March of Millions Volume CXI, Issue 7
The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School
Friday, January 27, 2017
People around the world come together for human rights
Many people who gathered in Cincinnati to march (pictured directly above) made signs that mirrored their beliefs and opinions. Princess Leia was a subject potrayed in many signs, with the word ‘resistance’ used frequently. Pink hats were common at the D.C. march (top image.) Grace Berding, ‘19 On Jan. 21, just one day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, over half a million people gathered in Washington D.C. to march for the advocacy of women’s rights, among other human rights. The march had been planned since the election results were announced. According to crowd scientists Marcel Altenburg and Keith Still, the women’s march in D.C. had roughly three times the amount of people Donald Trump’s inauguration had. Though Trump has denied claims
of the Women’s March outnumbering the inauguration, he appears to be respecting the march. After the march in D.C., Trump tweeted, “peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy. Even if I don’t always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views.” Celebrities like Katy Perry, Zendaya, Alicia Keys, Rowan Blanchard and many others were involved with the protests and marched in D.C.. Prior to the march, Janelle Monae sang “Hell You Talmbout”. Others have donated to the cause, or participated
in one of the many sister marches happening across the globe. Locally, citizens gathered in Washington Park as Cincinnati hosted a local sister march. Thousands of people gathered in the park to hear various speakers, like Vice Mayor David Mann and Cincinnati City Council member Yvette Simpson, before embarking on a mile-long march to Cincinnati City Hall and back. Cincinnati was not alone, as hundreds of sister marches took place in cities across the United States such as New York, Boston and Los
Angeles and countries around the world. “It was so amazing to be a part of something so huge. I didn’t feel lost in the crowd at all,” Olivia Smith, ‘19, said. Smith was part of the march in Washington Park. “Everyone was there for the same purpose, men and women,” Smith said. “To me, it was just so cool that many people from all different backgrounds could come together for the same purpose. It was very moving.” Along with marches around the U.S., international marches spurred in cities such as London,
Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and more. Women in Antarctica even took the chance to participate. The marches were estimated to have gathered over 3.3 million people nationwide. With all of the marches combined, the women’s march is considered to be the largest march in American history. According to Vox, compared to other marches in history -- specifically in D.C. -- the Anti-Vietnam March in 1969 had at least 600,000 participants and, in 1995, the Million Man March had anywhere from 600,000 to 1 million people.
JANUARY 27, 2017
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FEATURES
SECTION EDITOR: MATTHEW YOUKILIS
WHHSCBOX.COM
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Optioning Options at WHHS
KAYLA MURRELL/ CHATTERBOX
McKenna Patterson, ‘19, examines optioning forms spread across her desk as she decides which classes she will take next year. WHHS is one of the high schools that offers the most Advanced Placement classes in the country. This gives students many opportunities but can also make the optioning process long and tedious. Amanda Anderson, ‘19 “They don’t really tell us enough dents in the auditorium during class. Kayla Murrell, ‘17 about the courses, even with the course guide. This is a time for students to ensure that We just go in there blind and not they have all the needed classes for the next Optioning season can be a stressful time for WHHS students. Whether knowing what we are [really] about to year and are informed about any changes to it’s planning out the perfect sched- do,” Keilah Mays-Magruder, ‘18, said. classes or graduation requirements. The course guide can be a helpful tool, While change can be seen as an ongoing ule or chasing down signatures for advanced classes, many factors play a part but some students also claim that they hear theme at WHHS, the optioning packet leaves out class options that many students would in this balancing act that is optioning. about classes from other resources. When asked how she usually finds out like to take that aren’t currently being taught. Optioning is a process that is esFor example, this year, a new class, Introsential in finding the right fit for the about classes Sasha Cohn, ‘19, said she next year’s classes. Hundreds of stu- hears about them “From other people talk- duction to Costume for senior high students, was brought up during optioning assemblies. dents are trying to ensure that they have ing about them.” An essential part of the optioning proSurvey of African History, a new hisall of the classes that they want, but many say that it’s harder than it seems. cess is when the counselors talk with stu- tory class covering the complete history of
the African continent was also introduced. When asked what classes she wishes were offered at WHHS, but aren’t, Mays-Magruder, 18’ said, “Maybe a cooking class.” Online optioning has also been a topic of discussion for eventually replacing the regular paper optioning. Although controversial, Mays-Magruder expressed that she wouldn’t be opposed to it. “I feel like it’s just a way for our counselors to check themselves to make sure we have everything that we really want but I don’t think it’s going to take the place of actual optioning.” The movement of academic content to an online platform is a prevalent part of the evolution of WHHS. This was first seen when Blackboard was replaced by Schoology, the academic “Facebook look-a-like,” at the beginning of the year. Schoology was a hot topic due to how wildly different it was from Blackboard, as exemplified by its accessibility and interactive platform. This shift was one of positivity and ease but students are always wary of completely relying on technology, especially when it comes to something as important as optioning. The optioning set up on Powerschool has been historically easy to use, however there is a lack of communication when students are simply inputting their classes into computers as opposed to setting it up on an organized schedule. The optioning season is obviously one of stress and often times, confusion. However, the coming advancements in technology and the addition of fresh and exciting classes is only the beginning of a new era that is becoming the new optioning process.
WHHSCBOX.COM
VIEWPOINTS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
JANUARY 27, 2017
PAGE 3
SECTION EDITOR: ALLISON MEIER
Beating the Heartbeat Bill
Wally Hill: As optioning begins, Wally Hill weighs in on the annual process. Whether it’s your first time optioning, or you’re more focused on hearing back from colleges, Wally’s on your side. Wally Hill
COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE
The proposed Heartbeat Bill would have made abortions illegal after 6 weeks, when a fetal heartbeat is evident. John Kasich instead signed to put a 20-week law into place. According to <cdc.org>, 91.6 percent of abortions were performed before 13 weeks. Emily Glazer, ‘17 Symia Grayson, ‘17 Personally, the only way I would ever get an abortion is if the pregnancy was the result of a rape case, or if my -- or my baby’s health -- was at risk. That’s my choice, but I would never want to take the right to have an abortion away from other women. But I can’t help feeling something is inherently wrong with killing another living body. So when is a fetus alive? A baby is considered viable between weeks 22 and 26, once it is able to survive outside of the womb. Some people argue that if you are a doctor and don’t want to perform an abortion, then you shouldn’t be a doctor. But is that a valid argument? The issue doesn’t lie in the fact that there are doctors in Ohio who don’t want to practice abortions; the problem is that there are not enough readily available
doctors who will. In rural areas, it is common for the only hospital within a reasonable distance to be a religious hospital that may refuse abortions, making it hard for a woman to get an abortion safely and legally. Due to price and demand, public hospitals are scarce in these areas. Opening a small clinic for women in rural areas could eliminate these problems. Many women don’t know about their pregnancies until after week six, so if the Heartbeat Bill had been passed in Ohio, it would have virtually eliminated the chance for women to get an abortion. This leaves few other options for women. All over the world, including developed countries like the U.S., those without access to proper abortions take drastic measures to stop themselves from finishing their pregnancies. The drastic measures they may take include drinking toxic materials, applying medications to their lower extremities,
inserting foreign objects -- such as a coat hanger -- into the womb to disrupt the growth of the fetus, and even trying to cause miscarriage by trauma in ways like flinging themselves down stairs. These solutions sound awful and they are. While some say it’s dramatic, it is what is really happening today, and this would continue to happen if the Heartbeat Bill was passed. Luckily, in the place of the Heartbeat Bill, John Kasich placed a ban on abortions after 20 weeks. We’d like to inform the naysayers of this 20 week bill that last year only 145 abortions out of 20,976 total took place after 20 weeks in Ohio. That is 0.69 percent. While it doesn’t seem like there will be a better option in the future, women have overcome the current obstacle of fighting the Heartbeat Bill, and we will have to see how Ohio progresses.
Ah, January. The start of a new year, a month that promises renewal with every gust of frigid air—or perhaps just another in the string of unbearable winter months, to the more pessimistic among us. However, to those of us at WHHS, this first month is synonymous with the optioning process. For a short while, we lose ourselves in a frenzy of scheduling. Underclassmen scurry frantically through the halls, pack rats in search of adding to their growing collection of course approval signatures. Forms trade hands like Pokémon cards, and not a day goes by without enduring at least one spirited sales pitch for an AP class or three. Such is life under the dome. There’s a sizeable portion of the student population that treats this yearly affair as a competition, one where success is measured in next year’s misery—among this crowd, self-worth is directly proportional to the amount of advanced courses taken, and inversely related to the hours of sleep obtained the night before. Perhaps such a culture is born out of an innate and universal desire for knowledge and understanding—but no, let’s be honest. This annual tournament among overachievers is merely a pregame, preparation for a greater challenge. The rat race known as college admissions grows fiercer every year, and we lowly rats with it. The glimmering hope of a letter of acceptance from an überselective dream college is ever the alluring slice of cheese, and the end of a path paved with sacrifice in the name of GPA. With all this to contend with—not to mention balancing jobs and ex-
tracurriculars (and a social life, if applicable)—it’s no wonder senioritis starts to set in for so many of us in our final semester. I don’t mean at all to decry the evils of academic competition—this school has made its name on having dedicated and talented students. This drive for excellence, so normalized here, betters us all. However, the natural byproduct of this fierce environment is a good amount of pressure and it’s easy to become distracted and demoralized. I’m not entirely sure how much I can do about that, but perhaps the following words of questionable wisdom (and assured good intent) will help in some way. To those making their first foray into the optioning process this year, I wish you good luck, good choices and competent counselors. Be mindful of the classes you need to graduate, but don’t let the collective emphasis on loading oneself with challenging courses be your only reason for taking seven APs. Option your passions, not your GPA. To those fellow SENIORS who no longer have to contend with this yearly barrage of important choices, I salute you, and hope that your travels through the aforementioned labyrinth have reaped the reward you have long desired. Lastly, to those who have toiled for years, but haven’t, despite their best efforts, received an offer of cheese admission from their favorite college, I urge you not to despair. Perhaps that lovely hunk of Limburger was, in fact, bleu all along, and simply not meant to be. Your friendly neighborhood rat-ionalist, Wally Hill
Introducing “Try-It” Over the course of the second semester, the Chatterbox’s Viewpoints page will be introducing a new column: “Try-It.” Catch the first Try-It in Issue 9 or at <whhscbox.com>, where we will discuss our first trying a week of going vegetarian. Future selections could range between anything from trying new foods, to sports, to pop-culture fads and everything in between. If you want to share your own ideas for things to try, come to room 2306 during any lunch to leave your suggestions. Sincerely, The Viewpoints Team
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 administra-
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tors 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.
Augusta Battoclette Editor-in-Chief Ibrahim Munir Managing Editor of News and Features
Maham Usmani Managing Editor of Student Life
Ashwini Kamath Managing Editor of Opinions
Hannah Bundschuh Managing Editor of Visual Elements
Pavan Yaddanapudi Business Manager
Nick Robertson Online Content Manager
Samantha Gerwe-Perkins Adviser
Dawn Wolfe Adviser
FINE ARTS
JANUARY 27, 2017
PAGE 4
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: BRIANNA JONES
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Marsh Brothers Quartet: Transcendent Talent Krilaunda C. Perkins, ‘17 Lights glare on the instruments on stage. Friends and family members come from all over to watch the Marsh Brothers Quartet play at Ludlow Garage. Tyler Marsh, ‘17, from Clark Montessori, plays the piano, Craig Jackson, ‘17, from Stivers School For the Arts, plays saxophones, Ethan Marsh, ‘19, from Clark Montessori, is the bassist and Josh Cook, ‘18, from the School for Creative and Performing Arts, keeps the beat going on the drums. They haven’t been playing together for very long, but are still coordinated. As the first act to take the stage, the Quartet plays Sing a Song of a Song, So What and Billie’s Bounce. “You listen and you kind of predict what other people are gonna do and then you go along with the builds and stuff and it sounds like it’s really orchestrated but really we’re just coming up with it on the spot,” Marsh said. “I think we’ve only played together three times, four times including the rehearsal today,”
Marsh said. Separately, the group has a range of experience with their instruments. Tyler Marsh has played piano for twelve years, Ethan Marsh has played bass for about three years, Jackson has played saxophone for seven years and Cook has been playing the drums for thirteen years. “You have to be together [and] if you’re not the whole rhythm section might fall apart. If we’re not together and we’re not feeling each other and I’m extremely behind the beat or he’s extremely behind the beat, it gets discombobulated,” Cook said. So if they don’t practice as a group that much, how do they keep it all together? “Usually how I’d describe it is like a conversation, like we’re having a conversation right now but you’re not thinking about what you’re gonna say to me...That’s the same thing as improvisation...I take a more spiritual approach to it... Same thing with these guys. They’re really chill but I get a strong spiritual vibe from them. That’s why I like playing with
ROBERTO PARKER/CHATTERBOX
Pictured here in the center of the stage is Craig Jackson, ’17, the saxophonist for the Marsh Brothers Quatret. Craig is improvising a solo over a smooth, loose structure played by his bandmates. them so much. That’s why we connect the way we do,” Jackson said. Not only do the members have a connection with each other but they do with the crowd. “It’s really the audience. And then being willing to share what you learn. Music is excellent. It brings out your talent and makes you wanna share that. It’s great having a crowd that appreci-
ates you. And then playing with a group of musicians that you want to grow with and fulfill your music with,” Jackson said. For audience members interested in upcoming events, their Facebook page - The Marsh Brothers Quartet - has information, and on their page there’s a link posted there where people can see reviews on their work and contact them.
Student Artist Spotlight
For any performers who might want some advice, Tyler suggests, “Listening! Listening! Listening is very important!” “Practice! Practice! Practice,” Cook said. “Even if you are scared to audition, you should really do it...Even if you don’t get it, it’s still a good experience. And then it teaches you to become a better musician by knowing there are other people out there better than you.”
Jessica Kavinsky, ‘17, is the set designer of Ragtime, WHHS’ next musical - opening in February. In the past, Kavinsky has been a part of the lighting crew as well as an actor. “Set design is a lot of conceptual things. You have to include how much movement you have in the performance, how many cast members there are and you have to think about lighting,” Kavinsky said. There are three contrasting groups in Ragtime, and Kavinsky represents this conflict with three architectural elements. The first group from Harlem is represented in the set by the gray, rusty looking bridge architecture, inspired by the Williamsburg Bridge. The white family is represented in the arch’s cleaner steel look and vaudeville lights. These lights are going to be clean, contrasting from the Harlem bridge’s rusty appearance. The arch’s architectural style represents the third group, Latvian immigrants. The arch, as well as other parts of the set, are done in an art nouveau style, which was popular in Latvia during this period. Also pictured is Augustus Corder, ‘18, who not only works on the production of the set, but plays the role of Father in Ragtime.
BRIANNA JONES/CHATTERBOX
Alyssa Zigelmier, ‘19, has been working on a picture book with her group in Art I and II, which is a spin off of artist Edward Gorey’s work. Her group is doing their project on the seven deadly sins. So far, her favorite piece for the picture book is envy, which she is currently working on, as pictured. This is her fourth year taking art at WHHS, and Zigelmier enjoys going to the Taft Museum of Art with the art program.
BRIANNA JONES/CHATTERBOX
Katherine Coleman, ‘18, is a photographer and one of the heads of fashion club. In the club, Coleman and her peers are working on croquis design sketches and are learning how to sew. Fashion club is going to have a fashion show in March, and there is a signup sheet on Don Stocker’s door for those interested in modeling for it. Coleman plans on going into the business of fashion; such as buying, merchandising, marketing and fashion forecasting. BRIANNA JONES/CHATTERBOX
PEANUTS
WHHSCBOX.COM CINCINNATI, OHIO
JANUARY 26, 2017
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SECTION EDITOR: CAROLINE HORVATH
Showcasing moments in history Caroline Horvath, '20
Each year the eighth grade honors group participates in National History Day. This year’s theme is “taking a stand in history”. Students each found an event, person
or subject to research for their project. Afterward, students Finally the students present their projects at WHHS during choose from five categories to present their projects: papers, History Day, Jan. 12, 2017, to parents, peers and teachers. websites, exhibits, documentaries and performances.
The White Rose
Righteous Among the Nations is an honor that the state of Israel awarded to non-Jews who put themselves at risk to prevent Jewish extinction during the Holocaust. Many of the recipients of this honor helped Jews by sheltering them when they were not safe in homes or by spreading awareness to “the German people [about] what the Nazis were doing.” The White Rose “was an anti-Nazi resistance group that printed pamphlets trying to enlighten the German people [on Nazi intentions],” Lila Weizer, ‘21, said. Weizer chose to express her project through a performance, where she would act in front of an audience educating them on The White Rose group. She played a sibling of a White
Rose activist, “testifying to the state of Israel that The White Rose deserved to be righteous among the nations,” Weizer explained. To compliment her performance, Weizer performed a piece on the violin that she had composed herself after researching The White Rose. Weizer’s favorite part of her performance was being able to play her violin for the audience. “I learned that people will stand up for what they believe in even if they don’t think they will get a reward,” Weizer said, which aligns with the actions of The White Rose. Still to this day many activists have still not gained recognition for saving Jews from the Nazis.
PHOTO COURTSEY OF ELLA CALHOUN
Witold Pilecki Tamar Sella, ‘21, was one of five who presented through a performance. She chose to present Witold Pilecki as a performance because she “thought the best way to present it was to take his personality as [my] own and act through him to explain through his actions the reasoning for them” Sella said. Witold Pilecki was a Polish soldier who founded the Secret Polish Army Resistance Group. Pilecki also volunteered to enter a Nazi concentration camp in order to expose the horrors of these camps from the inside. Sella has been intrigued with World War II and the Holocaust ever since she read
“Eva” by Meyer Levin, her great aunt’s, Ida Lev’s, biography. “My great aunt was a holocaust survivor. She was caught and put into a camp but during one of the death marches (where the Nazis marched them), she escaped,” Sella said. For these reasons, she felt a connection with the topic. Pilecki, after being in the concentration camp for two and a half years, escaped with the help of the Secret Polish Army Resistance. Pilecki is noted as a “Diamond among Poland’s heroes,” according to the Polish Ambassador to the US, Ryszard Schnepf. HANNAH REINHARDT/CHATTERBOX
T he A nnual Reminder In June of 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court made same sex marriage legal in all 50 states. In 1965, 50 years prior to this recent event, the first protests for LGBT+ rights took place in a series called The Annual Reminder. Yousuf Munir, ‘21, saw that participants of The Annual Reminder took a stand for their rights through LGBT+ protests and he chose to make his history day project on The Annual Reminder. “I enjoy being able to find moments in history where people take a stand for their rights that have been taken by the government. As I researched the gay rights move-
ment, I saw that [The Annual Reminder] was the first organized protest,” Munir said. These protests were formed by the LGBT+ community so that they could speak their voice about not enjoying their basic civil rights. Munir, among others, believes The Annual Reminder had lasting effects on the country, which ultimately led to the legalization of gay marriage. On July 4, 2015 the Annual Reminder protests celebrated 50 years. “Researching people that were affected by this topic makes it more personal. You can really get connected with the topic, making it a better presentation,” Munir said.
HANNAH REINHARDT/CHATTERBOX
Protest art “Protest art comes in many forms. There’s performances, visual art, songs and basically anything that is creative -- even writing -- it’s all protest art,” Clare Ferencak, ‘21, said. Ferencak, who chose to do her History Day project on protest art, has always been interested in art. “I have always loved art and how it can effect people and communities, so when I heard this year’s theme was taking a stand, I automatically connected it with some form of art,” Ferencak said. She mostly focused her research on
street art, including murals done by Art Works, a local Cincinnati company that hires different artists to paint murals on empty walls and on posters, such as “We Can Do It!” by J. Howard Miller. Many 20th century artists created protest art against World War II and the Nazis, including Picasso, Marc Chagall and Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss). In Ferencak’s project she explored visual, socio-economic and political evolutions of protest art and the many different way it can be presented. CAROLINE HORVATH/CHATTERBOX
NEWS
JANUARY 27, 2017
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WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: MATTHEW YOUKILIS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Standing in solidarity with Withrow
PHOTO COURTEY OF CHLOE COLEMAN
WHHS students rally at Withrow, standing with their neighbors against hate and violence. There have been several rallies at the school consisting of people from all over the Cincinnati community after racist vandalism was found on campus including swastikas and racial slurs. Ibrahim Munir, ‘19 Late on Saturday, Jan. 21, a currently unknown perpetrator vandalized Withrow High School with swastikas, racist words and homophobic slurs. Crews spent Sunday power-washing the hateful words and symbols before students returned on Monday. This incident marks the third time in two months that swastikas have been painted on buildings in Cincinnati. Earlier this month, a swastika was painted on a sign at Hebrew Union College, a Jewish seminary on Clifton Avenue. In December, an interracial couple found swastikas and other types of vandalism on their property in East Price Hill. The violent reaction at Withrow was most likely caused by Trump’s inauguration, evident by the fact that one of the swastikas painted covered a parking
sign, with “TRUMP” painted on the sidewalk in front of it. On Nov. 13, 2016, then-President-Elect Donald Trump said he was “saddened” to see the violence and racism against minorities demonstrated by some of his supporters and said to “stop it.” Apparently, he had only heard of a few instances in which his supporters
were harassing minorities, and was surprised it was happening. The vandalism, however, has not gone unnoticed by the community; rallies took place at Withrow’s football stadium on Monday letting people show their support. Withrow held two rallies, one in the morning at 7:15 and another after school. 140 students,
PHOTO COURTESY OF GREG HUME/WIKIMEDIA
Pictured is Withrow High School, located near WHHS. The surrounding community has come together to support the school and its students.
alumni, parents and community leaders committed online to attending the morning rally. Many school and government officials have also commented on the event. “I am saddened that the grounds where students walk each and every day has been used as a platform for racism, antiSemitism and bigotry. Our police department is acting quickly to identify those responsible for this crime,” Mayor John Cranley said. At the morning rally, supporters greeted students as they walked into school with signs and hugs to show them that they are safe at school and that the community stands together to tackle this issue. A second rally was also held after school at the same field for other community members who could not attend in the morning. Members from all over the Cincinnati community attended the
second rally, including students from WHHS. SENIOR Chloe Coleman, when asked why she attended, said, “It just felt like the right thing to do. The unity and love and positivity [were the best part].” Only time will tell how President Trump will further handle his supporters’ actions, and if these kinds of events will continue. A statement released by CPS addressed how they wanted to handle the issue: together. “This unfortunate event is further evidence of our need to heal and grow as a community. If this awful act encourages anything, we hope that it sparks continued dialogue among families about our need to come together as one country. Our diversity is an asset and should be celebrated,” the statement read.
Beautiful Lengths for a beautiful cause
EMMA FARRELL/CHATTERBOX
Students watch as participants in Pantene Beautiful Length have their hair cut, applauding for the students supporting the cause. This year, 34 girls and two boys particpiated in the event, and collectively helped raise over $1,000 for women battling cancer. Emma Farrell, ‘18 Through stages of cancer treatment, some patients may lose their hair. To support and raise awareness for the disease, some donate to hospitals/medical research, but others give back through other
means: donating their own hair. Pantene Beautiful Lengths is a “program which encourages women to grow, cut, and donate their healthy hair to help women battling cancer,” their website statses. The organization asks those whom are more for-
tunate to donate eight or more inches of their hair to helpcreate free real-hair wigs for patients. On Jan. 20, WHHS brought the event to school for the third year. “I volunteer with cancer patients in the hospital and you see the toll that cancer takes on
them and I think being able to give back to them in a way that [is] not medicine… is really important,” SENIOR Sherie Cheng said. Cheng was one of the organizers and participants of the WHHS event this year. “It’s been really cool to see the
progression of not only how many people have done it, but also [how] when we started only girls did it and this year we had two guys that donated hair which was really cool.” Since three of the four organizers will be graduating this year, Sarvani Vemuri, ‘18, plans to lead organization next year. They hope to continue the event and continue passing the leadership roles on to underclassmen. This year the event had 34 girls and 2 boys donate hair. “I knew it was for a good cause. Also, I knew it would be a change for myself,” participant Sai Nune, ‘18, said. In preparation for the event, Nune would “...put a ruler up to [her] hair several times.” Those who participated recommend others to also donate their hair and help the cause. From the two events at WHHS this year, Pantene collected over 730 inches of hair and raised $1000 for women battling cancer. For more details and information on future Pantene events, visit the main office.
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CINCINNATI, OHIO
SPORTS
JANUARY 27, 2017
PAGE 7
SECTION EDITOR: EMMA FARRELL
Preview of 2017 Varsity Baseball Michael Sweeney, ‘17
As WHHS winter sports are starting to come into fruition, another talented Eagle squad is preparing to dominate the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) this upcoming spring. The WHHS Varsity Baseball team is looking to capture the elusive ECC title that has seemed to avoid their grasp over the past few seasons. The Eagles performed at a very solid 16 and 11 win/loss outcome with a record of seven and seven during league play (conference opponents) during last year’s season, but they look to work on a greater rise in conference wins this upcoming season. The team does face the challenge of replacing seven seniors, all of whom played consistent roles on the team. The team is bringing back exceptional players on the roster as well. SENIORS Adam Seal and Gage Carpenter were 32 and 35, respectively, in the conference in batting average with Seal averaging .369 and Carpenter averaging .350. To improve his swing and consistency at the plate, Carpenter said, “I practiced and got at least 100 swings off a tee everyday focusing on my mechanics but more specifically just getting solid contact with the ball. I’m still working today to better improve my swing.” As his talent is rising, so are the number of schools that are interested, as Wittenberg University, Defiance College, Heidelberg University, Lincoln Trail College, Hiram College and Youngstown State have contacted Carpenter.
Other noteworthy, returning players are SENIORS Jared Sowder and Forrest Longeway. Both are four year varsity players that bring experience and talent to the team. Longeway has already committed to Lake Erie College, which he believes has brought great relief to his life. “Being already committed to Lake Erie has made my senior year so much less stressful already, and we haven’t even started the baseball season yet. I think it will make me try harder because now I’m doing it to prepare myself for college baseball, which will be a totally new challenge for me,” Longeway said. Longeway believes proper technique makes a huge difference in baseball: “[There is] lots of breaking down the steps for what you need to do, and recording and watching yourself. Small things that have a huge impact on your performance.” Longeway made second team all conference last season for his play as an infielder and pitcher. SENIOR Jared Sowder is returning this season with Union College and Bluffton University contacting him. He is constantly trying to improve his game by playing baseball in the summer and the winter, as well the spring season. “Summer has just been one of many things that helps me get better I also played fall ball after the summer ball season ended. The more reps I can get the better I will play,” Sowder said. As the team continues to train and improve, the chances of capturing the ECC title seems inevitable for the team. CURTISY OF MARC GENDREAU
The baseball team this year has three SENIORS who are coming back: Jared Sowder, Forrest Longeway, Gage Carpenter (from left). Each plan on persuing baseball in college.
Walnut hosts the battle of the Midwest tournament The teams that participated in the tournament were Mount Healthy, Milford, Clark, Lakota Plains, Woodward, Summit, Taft, South Dayton, All Saints and WHHS. These schools all came from different divisions and conferences. Ryleigh Sanborn, ‘21
RYLEIGH SANBORN/CHATTERBOX
Micheal Fitzgerald, ‘21, shoots a free throw for the WHHS eighth grade team in their 41-29 win over Summit. This was their first win of the tournament.
On Jan. 7 and 8, WHHS hosted the Battle of the Midwest, a two day basketball tournament for junior high boys’ and girls’ teams. The tournament, which was founded by Josh Harden five years ago, is organised, in large part, by the Walnut Athletic Department. “A big part of it was to get in some extra games for the kids against teams they wouldn’t normally play and to try and give them the high school experience,” current Assistant AD Evan Ivory said on the principles of the tournament. As well as announcing each athlete’s name, many of the games were hosted in the high school gym which added in part to the experience by treating them like varsity players. Many of the athletes agreed that they preferred the two day tournament to other regular season games. “I think it’s better just because they’re weekend games,” first time participant Lauryn Hill, ‘21, said.
“My favorite thing about the tournament is playing teams we don’t normally get to play [which makes it] more fun than regular season games,” Alana Tolentino, ‘21, said. The tournament took place halfway through an arguably tough season for both the eighth grade teams. The boys’ are currently ranked last in the conference and the girls’ are ranked second to last. Both eighth grade teams have lost players to concussions and other related injuries.“It’s hard to watch your team suffer from the side lines and you can’t do anything about it,” Jade Munlin, ‘21, said about the concussion that cut her season short. But what has been a difficult season for both eighth grade teams has been nothing but triumph for both seventh grade teams. The seventh grade boys are currently ranked second in the ECC with a win/loss record of 7-2. The seventh grade girls are currently ranked third in the ECC behind Loveland and Milford with a record of 7-3.
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ARCADE
JANUARY 27, 2017
PAGE 8
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: SARAH HANSEN
CINCINNATI, OHIO
What did you do over winter break?
“I stayed at my family’s house in the mountains.”
“I lived the American Dream with my boyfriend — cheap Chinese food and Netflix.”
“I went ice skating for the first time!”
Grayson Sommer, ‘18
Maya Oerther, ‘20
Ellie Keidel, ‘17
“I went to see family in Boston and helped my aunt baby-sit her rowdy cousins.”
“The bees made the honey and I made the money.”
“I got a new pair of corduroys.”
Clio DeJong, ‘22
Anna Moore, ‘18
Latin teacher Andrew Truty JACK SAMUELS/CHATTERBOX HANNAH REINHARDT/CHATTERBOX GS EK
Sudoku Sarah Hansen, ‘17
Answers to all puzzles and games can be found online at <whhscbox.com>. FRONT PAGE PHOTO CREDITS: MAIN PANORAMIC PHOTO: KEEGAN SULLIVAN/CHATTERBOX; ALL OTHER PHOTOS: HANNAH REINHARDT/CHATTERBOX