its users. Other students, like SENIOR Miles Cooper, have a similar perspective on the issue. “I think it’s just a Tik Tok thing… now that it’s starting to get more popular it probably wasn’t as secure,” Cooper said, “People should just be more careful about what they put online.”
SENIOR Luke Heikenfeld
SENIOR Sam Bartos
PHOTOS BY ANSON BATTOCLETTE/ REM
OPINIONS
NOVEMBER 8, 2019
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: GAVIN KURSMAN
PAGE 2
CINCINNATI, OHIO
WHHS speaks out on academic competition
“I believe the honors system has its merits but also raises a certain group of students to believe that they are higher than those around them simply because of their grades, which leads to their personalities revolving around being better or being intelligent and they lose track of other important parts of school or being a kid. Also, when these kids perform poorly on a test now, they tend to talk down to themselves about it and feel bad since they believe they are meant to perform better.”
“One of my concerns is that of the sheer competitiveness regarding college admissions today in the US, which is why I believe AP classes contribute further to academic competitiveness than anything else. However, I do not believe it is a problem that is rooted in Walnut.”
“I studied so hard for AP Biology tests and exams last year. I would stay up late, studied from 3 books, used flashcards, anything that I could do. I got sick 8 times within 3 months because I wasn’t taking care of myself. I did all of this in hopes of a B (I dreamed of an A but I wanted to be realistic), but would cry and cry when I got low Cs and Ds. And my grief and anger and frustration became more intense when my friends in my class barely studied and got As and Bs with no problem.”
“I’ve had instances of friends tearing me and each other down trying to climb up this ladder of supposed success. Academic success will get you far in terms of college in addition to extracurriculars, but it’s not worth it at the extent of taking others down.”
The results and quotes above were gathered from 185 responses to an online survey Chatterbox Staff administered on Schoology. These results may not be representative of the views of the entire WHHS student body. If you would like to share your beliefs with the Chatterbox, please come to room 2306 or send an email to cboxwalnut@gmail.com.
Letter to the students: Time to change WHHS Culture Drew Brown, ‘20 Gavin Kursman, ‘20 Dear
students
of
WHHS,
Every student in this school is intelligent. Every student in this school is gifted and has the ability to change the world. Our student body is made of potential, waiting to take form. Yet, in our stride to academic success we have failed. In our desire to rise to the highest, we have created a toxic culture of academic competitiveness. “What did you get on the assignment?” “What did you get on the test?” “What is your grade in
the class?” These questions are the result of our competitiveness and desire to perform. As innocent as the asker’s intentions may be, the questions create an invasion of privacy, unhealthy stress and a toxic competitive environment. Each student at WHHS has something interesting that they bring to our school’s community: athletics, choir, band, orchestra, art, photography or participating in the seemingly endless amount of WHHS clubs. These extracurriculars, along with the rigorous academic standards of WHHS, make for a busy-as-a-bee schedule for hundreds of students. Honestly, we should not have the time to compare ourselves to others, yet we do. Subconsciously we need a feeling of adequacy in grade performance, pushing us
RESOURCES AT WHHS • • • • • • • • • • •
WRIT ING CENT ER LIBRARY ST UDENT SUCCESS CENT ER VO LUNT EER PEER T UTORS MENTAL HEALT H ROOM BRING CHANGE TO MIND CLUB WE DINE TOGET HER EAGLE BUDDIES COUNSELORS HELP NIGHTS NURSE
to invade the privacy of others. But here is an idea if you really need to compare yourself to your peers: instead of nosily bugging your classmates on their grades in the class, ask about what they do outside of class. There is more to your fellow WHHS Eagles than their grade on a chemistry quiz. Stop comparing your grades with those of other students. Instead, we should come together as students of the WHHS community to support and instill school pride in one another. Stop looking at the top of their paper. Instead, look to help your peers on the topics you understand that they struggle with. Stop asking why they performed poorly on a test. Instead, ask your classmates to come to your sports meet or club event this upcoming weekend. Instead of
belittling your peers, get involved in a way that supports them. We can catapult our school’s competitive culture into one of friendliness and support. We can work cooperatively with our peers to rise to the highest together, not push each other down so a select few can reach the top of the hill. The change does not start with administration. The change does not start with faculty. The change does not even start with your parents. It starts with YOU. Best wishes on that Chemistry quiz, Drew Brown and Gavin Kursman All views shared in the Opinions section of The Chatterbox belong to their respective authors, and may not represent the views of the publication as a whole.
The Chatterbox Policy Statement The Chatterbox has been guaranteed the right of freedom of the press through the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The administration of Walnut Hills High School is thus bound to support and protect the Chatterbox’s inalienable rights as a free press. As an integral part of the Walnut Hills High School community, the Chatterbox has the responsibility to report in the most comprehensive and objective manner possible. Students,
parents, faculty, and administrators are encouraged to use this publication as a forum to express any ideas or concerns, whether they be personal or of local, national, or international scope. Journalists are required to work under established guidelines. Invasion of privacy as a means of news gathering is prohibited. Articles found to be discriminatory, libelous, or unnecessarily obscene (as determined by the editors or the advisor) will not be published. Finally, journalists are granted the right to keep private the name of
a source from whom they received information with the understanding that the source was to remain anonymous. The role of the newspaper advisor will be to provide counsel and criticism pertaining to the newspaper’s content and production. Although both the advisor and the administration hold certain powers regarding the Chatterbox, both must respect the paper’s autonomy. No student shall be prevented from joining the staff on the basis of sex, race, creed or national origin.
SARAH DAVIDOFF, ‘13
The Chatterbox Editorial Staff Caroline Horvath,
Isabel Nissley,
Editor-in-Chief
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Abigail Jay, Managing Editor of News and Features
Alonna Johnson, Managing Editor of Student Life
Owen Cummings, Managing Editor of Viewpoints
Delaney Owens, Managing Editor of Visual Elements
Bobby Keegan, Managing Editor of Operations
Ryleigh Sanborn, Public Relations Manager
Samantha Gerwe-Perkins, Adviser
Brian Sweeney, English Department Chair
WHHSCBOX.COM
SPORTS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
NOVEMBER 8, 2019
PAGE 3
SECTION EDITOR: DREW HART
Cross country runs the trail of success
PHOTOS COURTESY OF RUTH DEBONO
Mary Westrich ‘22 and Katie Stiens ‘23, determined to win, race to the finish line of the varsity race at the TrinityValkyrie meet in Louisville, Kentucky. Ryleigh Sanborn, ‘21 Many sports are mostly about teams winning or losing. Not cross country. Although the team is a large part of the experience, in the end it’s up to the players to push themselves to run well. The WHHS girl’s team performed especially well this season. They placed fifth overall as team at Sectionals, qualified for Regionals and had three runners in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) top 25. Earlier in the season, the team took first overall in the Trinity/Valkyrie invitational meet in Louisville, Kentucky.
Katie Steins, ‘23, placed first out of 169 girls in the varsity race and Caroline Meyer, ‘21, placed tenth overall in the same race. Before they came to love the sport, many of the girls ran for a break from other sports or extra conditioning to get in shape. SENIOR Audrey Warren decided to begin running after quitting volleyball because her older brother had ran. Warren says that while the first few practices were physically rough, it wasn’t long before she saw improvements. While sometimes the workouts can be grueling and tiresome, Warren believes it’s
Girls’ varsity cross country poses after another successful race. From left to right Isabel Rodriguez ‘22, Caroline Meyer ‘21, SENIOR Audrey Warren, Sabrina McSherry ‘22, Isabel Hastings ‘22, Mary Westrich ’22, Katie Stiens ‘23. all worth it in the end. “I continue to run because the people on the team are amazing. It helps relieve so much stress. It teaches me so much about my body’s limits and the rewarding feeling it comes with after I finish a run,” Warren said. When asked about contributing factors to the team’s success, Steins attributed it to how close they all were. “We supported each other. Cross country is a very positive sport and everyone always cheers for everyone and pushes each other to do better. Some of my favorite things about the team is that it has such kind, supportive people from
Got CHEER?
all grades and no one is ever hesitant to talk to each other,” Stiens said. This same sentiment was echoed by Meyer, who tried running because both of her parents did in high school, but continued after falling in love with the sport and looks forward to seeing her teammates everyday. Another thing that the entire team appreciates are the weekly pasta team dinners. Every Friday night before a meet, the team gathers at a runner’s house to eat, play games and hang out before the next day’s race. While part of the reason for these dinners is to load up on carbs
for the next morning, it also serves as a form of weekly team bonding. Pasta dinners are just another part of cross country that many of the SENIOR runners will miss about the team. Warren took on the responsibility of being a role model to her younger teammates this season and saw it as her job to be there for anyone who needed help or had questions. For the remaining members of the varsity team, who still have a few more seasons ahead, they hope to improve their times and improve upon the success of this season while also maintaining their team’s chemistry.
Golf team swings into the spotlight
NADYAA BETTS/ REM
Janasia Wilkerson ‘21, Adonya Streat ‘21, and Zkiyah Tafari-thompson ‘22 cheer on our WHHS Eagles varsity football team at Miamisburg High School. The cheer team is is ready for redemption after finishing second in the ECC competition. Mackienzee Rasheed, ‘20
have to find the right chemistry that works for your team. But even with a new team, the girls aren’t letting this stop them. “As a team, we’ve gotten closer.
ing a young team, they know what it is going to take in order to win. The cheerleading team has alThe girls aren’t the only ones ways been one of the most successexcited for the upcoming compeful teams at WHHS. Two years ago, tition, head coach E’Lyse Hill is they came in secalso prepared. “I ond at Nationals “This year we have decided to focus on expect the team and last year, they to BRING IT and learning how to be leaders and what all it came second in leave it on the the Eastern Cin- really takes and truly means to be a matt at ECC as cinnati Confer- varsity cheerleader as well as captain.” they all do,”Hill ence (ECC). This said,“This is the year, they have - E’lyse Hill, head coach most talented and been putting in a skilled squad that lot of time and work to come out And I believe we can do it. We were walnut has ever had, so I’m exvictorious at ECC competition. one place away last year, so it’s just cited for them to put it all out They are a relatively young going to be up to who has the most there.” They have the motivation, team with seven new varsity heart,” Ermony Simmons, ‘21, they have the talent and they have cheerleaders and only two return- said. They aren’t going down with- the heart so people better be ready ing. Rebuilding is never easy. You out a fight and it’s evident. For be- for them at the ECC competition.
PHOTO COURTESY OF RHYAN NUNN
Coach Ward, Meiyi Wu ‘23, Rhyan Nunn ‘ 21, Lola Gutierrez ‘21 and SENIORS Mara Doyle and Kate Greater celebrate after a strong performance. Bobby Keegan, ‘22
It was a long and hard season for the golf team. The boys finished the season with only one win in 15 matches. The girls finished with three wins in 15 matches. However, Meiyi Wu, ‘23, won the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) match and made a successful postseason run for WHHS as an individual. Even though Wu is a freshman, and one of the youngest golfers on the team she doesn’t let “the pressure of being a freshman doesn’t get to [her]” Wu said. This fact showed throughout the whole season as Wu emerged as the best golfer on the team. At the ECC, Wu finished in first place with a
score of 84, which was good enough for her to win the conference as an individual. “I was very excited and happy that I improved since the pre-ECC matches,” Wu said after finding out that she had won the conference. Wu has been golfing since she was four years old and from a young age, she fell in love with the sport. She golfed all throughout her childhood into high school. At the young age of 14, Wu doesn’t plan to stop golfing anytime soon. “[Golf] is fun and I plan to be a pro golfer. You can’t really do that unless you practice, so I plan to golf all throughout high school and into college as well,” Wu said.
NOVEMBER 8, 2019
PAGE 4
FINE ARTS
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: NADYA ELLERHORST
BLINK if you missed it
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Interactive art festival takes over Cincinnati for the second time
The sights of During the BLINK parade, a luminous trip out of this world took the form of a glowing representation of a piece of our solar system. Showcased are people lit up and swinging star lanterns while carrying a luminescent ringed planet. The parade, which took place on the first night of BLINK, featured more than 3,000 participants, who marched through downtown Cincinnati with floats, puppets, music, and performances.
BLINK
“HUEmanity” by Spotted Yeti Media “HUEmanity” was projected on the east wall of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center near The Banks. It utilized brilliant colors in its playful animations of Cincinnati’s landmarks. Underscoring the grandeur of the everyday person, “HUEmanity” provided attendees with an inspiring message of the beauty of Cincinnati and its people.
Nadya Ellerhorst, ‘20 Alonzo Montgomery, ‘23
“World’s Largest Disco Ball, Y’all” by W.M. Kelley Measuring 11 feet in diameter and enveloped in approximately 1,000 mirrors, BLINK-goers partied under the “World’s Largest Disco Ball” in Convington. With multicolored spotlights and a playlist of classic disco tunes, the shining sphere spun for all four nights of BLINK.
On Oct. 10 through 13, BLINK swept Cincinnati for a second time. Playing host to a parade, installations, projections and plenty of light, Cincinnati and Convington became illuminated as event-goers marveled in all the fun BLINK had to offer. An estimated 1.25 to 1.5 million attendees marveled in the four nights of luminosity, from Over-the-Rhine (OTR) to The Banks. Tim Maloney, a founding partner of BLINK, stated that the event’s intent was to bring together people from all parts of the Cincinnati area. The Chatterbox Fine Arts team traveled to BLINK, and experienced this sense of community first-hand, with many artistic wonders along the way.
“Bat Outta Hell” by Brave Berlin and Bicicleta Sem Freio
“Dazzle Doodle’s House of Fun” by Pam Kravetz & Co.
The “Bat Outta Hell” projection was located on Pleasant Street in Over-the Rhine. The motorcycle-riding mammal was brightened with intense neon beams, and although the bat didn’t actually move, it sent viewers on a wild ride of color.
In the whimsical “Dazzle Doodle’s House of Fun,” an OTR alleyway transformed into an eccentric, light-filled wonderland. After a lively welcome from a spirited master of ceremonies, attendees walked through rooms filled with balloons, black lights, and inflated gummy bears.
“Kentucky or Bust” by Brave Berlin and The London Police A canine spaceship, lady robot, and signature London Police LADS populated the “Kentucky or Bust” projection in Covington. Depicting a production line of LADS exiting a dog spacecraft, the projection used simple colors and animations to tell a unique story.
“Energy Cycle” by Klip Collective Encompassing Covington’s Hannaford Building, “Energy Cycle” was a kaleidoscope of vivid surges of color. The projection switched from depicting defined illustrations to more abstract shapes, forming a breathtaking streamline of hues.
PHOTOS BY NADYA ELLERHORST AND ALONZO MONTGOMERY/CHATTERBOX
WHHSCBOX.COM
NEWS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
NOVEMBER 8, 2019
PAGE 5
SECTION EDITOR: SHIV MALHOTRA
New ACT format may benefit students Alonna Johnson, ‘20
On Oct. 8, ACT made the announcement that in November 2020, students will be able to retake single sections of the test. This coming from research made by the company itself stating, “we believe section retesting showcases students’ skills and accomplishments gained over a lifetime and not only their test-taking abilities on one particular day.” With the college application and scholarship season upon us, many SENIORS are retaking the standardized tests to reach their final and, hopefully, highest score. Some students utilize practice tests and tutoring sessions. Part of the reasoning behind the ACT’s choice was that it would “best show their [the students] knowledge,” the company said. “[Section retesting] helps students focus their study efforts solely on the areas in which they want to improve their scores.” With the individual section retaking, students have the chance to get higher scores each time they take it. “[It] benefits the students...
because... more people will get higher scores. The higher scores will become more [frequent],” SENIOR Meoshea Britt said. SENIOR Mohit Pinniti, one of the 17 WHHS students that received a 36 on February’s ACT exam thought the change to be negative. “You should have to take the whole thing at once because if you’re studying for each section
tion Center, said. Siler had some reservations about the change. “I am a firm believer in paper and pencil testing. It allows for more interaction with the test with the ability to annotate text and write out calculations. Though some capabilities could be added to online testing, the process is not as natural and freeing as being able to write by hand wherever and however is most helpful to the student,” Siler said. The ACT created its own research in the process, yet problems with how colleges will accept the scores and the effectiveness of the retesting is a concern for the students, parents and teachers. “It will be interesting to see how many of the colleges accept the individual tests, especially before significant data is available about the reliability of the section tests as an indicator of college success,” Siler said. As of Oct. 29, there has been no word from any colleges or universities discussing the new change or creating a new policy for the matter. Section retesting for the ACT is available for students that have
“We believe section retesting showcases students’ skills and accomplishments gained over a lifetime and not only their test-taking abilities on one particular day,” - ACT, Inc. specifically then what’s the point. In the short term, sure, but in the long term, it’s really going to devalue ACT scores if you can study for individual sections.” This is not the only new change: students who are taking the retakes will be able to take it online. “ACT section retests are only available online. Students are required to use laptops or computers provided by the testing center. They are not allowed to use their own equipment,” Amanda Siler, who is in charge of test prep at the College Informa-
ALONNA JOHNSON / CHATTERBOX
SENIOR Alan Zhang bubbles in his personal information, a process that may be phased out completely with this new ACT format. Zhang was one of the 17 WHHS students who got a perfect score on the ACT last school year. already taken the entire ACT. “Students may take up to three section retests on any one test date, though
there are no limits on the number of times a student may take a retest,” the company said.
Ethiopian leader wins Nobel Prize Implications of Syria Mesgana Mekibib, ‘20 The world’s population encounters a lot of trials. Due to this, even the smallest attempt at world peace is coveted. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. It was due to his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, especially regarding the independent country Eritrea, that he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The two countries, Ethiopia and Eritrea, have had a rocky history. Eritrea, once claimed by the late Emperor Haile Selassie, fought for its independence from Ethiopia, and the border between the two countries had been under dispute since Eritrea gained independence in 1991. This recent dispute regarded the border town Badme. Ahmed played a large role in ending the 20-year stalemate following the 1998-2000 border war between the two countries. According to the New York Times, the peace-talks he reintroduced and the political and economic freedom he brought were both essential. He stated that the honor awarded to him was “a prize given to Africa, given to Ethiopia,” and [he] “can imagine how the rest of Africa’s leaders will take it positively to work on the peace-building process in our continent.” According to Sara McGuire-Jay, a Modern World History teacher at WHHS, “parts of Africa are phenomenally tribal and divided,” and much of that serves as a legacy of the Berlin Conference of 1884 to 1885. This involved European nations gathering together in order to
colonize Africa. Ahmed believes in the people of Ethiopia coming together as a whole, and not being loyal to a certain tribe, by implementing a series of reforms. Instead of identifying as Amhara, Oromo and so forth, the country should come together as a whole to restore national unity, according to Ahmed. “Ethiopia is different in that it was the one African country that was never taken over by European imperialists,” McGuire-Jay said. Theoretically, this should put the country at an advantage in terms of unification, and Ahmed is trying to emphasize this. One of the important things regarding the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to him is that it encourages more positive attention toward Ethiopia as a whole. Putting Ahmed on the list of recipients for 2019 would intrigue a large group of people to research his history as well as the history of his country, and recognition from foreigners could end up going a long way. Ethiopia is one of the world’s poorest countries, with division sweeping the nation, and perhaps the next step towards prosperity would be their people uniting as one in order to take on the rest of the world. As Candace Dean, ‘25, said, “only certain people get [the Nobel Peace Prize], and it’s an honor.” And for starting the road to unification, Ahmed was definitely considered a strong candidate A way these attempts are recognized is via the Nobel Peace Prize. This prize is chosen by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a five member committee appointed by
the Parliament of Norway, and is awarded to individuals who have put in time and made significant steps in order to bring peace to the world. Nominations are kept a secret, with the nominee often not knowing they have been nominated at first. While this award is entitled the Nobel Peace Prize, many have received it for actions that may have ended up disrupting peace in order for the greater good. Shannon Speaker, ‘25, said that “there should be an award for [the Nobel Peace Prize], but not specifically dedicated to peace.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE U.S. NAVY
Iraqi soldier is reunited with his family after months at war. The soldiers had been aiding U.S. and Coalition forces in civilian and military operations in Syria. Shiv Malhotra, ‘20
PHOTO COURTESY OF ARON SIMENEH
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed speaks at an inauguration event in Addis Ababa. Ahmed was honored for his role in maintaining peace in Ethiopia.
Recently, Syria has been at the epicenter of international news after a recent decision by Pres. Donald Trump to remove United States soldiers from Northeastern Turkey, an area that was controlled by an ethnic minority group in Syria known as the Kurds. The Kurds historically have helped the United States in its efforts to fight off the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, more commonly known as ISIS, efforts which, for the most part, have been successful. Now, with the decision by Pres. Trump to remove troops from the area, the Kurds have been subjected to the fists of Turkey, causing much controversy on the international affairs realm. After the order to remove troops from the Northeastern area on Oct. 6 by Pres. Donald Trump, Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey had launched air strikes on vari-
ous border-towns in an effort to clear the area of any Kurdish forces and later sent down ground troops to secure it. Over the course of 11 days of the Operation Peace Spring according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 120 civilians have died and hundreds more of the Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian National Army fighters have lost their lives from this operation alone. Amnesty International has cited numerous war crimes against Turkey, with its Secretary General Kumi Naidoo stating that “Turkish military forces and their allies have displayed an utterly callous disregard for civilian lives, launching unlawful deadly attacks in residential areas that have killed and injured civilians.” Most recently, Russia has called in forces to patrol the area to stop any further conflict, essentially replacing the role of America in the region.
STYLE & CULTURE
NOVEMBER 8, 2019
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: CHYNA SMITH
PAGE 6
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Generation Z addresses mental health Sydnie Barrett, ‘23 From a common cold to broken bones, illness and injury come in many forms, but one type of illness that people don’t often consider is mental illness. Mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression, are very common for teens, especially Generation Z. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7.1%, 4.4 million people, age 3-17 have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and 3.2%, 1.9 million people, age 3-17 have been been diagnosed with depression. Over the summer, four high school students from Oregon, inspired by the activism of students from Parkland, Fla., decided that they too wanted to make a change
by addressing their state’s mental health crisis. They created a bill that would add mental illness to the list of acceptable reasons for an excused absence from school. This is similar to a law passed in Utah last year. Since the passing of this law, there has been backlash from some parents and other lawmakers saying that it is unnecessary, as students have always made up excuses to stay home from school. While it is true that there is little stopping students from lying and faking sickness if they need to stay home, the point of the law is to promote conversations about mental health so that students no longer feel the need to lie if they are suffering from mental illness. There always has been and al-
ways will be students who lie to get out of going to school, but acknowledging mental illness as an accepted reason shows those struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues, that their pain is real and valid. Along with a rise in the national suicide rate, in the past 10 years there has been a significant increase in mental health problems for teens and young adults compared to past generations. The people who disagree with the new law, and say that Generation Z is too sensitive and that we need to “toughen up”, don’t understand how vital it is that students are able to feel comfortable opening up about their mental health because sometimes a conversation can be the difference between life or death.
Symbiotes and smiles Owen Cummings, ‘22
Recently, the comic book movie has started to be recognized as an actual art form in cinema. Marvel in particular really set the stage with the dense, interconnected story line of the MCU and the rated-R western family drama Logan (2017). These challenges to the form of traditional film and comic storytelling have not only brought the genre of comic book movie to a broader audience, but, in the case of Logan, have been able to ground the movies much more in reality. A new trend has begun to show in comic book movies, that of removing the hero from the story altogether and creating a movie focusing solely on the villain. The two most recent iterations of this story, the two highest grossing October openings of all time, are DC’s Joker (2019) and Sony and Marvel’s Venom (2018). While the two films do share some commonalities (the title characters of famous villains being the most obvious), there are times where the two contrast very sharply, both story wise and artistically, which may be part of the reason why one of the films is scaling the critical staircase of success, while the other swung short of perfection. Without any real spoilers for either movie, this is why, from a storytelling standpoint, Joker is miles above Venom. Starting off, Joker is just a much darker movie. While Venom still tried to include the somewhat lighter tone of superhero movies nowadays (the fact that it was rated PG-13 being a large cause of this), Joker is serious and moody, with the humor it does have being deranged and twisted. It knows it doesn’t have the audience of younger viewers, and therefore doesn’t have the need to cater to them as much. One of the major issues with Venom was the poor job the script did of blending moods, genres and directions to take the story. At times it tried to be a horror movie, at times it tried to be a buddy comedy, and at times it was just a superhero movie. Joker clearly sticks
with one mood, one of showing the darkness of society and how it can do harm to the people in it. The tones the movies provide do seem to go hand in hand with the plausibility of the stories they present. Venom is a much more science fiction type story, with the cause of Eddie Brock’s (Tom Hardy) powers being an alien that has crashed onto Earth. The story of Joker feels much more grounded in reality, with Arthur Fleck’s (Joaquin Phoenix) transformation into the Joker not being a vat of chemicals like in Batman (1989), but rather just the way the world around him reacts to and interacts with him. Joker’s writer and director Todd Phillips was able to create a world for the Joker to originate in, a world already fairly realistic due to the absence of powers in Batman, and brings it even closer to the real world by removing Batman altogether. The film doesn’t feel like a Batman movie or even a comic book movie (the DC logo doesn’t even appear in the opening credits). Instead, it radiates the energy of Taxi Driver (1976) and other gangster movies of that era. While Venom did indeed leave out Spider-Man, the film still feels like a big budget, special effects heavy Marvel movie. There is a clear hero and a clear villain with similar powers who end up squaring off with each other, and the movie closes with the ever-popular post-credit scene. On the other hand, Joker has no post-credit scene. This leaves the movie feeling more like a regular movie, where no sequels are implied or even intended. The ending of the film is slightly ambiguous, but that’s less in the vain of Hollywood and more in the vain of the character of the Joker. While other iterations have given Joker an ambiguous backstory, this film leaves Joker with an ambiguous future, with no real clue as to what will happen to him after the screen goes to black. This leads into the most important distinction between the two movies, the way they focus on characters. Joker is a fundamentally
PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXABAY
Anxiety and major depressive disorder are the most common mental disorders in the U.S. These disorders often occur together.
A storytelling comparison of Joker and Venom
PHOTO COURTESY OF DC COMICS
In this panel from the 1988 comic Batman: The Killing Joke, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland, the signature of the Joker, his green hair, white skin and red lips, are illustrated. In the 2019 movie Joker, the character retains all these features, but with the addition of blue triangles around the eyes and red eyebrows, the Joker takes on a more traditionally clown-ish look. In addition, the movie adaptation gave the iconic character an orange suit, as opposed to his classic purple suit from the DC comics. character driven story. That is the point of the movie. Following Arthur Fleck on his path to becoming the Joker isn’t a physical journey, it’s a mental one. There isn’t any end goal for the Joker that the movie wants to present to you. Instead, it recognizes that the audience knows what will happen to Fleck, and instead wants them to watch and see what the final straw that sends him over the edge is. While the environment surrounding Fleck does shape who he becomes, there is nothing that Fleck does to definitively change the world to make it the way he wants. He becomes the face of a rebellion, but the final results of the uprising on Gotham are never shown. The movie ends with Arthur completing his transformation into the Joker, feeling he has a purpose, and that sense of pride showing on his face. There is also no clear hero and villain in the story. While Venom tries to paint Eddie and Venom as heroes in the absence of Spider-
Man, the Joker is not the good guy in his movie. Murray Franklin (Robert DeNiro) and Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullon) are not the bad guys. It is much more of a real world dynamic, one where people would have to take sides. Venom is just simply not a character driven movie. There is not enough backstory for the Venom symbiote to make the audience feel for that part of Eddie Brock, and the constant shifts in tone make it confusing at times to understand when to feel bad for Brock and the situation he is in before his transformation. The film hardly focuses on Brock’s dynamic with Venom. The fact that Brock has lost everything before his transformation makes the confusion surrounding Brock’s personality swings felt by the people he used to be close with feel more like a continuation of how they used to feel about Eddie and less out of concern for how he is acting now. Venom doesn’t alter Eddie’s life
at all, or rather, the character dynamic of Venom doesn’t affect Eddie. While the transformation into Joker made Arthur Fleck seem like a different person, Venom’s physical presence is what brings Eddie closer to plot points and characters, instead of the reason being how it affects Eddie mentally. Venom from a storytelling perspective tries much more to just get from plot point to plot point and how those affect the characters, while Joker lets its characters be the things that drive the story. Joker currently sits at #13 on IMDb’s list of Top Ranked Movies by fans, with an 8.9/10. Venom has a 6.8/10 and a much lower critic rating. The way that Joker showcases character development and Venom doesn’t shows that the way to really tell a compelling, comic book based story without the hero is to focus on the way the villain can be a villain without a popular hero standing against them.
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Running through mental obstacles Junior high cross country overcomes the barriers of the sport
PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM SYMSON
The WHHS junior high girls’ cross country team gets together to wish each other good luck at the Ohio State Championships. Kaylee Robbins, ‘24 Walking into a classroom at WHHS, the seats are filled with students who are all part of different clubs, activities or hobbies. One popular sport at WHHS is cross country. For a whole season, runners train as hard as they can to compete not only with other schools, but with themselves. But when a runner tune into a mindset of allowing yourself to push through the boundaries your body through an exhilarating run,
they are trying to outrun everyone around you including themselves. For Evy We s t r i c h , ‘25, running has never been easy. “It’s hard to figure out if the pain and discomfort is worth it,” Westrich said. “Comparing myself from now to when I started, I’m so much better than before.”
Though Westrich says that running can be difficult, she also
“If you want to run, it’s a hard thing to do, but running even when you don’t want to is what counts,” - Evy Westrich, ‘25
Effie Alert
Hajra Munir, ‘23
believe that she will not see an immediate improvement, but continuing through tough times is when a change can begin.
Showcasing WHHS’ newest students Mari Dagenbach, ‘25, is a new seventh grader at WHHS and a previous student of Kilgour Elementary. Dagenbach is very passionate about horses. “I’ve always been inspired on how interesting horses are,” Dagenbach said. Dagenbach is also a student who enjoys challenges. “I like math because it’s harder than other subjects which I enjoy,” Dagenbach said. Dagenbach is a risk taker who loves a good challenge. She has some goals for her future. “I just want to have a job that helps as many people as possible and I can practice that right now by volunteering,” Dagenbach said. Her main goal in life is not to help herself but to help others.
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Jamarion Watts, ‘25, is a new student who previously went to Hyde Park Elementary. Watts is very passionate about football and hopes to have a future in it. “I have been playing football since I was six and I love the sport,” Watts said. Watts does not play for WHHS, but it doesn’t stop his enjoyment of the sport. “EQ Elliot inspires me because he’s an amazing running back and I learn a lot from him,” Watts said about his role model. Watts hopes to play football in college and from there play professionally in the NFL. With his determination, Watts has great expectations for his future. HAJRA MUNIR/ CHATTERBOX
PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM SYMSON
Logan Symson, ‘24 and Marie Flessa,’24 coach each other after a run to support and share on how they did. “If you want to run, it’s a hard thing to do, but running even when you don’t want to is what counts,” Westrich said. Pushing themselves when they feel like they can’t anymore is a huge stepping stone that any runner must face in order to succeed. “Getting comfortable being uncomfortable,” Logan Symson, ‘24, said. “It’s really hard to run, but it feels good when you finish.” Symson applies this to her life daily because she knows that in order to run to the best of her
ability, she must dig deep into her mind to let her body run through the small amount of time that leads to the finish that she desires. Through triumph and success, trials and failure, pushing through the pain is something that many runners at WHHS learn early on to ensure a successful season. To learn more about how the season went for our runners, you can visit the WHHS website to view the roster, practices and other information about the team.
Piper Peanut Hey Peanuts! It’s me, Piper, here to give you some advice on homework. The older you get, the more responsibility you are given and the more your teachers’ expectations and homework load will grow. As the school year continues, more and more will be expected of you. You’ll find you get out what you put into your classes. If you choose to put effort into your school work and take homework seriously, your grades will reflect that, and it’s the same for if you choose to blow off homework and studying. It’s possible that you will have a few late nights, especially since WHHS is a college preparatory school, but you’ll find it’s worth it when you have many different options for college after high school. Homework may seem
pointless or irrelevant to some, but it’s how you review what you have learned in class and how you take what you have learned and practice it to better strengthen your skills in that subject. Some people like to sit down and get it all done right away, but for those of you who have trouble focusing for that long, it’s okay to take a short break in between your different homework assignments to give your brain and body time to relax. This is also a good way to avoid over-stressing yourself. That’s all for now! Remember, if you ever have anything you want to ask me, feel free to submit your questions to room 2306. Peace, Piper Peanut
PHOTO COURTESY OF HANNAH WARDLOW
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Perspectives
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Q: Who is the number one supporter in your Q: What do you think about the sexual education policy in Ohio? life? “I’d have to say my biggest supporter, would honestly be myself. You have to know how to pick yourself up when you fall down. You can’t rely on other people all the time. Learning to use yourself as a support system and learning what you can do for yourself.” -Gabriel Grimadli, ‘22
“I think that it’s awful. I think teaching teens about abstinence only just further encourages them to go out there and break the law. Cause that’s a common theme among teenagers and younger kids like telling them ‘no’ only makes them want to do it more.” -SENIOR Alma Russell
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Q: Who is your favorite person in the world and why?
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“My mom because she’s done so much for me. I would say my dad, but I can only do one. My mom because well she birthed me and she’s helped me a lot through a lot of things, so she’s my favorite person.” -Phoenix Lewis, ‘25
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