The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School
Volume CXII, Issue 8
Friday February 16, 2018
Kameron Gib s on working hard on and off the court
HAYDEN WILLHITE/CHATTERBOX
SENIOR Kameron Gibson handles the ball in a home game against Milford on Feb. 9. WHHS won 51-37. Gibson scored 29 of the 51 points, resulting in one of his highest scoring games. He also had six rebounds and three assists. Hayden Willhite, ‘18 Playing a high school sport can have many benefits, such as improved academics, better time management and developing social relationships. High school can also be a time when playing a sport could be more difficult than others may see. SENIOR Kameron Gibson has gone through this experience for many years. Gibson started playing basketball in the first grade, and has now played basketball for twelve years. He is currently in his fourth year
playing for varsity at WHHS. Growing up, Gibson was encouraged to play basketball by his father, brother and uncle. “What encouraged me to play was my dad, uncle and brother who taught me the game and helped me become the player I am today,” Gibson said. Gibson also considers players in the National Basketball Association such as Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony as inspiration to play basketball. Being a SENIOR at WHHS, it can be challenging to bal-
ance school, work and home. “It was difficult at first, because I wasn’t used to Walnut’s standards,” Gibson said. But over time he learned to adjust, and to further balance what he refers to as “ball and books.” While feeling the pressure from parents and coaches, Gibson puts in a lot of time and training on and off the court. “Time spent training and practicing would be countless hours in the gym, before and after school and at night,” Gibson said. Feeling the pressure can be over-
whelming for many. Having support from the administration can be a way to cope with the pressure of playing a high school sport. “WHHS administration supports me every time they see me,” Gibson said. WHHS administration always has Gibson’s back, whether it be on social media, in life, getting recognition or getting tips on the basketball court and in the classroom. Gibson is noticed as a top recruit in Ohio and recognized for many achievements. “A lot of pressure is caught on my shoul-
ders and I’m expected to do everything the right way,” Gibson said. Gibson has many offers from both Division one and two colleges, but is undecided as to where he would like to commit. In high school, many athletes like to set personal limits for themselves. “My personal limits are to be the greatest version of me I can be … basically fulfilling the potential that’s set out for me,” Gibson said. “I don’t care of what people think of me...I want to spread good vibes [and] positivity.”
WHHS coaches respond to racism in Cincinnati Aaron Espelage, ‘18 During an Elder vs. St. Xavier basketball game on Feb. 2, Elder’s student section chanted racist remarks directed at multiple St. X players. The chants ranged from stereotypes regarding an Asian player and African American player on St. X’s team to homophobic slurs. Our WHHS varsity mens and womens, head coaches were asked to weigh in. “I thought it was absolutely disgusting. And I was exceptionally taken back by the fact that they were chanting the term “faggot”. It’s baffling,” women’s varsity basketball coach Adam Lazar said. Mens varsity basketball coach Ricardo Hill echoed similar sentiments. “I just kept think-
ing about how the kid and his parents must feel when hearing that nonsense from the crowd. But I was glad to see that St. X’s coach alerted the referees immediately,” Hill said. Both Lazar and Hill have dealt with similar racially charged issues during road games. “We had an issue last year in Kentucky with officials being overtly racist,” Lazar said. “They called one of my assistant coaches a boy and then openly favored the [primarily-white] home team. I ended up getting ejected after I let them know I would not tolerate it. Then after the game we discussed how wrong it truly was with our kids and handled it internally.” Hill said, “We were playing a team in our league a couple years ago, when the
student section held up a whiteboard that singled out one of our kids. They wrote that he was an n-word. Everyone saw it and was outraged. After I alerted the officials, the board was erased and although it was immediately addressed, it was not publicized.” “There’s no excuse for administration not stepping in immediately,” Lazar said. “We as coaches must teach respect, diversity and the understanding of all cultures. And handle such issues as soon as they arise,” Hill said. Lazar and Hill both emphasized the importance of immediately denouncing the outbursts. “Unfortunately racism will never go away as it was one of the principles that this country was founded upon.” Lazar
said. “Americans view everything in the scope of race. Sadly, it’s the American way and it’s not going anywhere.” Hill said, “The real problem is hidden, systematic racism. And I can’t say that it’s going to disappear. We must address that with the way that parents, teachers and coaches raise their kids to perceive other cultures from an early age.” Lazar and Hill share the same vision of teaching kids cultural diversity to avoid the heinous actions that have taken place across multiple high school basketball games. The coaches hope that WHHS, a school rich with cultural diversity, can set the standard for other high schools to follow when it comes to handling blatant and systematic racism.
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SPORTS
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SECTION EDITOR: RYLEIGH SANBORN
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Boys basketball triumphs in winning season Poynter brings the energy Kylie Bridgeman, ‘22
BOYS PHOTOS:KYLIE BRIDGEMAN/CHATTERBOX BG PHOTO: ASHLEY WILLIAMS/CHATTERBOX
Owen Murray, ‘22, left, and Maxwell Poynter, ‘22, right, are players on the eighth grade boys basketball team. The team has had a successful season so far and hope to continue this success for the remainder of their games.
Murray surpasses struggles, succeeds in basketball Kylie Bridgeman, ‘22 When you lose an important person in your life it can be hard to come back from it. However, the key is to never back down, stay strong and humble, and most importantly to give life everything you have to offer it. Owen Murray, ‘22, is a prime example of never backing down. Just two years ago Murray’s baseball coach passed away, which was a difficult time for him, but he knew that he had to push through the hardship. Murray is a part of the eighth grade boys basketball team at WHHS. The team has won the Eastern Cincinnati Conference Championship two years in a row. Murray thinks of himself as a huge asset to the team as a result of his accuracy behind the three-point line. “When I’m open they know to give me the ball,” Murray said. Murray has a very tactful mindset in knowing that “you
have to live life for the people that can’t.” He does his best to carry that mantra with him both on and off the court. Since the passing of his baseball coach, Murray has worked on coming out of his “cocoon” which he had enjoyed to stay inside of prior. His team has helped him work on accomplishing this goal. Teammate Yerremyyah Yisreal, ‘22, has been especially helpful, because he is “the most hype person. He is just that guy,” Murray said. Murray’s basketball coach Stuart Holt, just like his baseball coach, became “a mentor and friend,” Murray said. Head coach “Stu” cares about them and invests his time into not only the improvement of their skills, but also their self development. “I’m just proud of myself for being [at WHHS],” Murray said. He is happy to be an eagle and hopes to keep bettering himself and his basketball skills.
Maxwell Poynter, ‘22, started playing basketball around the age of three when he “ got a ball and shot it at the basket”. From that moment on, Poynter’s time has been consumed with the sport. When first starting something it is common to not realize your talent for that certain thing. In Poynter’s case he, too, did not immediately find his love for basketball, but it would soon be discovered. His light bulb moment did not happen until the time he was in second grade when he played for the YMCA. Poynter said that his life has not been the easiest. However, his sister Miranda is always there to help him out when things become difficult. His sister does her best to go to all of his games and he is immensely appreciative of her. He looks to her as one of his closest family members and biggest supporter. Poynter mentions that he is an essential asset to his team because of his scoring and hustle. He frequently dives on the floor to bring the energy to the atmosphere of any gym in tense moments. “I am not just representing myself, but my teammates as well,” Poynter said. Therefore, creating a positive perception of himself is monumentally important to him. Poynter also has great admiration for the image his entire team has created of themselves and he has “a lot of pride in his team and the way they carry themselves.” However, he is not alone in his excitement to get better. His coach of now two years is fully invested in the development of his team. He puts a vast amount of effort into them not only becoming better basketball players but also better people overall. Being a back to back champion is huge for Poynter, but the accomplishment did not come without hard work. From shooting hoops at the age of four to conditioning at the age of 13, Poynter has put in the time to achieve major goals. The eighth grade boys basketball team have worked extremely hard and Poynter is honored to be apart of something as great as his team.
OPINIONS
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SECTION EDITOR: NICK ROBERTSON
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Government Shutdowns, Distinctly American Nick Robertson, ‘19 Since 1976, the United States government has shut down nine times. In that same time period, the Australian government has never shut down, only closing its doors once in 1975. Canada has never had a government shutdown since its creation in 1867, and the United Kingdom’s government has never had a recorded shutdown due to a budget deficiency since the early creation of its par-
PETE SOUZA/THE WHITE HOUSE
President Obama resided over a 16-day government shutdown in 2013. The shutdown was led by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), over the healthcare debate, which eventually resulted in the Affordable Care Act.
liament in 1215. Government shutdowns don’t happen around the world, but why do they happen in the U.S., and why so often? A government shutdown is when the United States government is left without a budget and is forced to furlough its non-essential workers. The idea of the government shutdown originated in 1980 after Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti, appointed by President Jimmy Carter, issued a legal opinion that the government cannot conduct business without a budget. Since that opinion was issued, nine of the government’s 19 budget deficiencies have resulted in shutdowns. The presidency of Donald Trump has already seen two government shutdowns in its short life, both in 2018. President Barack Obama also presided over a government shutdown in 2013, which lasted for 16 days. Though there is a striking similarity between the 2013 and 2018 and that is the party in power. During all three shutdowns, the Republican party was in control of both the House and Senate, and now the presidency as well. 2018 marked the first time in American history that a single-party government has forced a government shutdown. Extreme partisanship, never before seen in this country’s 242-year history, has caused a streak of government shutdowns and last-minute negotiations. This
is due to many politicians’ adamant refusal to compromise on policy issues, ranging from healthcare policy, the cause of 2013’s shutdown, to immigration policy, which was the center of both 2018 shutdowns. Since early October 2017, Congress has passed three extensions on the previous budget. Each time a deadline approached, congressmen agreed to extend the current budget at the eleventh hour. The extensions allowed more negotiation and debate without shutting down the government. Democrats used a shutdown in January as a way to “put their foot down” and force real negotiation for a budget, which was only passed and signed by the president on Feb. 10. Government shutdowns only happen in the U.S., and that’s a problem. The idea of the government shutdown goes against our government’s civic duty to the citizens of its nation. Why should thousands of federal workers, from the CDC to the National Parks Service not be able to work or support themselves and their families, just because 535 men and women in Congress choose not to compromise? The U.S. should implement anti-government shutdown legislature like that present in Canada. The Canadian government when faced with not having a budget, simply continues fully functioning with the assumption that a budget will eventually be negotiABOVE, RAUL694/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
ated. This system allows Canadian citizens to take full advantage of their government’s services while it is shutdown, unlike the U.S. American citizens should be able to take advantage of every aspect of the government that they pay for with their taxes, and it should not be taken hostage by Congress, or the President. 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.
MARC NOZELL/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
President Trump has resided over two government shutdowns so far in 2018. Both shutdown efforts were led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) over the immigration debate, causing over three days of government shutdown.
Wa l ly H i l l on Tr u mp’s I m m i g r at ion Pl a n Wally Hill From the man who campaigned on building a wall to stop illegal immigration comes the banning of refugees to prevent terrorism. President Trump’s extreme stances on immigration generally display his lack of knowledge in foreign policy. Trump identifies Muslims, especially Muslim immigrants, as a threat to national security, citing both fake terrorist attacks, like the “Bowling Green Massacre”, and real ones that American Muslims who were radicalized in the U.S. committed. His travel ban - which he himself has called a “Muslim ban” - enforces major travel and immigration regulations on 11 Muslim-majority countries in Africa and the Middle East. Although much of Trump’s travel ban remains intact, he recently lifted the temporary ban on refugees from 11 “high risk countries” under the pretense of protecting national security. The Department of Homeland Security has since tightened regulations on refugee admission. In fact, Trump has slashed maximum refugee admission from President Obama’s 110,000 to 45,000. Despite the Trump administration’s “evidence based” policies against terrorism, refugees are the last people to be terrorists. Refugees are people fleeing persecution, war, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks; they are not the ones committing them. Over the past three years, 40 percent
of U.S. refugees have come from these 11 “high risk” countries, so it is important to know the conditions that force refugees in Syria, North Korea, Mali, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, South Sudan, Egypt, Somalia and Yemen to leave. Most refugees or displaced persons live in overcrowded camps without enough food, water or medicine. Rates of disease, sexual violence, child soldier recruitment and child marriage often soar while access to education and public services decline. Rebel groups or government forces in
countries embroiled in civil war arbitrarily detain and torture journalists and activists and sabotage access to humanitarian aid. Armed conflicts generate massive numbers of refugees. South Sudan enters its fifth year of civil war in 2018, where over two million people have already been displaced. Fighting in Iraq against ISIS has displaced at least three million people. An ongoing civil war in Yemen exacerbates what is already the one of the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with three million on the brink of famine, and up to one million
TAKVER/FLICKR.COM
This sign is one of many held up in support of refugees at marches around the country. Trump has proposed a $21.6 billion border wall, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean to keep out refuges and immigrants
civilians infected by a cholera epidemic. ISIS has committed the most serious crimes against humanity in Iraq, Syria and Libya. Both the Syrian government, with support from Russia and Iran, and terrorist groups like ISIS indiscriminately and deliberately attack civilians. According to Human Rights Watch’s World Report, U.S.-led coalition airstrikes against ISIS may have killed thousands of civilians, yet the U.S. fails to take accountability or conduct thorough investigations into these possible deaths. The people who survive these trying circumstances are the people Trump’s refugee ban stops from entering the country. They, who have lost everything, wait in limbo, while a ban arbitrarily demands they wait yet again, while their lives are threatened every day. Trump serves as Commander in Chief without a fundamental understanding of foreign policy. He has yet to coherently explain his plan for security on the U.S.-Mexico border, but he still wants to build a wall there. So how can Trump justify intensifying airstrikes and barring refugees abroad? Whether Donald Trump is racist or ignorant, there is no excuse for drastically reducing support for refugees. Regardless of his intentions, the president is complicit in the suffering of millions worldwide. All views shared in the Opinions section of The Chatterbox belong to their respective authors, and may not represent the views of the publication as a whole..
The Chatterbox Policy Statement The Chatterbox has been guaranteed the right of freedom of the press through the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The administration of Walnut Hills High School is thus bound to support and protect the Chatterbox’s inalienable rights as a free press. As an integral part of the Walnut Hills High School community, the Chatterbox has the responsibility to report in the most comprehensive and objective manner possible. Students,
parents, faculty, and administrators are encouraged to use this publication as a forum to express any ideas or concerns, whether they be personal or of local, national, or international scope. Journalists are required to work under established guidelines. Invasion of privacy as a means of news gathering is prohibited. Articles found to be discriminatory, libelous, or unnecessarily obscene (as determined by the editors or the advisor) will not be published. Finally, journalists are granted the right to keep private the name of
a source from whom they received information with the understanding that the source was to remain anonymous. The role of the newspaper advisor will be to provide counsel and criticism pertaining to the newspaper’s content and production. Although both the advisor and the administration hold certain powers regarding the Chatterbox, both must respect the paper’s autonomy. No student shall be prevented from joining the staff on the basis of sex, race, creed or national origin.
SARAH DAVIDOFF, ‘13
The Chatterbox Editorial Staff Hanna Bundschuh, Editor-in-Chief
Matthew Youkilis, Managing Editor of News and Features
Caroline Horvath, Managing Editor of Student Life
Camille Williams, Managing Editor of Viewpoints
Hannah Reinhardt, Managing Editor of Visual Elements
Aaron Espelage, Business Manager
Emma Heines, Video Content Manager
Amanda Anderson, Online Content Manager
Samantha Gerwe-Perkins, Adviser
Dawn Wolfe, English Department Chair
AND ARCADE
FEBRUARY 16, 2018
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NISSLEY AND DELANEY OWENS
at Pippin Peepin’ at Pippin with Lydia Noll
Isabel Nissley, ‘20
Isabel Nisley: How long have you been involved with theater? Lydia Noll: Oh my gosh. My first show was in fifth grade, at Wyoming Middle School. I’ve done as much theater as I can here and outside of Walnut as I can find and get involved in. IN: How did you get involved with theater? LN: Honestly, I wanted to be Miley Cyrus when I was really little and so I’d sing, and I was always very animated and loud, so my mom was like ‘you should audition for the musical’. I was like ‘Okay’, and then I got in and I never got out of it. IN: It seems like you’ve been a part of a lot of productions before this. What are the top three WHHS productions have you previously been a part of? LN: Top three which I have acted in would probably be: She Kills Monsters, Agnes was my favorite role I’ve ever played ever, this [Pippin] is probably number two, and number three, even though I was just in the ensemble and I had like two lines, Ragtime, just because that was so special to be a part of. IN: How would you compare your role in Pippin to roles in other productions? LN: There’s a drastic difference between Pippin and She Kills Monsters for me mainly because in She Kills Monsters I was doing so much stage combat that my shoulder still hurts, I have bruises still. That was so
physically demanding. In this show, I’m the only character besides my son who doesn’t have to dance and I just get to play around much more with her [Catherine] than with Agnes. This show was just a break from all of that physical stress on my body. IN: So what is your role in the play? LN: I play Catherine. She is a lovely young widow with a large estate and she has a son named Theo. She keeps falling in love with these guys who are playing Pippin and they keep leaving her because she’s not enough for them. And so throughout the show she goes through all of these different obstacles and Catherine is kind of showing him what ordinary life is like. He decides that he likes that, but at first he thinks, ‘Oh it’s not extraordinary enough’, and spoiler alert, he ends up falling in love with her and they change the whole course of everything. She’s really cool. IN: What has been the most challenging part of playing this role? LN: The most challenging part. Hm, probably just figuring out exactly how I want Catherine to be because she can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. I’m trying to find my mold of previous influences and my own thoughts and opinions on her and kind of developing a character that way. Also, not breaking the bed set piece has been a challenge. Because that happened yesterday.
IN: What draws you to this show? LN: I love how unique it is and how meaningful it is, and how the characters, especially Catherine and Leading Player, are very complicated and there’s a lot of depth to them underneath everything that we’re doing and everything that we’re saying. Because it’s a play within a play, you’re probably totally confused… IN: Oh, like a Midsummer’s Night Dream thing? LN: Yeah, except the entire time is the show and the Leading Player is controlling everyone. It’s a play within a play, but it’s also a cult, but it’s also a metaphor. I just love to dive into and analyze how deep and complicated everything is. IN: Would you say any of the themes from Pippin could be applied to life today? LN: Oh my god, so much. It’s literally about Pippin trying to find what fulfills him in life, and he’s looking for all these extraordinary things, and he sings this song during my section of the show called ‘Extraordinary’. He sings about how fixing the chicken house isn’t enough for me and I want to do something that’s really important and impacts people, but in reality, the things we need to focus on are the people that we love and the people that really impact our lives in a positive way, instead of people who manipulate us like Leading Player. I think it’s a really important play for a lot of people.
IN: Oh no! LN: It’s fine.
Soul Searching
A Pippin-Inspired Word Search
ISABEL NISSLEY/CHATTERBOX
Lighting designer Maya Eberhardt, ‘19, and master electrician SENIOR Alex Mattingly are on the lighting crew for Pippin. Eberhardt designed the light plot and Mattingly has helped to make the vision come to life. “There’s a lot of scenes where we want it to be really creepy,” Eberhardt said, “I don’t want to give anything away, but there’s a group of people and we want them to be as creepy as possible, so they’re in low light. Obviously I’m a little biased, but I think it’s really cool.”
ALLYSON GARTH/ CHATTERBOX
Stage manager Martha Dameron, ‘19, ensures that the production runs smoothly. “My role in Pippin is to make sure that the production keeps moving,” Dameron said, “It’s to make sure people are doing what they need to do when they need to do it. On the tech side its a lot of ‘are we on track to get all the props, are we on track to finish all our costumes on time’ and stuff. During the show I’m generally calling cues so like when you see light changes, that’s me.”
ISABEL NISSLEY/CHATTERBOX
Audience Broadway Choreography Costume
Dancer Director Ensemble Fosse
Magic Musical Pippin Player
Rehersal Stage Theater DELANEY OWENS /CHATTERBOX
“[Working behind scenes of Pippin] it’s really fun,” Ajah Tasker-Moore, ‘20, said, “I like to see it all come together and see all the bits become a whole.” Artists on the makeup team like Tasker-Moore use their makeup skills to add more personality to the characters on stage. “[Makeup] gives the characters more of a character, more of an identity. It’s different from what everyone else would wear in the show,” Tasker-Moore said.
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SECTION EDITORS: ISABEL N
A look a ISABEL NISSLEY/CHATTERBOX
Musician in Pippin, Maddie Schade, ‘19, literally saw the show come together from a different angle. “I’m in pit orchestra. Before yesterday, we were in the band room, rehearsing. Then we did what’s called a sitzprobe, where the actors come in and sing, mostly without any of their blocking, to work on cues. It’s pretty stressful and tiring, but it’s fun,” Schade said.
ALLYSON GARTH/ CHATTERBOX
From left to right: Lydia Noll, ‘19, Peter Godsey, ‘21, and SENIOR Augustus Corder. Corder plays Pippin, the protagonist. Noll plays Catherine, Pippin’s love interest and the mother of Theo, played by Godsey.
Dance Dance Revelation Delaney Owens, ‘21
HANNAH REINHARDT/CHATTERBOX
Oliver Vockell, ‘20, plays the part of Lewis, Pippin’s scheming half brother. “The show’s a lot about finding yourself,” Vockell said. “People should be able to take away from it that you don’t have to find yourself in others, you don’t have to find yourself in the fantastic and the wonderful, you can find yourself in the small things.”
From The Lion King Jr. to Ragtime, the students of the WHHS theater department have impressed audiences and Cappies critics alike again and again. This year they are back on stage to lure audiences in to the colorful, magical world of Pippin. The production takes choreography on the high school stage to a new level. Pippin reflects its Broadway counterpart, beginning with the flashy opening number, “Magic to Do.” The audience is introduced to the Leading Player, played by Maya Robinson, ‘19, who invites them to join the magic of the show. Meanwhile, the featured dancers and ensemble showcase some of the production’s most extensive choreography. The number also includes elements of acrobatics like flips and splits, reminiscent of a circus performance as the story begins. The title character, Pippin, played by SENIOR Augustus Corder, is the son of the king,
played by SENIOR Declan Robison, and a young actor in the Leading Player’s troupe. “[Pippin] is a show within a show, so a lot of what happens kind of highlights a lot of the different aspects of musical theater and dance and music,” SENIOR dance captain Nina Riber said. “I think it’s kind of a good way to showcase it.” The choreography of Pippin is essential to its plot, especially for the ensemble and featured dancers,
on dance to bring the show to life sets it apart from other WHHS musicals. “It’s really based on dance and a particular type of musical theater or choreography called Fosse, which is definitely different from other shows we’ve done,” featured dancer Grace Davis, ‘19, said. Fosse style dancing, named for Pippin’s original choreographer, Bob Fosse, can be described as jazzy and sensual. In 1973, Fosse won two Tony awards for his inventive work on Pippin. He is also known for the choreography in the musical Chicago. One of the most famous Fosse dances is the “Manson Trio.” Two featured dancers, Kennedy Nadermann, ‘20, and Colby James, ‘21, join the Leading Player for an iconic Fosse number combining jazz hands and the theme of war. As seen in this dance, Pippin relies on its dancers to show the allure of performance hand in hand with its many darker themes. The theater department has never been afraid to push the limits and try new things. From the casting of a female Caesar in Julius Caesar to the thrilling stage combat of She Kills Monsters, their productions are anything but predictable. Pippin plays from Feb. 15 through 17.
“The story line is not like your usual musical comedy love story. It’s a little more raw and it has a deeper meaning than just tenor falls in love with a soprano” Mei Li Weil, ‘19
ISABEL NISSLEY/CHATTERBOX
“Its something that I don’t think any other school would have been able to pull off as far as the people that we have here and the whole cast,” Maya Robinson, ‘19, said. In the origional Pippin, the Leading Player was played by a man. In the revival, the role was adapted for a woman. Robinson is carrying on that tradition. Singing a part written for a man has made the role more complicated, “But I wouldn’t trade it,” Robinson said, “it’s a pretty fun role, it’s pretty crazy and it’s nothing like anything I’ve done at Walnut.”
who express their part of the story almost entirely in dance. “I think [dance] is probably one of the most important parts,” dance captain Molly Munn, ‘20, said. “As the players, we’re trying to seduce Pippin. The music is what we do best, music and dance, to get [Pippin] to do what we want him to do.” The emphasis that Pippin puts
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FEATURES
CINCINNATI, OHIO
FEBRUARY 16, 2018
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SECTION EDITORS: IBRAHIM MUNIR
Black History Month Cypher/Poetry Slam, Feb. 28*
Taste of Walnut, Feb. 16*
PHOTO COUTESY OF ROBERT KILLINGS
Ibrahim Munir, ‘19
Ibrahim Munir, ‘19
Taste of Walnut is a brand new event created by the Black Culture Club to showcase the various cultures present at WHHS through food. The event will take place after school on Friday, Feb. 16, and will have Puerto Rican, Ugandan, Ethiopian and soul food for sale. The food items consist of many different ethnic delicacies, and exposes students to new flavors and tastes they may have never experienced before.
Another event Black Culture Club has planned is their open mic night/poetry slam. The slam will be held in the Forum after school on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Performances will be done by WHHS students who want to showcase their artistic proficiency. The event was planned for last year as well, and the club hopes to improve on what they learned from planning it then. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT KILLINGS
*Dates subject to change
Get Out screening, Late February Matthew Youkilis, ‘19
IMDB
Black Culture Club will be hosting a screening of the movie Get Out during Black History Month. This Oscar-nominated horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele is about an African American man who meets his girlfriend’s white family for the first time and the events that transpire during this meeting. Raising debate around many important racial and cultural questions, Black Culture Club will be showing this movie both to entertain and to foster discussion about race in the United States. Date for screenings are to be announced soon.
Model UN visits Ha rva rd for conference Rithu Rajagopala, Best Delegate
Amilcar Torres, Outstanding Delegate
ALLYSON GARTH/CHATTERBOX
Allyson Garth: How was Harvard different from local conferences? Rithu Rajagopala: Harvard is the biggest conference in the world, and people come internationally, other conferences are more local. AG: What was your experience like? RR: I was in a more hands on committee, being in a committee of 16, it was much more intense and interactive, with a higher caliber of attendants and was more professional.
ALLYSON GARTH/CHATTERBOX
AG: How was Harvard different from local conferences? AT: It is regarded as one of the best conferences in the world. It attracts kids from 40 countries with a total of 3500 this year. It is also run more efficiently than any other conference I have attended.
AG: What was your experience like? AT: I had an amazing time. I went to the Harvard Model United Nations Conference last year, but I can honestly say this year was 10 times better. Not only is it a great learning experience, but it is an amazing opportunity to meet people of many different backgrounds AG: What was your committee? RR: I was in the committee Politburo of Vietnam, which takes place during 1955-1977 and and places. we dealt with problems set in that time. AG: What was your committee? AT: My committee was the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of AG: How large was your committee the Organization of American States of 2024. It was roughly 24 kids, but to get into the RR: 16 people total. committee you had to apply directly through Harvard instead applying through Walnut. AG: Did you like it? AG: Did you like it? RR: I loved Harvard. AT: It was an amazing experience. Everything about the conference is great, but it is a very intense conference. On some days, you are in committee for up to 9 hours and you spend a AG: Do you have anything else to add? lot of your free time working on committee stuff and strategizing the best course of action. RR: It was a great experience.
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FEBRUARY 16, 2018 PAGE 8
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SECTION EDITOR: GRACE BERDING
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Too Juul for school Grace Berding, ‘19
Juuling is the latest e-cigarette trend, especially popular with teens. However, many teens are unaware of the health effects associated with juuling. Through an anonymous survey of WHHS students via Schoology a student said “Juuling seems like a passive ‘health friendly’ way to smoke…” A juul is a vaping device that operates with two different pieces: the body and a pod. The pod contains the vape juice and the body contains the battery, circuit board and a pressure sensor. Pods come in many different flavors and hold 59 mg/ml of nicotine in them. This is equivalent to one full pack of cigarettes. But, it does not take nearly as long to go through a single pod than it does to go through a full pack of cigarettes. “I’m addicted. I go through about two pods a day...The cost adds up. I recently had to get a job to pay for these pods” another student from the anonymous schoology survey said.” One of the reasons the juul is so popular is due to the “head rush”, a common side effect of the device that stems from the nicotine. The head rush occurs as a result of the increased oxygen flow to the brain and release of adrenaline. According to the same survey a different student said, “When I juul I feel like I am the best version of myself. It gives me a feeling of euphoria and I feel moti-
vated and that I can conquer the world…” Even a small amount of nicotine in the blood stream redirects the path of the blood and oxygen, rapidly increasing your risk of suffering from nicotine’s negative side effects. The National Institute of Health says that tobacco and nicotine are the two leading causes of preventable cancer. Not only is nicotine extremely bad for one’s health, it is also one of the most addictive substances to ever exist. Another one of the most frightening aspects of juuling is that there are no long term tests to prove the lasting side effects. So, the current generation is the generation of guinea pigs. Teens are unaware of the health effects of this drug, but many are familiar with the feelings of withdraw. “If I don’t juul every hour I start to itch everywhere and feel like pulling out my hair. I start to shake like crazy.” a student said in the Schoology survey. Kids juul for different reasons. Some only do it in social situations whereas others feel a need to do it on a day-to-day basis. “I don’t know what I’d do without my Juul and nicotine, it helps me study, helps me focus. I do it before work...it’s definitely a necessity to my day.” one student said. Juuling is harmful and teens especially should take caution before partaking in it. No matter how it makes one feel, it is overall harmful to the body.
CAMILLE WILLIAMS/CHATTERBOX
To watch or not to watch
a Netflix review Karrington Butler, ‘18
MOLLYJOHNSTON/CHATTERBOX
Netflix fast facts Record-breaking net profit in 2017
$559M
140M hours per day 1 billion hours per week in 2017
We collectively watched
More than double previous 2014 record.
Most tweeted about streamed show of 2017
and
Netflix streams in over 190
Over half
of their
countries
117.6M subscribers live in America
Netflix Wikimedia Commons
the controversial show about a high school student's suicide got Anton Belenki Wikimedia Commons
According to a Netflix survey of over 60,000 people, Stranger Things was the number one show that "brought people together" and watched in groups.
Netflix Wikimedia Commons
3,585,110 tweets in first week
One scholarly study found suicide related google searches increased up to
44%
19 days after its release
This popular science fiction show entered its fourth season. Each episode features a unique cast and satirizes modern technology. These statistics are from www.statista.com
CAMILLE WILLIAMS/CHATTERBOX
The picture above showcases a student watching Netflix on her phone during lunch. Netflix is used throughout the day by many students to relieve stress and to entertain themselves. The infographic to the left contains statistics regarding some of the popular Netflix shows that students watch. The statistics were taken from www. statista.com.
It can be stressful to find the perfect show to watch on Netflix. In the past year, I have completely watched Parks and Recreation, The Office, Friends and New Girl. Binge watching Netflix is something I find myself a pro at. First, let’s start with Parks and Rec, while it’s not the best comedy show in the world, it definitely is close. Amy Poehler is an amazing comedian and she makes the show what it is with her crazy antics and kind heart. This is the show that makes you want to go out and help your community or even treat yourself (you’ll get it once you watch the show). From Jerry to Gary, Lil Sebastian and JJ’S Diner, Parks and Rec gives you life lessons and makes you feel like you’re actually best friends with the characters in the show. Watch The Office after Parks and Rec. It’s funny on a whole new level and takes all the qualities of Parks and Rec, yet somehow does it better. The Office depicts the everyday lives of office employees at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The Office teaches you how to prank people, hate people named Toby and most importantly, the value of friendship. Friends is a classic, binge worthy show. Although watching all 10 seasons can get repetitive, watching Friends is an experience everyone should have in life. Friends is a show about 20-something-year-old friends, living in Manhattan, figuring out their life. Ross and Rachel will make you crazy and teach you the definition of a break while the show itself will make you wish you were 20 in 1999. New Girl is about Jess, who after going through a bad breakup, moves in with three single guys. It’s one of the newer shows on Netflix, with season 6 on Hulu. New Girl is like a modern Friends but with better characters. Winston and Schmidt’s hilarious banter make you wish you had your own personal versions of them. The show has both funny and sentimental plotlines and another bonus is that the theme song is catchy. Binge watching Netflix is a great way to occupy your free time and relax after a hard day.