The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School Volume CXIII, Issue 7 Tues., Jan. 29, 2019
The swim to success ZACH BAHRI/CHATTERBOX
Rowan Chatterjee, ‘20, torpedoes through the water at a swim meet against Loveland High School on Dec. 11. He swam the butterfly stroke as part of WHHS’s 200 yard medley relay, along with Clovis Dufourg, ‘21, Alex Krietemeyer, ‘20 and Xavier Reblando, ‘22. The medley team finished in second place in this race with a time of 1:45.97.
Alonna Johnson, ‘20 In WHHS’s newly renovated pool, The Natatorium, the swim team practices almost every day for their next meet. They hope to win, and based on past records, WHHS has a very strong chance of success. The swim team has dominated year after year with new pool, school and conference records. Many of these records are only fixed for a few weeks until a hard working individual on the team pushes to beat it. Records for them are just lines that are capable of being erased with training and practice. A team is not a team without its players, and the WHHS high school team has 63 of them. Recently, one of these players broke another school record--Phoebe Wright, ‘22. Wright beat the school record for 100 meter backstroke with a time
of 59.79 seconds. The previous record from 2015 was 1:00.06 seconds. But the accomplishment did not come easily. “I swim from two to two and a half hours per day,” she said. Such consistency can shorten her time by a few seconds. Those few seconds can be the tipping point to her winning meets and beating records. Therefore, she takes her practices seriously. At age five, Wright began her journey to be the swimmer she is today when she first learned to swim at Clinton Hills Swim Club. “I liked it so I started competitive swimming,” she said. For about nine years, Wright has been practicing her backstroke (her preferred stroke) and working to become a seasoned swimmer. When she arrived at WHHS, she planned to continue her favorite pastime and joined the junior high team in seventh grade.
In her first year on the high school team, Wright hopes her hours of practice will show in her journey to State Championships. With her sights on States, she continues to also aim high with her club swimming, Mercy Healthplex Sea Wolves. “There are some national meets that I want to go to,” Wright said. The first goal is making it to the meets, but winning first place is the ultimate prize. Not only is she a successful athlete, Wright manages to have strong grades while swimming throughout the year. She manages to maintain her grades through time management. She “makes time at home and after school and after swimming to do... homework,” since academic success is crucial to her as a student at a college preparatory school. Wright wants to be recruited and to continue swimming in college. As a ninth
grader, it is not expected of her to know her career choice, but one thing is certain in her future: swimming will be there. Wright is just one member of the team, and it takes the entire team to create an overall successful 2018-19 season--along with a strong coach to guide players. The coaching from Jennifer Golden, a swimmer herself from California, is a contributing factor to the team’s wins. With Golden at the helm, the men placed twelfth and the women placed eleventh out of about 100 teams at the Southwest Coach’s classic in 2018. The swim team is difficult to overlook considering the amount of records and wins coming from the men’s and women’s teams. Each year, they prove to themselves, to their parents and to the school that they are worth acknowledging.
NAME NAME/CHATTERBOX
ZACH BAHRI / CHATTERBOX
ZACH BAHRI/ CHATTERBOX
Phoebe Wright, ‘22, rests after finishing a race at a swim meet against Loveland High School on Dec. 11. Training year- Aaron Sequeira, ‘20, prepares to dive into the pool to begin a race at the Dec. round with both school and club swim teams, she believes this dedication is what allows her to compete at such a high level 11 swim meet against Loveland. Sequeira has also set new swimming records at each meet. “I swim from two to two and a half hours per day,” Wright said. WHHS and hopes to continue to improve as an upperclassman.
OPINIONS
JANUARY 29, 2019
SECTION EDITOR: ISABEL NISSLEY
PAGE 2
Thank you, Gillette Far too often in our society, expectations of “boys will be boys” perpetuate a culture of toxic masculinity that negatively impacts both women and men. Toxic masculinity is the negative expectation that society bestows upon men, defining manliness with things such as “violence, sex, status and aggression,” as said by Teaching Tolerance. Oftentimes, it is overlooked, but in the era of #MeToo, conversations about this have become more frequent. The most recent conversation starter about toxic masculinity in the United States is the Gillette ad. Featuring rolling news coverage of sexual assault and men dismissing women in positions of power, it paints a picture of how life is most of the time. In the United States, one in three women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When you Google the word “mansplain,” over 1,420,000 results appear in less than a second. But these statistics do not mean in any way that all men are bad, or that all men act this way. They do, however, show that gender inequal-
ity is still a major aspect of life in the United States, and toxic masculinity can often be found at its roots. Oftentimes, though, change can happen on a small scale before the rest of society catches on. Like in the Gillette commercial, about halfway through, the ad paints a picture of how life can, and should, be. Men start holding their friends accountable. Fathers start teaching their sons. If one of the boys in the car on that fall day had seen the Gillette commercial, or had his father set an example of respecting women, or his friend had not encouraged him on, he might have not felt empowered to degrade women. He might have kept his head inside the car, and proceeded on. He definitely would have saved two girls embarrassment, shame and fear that still occupy a corner of their brains today. And although one commercial cannot change an entire society, and is most likely just trying to sell more razors, it can illuminate the less than perfect aspects of it. It can start conversations, and provide an example. Like the ad says, “the boys watching today, will be the men of tomorrow.”
“The boys watching today, will be the men of tomorrow.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF: GILLETTE
The Gillette advertisement features footage of men at a grill, repeating the words “boys will be boys.” This mantra is frequently used to justify the sometimes inappropriate actions of young men and boys. Isabel Nissley, ‘20 Two girls walk under the rolling autumn sky, the breeze whipping hair around their heads. Laughing, they notice a car full of boys approaching them. One of them pops his head out of the window. “Hey ladies,” he jeers and winks. The girls continue on, heads down and red-faced. When they sense the situation has passed, one shakes her head and laughs of embarrassment and anger. They
hasten their pace, eager to be back in the comfort of their homes. But the sound of a car startles them out of their stupor. Heart rates quicken. The same group of boys are back, yelling again. Then, womanly instincts kick in. Eyes on the ground, up flies the middle finger. Wait for them to pass. Shame. This is a situation all too familiar to most women, and some men, too. But it shouldn’t be like this. It doesn’t have to be.
-Gillette Ad
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.
McConnell hurting millions with government shutdown Nick Robertson, ‘19 It began late in the evening of Dec. 21, 2018. The 535 members of the U.S. Congress could not come to an agreement with President Donald Trump about forming a budget for the new year, so many “non-essential” government services were shut down. Over 800,000 federal workers are either furloughed or working without pay. What has been dubbed ‘The Trump Shutdown’ by the president himself has become the longest and most damaging government shutdown in U.S. history. President Trump has refused to sign any budget that does not contain his demanded $5.7 billion for “The Wall.” This demand holds hostage millions of people that rely on government services. Before the shutdown began, both the formerly Republican-led House of Representatives and Senate passed a budget without the $5.7 billion allotment, with both Republicans and Democrats agreeing to the deal. Since then, Trump has refused to sign that budget, and the Con-
gress has seated its new members. Since Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has come back into power, the Democratic-led House has passed an identical copy of that December budget, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has refused to bring it to a vote in the Senate. After passing the same bill in December, McConnell now refuses to pass it again, as he believes it would be vetoed by the President. Even if it does get vetoed, however, McConnell has the votes to override that veto with a two-thirds majority of both the House and Senate. While President Trump may be one obstacle keeping the government closed, McConnell also has the power to end this shutdown, though he refuses to do so. He has once again put the Republican party ahead of the welfare of millions of Americans, and the health of the U.S. economy. A Jan. 11 S&P report estimated that the shutdown has already caused $3.6 billion in lost revenues to the U.S. economy, and economic growth is slowing because of it. Services like food stamps are now running on emergency budgets. Na-
PHOTO COURTESY OF: C-SPAN
Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer address the nation, following Donald Trump’s address. Schumer claimed that “the symbol of America should be the Statue of Liberty, not a 30-foot wall.” tional parks from the Statue of Liberty to the Grand Canyon are either closed or running on state funds. Thousands of federal workers around the country who are now working without pay cannot afford to pay their bills after missing two paychecks. They now prepare to miss a third as the shutdown continues through its second month, and many government workers have resorted to finding part-time jobs to cover bills. Those who are deemed “essential,” however, cannot find other work. Those workers have to work without pay full time, and therefore can’t even apply for unemployment benefits. This shutdown is bad for every-
one. It is bad for politicians, it is bad for the economy, and it is bad for the millions of people who are now collateral damage in a political battle. McConnell has the power to end this shutdown, but because of his fear of overriding the veto of his own party’s president, he refuses to end what has become a nightmare for millions of Americans, and has no end in sight. Information in this article is current as of Jan. 22, 2019. 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.
WHHSCBOX.COM
CINCINNATI, OHIO
The Return of Wally Hill Every year, Wally Hill travels deep within the mountains of the Himalayas to live and meditate with the hidden civilization of ancient Chatterboxers. Through this cycle, Wally finds himself, and his voice, and eventually says goodbye to the Chatterboxers as he descends back into human society to write articles for The Chatterbox. Unfortunately, most of the time Wally’s articles, despite all of his or her training, come out worse than the rest of The Chatterbox. Keep in mind this is the same paper that once printed the same article twice on one page. Being dumber than the sacks of rocks that run this publication is quite a feat. So when I was chosen as Wally Hill, I instead went to Tijuana and partied, then took a nice, long nap. I was content with letting this tradition fade to dust. But since Matthew Youkilis and his army of sweaty Chatterbox dorks have been breathing down my neck for the last five months begging for an article, I finally decided to just get something out there. But part of my issue is what to write about. I can’t just be mean; the teachers are just too strange. Politics is too derisive this year, and I mean, once Kanye pulled out #Blexit, I think satire writers everywhere gave up trying. So this year, I’m answering your questions, Wally Hill, a la Piper Peanut, but without the aforementioned dorkiness. All you have to do is send me a question, any question, at thewallyhill@gmail.com, and I will do my best to answer at least one question an issue. I don’t really care what question you ask. It could be about how to revive your dead grandmother, or maybe where is the best place to kick Nick Robertson to inflict the most pain. The choice is yours. As is tradition, Mrs. G.P., the Chatterbox advisor, has locked me in her rather moist basement for a full year to ensure that my identity is not leaked until she deems me ready. So forgive me if I go off the rails a few times. She’s been feeding me nothing but pizza crust and used toilet water. Luckily, this arrangement leaves me plenty of time to answer all your questions. Please send help.
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 Matthew Youkilis, Editor-in-Chief
Amanda Anderson, Managing Editor of News and Features
Grace Berding, Managing Editor of Student Life
Ibrahim Munir, Managing Editor of Viewpoints
Caroline Horvath, Managing Editor of Visual Elements
Nick Robertson, Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Allyson Garth, Business Manager
Emma Heines, Video Content Manager
Samantha Gerwe-Perkins, Adviser
Brian Sweeney, English Department Chair
STYLE & CULTURE
WHHSCBOX.COM
CINCINNATI, OHIO
JANUARY 29, 2019
PAGE 3
SECTION EDITOR: DELANEY OWENS
Ohio considers putting the brakes on teen driving
CAROLINE HORVATH /CHATTERBOX
Ohio House Bill 293, if passed, would effectively raise the driving age to 16 and six months to allow for a year-long learning period. “If there has recently been more teen car crashes or accidents, then I understand why the license age should be raised, but I think of myself and my peers as good drivers,” Grace Hofstetter, ‘21, said. Delaney Owens ‘21 Ohio House Bill 293 would require teens to hold a temporary permit for a full year, effectively raising the driving age from 16 to 16 and a half. Under current law, Ohio teens can obtain a temporary instruction permit at age 15 and a half, allowing them to drive with a licensed adult. After completing all driver training requirements, drivers under 18 are eligible for a probationary license, allowing them to drive without an adult. A probationary license can currently be obtained after holding a temporary permit for six months. The bill, introduced in June of 2017, has gone through several committees, but did not meet the end of year deadline it needed to become law. It will need to be reintroduced in the House, and a new timeline will be determined. The new age of eligibility would not apply to those who already hold temporary licenses. AAA issued a statement of support for the bill, citing 116 teen deaths in accidents in 2017. There is a fear that the cur-
rent learning window is too short. Some feel that it is unsafe to let new drivers drive alone just six months after getting behind the wheel for the first time. “Six months is just not enough time for novice drivers to grasp the many facets of driving in an increasingly complex and dangerous roadway environment,” Ric Oxender, a representative of the Ohio Conference of AAA Clubs, said at a Dec. 2017 hearing. Another concern is that new drivers may have not had a chance to experience certain conditions in a six month period. Many drivers could get their license before ever seeing snow on the roads. “Driving, though useful, is still dangerous,” SENIOR Miriam Jenei said. “The more practice, the better. I had my permit for almost a year. It allows you to experience different weather conditions and other driving conditions.” AAA found that in the last 2 years, Ohio saw a 15 percent increase in deaths resulting from teen driver crashes. They also report that drivers between 16 and 17 were three times as likely to die in a car accident than adult drivers.
If the bill is passed, Ohio would become the twentieth state to require teen drivers to hold a temporary license for 12 months. It would be the twelfth state to raise the minimum age for unsupervised driving above 16. Notably, the minimum age is 16 and 6 months in Kentucky and 16 and 4 months in Indiana. The bill also increases restrictions on night driving for teens. Under the new bill, there would be a period from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. in which drivers with a temporary license or probationary license must drive with an adult. Currently, that period is between midnight and 6 a.m. in the first year of driving, and between 1 and 5 a.m. for drivers under 18. Since its introduction, the teen drivers bill has been presented at four hearings in the Ohio House. At the fourth hearing, held in Feb. 2018, 11 of 14 representatives voted in favor of the bill, predict-
ing favorable passage. At a press conference on Oct. 18, representatives from AAA and the Ohio Parent Teacher Association endorsed the bill once again. The bill has
The Great Recession is often cited as a reason for the drop in teen driving that is still apparent today. Between 2009 and 2013, one in four teens between 16 and 19 seeking employment could not get a job. When teens have jobs, they have a place to drive to and the means to cover the cost of driving. Additionally, getting a license has become a more complicated process, especially for teens. Parents of current students might not recognize the process. Though teen car culture has changed, it hasn’t disappeared yet. The parking lots at WHHS are still crowded with student cars, and many teens hold on to the beloved rite of passage. Some do not see a need for the new legislation. “It seems like teens practice a lot already and whether they have their ‘temps’ or their actual license, they’re going to continue to develop as drivers far beyond the point of driving alone,” Kameron Linnere, ‘21, said. “It isn’t so much that I don’t support it, I just don’t think that it’s entirely necessary.” Others wonder if there is another way to address teen driving issues. “If the state wants us to have our permit for one year, have the date to get our ‘temps’ moved up to our fifteenth birthday, have our permit for a year and then get our license at 16,” Sarah Minning, ‘21, said. Another approach might be to evaluate the practice requirements within the six months, rather than the time period itself. The current requirements, which do not change under House Bill 293, include completing a driver’s education course, completing 50 hours of driving and passing a test. “The reason the driving age is being questioned is because new drivers are so reckless and, quite possibly, do not actually complete their required 50 hours,” Andrea Scheper, ‘20, said. “Instead of raising the driving age, lawmakers should look in to better ways to regulate the way one documents and proves that potential drivers have actually driven 50 hours.”
“If I’d had a year, I could’ve been practicing far more often and been comfortable in advance in trickier environments.” -SENIOR Allison Meier
CAROLINE HORVATH /CHATTERBOX
Lawmakers are considering extending the driving learning period from six months to one year, to allow teen drivers to practice in all weather conditions. Many new drivers recently experienced snow while driving for the first time.
no known opponents, and some teens support the idea. “The highest cause of death for ages 15-24 is automobile collisions and I believe with more time used to practice driving with a parent or guardian that teens will be more prepared to hold their own license,” Aidan Ormsbee, ‘21, said. With increased restrictions on driving, could the law be following the natural trend? America’s love affair with cars spans decades. For many, getting a license was a significant rite of passage and cruising around was a pastime. Today’s teens seemingly haven’t inherited the same obsession with cars. According to the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future survey, 71.5 percent of high school seniors had a license in 2015, compared to 85.3 percent in 1996. Why are fewer teens rushing to drive? For one, driving is expensive. The same report draws a connection between household income and teen driving. It found that while 79 percent of teens from households with incomes above $100,000 get their license before 18, only 52 percent of teens from households with incomes of $40,000 do.
NEWS AND FEATURES
JANUARY 29, 2019
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: DREW BROWN
PAGE 4
CINCINNATI, OHIO
The removal of class rank
AMANDA ANDERSON /CHATTERBOX
Class rank, a long standing part of the WHHS graduation process, has been voted down and will no longer be implemented at WHHS. This has caused an outcry from students who feel that their opinions weren’t fully considered in the decision. Conrad Kleiner, ‘19 Every year, hundreds of WHHS SENIORS meticulously calculate a myriad of factors as they aim to maneuver their way into their dream schools. And every year, thousands of other WHHS underclassmen prepare their grades as best they can until their upperclassman days come. So when it started to circulate that class rank was being abolished, for many the initial reaction was confusion. Student Congress President SENIOR Bengy Mitchell was one of the first students to catch wind of the situation. “It started out where
I was just kind of hearing little things about it here and there. I didn’t think it was anything too serious, or any decision was being made for certain,” Mitchell said. “And then as I started to uncover more and more through talking to administrators and my advisors and other students, especially those who are on the LSDMC (Local School Decision Making Committee) Board and ILT (Instructional Leadership Team) Board, I started to realize how serious of an issue this was, and that there were already a lot of things decided about it.” Class rank is one of many indicators colleges look at during the
admissions process. It is a measure of how each student compares to their peers in terms of Grade Point Average. Class rank is particularly valuable in determining class difficulty; if a WHHS student who gets Bs or Cs maintains a mid range class rank, colleges see that those Bs and Cs were harder to get, in comparison to a student at an easier school who may have the same class rank with As and Bs. However, class rank can also have heavy psychological implications, especially at a school as academically competitive as WHHS. “From the stories that I heard, they said, some kids would sabotage
their friends and take CCP classes over the summer to get their GPA up so that they’re higher ranked,” SENIOR Zuri Williams, who is a student representative on the LSDMC and SENIOR Class President, said. Williams insists that summer is a necessary time for students to unwind from their academic stress, and that too much academic f o c u s d u r ing this time can lead to negative psychological effects. Of course, it’s not an easy decision to make, and the correlation between class rank and psychological stress is still hotly debated by proponents of class rank. As such, there was a divide in the consensus reached by parts of the SENIOR class. “From the students I talked to, it seemed like the students who were higher up in the ranks wanted to keep it and the students who were lower wanted to get rid of it. So it did appear that people were looking out for themselves and not necessarily the greater interest of the student body as a whole,” Mitchell said. Though widely unknown among the general student populace, the
News Writing I:
“From the stories that I heard, they said, some kids would sabotage their friends and take CCP classes over the summer to get their GPA up so that they’re higher ranked.” -SENIOR Zuri Williams
An Introduction to Journalism News Writing I is a great opportunity to get to know the journalism scene at WHHS without making a full-year commitment. Skills taught in this class are the same things that the Chatterbox and REM yearbook classes are learning right now. *A semester-long course for incoming 7th-11th graders who want to join the Chatterbox newspaper staff or the REM Yearbook staff *Learn to write articles, take great photos, interview strangers, design pages for print and more *Work in the Journalism Lab (2306) and learn about publishing software, editing, writing and photojournalism
This class is a prerequisite for Newspaper Production (Chatterbox) or Yearbook. Visit Mrs. G-P (2306) for more information, or just option for “News Writing I.”
LSDMC is the highest ranking decision making committee for each school in the district. In order to try to hear student voices, the Cincinnati Public Schools website says, “Optional members [of the LSDMC] may include 2-3 students.” At WHHS each year, Student Congress votes for one junior and one SENIOR to participate on the board. The final dec i s i o n reached by the LDSMC was that class rank would be eliminated in 2021. Details regarding its effect on Valedictorian have been postponed. Regardless of the decision reached, the impact of the class rank decision extends beyond its immediate implications and into the voice students have in future decisions. A decision-making committee hungry for student input has finally found it, and students looking to make their voices heard, in many instances, have only recently found out how. “I think the LSDMC will now come to Student Congress whenever they have a big decision like this to try to get student body’s input,” Williams said.
WHHSCBOX.COM
SPORTS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
JANUARY 29, 2019
PAGE 5
SECTION EDITORS: RYLEIGH SANBORN
MORE THAN A BASKETBALL PROGRAM, A FAMILY
PHOTO COURTESY OF ZURI WILLIAMS
REHME LEANZA/CHATTERBOX
The Women’s Varsity Basketball Team gathers to celebrate teammate Kennedi Myles’s 1,000th point. The Lady Eagles triumphed over West Clermont in an Eastern Cincinnati Conference matchup on Dec. 3.
The Boys’ Varsity Basketball team celebrates their upcoming season. The team is currently 5-3 in the conference and 9-5 overall.
Jackson Dunbar, ‘19
excel at as much as basketball. SENIOR Kennedi Myles, center for the Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team, said, “We went bowling and we sucked. It was fun to do an activity that we didn’t have to stress about.” Winter break is now over, and the second semester is on its way with cold temperatures and snow falling. But now the heart of the high school basketball season is finally here, with both the Lady Eagles and boys’ team continuing their positive trend. The boys’ team has won three conference games thus far, including against Turpin, who is currently first in the conference with only two losses. They are confident about continuing to win and
While some of us used winter break to catch up on sleep and take part in other activities, the WHHS Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity Basketball Teams went down to Clarksville, Tennessee to compete in Zaxby’s Holiday Tournament. They took it as an opportunity to improve their skills on the court and grow together as a family. The Lady Eagles won the tournament and went undefeated in three games, outscoring their opponents in total by 157 points. Lady Eagles Varsity Head Coach Adam Lazar said, “We did what we were supposed to do. We started playing the good team basketball we knew we were capable of.”
The boys went 2-1 and finished third overall in the tournament. Head Coach Ricardo Hill described the team’s play on the court in Tennessee as “all right” but noticed how incredible their team chemistry has become. “It was a good experience for us. The boys staying together in a house allowed everyone’s energy to feed off one another giving us a bond not a lot of teams have,” Hill said. Being a great basketball team requires more than just talented players. It takes toughness, selflessness and good communication. Sacrificing personal glory for the good of the team separates a special team from a merely decent team. The team understands for them to be successful they shouldn’t play
with each other, but for each other. After their only loss in Tennessee, the team took ownership of their faults, and only worked harder to correct them. They came back the next day and showed their perseverance by winning a close game in their final game of the tournament. Hill said, “I love our cohesiveness. We’re a family. This is the closest team we’ve had since our state championship team.” While both the boys’ and girls’ teams took action on advancing their skills in basketball, they also had a lot of time to grow closer outside of a gym. The boys competed in wrestling matches, something they deemed a “bonding experience” and the girls’ team decided to embark on a sport they don’t
showing out in the postseason. Hill said, “We need our guys to keep developing, we need to keep improving our defense. Every one of our players are important pieces to the puzzle. If our older players keep leading the way they are, we should be in a good place come tournament time.” The Lady Eagles have also been playing outstanding ball, looking to protect the Eastern Cincinnati Conference throne. You can catch the Lady Eagles next in action at home versus ECC rival Turpin High School Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. The Boys’ Varsity Eagles play next away at Kings High School on Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Scoring points off the court Stresses to successes Hajra Munir, ‘23 Kaylee Robbins, ‘24
PHOTO COURTESY OF COACH RICARDO HILL
Team manager SENIOR David Akanbi is seen surrounded by his teammates after being presented with his gift from the team. Max Poynter, ‘22, had the idea to raise money for the new shoes. Jackson Dunbar, ‘19 Jordan Ivory, ‘19 Both the Women’s and Men’s Varsity Basketball Teams are extremely unique. It’s not common where you have a team with as tight a bond like these two. Both teams even have a member on their team that aren’t players but contribute a lot to the team as a whole. SENIOR David Akanbi is the Team Manager for the Boys’ Varsity Eagles. He has been a part of the WHHS basketball program since seventh grade. He’s incredibly passionate about the team and loves basketball dearly. Max Poynter, ‘22, recognized Akanbi’s incredible work ethic at practices. He took it upon himself to create a group chat with his teammates, excluding Akanbi,
proposing that they should do something special for him. They decided to all pitch in around ten dollars each and buy Akanbi a pair of Kyrie 2 Lows from Footlocker. Poynter said, “David is a great dude and he puts a bunch of effort into our team and our practices, so the team and I felt that we should repay him for all the time and energy he put into our team.” Not only did the boys string together a perfect plan, they did it without the help or guidance of any of their coaches. Akanbi wasn’t the only one stunned by the shoe gift--Coach Ricardo Hill was also in shock. Hill tweeted, “How do you know your team is Special? When all of them chip in and buy a teammate some new kicks without the coaches knowing… #GreatTeammates #Wal-
nutFamily #MoreThanAGame.” “They’re cool people, everyone has each others’ backs. No matter what’s going on, we will still fight for the team,” Akanbi said. The boys did a fantastic job showing their appreciation for one of their brothers. Aside from doing a good deed, the boys have once again made their tight bond tighter. SENIOR Kameron Smith is the Team Manager for the Lady Varsity Eagles. Since Smith is very close with the players on the team and Coach Lazar, he decided he wanted to be a part of the team officially this year. Myles said, “He helps us with drills at practice and supports us. We love his positive attitude.” Come out to the games to support our WHHS basketball teams and be a part of the family, too.
At WHHS, balancing school work with your daily life is hard enough. But when you put practices every day for two hours in the mix, things can get a little hard to stabilize. This is how it is for the seventh and eighth grade basketball teams. Tyler Bowers, ‘24, knows a lot about the stress of school and sports. “I had to quit some clubs to keep my grades up,” Bowers said. “You should always work your hardest in everything you do.” Gabrielle Nelson, ‘23, is also familiar with the struggles of a student-athlete. This three sport athlete knows very well what the difficulties are of balancing her various activities. “Don’t be too hard on yourself, just always try your best and you will be fine,” Nelson said. She recommends that focus is key to balancing the struggles. Evan Tombragel, ‘23, is on the
WHHS Eighth Grade Basketball Team and also has to deal with the challenges of being a studentathlete. There have not been many struggles for him but balancing sports, homework and other activities can be a lot to keep up with. “You need to put your school work first and if it gets bad you may need to skip practice at times,” Tombragel said. Tombragel advises to keep your priorities straight and limit unnecessary distractions in your everyday life. With keeping all this in mind, being a student-athlete is a huge privilege, and if you can deal with all the stress that comes with it, you can truly succeed. If you find that you are struggling, you may have to make sacrifices to put what is most important to you first. If you are interested in checking out these teams, the boys’ junior high basketball teams have games on Mondays and Fridays, and the girls’ junior high basketball teams have games throughout the week.
KAYLEE ROBBINS/ CHATTERBOX
Girls junior high basketball players stand with a basketball in front of the bleachers in the Junior High Gym, with eighth graders in the back row and seventh graders in the front row. The girls’ junior high basketball teams have games throughout the week.
FINE ARTS
JANUARY 29, 2019
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: AMIAH HEARD
PAGE 6
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Scholastic Art Awards
The regional art award results are in
GRACE SUBLETT /CHATTERBOX
Several pieces are displayed that AP Art students have been working to perfect for the Scholastic Art Awards. This year, WHHS received more awards for artwork than in any previous year.
Grace Sublett, ‘19 On Jan. 10, WHHS’s AP Art students anxiously waited as the regional Scholastic Art Awards were announced. This year the students’ work earned 80 awards, 22 being gold keys, the most ever in WHHS history. SENIOR Arthur Schmid was the only AP Art student who was awarded a gold medal portfolio. The Gold Medal Portfolio award
includes a $10,000 scholarship and is only awarded to 16 recipients across the country. Beyond the Gold Medal Portfolio, students could win gold keys, silver keys and honorable mentions. Gold keys are awarded to the best works in the region and automatically qualify for national recognition. Silver keys are awarded to standout pieces and honorable mentions are awarded to pieces that demon-
strate potential and hard work. Schmid wasn’t the only student who won big this year. Other winners this year include Alexandra Franz, ‘23, Drew Hart, ‘20 and Julia Johnson, ‘22. Franz earned 19 awards for her drawings and paintings including seven gold keys, five silver keys and seven honorable mentions. In addition to winning the most awards of all of the WHHS students, Franz was
also the youngest WHHS student to compete. Hart received nine awards for his photography: one gold key, four silver keys and four honorable mentions. The pieces he submitted centered around the exploration of abandoned Cincinnati. Johnson was awarded three gold keys and three honorable mentions. Johnson’s collection featured many of her paintings
REHME LEANZA/CHATTERBOX
SENIOR Arthur Schmid stands above with one of his award-winning pieces from the Scholastic Art Awards. Schmid combined many mediums to create his masterpiece.
such as “Strength” and “Knowing is Seeing.” Now that the regional winners have been announced, the winners will be matting their pieces in preparation for the Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition that will be open Jan. 28-Feb. 8 at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. For the complete list of award recipients check out whhscbox. com.
GRACE SUBLETT/CHATTERBOX
Alexandra Franz, ‘23, poses with her favorite piece from the Scholastic Art Awards. Franz received 19 awards for her work.
February fine arts events Amiah Heard, ‘19
WHAT: Senior High Band Concert -
WHAT: Walnut Fest - School-wide fundWHAT: Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition raiser ($50 admission cost*)
WHAT: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Senior High Winter Play
Symphonic Band & Wind Ensemble
WHEN: Jan. 28 - Feb. 8, Monday - Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
WHEN: Feb. 1, 6:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.
WHEN: Feb. 14-16 7 p.m.
WHEN: Feb. 26 7 p.m.
WHERE: Rhinegeist Brewery
WHERE: WHHS Auditorium
WHERE: WHHS Auditorium
WHAT: Senior High Honor Choir Con-
WHAT: Junior & Senior High Honor
WHAT: Winter Jazz Lab and Jazz En-
WHERE: Art Academy of Cincinnati
WHAT: Scholastic Art Awards Ceremony WHEN: Feb. 1, 6-7 p.m.: Seventh and Eighth Grade Awards; 7- 8 p.m.: Ninth and Tenth Grade Awards; 8-9 p.m.: Eleventh and Twelfth Grade Awards WHERE: SCPA
cert - District XIV Honor Choir Festival
Band Concert - District XIV Honor Band Festival
WHEN: Feb. 9 WHEN: Feb. 24 WHERE: Princeton High School WHERE: Princeton High School
semble Concert WHEN: Feb. 28 7 p.m. WHERE: WHHS Auditorium *Price subject to change
WHHSCBOX.COM
PEANUTS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
JANUARY 29, 2019
PAGE 7
SECTION EDITOR: HEAVEN ONLEY
The story behind snow days BROWN FIRE NATION IG: @brownfirenation www.brownfirenation.com
Snow and ice cover the plaza outside the Arcade and the football field. Several times already this year, students and faculty have had to walk through these conditions to enter the school. Heaven Onley, ‘19
Nearly every morning after a snowstorm the previous evening, students anticipate a day off from school. It seems harmless, but those days can add up, and students can miss hours of learning that are important for a successful year. In snowy climates, school superintendents must frequently decide whether an incoming storm warrants closing schools for the day. Concerns about student and teacher safety must be weighed against loss of time in the classroom, along with state requirements for days of teaching and the potential cost and inconvenience of shortening summer break or making up missed time in other ways. Based on evidence from Time Magazine, school hours lost to snow
days equal lost student learning. The decision of a possible snow day starts with talks among administrators the day or night of an incoming storm. Then they consult local emergency management agencies like the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency. The final call in the school districts is from the superintendent. They normally take into account how heavy the snow is or if the cold temperatures could lead to ice. It could cause power outages, making transportation more difficult or making the school facilities difficult to open. In Cincinnati, while it does not snow a significant amount, days off can still hold the community back. High school is very fastpaced and it’s easy to get behind. So what can we do? Some schools
have implemented a system where students can do school work at home. This work can even be downloaded beforehand just in case the WiFi being cut off is a problem. It can be seen as going a bit far, but it does help the students avoid missing information critical for their success in high school. One way the dynamic between snow days and learning time could be fixed is to plan a way where teachers could add some extra things to the lesson plan the day before a snowstorm, just in case the next day there is no school. This would allow students to get the essence of what new information they will learn. That way students and teachers won’t feel too much pressure to work on their day off.
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ARCADE
JANUARY 29, 2019
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: RYAN HILL
PAGE 8
Perspectives
What is one goal you set for yourself for the New Year?
RYAN HILL/CHATTERBOX
“This year I want to learn how to sew.” - Leyla Guven, ‘22
RYAN HILL/CHATTERBOX
“I want to get in CSYO philharmonic orchestra.” - Sophia Liu, ‘22
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Tic Tac Toe!
RYAN HILL/CHATTERBOX
“One goal I set for myself is to not procrastinate as much and work ahead.” - Ainsley Lauer, ‘22
RYAN HILL/CHATTERBOX
“This year I want to put more effort in my studies and work harder in Anatomy.” - DJ Morgan, ‘20
Escape the Maze!