The Chatterbox - Sept. 19, 2014 - CIX.01

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From around the world to our world at Walnut Hills

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Varsity football looks to turn season around

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From making art to teaching art: Aaron Cuchetti

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Controversy in Ferguson Grammy Awardwinning rappers battle on Cincinnati stage

Walnut Hills High School

Volume CIX, Issue 1

2,664 brains of Walnut Hills High School

REHME LEANZA /CHATTERBOX

With the increasing population of students, class sizes have increased. Pictured above is a Pre-Algebra class full of seventh graders.

Lela Robinson, ‘16 Avery Samuels, ‘16 According to U.S. News and World Report, Walnut Hills High School enrolled 2,380 students in the 2013-2014 school year. This year there are 2,664 students roaming the halls of Walnut. Enrollment numbers have lead to shared lockers and frequent traffic jams in the hallways, which makes it difficult to arrive to class on time.

Now that the building construction is complete, many families are eager to move their students to Walnut. “Our campus mirrors our academic excellence,” said Dr. Sally Thurman, administrator for the ninth and tenth graders. “And you all take a hidden curriculum here.

That is the lesson of truly being a diversified community. Walnut allows everyone to experience a community where regardless of your financial situation, every single stu-

dent has the opportunity...to have the best of everything, to take as many AP’s as you can be successful in, to participate in all the activities offered here.”

In other words, Walnut is a magnet school, and more and more kids living in the Cincinnati Public Schools district are taking the entrance exam and enrolling. The entrance exam, the Terra Nova standardized test, measures achievement as a composite score rather than a pass/fail for the math and reading tests. The minimum score to pass each section of the test is 65 percent, however the total score for both sections has to add up to 140 percent. As a public school, Walnut cannot turn away students from the CPS district.

Thus Walnut finds itself facing some problems due to the influx of student numbers, such as sharing lockers and overcrowded hallways.

The administration is taking

steps to solve the locker problem.

“It’s not like you can just grab a bank of lockers and plop them in the middle of the hall,” Thurman said. “So much time and energy has been spent to put the lockers into the wall to give the halls more space for people to move around.

I have not heard a formalized conclusion as to how we’re going to fix the locker problem, but I know that there are many individuals working on that.”

This does not change the fact that people are perturbed by the organization of locker sharing.

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10 Do’s and Don’ts for Walnut’s New Arrivals

September 19, 2014 SENIOR Claire Bowman, who is sharing a locker, said, “That it is not fair. The seventh graders are the ones who should share.”

Alumni Alis Robinson, ‘42 said, “No, we did not have to share lockers. In fact we had full length ones.’’ She also said, “I think that seventh graders would be very willing to share lockers. They’re young, they’re getting started in school, they don’t have that much independence yet and that’s where the lockers ought to be double up, I don’t think high schoolers should have to share lockers. Sharing a locker with a friend makes it bearable, but that to me is [still] a very poor arrangement, if there are not enough lockers and then the students coming in have to share a locker, is my opinion.”

Besides the problems with crowding and lockers, the school is adapting to the increase in student enrollment in a number of other ways. Walnut hired sixteen new teachers for this school year, and new classes are being added to the curriculum yearly.

While the population of the school is very high, Walnut is still safely adhering to the fire codes.

REHME LEANZA/CHATTERBOX

At second lunch in the cafeteria, seventh and eighth graders eat together. The high volume of students makes it difficult to comfortably eat.

SENIORS get a taste of college process Alexandra Berding, ‘16 Julian Shockley, ‘15

JULIAN SHOCKLEY/CHATTERBOX

SENIOR Emma Kaspercyzk works with Julie Restle in the College Information Center. Students are allowed to go to the CIC during their study hall and every Tuesday and Thursday for PSAT review.

whhscbox.com

“Get [the applications] done,” said Julie Learner of the College Information Center. This was one of the main pieces of advice for the SENIORS during the SENIOR College Forum, on Wednesday, September 10. Members of the class of 2015 piled in the auditorium to attend the SENIOR college forum. This was designed to prepare the SENIORS for the upcoming college application process. This was presented by the counseling department and the CIC. During the college process, which takes place from now until May, SENIORS will be filling out college applications, finalizing their essays and deciding their top college choices. The Com-

mon Application is the application that over 500 colleges use to accept, waitlist or reject incoming students.

Students attended the “Common App Boot Camp” presented by the CIC. This familiarized students with the Common App and allowed them to practice filling it out.

Speakers at the assembly gave advice on how to be successful in this process. Among these speakers were Walnut staff members Tanya Ficklin, Adrian Cabrera, Linda Sewan, Dawn Wolfe and Julie Learner. “Don’t breeze through [the Common App],” Cabrera said to the SENIORS. “Only eight percent of SENIORS have the Common App filled out.”

Learner’s advice to the SENIORS is to “Get [the applications] done” since “you only have seven to ten

Zoe Cheng and Celeste Kearney, Editors-in-Chief

weeks left.”

Underclassmen who are stressed about the college process can start preparing now. Michael Manning, Class of 2013 and current Princeton University student, said, “I believe the fundamental common denominator among all the students at Princeton, and perhaps most universities is that they have a passion and were able to convey their passion to a college admissions counselor... The accepted applicant is the one brimming with curiosity, open-mindedness, and wide-eyed anticipation for the next stage in life,” Manning said.

The California Career Center website recommends getting good grades, taking the ACT and SAT, choosing to take difficult courses and becoming involved in clubs, athletics and other extracurriculars in order to prepare for this process.

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Features From around the world to our world at Walnut Hills Ashwini Kamath, ‘17 Isaac Stephani, ‘16 Walnut Hills is home to not only over 2,600 Eagles, but also nine foreign exchange students.

Walnut has been hosting exchange students for over 60 years. This year, the exchange students come from eight different countries and five different exchange programs.

With each of these students, new cultures and ideas are brought into the Walnut community.

During the 2014-2015 school year, these nine students experience life through the eyes of an American highschooler. One of the nine students, Victor Ludor from Switzerland, said, “[I] came to America to experience the language and to live the ‘American Dream.’”

There are many exchange programs through which highschool students have the chance to travel to America. While some are small programs and host dozens of students each year, others host thousands of students across the globe.

They range from private to nonprofit organizations, but all share a common goal: to integrate and introduce students to different cultures.

As stated on the formerly known as American Field Service’s (AFSUSA) website: “AFS-USA works toward a more just and peaceful world by providing international and intercultural learning experiences to individuals, families, schools, and communities through a global volunteer partnership.”

An exchange student from France, Jules Chappert is enrolled through the NorthWest Student Exchange (NWSE) program.

NWSE is a non-profit international exchange organization re-

cently established in 1987. Back in France, Chappert and his family hosted three exchange students, and after these experiences, Chappert decided to come to America.

Chappert said that the largest surprise at Walnut Hills was the presence of lockers:: something they do not have at his French school, as there is not so much a need for them as here. Chappert said that something he noticed right away at Walnut is that “the cheerleaders are really pretty; all the girls [at] Walnut are pretty - and smart, too.”

Virginia Russo is an exchange student from Italy. She came to America with AFS-USA, one of the larger exchange programs that was established 65 years ago and is a non-profit organization. Russo notices that while “there are a lot of nice cars here, [there is] a lot more waiting at red lights.” She has “no expectations” and leaves her mind open to American experiences.

Tsion Morales is from Spain through EducationFirst (EF). Her main goal while here is to improve her English. So far, she likes the freedom bestowed upon the students at Walnut, especially from an academic aspect. Being able to pick her own classes and then getting to have the same schedule every day is something new and enjoyable to her.

As stated on their website, EF is the largest private educational company. It is centered in the U.S., and brings more students to the U.S. than any other exchange program. Since its founding in 1979, they have matched over 100,000 students with American families.

Today, their students come from 15 countries.

Youth 4 Understanding is another foreign exchange program,

Victor Ludor, Switzerland, AFS, finds it strange that the United States has skyscrapers in every city.

and hosts Ville Lizell from Sweden.

He has been here living with his host couple for about a month, but already has plans to go to Hawaii with the program. Lizell said he left his mind open to imagination for the most part, and was satisfied with the large variety of food in America. Ludor shares the same view about food, and thinks that one of the strangest things about Americans is how they put ice in drinks. Apart from food, another unique thing that Ludor is not used to are the skyscrapers.

Elisabetta Filauri is here from Italy through World Heritage.

Although her host parents have four kids of their own, they are all grown up now and do not live in the house. Filauri enjoys running and plans to join the cross country team. Despite experiencing a larger school system, she is happy that at Walnut, students are able to pick their own classes.

The nine exchange students at Walnut this year provide an opportunity for the Walnut community to learn more about cultures from throughout the world. Taking to common liking among the exchange students is the diversity of people in each of their seven different classes. They look forward to having a successful school year abroad.

For more information about the exchange programs, please visit <http://www.afsusa.org>, <http://www.efexchangeyear. org>, <http://www.nwse.com>, http:// yfuusa.org/ and <http://www.world-heritage. org>.

Virginia (Virgie) Russo, Italy, AFS (Right), talks to Mollie Chaiken, ‘17.

Tsion Morales, Spain, EF (Right), is eating lunch with Elisabetta Filauri, Italy, World Heritage.

Jules Chappert, France, NorthWest (Left), on the bass guitar playing with Micaela Adams, ‘16 .

Chia-An (Joanne) Lin, Taiwan, EF, came to America to experience the culture and the language.

Ville Lizell, Sweden, Youth for Understanding, thinks the United States is more open than Sweden and “has a lot more food.”

Sarah Neuhauser, Germany, AFS (Right), talks to Isaac Stephani, ‘16.

Jan Rohl, Germany (Left) flexes with Michael Davenport, ‘17.

ALL PHOTOS BY TARA SALES

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September 19, 2014

Page Editor: Isaac Stephani

Controversy in Ferguson, Mo. Taylor Darks, ‘15 On August 9, an African American 18-year-old teenager, Mike Brown, was fatally shot eight times by a Caucasian police officer, Darren Wilson, in Ferguson, Mo. After the shooting of Brown, many gathered in the streets protesting against the police department.

A popular chant amongst the crowds was “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot,” in an effort to emphasize the issue of shooting an unarmed person. The protests soon turned into rioting, until a curfew was put onto the city, and Wilson was removed as a safety precaution.

The Ferguson police department is predominantly white and the population of the town of Ferguson is 70 percent black. This uneven ratio creates tension in the communities between the officers and the public.

The way Ferguson police department handled their citizens during the protest was effective, but unnecessary. Police felt the need to use heavily armored vehicles(also known as MRAPS) and tear gas not only on unarmed protesters,

but also on the journalists trying to report on the events.

Eventually the Missouri Governor, Jay Nixon, called the National Guard in to restore order. ​A government official told Fox News that they plan to investigate the Ferguson Police Department. The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department has been put in charge of the investigation. The Justice Department plans to focus on the Ferguson Police Department and their policies, but not individuals.

They will also conduct an investigation on the death of Brown and whether or not Wilson should be convicted of anything. Attorney General Eric Holder told Fox News that, “the Department of Justice is working across the nation to ensure that the criminal justice is fair, constitutional and free of bias.” ​Many schools are taking various approaches on whether to address the issues in Ferguson, which might comfort their students’ frustrations, anger, and sadness, or to ignore the incident altogether. A Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit began offering classroom lessons that connect the events in Fergu-

son to the revolutionary rhetoric of the Black Panther Party. The course allowed students to turn frustration into a clear set of goals.

While some schools are being proactive, most just want their students to cope with what has happened and have brought in counselors for the students to talk to.

However in Edwardsville, Illinois, a school district 25 miles away from Ferguson, the teachers have been told to avoid the subject completely. ​Events like this cause people to step back and acknowledge the underlying racial issues in America that were never really resolved. Ferguson has caused Cincinnati and other cities to search for a solution.

They have begun to use or consider uniform cameras to better monitor police and public activity and to get crucial evidence on camera.

The cameras will not fix the racial problems in America or the problems within the justice system, but it is progress toward a better police force, better communities, and a better future.

CELESTE KEARNEY/CHATTERBOX

The memorial of Michael Brown features a pile of stuffed animals and signs of love by the side of the road next to where he was shot. “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” has become a motto for the protests in Ferguson and around the country.

Viewpoints

Hectic hallways

REHME LEANZA/CHATTERBOX

Students crowd hallways to get to lunch. The 2, 664 students roaming the halls of Walnut Hills make even the passing bells similar to rush hour traffic.

Robert McKinney, ‘16 Being a student at Walnut Hills is no easy task. It requires not only getting to class on time, but also managing books and binders. Seeing the overflow of traffic in the halls upsets the students and the teachers who now have to account for their students being late. So, in order to assist the traffic law breakers, and those new to Walnut, the Chatterbox offers these simple tips taken from Ohio State Law: 1. “Use the rightmost lane that heads in the direction that you are traveling. Riding against traffic on the wrong side of the road is illegal and increases a cyclist’s risk dramatically.”

Hopefully you are not riding a bicycle in the hallway, but even if you are, it is the law that you remain on the right side of the road.

You should stay on the right side of the hallway, and be mindful of not only your surroundings, but the other people standing besides you.

We all have places to be, let us all get there safely.

2. “Right-of-way” means either of the following, as the context requires: “The right of a… pedestrian to proceed uninterruptedly in a lawful manner in the direction in which it or the individual is moving in reference to another … pedestrian approaching from a different direction into its or the individual’s path...”

If everyone is walking on the right side and everyone else is waiting to cross the hall, simply wait.

Do not dart across the hall and create not only a jam, but also irritated people you have bumped into -- you may get a traffic ticket.

While you cannot be held accountable in a court of law for breaking any of the above listed laws, know that causing a traffic jam not only affects the students, but also teachers. Please do your part in ending the hallway holdups. With your help there could be no more traffic jams in the hallways, and we could all get to class on time.

Letter from your Editors-in-Chief New year. New friends. New teachers. New attitude. Maybe you’re an incoming seventh-grader, or maybe you’re a SENIOR on the verge of graduation and/or an identity crisis. But either way…

LET’S THROW AWAY THE CLICHES, the trivial space-fillers and meaningless commentary that you probably won’t read anyway.

We, the Chatterbox, are here to inform, not just to let you hear our voices but for us to hear yours, as well. Let us act as the blank canvas

for your ideas, your complaints, your social commentaries, your cartoons.

If you want to get involved with the Chatterbox or submit work to be considered for publication, DO IT! Come to a meeting on first and third Thursdays of the month during lunch in room 2306 or email your work to <Cboxwalnut@ gmail.com>.

We represent the Walnut Hills community. We are your voice. We want your input. If you see Chat-

terboxers in the hallway, tell them what you think of their articles, photographs or tell them your overall opinions on the latest issue.

We want to hear YOUR opinions.

We strive to be the best representation possible of the Walnut Hills community, so help us! We look forward to hearing your input as we grow and change together over this next school year.

And, if you see either one or both of the Editors-in-Chief (we’re often together) in the hallways, in

class, at lunch, tell US what gets you riled up, what gets you sad, what gives you goosebumps, what gives you joy. Maybe your voice will be published (or, if you’re not “into” writing, maybe we’ll publish it for you). Because it is our utmost belief that journalism -- hard news and deep features and viewpoints that make you bristle -- is perhaps one of the most powerful constructs in modern society. It is by reading about people and events we are not familiar with that we be-

gin to understand the people and events who make up our daily lives.

And yes, we do care about you and what you think. It’s why we do what we do and why we love doing it.

Love, Zoe Cheng and Celeste Kearney Editors-in-Chief (aka “Zote”)

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

Page Editor: Taylor Darks

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.

September 19, 2014

SARAH DAVIDOFF, ‘13

The Chatterbox Editorial Staff Zoe Cheng and Celeste Kearney, Editors-in-Chief Karinne Hill, Managing Editor Grace Hill, Managing Editor of Design Alex Persiani, Managing Editor of Photography Neriya Servant, Business Manager Oliver

Olberding, Online Manager Aisling Grueninger, Circulation Manager Samantha Gerwe-Perkins, Adviser Dawn Wolfe, Adviser

Page 3

Sports

Varsity football looks to turn season around

Sports Calendar Bold font denotes home games Bold italic font denotes Senior Night

Football

Fri. Sept. 19 Anderson Thurs. Sept. 25 Withrow Fri. Oct. 3 Kings Fri. Oct. 10 Glen Este

COURTESY OF TOM DONNELLY

SENIOR Reid Finley carries the Walnut Hills flag while leading the Eagles out of the endzone before the game against Fairfield. The Eagles have began the season with three losses, but they expect to win their last seven conference games.

Tony Heim, ‘15 “I think we have a very good team. I really do. Unfortunately we came out on the bottom side of the score, but we’ve played two really good GMC [Greater Miami Conference] teams and we’ve come up short.” -Coach George Kontsis.

The Walnut Hills football team has started the season with a threegame losing streak, but the players still believe that they have an opportunity to complete their most important goal: winning the conference title. SENIOR wide receiver Reid Finley said, “That has been the mind set since day one in twoa-days is winning the conference.”

The players believe their record is not indicative of their actual

performance. Linebacker and running back Jeremiyah Hairston, ‘16 said, “We just have to finish games.

We’re often losing by eight points, one point and we just have to get the W [win].”

Statistics show the potential for an outstanding offense. Through September 18, SENIOR quarterback Kevin Blount leads the Eastern Cincinnati Conference in passing yards with 559 yards. Blount is also in the top five for rushing yards with 195. Both Finley and wide receiver Mikey Trimble, ‘16 are in the top five for receiving yards; Finley leads with 230 yards and Trimble is fourth with 178 yards.

Kontsis notes that it is not just the star players that are helping the team. “Our offensive line, Kam

Player Profile

SENIOR Mackenzie Richter

SENIOR Mackenzie Richter is a Varsity starting soccer player for the Eagles. Richter has played for the Varsity team for three years now and has high hopes for her SENIOR season, saying “hopefully we make it to State.” Richter also has personal goals of making the first team in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) and being the top scorer for Walnut. She has accomplished the latter so far; her six goals place her first on the team and second in the ECC. Richter plans on playing soccer in college at either the club or Varsity level.

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Johnson and Parker [Glotfelty], are doing a great job for us. Kai Kremer is a center starting as a sophomore, he is doing a nice job.”

Trimble got special praise from the coach, as well as safety and wide receiver Roe Taylor, ‘16. “Mikey Trimble is doing a real nice job for us in the slot. He has a great understanding of the scheme, he’s a very smart kid and he’s very talented,” Kontsis said. He continues with Taylor, saying “Roe Taylor didn’t play last year. He’s a very, very good player for us.”

The Eagles kick off their conference schedule with the homecoming game against Anderson on Friday, September 19. Anderson has also began the season with an 0-3 record, with losses against Northwest, McNicholas and Harrison.

Known as a perennial lower-tier team, Kontsis sees this as a sign of the strength of the ECC. “Anderson is struggling a little bit this year, but they have been a state champion,” Kontsis said.

The ECC championship is up for grabs this year; there is no standout team like in past years.

Each day the team focuses on their weaknesses, “running the ball better” and “being more consistent stopping the run,” according to Kontsis. If the team focuses on these adjustments, they could end up being the special standout team.

The team wants you to remember one thing: the season is just beginning.

Out with old, in with new Whitney Bronson, ‘16 After the construction started over five years ago at Walnut Hills High School, it still is not finished.

Throughout the halls students would complain about the walk to and from the “mods,” or “mod city,” to the main building. Now the mods are gone and taking its place will be the Christopher South Athletic Complex, formerly known as the old practice field.

On Tuesday, May 20, the construction began as a group of people, including Principal Jeff Brokamp, Superintendent Mary Ronan and the donors of the Christopher South Athletic Complex, Bob Christoper, ‘47, and Marty Surnbrock Christopher, ‘44, gathered around.

The donors are alumni of Walnut Hills, who donated approximately $1.8 million towards the new South Athletic Complex. According to Brokamp, Bob Christopher was a multi-sport athlete and a good student who knows what quality looks like.

Christopher saw that many student athletes had to practice far away from home, get home late and not have enough time to do homework, so he wanted to create a situation where student athletes could get home on time and get

September 19, 2014

their homework done. “The main way [the practice field benefits Walnut Hills High School] is it brings our kids back on campus,” Brokamp said.

Many teams will be using the practice field and the facility including: soccer, football, lacrosse, marching band, track and field, softball and baseball. The complex will have an all-weather field, lighting and seating for 400 people and two buildings. One building will have restrooms and concessions and the other will have year-round softball/baseball cages.

Even when the weather is bad the sports teams can go inside the building to continue practicing since artificial turf will be put inside the building. When the practice field is finished, the tennis courts will start construction next so all of Walnut’s sports teams will be able to practice on campus.

The alumni are in the process of fundraising for the tennis courts in which there will be lighting, stands and six tennis courts. The construction design for the courts are done, and within a few years Walnut will finally be done with all construction and student athletes will finally be able to practice close to home.

Volleyball

Sat. Sept. 20 Hughes Sat. Sept. 20 Princeton Mon. Sept. 22 Fairfield Tues. Sept. 23 Loveland Thurs. Sept. 25 Kings Sat. Sept. 27 Winton

Woods Tues. Sept. 30 Milford Thurs. Oct. 2 Turpin Sat. Oct. 4 Purcell Marian Tues. Oct. 7 Glen Este Thurs. Oct. 9 Withrow

Boys Soccer

Sat. Sept. 20 Sycamore Tues. Sept. 23 Loveland Sat. Sept. 27 Lakota East Thurs. Oct. 2 Turpin Sat. Oct. 4 St. Xavier Thurs. Oct. 9 Milford Sat. Oct. 11 Beaver Creek

Girls Soccer

Sat. Sept. 20 Princeton Tues. Sept. 23 Loveland Sat. Sept. 27 Mariemont Wed. Oct. 1 Turpin Sat. Oct. 4 Mt. Notre Dame Tues. Oct. 7 Milford Sat. Oct. 11 Seton

Cross Country

Sat. Sept. 20 Centerville Stampede Sat. Sept. 27 St. Xavier Invitational Sat. Oct. 11 ECC Championship

Boys Golf

Tues. Sept. 23 Glen Este Thurs. Sept. 25 ECC Championship Wed. Oct. 1 Sectionals

Girls Tennis

Mon. Sept. 22 Seton Tues. Sept. 23 Glen Este Fri. Sept. 26 ECC Tournament Mon. Sept. 29 Lakota West Tues. Sept. 30 Sycamore B Wed. Oct. 1 Sectionals

Page Editor: Tony Heim

Fine Arts and Peanuts

From making art to teaching art: Aaron Cuchetti Swede Moorman ,III, ‘16 “That paper was sitting on my desk, of those pros and cons, and I was looking at them going, ‘That’s actually something I might like to look in to,’” said Aaron Cuchetti, an art teacher who started teaching at Walnut this year.

Cuchetti was not looking for a job, his life was steady and happy. He learned of an opening at Walnut from a friend. “She did her student teaching here...and this was sort of her dream job,” said Cuchetti, a 12-year employee of Oak Hills. He was somehow drawn to the halls of Walnut Hills.

“I wasn’t someone desperate to leave their job...I had a good job, I had a great job,” he said.

Cuchetti, a Cincinnati-born cartoonist, graduated from the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP program as an animator. Shortly after college he worked at an animation firm and was let go following major budget cuts.

TARA SALES/CHATTERBOX

New art teacher Aaron Cuchetti works with his fourth bell students. Despite his recent arrival to Walnut, Cuchetti is already sporting his school spirit.

While waiting tables, he rekindled with his former high school art teacher who was retiring from his alma mater, North College Hill High School. He told Cuchetti to call the superintendent and try out

subbing.

After a few months subbing, Cuchetti received a call from “The Simpsons,” concerning an internship opportunity. “That October I get a...letter asking me

to come out for an internship...to work for ‘The Simpsons,’ television show...by that time I actually really fell in love with teaching,” said Cuchetti.

An artist all his life, Cuchetti describes art as “Teaching art is a lot like gardening...what I need to do is supply sunlight, water the plants, so that the plants can grow and generate the fruit...the best fruit possible.”

“Walnut knew who they were and what they’re about...at the core of everything was a pretty faithful belief in who Walnut is... fell right in line with my beliefs about teaching,” Cuchtti said. The mission of Walnut Hills drew in Cuchetti, the same thing that has captivated parents visiting their first open house to the alumni working tirelessly in the Alumni Office.

Now almost a whole month into his first school year at Walnut Hills High School, Cuchetti has already noticed specific qualities of Walnut

10 do’s and don’ts for Walnut’s new arrivals

REHME LEANZA/CHATTERBOX

Tatum Rogers, ‘20 fills out her name for a picture while eating lunch with her friends. After a stressful morning of classes, seventh and eighth graders can relax at lunch and talk with their friends.

Julia Duell, ‘19 When you’re going through your first year at Walnut Hills, you are bound to feel nervous or stressed. Maybe it’s because you keep getting to class late since you have to dig through your locker to find things. Maybe because your back aches from hauling three textbooks to and from school each day to do homework. Or maybe you’re just worried that you’ll make too many mistakes your first year here.

To help you get situated as you begin your first year at Walnut, here is a list of 10 do’s and don’ts that have been created for you to keep in mind.

The Don’ts: 1. Don’t stop in the hallways.

When you stop in the middle of the hallway, it creates traffic and slows down everyone else behind you, making for a lot of unhappy

students.

2. Don’t have the stereotypical ‘effie backpack’. At the beginning, it may not seem so bad, but if you don’t lighten the load after awhile, all that weight starts to take a toll on your body, and you’ll find yourself having pain in your back, neck and shoulders.

3. Don’t run in the hallways unless it’s an emergency. If you’re not paying attention and you run into someone, you could really hurt them.

4. Don’t wear your gym clothes when it’s not gym. Not that it’s the worst thing that someone could do, but it’s probably a better idea to leave wearing those gym clothes to the time when you actually have the class, since wearing sweaty gym clothes around all day tends not to make your day better.

5. Don’t get into the habit of cramming. “If you don’t study, you’ll get used to cramming, and

Page Editor: Swede Moorman, III

if you get used to cramming, you’ll end up failing,” Jasmyne Thomas, ‘19, said. Cramming can mess up your sleep schedule, and being tired can make it hard to focus, which can cause you to cram the next night, and the night after that, and the night after that. Eventually, you’ll find yourself stuck in a horrible situation that seems impossible to escape from, such as having problems remembering things or making you more irritable.

The Do’s: 1. Go to help night. For some students, going to help night is the key to success. With Latin, a subject that many students find they have trouble with, going to help night can make a huge difference.

“I believe going to help night is important,” Fletcher Guttman, ‘19, said. “In my effie year, when I went to help night, it actually helped me with my academics, and it helped

September 19, 2014

me excel in Latin.”

2. Keep your locker organized so that you can find things. Having to dig through your locker to find what you need for class can make getting to that class on time a lot more difficult. It’s better to avoid the situation in which you can’t find the homework assignment that’s due next bell in time entirely by instead keeping your locker clean and organized.

3. Remember where your locker is and to find time to visit it.

Finding time to visit your locker is especially important, since carrying a load of books and binders around all day is terrible for your back.

4. Get on your teachers’ good sides. Regardless if you care about following the rules or not, making enemies with your teachers is not the way to go. It’s better to be respectful to them and not create trouble for yourself and everyone else.

5. Wear comfortable shoes, especially for walking up and down stairs all day. It may not seem like that big of a deal, but one will discover quite easily that the amount of walking you have to do to get to your classes everyday says otherwise.

It is important to realize how much of a difference following this advice can make. Maybe after reading this, one person will stop trying to cram and find themselves more refreshed and focused. Maybe another person will start finding time to visit his locker and realize that his back is aching less. Or maybe one simply starts following all of these tips and discovers that at the end of the day, he is in a better place than he was in before. No matter what happens next, hopefully these tips will help you continually throughout the school year and allow your time at Walnut to begin with a smoother start.

students, “Everybody was ready to go, it wasn’t like we had to ease into the school year,” Cuchetti said.

Comparing Walnut to his other to schools, Cuchetti noticed a rather peculiar anomaly about his new students at Walnut regarding the projects he’s been giving over his years as a teacher. “We might need just a little more time to finish those assignments...because they [his students] are taking it farther,” Cuchetti said.

Cuchetti has dedicated his life to guiding students to their own art work. “I don’t need kids to make Aaron Cuchetti’s artwork,” Cuchetti said. He spends his days in the classroom fostering imagination rather than shaping his own product. He is a new teacher roaming the halls in a new environment. “There’s a lot to do being a first year guy...but I’m not doing all that work disgruntled.”

Cuchetti is “excited and energized” for a great, creative and intuitive school year.

Fine arts in Cincy Veronica Victa, ‘16 TIPS: •Buy rush tickets-- sold about an hour before the event starts; see venue websites for details.

THEATER: “The Great Gatsby”: September 5 - October 10 Cincinnati Shakespeare Company:<cinshakes.com> Tickets: $22-26 (student); $14 (rush) “Sherlock Holmes and the Suicide Club”: September 6 – October 4 Playhouse in the Park: <cincyplay.com> Tickets: $30 (general); $15 (student rush) “A Streetcar Named Desire”: September 11- October 5 Covedale Center: <cincinnatilandmarkproductions. com/ccpa/> Tickets: $21-24 “MacBeth”: October 1 - October 5 CCM Mainstage Series Tickets: $27-31 (general); $17-20 (students) MUSIC: Music of the Bard: Choral Settings of Shakespeare: September 21, 4 PM Features Walnut Hills Vocal Ensemble Corbett Auditorium Tickets: $12 (general); $6 (student) ART: Fotofocus Bienniel: October 8 - October 12 <fotofocusbiennial.com> Tickets: $25 (general); $15 (student)

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Style & Culture

Grammy-Award winning rappers battle in Cincinnati

CELESTE KEARNEY/CHATTERBOX

Rapper Lil Wayne takes his turn battling Drake in the city where his first son was born. Some of the songs he performed were “We Be Steady Mobbin’,” “Money On My Mind,” and “Every Girl.”

Makayla Gentry, ‘16 Over the course of the summer, there was an abundance of festivals, parades and concerts.

Grammy Award-winning rappers Drake and Lil Wayne were two of the many artists to visit Cincinnati.

The Drake vs Lil Wayne concert was held at the Riverbend Music Center on August 15. Instead of it being performed like a conventional concert, the rappers took turns rap-battling on stage. There was an interactive component as well: the audience could download an app called Drake VS Lil Wayne, based off the popular video game Street Fighter. This was used to determine both who would perform first and who would be the winner. A person in the crowd could tap the button and a “power up”

would be given to whomever the person chose. The artist with the most power ups won.

The night started with an opening act by rapper Yo-Gotti. “I was very impressed with the opening act...only knowing two songs: ‘Yayo’ and ‘I Know,’” SENIOR Noah Drout said. Others disagreed: “He drained me out, until like the last three songs,” Faith Evans, ‘16 said.

After Yo-Gotti’s performance, an animated game scene of Drake and Lil Wayne came on the screen. Lil Wayne was chosen to be the first to perform. He told the audience that he has a personal connection with Cincinnati: “My very first son is from Cincinnati,” he told the crowd prior to performing.

After Lil Wayne performed, Drake came onstage and per-

formed “Draft Day,” “We Made It” and “The Language.” They continued going back and forth performing hit songs. Lil Wayne performed older songs like “Mr. Carter” and “A Milli,” while Drake performed one of his old songs, “Marvins Room,” above the crowd on a cable lift.

Drake mocked Lil Wayne about his songs being outdated.

Lil Wayne’s comebacks referred to Drake’s previous occupation as an actor on the Canadian television show “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” “You was still in a wheelchair when I was making hits,” Wayne told Drake.

Puns and rebuttals were passed between the artists for the rest of the night. The playful banter was noted at the end when both artists commended each other on their

West Coast store comes to Kenwood

accomplishments. Together they performed the hit songs “The Motto,” “Believe Me” and “HYFR.” While Drake and Lil Wayne were offstage, there was a DJ battle between their personal DJs. Cincinnati was the sixth stop on the tour.

Lil Wayne, who was the winner in three of the five previous states, lost that night. Drake’s victory settled the score, making the final score 3-3. As of September 13, Drake was ahead of Lil Wayne 11-10.

“I believe it was pretty much a tie, and Lil Wayne had a better performance, but I like Drake much more,” Drout said.

“This was a great event to go to since school started 10 days after, but I wished Drake would have performed ‘Hold on We’re Going Home,’” Evan Anderson, ‘17 said.

The last scheduled tour date is

Online book club welcomes readers Nisa Muhammad,’15

NISA MUHAMMAD/CHATTERBOX

Zumiez zooms into the Kenwood Towne Centre with urban brands including Supra, Odd Future and DC. Because it carries a wide range of brands and apparel, Zumiez attracts a diverse consumer demographic.

Alexia Pickens, ‘15 New, fun and eclectic, Zumiez opened in the Kenwood Towne Centre on August 20. Zumiez was originally founded in Seattle, Washington in 1978. They are extremely popular on the West Coast, but the company has decided to expand eastward what Cincinnati store manager Anita Betbadol calls “urban street style.” Stores have recently opened in Dayton and Fairfield.

The culture and vibe of Zumiez is unique from any other retail store. Zumiez puts an emphasis on experience rather than consumerism and profits. “If wall-twerking is part of that experience, we will wall-twerk,” said Betbadol. “It

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is okay in my job description to twerk with you. We’ve had dancing competitions, singing competitions. It’s the freedom to be yourself as a salesperson.”

Zumiez doesn’t focus on what is trending. They utilize boutique wear, so they carry nearly 400 brands including Obey, Huf, Diamond and Crooks and Castles.

They also carry local brands. “So in Cincinnati, if there’s a guy who came to me like, ‘Aw man, I made this business, and people are excited about it. Can Zumiez carry it for me?’ If they talk to Zumiez, Zumiez might carry them in the Cincinnati store,” Betbadol said.

Like their competitors Karmeloop and Pacsun, Zumiez is a store for high school and college kids.

DJ Gathers, ‘14, a Walnut alum employed by Zumiez, commented on how there are a lot of “skater kids” at Walnut, and Zumiez carries a lot of merchandise they may like, such as Vans Off the Wall collections, as well as skateboards and stickers.

However, Zumiez provides for a lot of different lifestyles. “There are so many faces to who’s a Zumiez’ kid. You can be the preppy sorority chick. Then you’ve got [tattooed] dudes in street wear,” Betbadol said, when describing their target consumers. With its ability to provide to a large assortment of people, Zumiez captures the diversity of Walnut’s student body.

September December19, 4, 2012 2014

September 27 in Houston, Texas.

SENIOR Janae Trimble predicted who she thinks will be the winner at the end of the tour: “Drake, of course!”

“I would totally go again, just because it’s Riverbend; the people in the crowd were hilarious, and I had a great time,” Giselle Coleman, ‘16 said.

Lil Wayne closed the concert by saying that they wouldn’t be where they are without “God and the fans.” His new album Tha Carter V will be released in October of 2014. “Believe Me”, a song by Lil Wayne that features Drake, will be on the album as well.

Adding to the list of over 50 clubs available to the student body, an online book club has been created for the readers of Walnut by librarian Sally Barringer. “I felt like with the common core and all the testing...we were forgetting that it’s fun to read fiction,” Barringer said.

“Reading is fun whether you’re reading on a tablet, on the computer or reading a book,” Barringer said . “It’s supposed to be fun, and it would be nice for students at Walnut to read something for fun and not for a grade.”

Although there are over 30 students signed up, most of them are in the seventh and eighth grades.

However, the club is targeted toward grades seventh through 10th.

The club is organized by quar-

ter. For first quarter, members will be reading The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green. For second quarter, students will pick a scary book of their own choice and attempt to answer the question: “What makes a really good scary story?”

What makes the club different from a regular book club is the fact that discussions will take place on Edmodo, a social networking site that is used for educational purposes. Members will meet at the end of every quarter during lunch in the library. Barringer said that a few rules of the book club include “no spoilers” and “no hate talk.”

Discussion questions will be posted every two to three weeks.

For more information, or if you are interested in joining the club, please see librarian Sallie Barringer.

KATIE HANLEY/CHATTERBOX

The library offers books for members to borrow or use for discussion. For first quarter, members will be reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.

Page Editor: Nisa Issue Muhammad CVII.4

Order your 2014 -2015 YEARBOOK today and save!

The ONLY way to guarantee a copy is to pre-order!

E XCELSIOR Order by September 30th to get the early bird special: Only $65

Yearbook theme clues: 1. What class (other than English) do all Walnut students take?

2. What is our school motto?

October 1st until February 28th Only $70 SENIORS! Senior portraits are due by November 30th!

Call Prestige Portraits to schedule your appointment today!

513-346-3800 (Otherwise your school picture will be used for the yearbook) SENIOR Baby Ads MUST be ordered by February 15th at www.jostensadservice.com (prices available online)

Order your yearbook at www.jostensyearbook.com

Arcade CIX.1 Word Search Sean Wood, ‘15

Rules: The answers to the clues exist in the word search. Solve the clues to find the hidden words. The answers are listed below backwards and in reverse order.

Clues:

1. Leaves of this plant are often featured near the tops of Corinthian arches 2. National Football League from Cincinnati between 1910 and 1923 (Hint: not the Bengals) 3. Recently deceased female comedian and late night talk show host 4. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21...The ________ sequence 5. A 1941 film considered by film critics to be the greatest film ever made 6. In addition to the Roman Pantheon, the Old Building of Walnut Hills was influenced architecturally by the home of one of the Founding Fathers 7. The Founding Father mentioned in question 6 8. The point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots 9. The best high school in Ohio, according to U.S. News & World Report in 2013 10. The largest state by area

Answers:

3250 Victory Parkway Cincinnati, Ohio 45207 513-363-8665

CIX.1 Sudoku

suhtnacA stleC sreviR naoJ iccanobiF enaK nezitiC ollecitnoM nosreffeJ samohT murcluF slliH tunlaW aksalA www.whhscbox.com

cboxwalnut@gmail.com facebook.com/whhschatterbox twitter.com/ChatterboxWHHS

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•  •   •   •   •  

   

That’s what they said

“What is the craziest thing that happened to you this summer?”

“Accidentally

shot

myself” -Demetrius Smith, ‘17

Page 8

“Went cliff jumping” -Leo Martini, ‘17

“Snuck

into my neighbors pool” -Kaelyn Jefferson, ‘17

September 19, 2014

“Went

parasailing ”

-Sarvani Vemuri, ‘18

“Got

my arms shaved”

-Charlie Pritz, ‘17”

Page Editor: Sean Wood