Volume CXIII, Issue 12 Thurs., April 25, 2019 The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School
pg. 2 OPINIONS - Sweet Home Alabama? WHHS struggles with geographic bias
pg. 6 STYLE & CULTURE Jordan Peele enters the Twilight Zone with reboot of the classic TV show
pg. 7 FEATURES - We Dine Together brings WHHS community closer by offering many a home during lunch
CPS to change school start times
TRENT WILLHITE/ CHATTERBOX
Students gather in the courtyard outside the cafeteria, many of them with caffeinated beverages, a place that is light during the spring but dark during much of the school year. Over the next several years as WHHS transitions to a later school start time, many proponents of the change hope it will help students sleep more and not commute to school in the dark, preventing accidents. Conrad Kleiner, ‘19 On April 15, 2019, the Cincinnati Board of Education passed a resolution declaring that over the next three years, school start times at high schools in Cincinnati Public Schools will be pushed back from their current start times to between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. This announcement comes as a shock to many who either did not expect the resolution to pass, or were not aware the vote was taking place. This strong push for later school start times began more than two years ago, as a combined effort between local health officials and concerned CPS parents.
The plan to initiate, however, is far more complex than a simple announcement. Perhaps the biggest hurdle is the bus system, upon which thousands of CPS students rely for their rides to school every day. CPS borrows local metro buses to help with their before-school bus routes. Historically, this has been possible because early high school start times meant that buses were free to assist before rush hour. But with later school start times, these necessities may now overlap. A major concern going into this transition is that, in order to accommodate this new stress on the busing system, students may be
In those two years, these select groups of active parents and officials regularly attended CPS Board meetings in support of the effort to push back start times. On the day in question, donned in yellow clothing to indicate support, the advocates were allowed some 15 minutes to argue in support of their resolution. Then, about 90 minutes later, the resolution passed among the board. The officials resolution reads, “THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Superintendent be directed to begin a three-year Healthy High School Start Time Implementation Plan commencing in 2019-2020.”
Should school start at 8:30 instead of 7:30? WHHS’ Opinion 2017-2018 I don’t 3.6% know
No Yes
WHHS’ Opinion 2018-2019 Maybe
31.5%
29.2%
No 64.9%
0 1020 30 40 50 60 70 Data collected from 416 WHHS student responses
13.5%
Yes
56.9%
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Data collected from 504 WHHS student responses ISABEL NISSLEY/ CHATTERBOX
In the last two years, students have become less in favor of a start time change. However, the pro-change sentiment still exists for a majority of WHHS students, according to 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school year polls. The 2018-2019 poll was conducted prior to the Board of Education decision to change start times.
forced to board buses significantly earlier than their new school start times, somewhat nullifying the positive effects proponents of later school start times have discussed. However, it is worth noting that in their official resolution, CPS mentioned “even if due to financial or logistical barriers, some schools may start as early as 8:00, the number of Cincinnati Public Schools high schoolers leaving home in the dark will be minimized.” Another major transportation concern involves rides given by parents to their children. Parents who earlier had the ability to provide rides may now find themselves incapable due to later school start times overlapping with jobs or other obligations. Despite these drawbacks, many have pointed to significant evidence to support the implementation of later school start times. CPS notes that scientific evidence supports the notion that teens require more sleep than other age groups to be fully functional and aware. Further research has demonstrated that later school start times demonstrably increase the amount of sleep students get, countering the idea that students will simply go to bed later and receive the same amount of sleep regardless. In the midst of much mental health concern, CPS also notes in their full resolution that “sleep deprivation increases the risk of depression, anxiety, illness, obesity, athletic
injuries, and suicide.” It is for these reasons that many independent health organization across the nation recommend later school start times for teens. CPS has chosen to implement this new system gradually over a period of three years to help reduce any issues and new complexities that may arise. One proposal would have WHHS starting at 7:45 a.m. next year and then gradually transitioning to CPS’ 8:30 a.m. goal by the end of the threeyear deadline. However, many proposals will likely be considered before a decision is made for how the transition will work, and The Chatterbox will update this story as the decision becomes clear. Last year, CPS surveyed 519 students in grades 7-12, in which 73 percent agreed that later school start times would allow them more sleep, and 50 percent agreed they would feel less rushed in the morning, according to the CPS website. The full resolution and more information on the issue can be found at https://www.cps-k12.org/news/ whats-new/board-approves-resolution-supporting-later-start-times. Until this new system is implemented and tested across CPS, students and faculty alike will be forced to wait to see the concrete results. However, those who care about the issue can express their opinions on the topic at Board of Education meetings, a schedule for which can be found on the CPS website.
OPINIONS
APRIL 25, 2019
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: ISABEL NISSLEY
PAGE 2
Sweet home Alabama? Caroline Horvath, 20
I remember my college visits in Alabama with fond memories. At least I remember being fond of the Roll Tide and War Eagle state, and that everyone there was kind and helpful, and the sun was shining in February, and that the school pride ran deep. The things that I could not find in Ohio, but yearned for, I was able to find down south. But telling my friends and my family was a different story. When they asked where I visited I saw the looks of disgust and disbelief on their faces. They could not believe I had even considered Alabama or Auburn as a choice for my future education. They were even more distraught when I told them Alabama was one of my top choices. I won’t lie; some people gave me a small Roll Tide when I told them, but the negative views of these colleges stuck with me longer and they outnumbered the cheers. It was after these visits that I realized WHHS, maybe even many northern cities, have negative percep-
tions of the South. While there are good reasons for viewing the South in a bad light, I was not able to understand why everyone wanted to convince me to ditch the South and look somewhere else; anywhere else. So what made these schools so treacherous to WHHS students? While many disliked or even despised Southern schools, they were perfectly fine with Vanderbilt or University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These schools were located south of Cincinnati, but they were acceptable institutions for me to consider? What made Alabama, Mississippi or Georgia different? Deep southern schools have reputations for racism and their lack of tolerance that date back to long before George Wallace or the Civil Rights Movement. Some students stated problems with deep south schools as being intolerant to immigrants or having a history of racism. Others pointed out that schools such as WHHS, since they are more liberal, tend to have more of a stigma toward the deep south, and therefore do not see it as a vi-
“I remember my college visits in Alabama with fond memories.”
THE OUT-OF-STATE ALLURE Isabel Nissley, ‘20
Driving down the rural Ohio highways, the golden fields of corn bathed in harsh winter light, it seems like no one would want to leave here. But within the fluorescent halls of WHHS, “I want to get out of Ohio” is almost a mantra to students. Despite its natural beauty, Ohio doesn’t seem to offer much for students at first glance. Maybe it’s the fact that there are just three lone sites of civilization in this barren desert of cornfields and cows: Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. Maybe it’s the fact that Ohio boasts no big attractions, at least that are unrelated to the aforementioned cornfields and cows. Did you know that Ohio has its own “Corn-
Wally Hill
on chili and communism Wally Hill
CAROLINE HORVATH / CHATTERBOX
Students at WHHS see going to the South, especially to the Deep South, for college as unappealing. WHHS class of 2018 had 7 students go to Alabama for college. able choice for a college education. However, many students have never visited schools in the deep south, so I’m here to tell all of y’all to give Alabama a chance. The demographic of southern colleges is changing, students are being pulled from a wider range of political, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds than ever before. If you’ve never visited, take one of those excused college visit days and
road trip down through Nashville and visit some Honky Tonks and then tour the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa (and while you are there I recommend Buffalo Phil’s Pub and Cafe).
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.
Leaving Ohio henge,” containing 109 concrete heads of corn in a field? Or maybe it’s just the fact that we’re young and hopeful, and see our lives as being able to bloom once we leave this state behind. Whatever the reasons behind it may be, nearly 77 percent of surveyed WHHS students want to leave Ohio after high school. “I believe there are bigger opportunities outside of Ohio,” Carson Corley, ‘20 said. This sentiment is echoed by many, whose hopes, dreams and plans cannot be contained by the Ohio border. Out of state col-
CINCINNATI, OHIO
lege options and the desire to experience something new through traveling are two draws to leave. “I really don’t like seeing the same stuff every day and I would love to travel around the country and the world,” Derick Campos, ‘22, said. But how many students actually do get out of Ohio immediately after high school? For the past few years, The Chatterbox has been collecting data on where WHHS students plan on going to college. In the class of 2017 and 2018, an average of just 33 percent of students have left the state, while the remaining 67 percent stay in Ohio.
“Maybe it’s just the fact that we’re young and hopeful, and see our lives as being able to bloom once we leave this state behind.”
Not all of WHHS dreams of a life far from where they are now. “In-state tuition is a lot better than out-of-state,” Grace Elliott, ‘20, said. Also, many students’ roots are in Ohio. “I would like to stay close to my family since we are super close,” Sarah Minning, ‘21, said. Driving down the rural Ohio highways, the golden fields of corn bathed in harsh winter light, it seems like no one would want to leave here. And that’s okay. But within the fluorescent halls of WHHS, “I want to get out of Ohio” continues to be a mantra to students. 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.
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Hello ladies and gentlemen. Please excuse my extended absence. Your interest has been too strong: I’ve been absolutely swamped sifting through these mounds of questions. Some asked my favorite Cincinnati Chili? Look, now Skyline is fine, and Camp Washington is alright. But for my money, I stick with Gold Star. Oh, that sugary mess of ketchup and what I presume to be the entreals of those pigs they use for testing cosmetic products is just too good to resist. I once saw a documentary of this guy who had fallen off a cliff and ruptured his leg, and was forced to crawl through the savannah looking for civilization, but he had no supplies. The only hydration he obtained was from squeezing the water out of elephant dung. If I had to describe it, that’s about how I imagine Gold Star would taste. Should billionaires exist? Comrade, I have been to the tomb of Lenin many times. I have seen his luscious curves, his brilliant cheekbones, still radiating after all these years. I have seen his chiseled jaw cutting glass in the Red Square, accompanied by his 7’8” frame. I have snuck in after hours to cuddle with the body of Lenin to learn the secrets of communism. I have dug up the grave of many a billionaire, and found nothing but dirt and bones. Rockefeller, Ford, Disney, all nothing but dust blowing through the winds of time, lost. But when I see great Socialist heroes such as Ramses II of Egypt perfectly preserved, and I see the great capitalist Alexander reduced to worms, I understand the vast potential of Socialism. Who am I? Send your theories and questions to thewallyhill@ gmail.com. Wally Hill
According to the 2016-2017 Chatterbox Senior College Plans Survey
According to 51 responses of WHHS students
The Chatterbox Policy Statement The Chatterbox has been guaranteed the right of freedom of the press through the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The administration of Walnut Hills High School is thus bound to support and protect the Chatterbox’s inalienable rights as a free press. As an integral part of the Walnut Hills High School community, the Chatterbox has the responsibility to report in the most comprehensive and objective manner possible. Students,
parents, faculty, and administrators are encouraged to use this publication as a forum to express any ideas or concerns, whether they be personal or of local, national, or international scope. Journalists are required to work under established guidelines. Invasion of privacy as a means of news gathering is prohibited. Articles found to be discriminatory, libelous, or unnecessarily obscene (as determined by the editors or the advisor) will not be published. Finally, journalists are granted the right to keep private the name of
a source from whom they received information with the understanding that the source was to remain anonymous. The role of the newspaper advisor will be to provide counsel and criticism pertaining to the newspaper’s content and production. Although both the advisor and the administration hold certain powers regarding the Chatterbox, both must respect the paper’s autonomy. No student shall be prevented from joining the staff on the basis of sex, race, creed or national origin.
SARAH DAVIDOFF, ‘13
The Chatterbox Editorial Staff Matthew Youkilis, Editor-in-Chief
Amanda Anderson, Managing Editor of News and Features
Grace Berding, Managing Editor of Student Life
Ibrahim Munir, Managing Editor of Viewpoints
Caroline Horvath, Managing Editor of Visual Elements
Nick Robertson, Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Allyson Garth, Business Manager
Emma Heines, Video Content Manager
Samantha Gerwe-Perkins, Adviser
Brian Sweeney, English Department Chair
WHHSCBOX.COM
OPINIONS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
APRIL 25, 2019
PAGE 3
SECTION EDITORS: ISABEL NISSLEY
Living with Schizoaffective disorder
ALLYSON GARTH/ CHATTERBOX
SENIOR Allyson Garth creates representational art. This piece showcases some of Garth’s internal struggles, such as feeling caught in her own mind. It reads: “My life is a puzzle, why can’t I solve it!” and “Let me out.”
Allyson Garth, ‘19
fective disorder is what I like to call the not-so-happy medium between Sitting in class, I’m schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. trying to focus on taking On a daily basis, I experience a test. I hear a pen clicking some- hallucinations, delusions, parawhere. Naturally, I look around noia, mania and sometimes bouts trying to figure out who is clicking of depression. My hallucinations their pen. No one is. I become less are typically minor, but usually are focused on the questions on my pa- connected to my level of stress. Beper and more on the sound of the ing a WHHS student, that makes pen. It is incredibly distracting and handling the numerous everyday irritating for me but there is nothstressful situations that much harder. ing I can do about it because the pen isn’t even there. The lack “The word of research I have schizoaffecitself has developed a and the tive disorder and for many, that is ternegative connotation and similarity to both rifying to hear. I find myself avoid- that affects my life as well as b i p o l a r ing talking to the lives of the surprisingly d i s o r anyone about it; I der and am afraid that they large population of individu- s c h i z o will treat me differphrenia als suffering from it.” lessens the ently or stop talking likelihood that to me all together. The an individual with word itself has developed a schizoaffective disorder negative connotation and that affects my life as well as the lives of will be diagnosed accurately. Initialthe surprisingly large population ly, I was misdiagnosed with bipolar of individuals suffering from it. disorder and then I was diagnosed Currently, schizoaffective dis- with schizophrenia on top of that, order affects 0.3 percent of the US until finally I was diagnosed with population, according to the Nation- schizoaffective disorder. I remember al Alliance on Mental Illness, and is in- feeling even worse because it seemed credibly hard to diagnose. Schizoaf- like the doctors simply could not
figure out what was wrong with me. Stress is one of the main reasons for my symptoms. I remember being in tenth grade, swamped with homework, and working through the fact that I had been re-diagnosed again, feeling as though everything was piling up against me. Talking about my issues had caused me to lose friends and isolated me to the point where I didn’t know if it was ever going to get better. I acknowledge now that going through my sophomore year’s struggles only made me reflect upon myself and truly find the things that help me cope, but also showed me the extremely negative cultural stigma of severe mental illnesses. The most common portrayal of individuals with schizophrenia in movies, books and tv shows is a homicidal maniac that has little control over himself or herself. This could not be further from the truth. It pains me every single time I hear someone use a mental illness as a colloquialism for a minor issue they are having or see another schizophrenic homicidal maniac in a movie I am watching. Currently the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission technically protects individuals from being fired on the basis of mental
illnesses. However, they can choose not to hire an individual with a mental illness if the issue is apparent and/or would affect work performance. That means if an employer has an issue with my condition, they can choose not to hire me altogether, which forces me to stay quiet about my struggles. Living life in fear and resentment of something I have no control over causes a different kind of anguish. Every time I am struggling, or even when I am looking back on a time I was struggling, I find that I am angered by the fact that I have to deal with it. I’ve spent so much time asking myself, “Why me? Why am I the one who has to deal with this? Why won’t this just go away?” At times it gets really rough because I just don’t want to deal with it anymore, but I acknowledge that it may never fully go away. Although I face a unique struggle, I don’t wish for special treatment. For a long time I was avoiding conversations about it and even pushed off going to see someone about my symptoms simply because I didn’t want the negative conno-
tation of having schizoaffective disorder to affect my life. Now, it seems that the best way for me to express my struggles and cope a little better is to be open and honest about the struggles I am facing. It is important that as a society, we acknowledge that serious mental illness does not make a person inherently bad. Just because a person has something like schizoaffective disorder does not mean they are a homicidal maniac like society and pop culture may portray them to be. Society has an extremely large problem with jumping to conclusions based on loose evidence. People make assumptions that can sometimes affect others for the rest of their lives. The best way to change the culture surrounding serious mental illnesses is to educate ourselves and to be understanding that everyone is fighting their own struggle.
On Monday, April 8, I had the pleasure of walking through WHHS with a small group of teachers, the President of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers (CFT) and Scott Adams. Adams is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Cincinnati Public Schools. He was here to look at issues that exist in the upkeep of Walnut Hills. I heard about many of these issues from the students I teach. They include problems related to restrooms, water fountains, damage done by water and too many others to list. Adams was also taken through the Arts and Science building and made aware of issues that I did not know existed. The COO was open to listening to the ideas presented and more importantly designing ways to fix and correct the issues that cause consternation amongst the students and I am sure the faculty as well. This walk-through to me was a culmination of hard work by many people and constant bickering about
the state of our school by the author of this piece. I was completely satisfied with what I heard from Adams. He was willing to listen and to talk with the teachers to come up with a plan and a way to make sure the corrections are being done with efficiency and to the satisfaction of all. I was equally glad to see the Supervisor of our area (District Supervisor assigned to our school) at WHHS on April 9, checking out hand dryers that are broken, bathrooms with no soap and even looking at water fountains that do not work. I suppose the adage that the squeaky wheel gets the oil fits well at this point. It is a good start, but we will see what the future holds. However, there is one thing that must be stressed. That those of us who work, learn, play and do so many other things in the hallowed halls of this building must be responsible for the environment of the building. Throwing soap on the floors, defacing the walls, cluttering up the toilets and throwing food
on the walls cannot be tolerated. We all must learn to respect the building and to do our part to make it last for another 100 years. It is up to all to be vigilant against those who wish to trash the school. Remind them, would they do this in their own home? This is the home to so many who have passed through, to those who are here and to those who are still to come. WHHS is a wonderful building. Its architecture is admired by those who visit. However, as the outside walls show the brilliance of the school, let us all work together to make what is inside as brilliant as the students and staff who work on its inside.
“Although I face a unique struggle, I don’t wish for special treatment.”
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.
An open letter to the students and staff of WHHS
CAROLINE HORVATH/CHATTERBOX
WHHS has many structural issues, but these are complemented by student-created problems. Litter is one of these problems, Martin argues in his open letter.
Mr. Martin Social Studies Teacher 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.
PEANUTS
APRIL 25, 2019
PAGE 4
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: HEAVEN ONLEY
CINCINNATI, OHIO
District Science Fair displays WHHS’ young minds
ABIGAIL SOARES /CHATTERBOX
In addition to the student-devloped presentations, University of Cincinnati had a host of exhibitions and projects to display to possible prospective students. One such presentation was the UC Undergraduate Geology Club, whose poster board and lots of Geology-related materials were there for viewing.
Abigail Soares, ‘23 One of the many events that some students at WHHS are often too familiar with is the Science Fair in eighth grade. The competition is mandatory for all students in the 8 Honors classes. Students chose partners or worked individually. These students brainstormed ideas, created a hypothesis and eventually tested their idea using the scientific method and made a presentation to be judged. The local Science Fair at WHHS was held on Feb. 7. Students who received a Superior rating from the judges moved on to the District Level competition at the University of Cincinnati on March 16. Sarthak Dighe, ‘23 attended Districts and commented on the process. “I redesigned my trifold board, and I made my presentation shorter and included more points of interest instead of ram-
bling, which I did at local science fair,” Dighe said. At the District Fair, there were eighth grade students competing and college students showing off scientific exhibits such as fossils of Ohio and different types of fish. During their lunch break, students were allowed to walk around and view their peers’ projects and the other exhibits on display. “I was judged two times by five people. Two in the first group,
and three in the second. I felt very restless while waiting for the judges, as I thought I would be judged more in the six hours of the fair. Instead, I was judged twice in the first hour and waited for the other five,” Dighe said. Dighe said, “They were extremely kind and seemed like they wanted me to succeed. However, they asked many questions, some of which I was unable to answer. When I
couldn’t answer questions, they helped me to find solutions, but some of them seemed annoyed and almost condescending.” For each category there were specialized judges. Since the judges specialized in different fields, they asked in-depth questions that had to do with the project, rather than asking generalized questions. When judging was complete, students could take a break. Sophie Christian said, “I felt relieved after being judged because I
felt like science fair was all done.” At the District Level awards ceremony, students received cash awards and scholarships and qualified for State level competition and other science fairs. “It was exhilarating. As soon as I found out I made it to state, I was euphoric. It became even better when I won a $350 award for my objective to find new disinfectants. I’m excited for the new projects I’m going to see. I’ll also be on my toes, as I’ve already gotten this far and want to go further to Nationals!” WHHS students cheered each other when friends’ names were called. Christian said, “It was nice seeing all the people around me so happy when they won.” “I would describe the overall experience as a long hard process but worth it in the long run,” Christian said. “Overall, District was a great display of scientific prowess for many students. It helped students to see good examples of scientific method and engineering design, and it helped students to meet other students who have similar interests,” Dighe said. Christian and Dighe gave advice for future 8 Honors students. “I would say to rehearse your presentation. Judges love someone who is eloquent and can speak with confidence about something they know,” Dighe said. “I would tell the future Honors kids to collect their data earlier and keep up with their work,” Christian said. This year, the States competition is on May 11 at Ohio State University in Columbus. Those who qualified and decide to go will continue to prepare for the next level getting experience in competition and taking WHHS further into the competition. Their hard work paid off, and Whhs will be seeing some of their own advance further into competition, cheering those who move on! DISCLAIMER: Abigail Soares, ‘23, participated in the District Science Fair and is a member of The Chatterbox staff.
Dancing through twilight Kaylee Robbins, ‘24 Here at WHHS, there are a handful of dances. People all around the school spend weeks, even months, preparing, picking out their outfits, doing their hair and finding dates. In particular, the junior high Twilight Ball was a real hit. Hundreds of students showed up looking dazzling and ready to party. Leah Finn, ‘24, said, “The music was fun and the decorations were cool.” But certain grades had more attendees than others. Many eighth graders, such as Paige Speaker, ‘23, did not attend. “My friend was not go-
ing and I wanted to go over to her house,” Speaker said. But the ones who did go were happy with how it turned out. Aliyah Spriggs, ‘23, said, “The dance was fun. There was a dance circle and one girl did the death drop.” The Twilight Ball was not just fun but also kept the students engaged from the minute it started to the moment it ended. Tag Berghausen, ‘24, said, “I got there five minutes after seven and the music was going.” With all the great reviews, the Twilight Ball was a huge hit, and many cannot wait for the same dance next year.
KYLIE BRIDGEMAN/REM
Junior high students pose for a picture at the annual Twilight Ball dance. Colorful decorations adorned the Junior High Gym around them as their classmates danced and enjoyed the night.
SPORTS
WHHSCBOX.COM
APRIL 25, 2019
PAGE 5
SECTION EDITOR: RYLEIGH SANBORN
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Spring sports attendance woes
Winter sports
vs.
spring sports attendance By midseason,
877 tickets were sold
By midseason,
350
tickets were sold
Girls & Boys winter sports
Girls & Boys spring sports
JOHNATHAN BROWN/ REM
The WHHS Nuthouse came out in full force for many of the fall and winter sports, including boys football. Spring sports are pushing for this same level of attendance at games. Alonna Johnson, ‘20 Screaming and cheering. Fans are what make the sports worthwhile for the athletes that play them. But what occurs when there is no cheering during games or when there is no one around to support them? Currently in the 2018-19 season as well as previous seasons, spring sports have significantly lower attendance rates than the fall and winter seasons at WHHS. In the winter, WHHS charges for their junior varsity and varsity girls and boys basketball games held on campus. During the season, the teams had a total of 62 games. Over the 62 games held, 3,160 tickets were sold. In the spring, WHHS charges for their junior varsity and varsity boys and girls lacrosse teams as well as at the boys volleyball games. Currently, around the middle of the spring sports season, only 350 tickets have been sold. At
this time for winter sports, WHHS managed to sell 877 tickets, a difference of 527 tickets compared to spring sports (about a 60 percent ncrease). The majority of ticket buyers in the crowd in the winter season seemed to be both students and parents. But in the crowds of the spring sports, the majority of the ticket buyers are parents of the students participating in the game. Winter sports get public recognition as the season contains popular sports like basketball, being the primary box office attraction at WHHS during the season appears to attract more fans. The winter sports give the students a place to hang out. The majority of students that come to the games are going to hang out with friends while supporting their classmates that are athletes. Olivia Busche, ‘21, favors attending winter sports games over spring. “They [spring sports] are more in-
dividualized sports, so unless I have one person that I am supporting, I’m less inclined to see that sport,” Busche said. During basketball season, there is more frequent knowledge of times and events. There are fundraising actions that the teams and the student body come up with to support the teams financially. While these initiatives do not completely disappear in the spring, there is less action coming from the Nuthouse concerning sports like lacrosse, rugby, softball and volleyball. There is less publicity being gained through announcements and the WHHS Athletics Twitter account. Therefore, it appears that boys and girls lacrosse games’ attendees primarily are parents of the player. “On the announcements they don’t really talk about spring sports like they do fall sports. They don’t talk about having a game every Fri-
day and they don’t have a student support section like they do football and basketball. I just feel as though the school doesn’t know they are happening because the school doesn’t talk about them,” Busche said. Toward the end of the year comes the stress of preparing for exams and AP tests. When considering why she would not be attending games, Joanna Acio-Alele, ‘20, said, “I have no time with homework and none of my friends are going.” More and more students are staying in and focusing on their grades during this time. The Nuthouse has begun to acknowledge the achievements of the spring sports. Placing more focus on when games occur and the results can lead to bringing out larger crowds. Acknowledging when teams make accomplishments can lead to students wanting to know more about the sport. Coaches and players on the team
can continue to encourage their fellow students and faculty to come to the games. Promotional items such as entertaining fundraising activities can lead to the high attendance rates. Varsity Tennis coach Taylor Brannon mentioned the idea of a double header event in the future. “I think two of the bigger spring sports especially now right here in Marx stadium, you get lacrosse and track and baseball and if we get a double header or something like that, that will get the fans to come over to the tennis court or vice versa. And I think that would be really good. there might be a collaboration in the future between coaches,” Brannon said. Ideas like the one Brannon presents is just one of several that could be embraced to improve spring sports attendace. Ultimately, it is up to the WHHS community to come out and support it as much as they can.
DeHart Hubbard meet honors WHHS history Avery Stevens, ‘22 Sabine Verhaak, ‘22
In the 1924 Paris Summer Olympics, WHHS graduate DeHart Hubbard broke barriers by becoming the first African-American to win a gold medal in an individual event. He competed in track and field, and won his medal in the long jump. Hubbard’s legacy has been honored with a track meet in his name, hosted at WHHS since 2009. This year’s meet occurred on March 23 and saw the boys’ team placing fourth out of 13 teams overall and the girls placing 11 overall out of 16 teams. There were many notable performances from individual runners. For the boys, Henry Hattemer, ‘21, Ryan Schrenk, ‘20, Zachary Williams, ‘21 and Elliot Brandicourt, ‘21, placed third in the 4x800m relay. In the 110 hurdles, SENIOR Jonathan Brown placed second, in the 1600m hurdles Schrenk placed fifth, Max Simon, ’20, sixth and
Garrett Fenton, ‘21, placed ninth. In the 300m hurdles, Brown placed first, in the 400m SENIOR Quinton Cooks also placed first and Jason Dargatz, ‘21, seventh. In the 800m, SENIOR Daniel Beitzinger placed fourth, in the 200m Cooks placed fourth, in the 3200m Brandicourt placed second and Henry Simon, ‘22, placed sixth, Everett Schulze, ‘20, placed ninth and Williams tenth and in the 4x400m relay the team took third. On the girls’ team, SENIOR Delia Washington took eighth in the 400m, in the 800m Mary Westrich, ‘22, placed fifth and Emma Rankin, ‘21, placed eighth. Washington took fourth in the 200m, and in the 4x800m relay the team placed fourth This was the Eagles’ first meet of the season, and hopes have remained high on both teams since. “It’s our self discipline, and how we work when eyes are off us, and I see us to be very strong in that regard,” Simon said.
ZACH BAHRI/ CHATTERBOX
Many runners competed at the DeHart Hubbard meet on March 23. As a result, there were many impressive performances across the board in both long distance and sprinting events.
STYLE & CULTURE
APRIL 25, 2019
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SECTION EDITOR: DELANEY OWENS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Peele enters The Twilight Zone
Classic sci-fi series gets a modern reboot Abigail Jay, ‘21 The Twilight Zone is one of the most well-known and infamous American television series. From the mind of Rod Serling, the show mixes elements of science fiction, drama and horror. Each episode has its own characters, plots and settings that are unique to the episode, often with a twist ending. The show gained acclaim for its ability to pro-
vide a commentary on real-world problems in a fantasy setting, with episodes influenced by the Vietnam War and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. “The Twilight Zone is really important because of the historical context,” Elena Hall, ‘21, said. The series ran from 1958 to 1 9 6 4 p r o ducing over 150 episodes, each introduced and narrated by t h e
show’s creator, Rod Serling. Over 60 years
Instead, Jordan Peele takes on the role. Peele is the producer of the show, a head writer and acts as the narrator. This is an especially important role as the narrator is the only recurring character on the show. “Rod Serling was such an expert on science fiction. Peele feels like a comedian, and even though he’s talented, I don’t know if he can live up to how prolific Rod Serling was. But there’s definitely worse people to do it,” Hall said. Peele’s series premiered on April 1, with the pilot episode “The Co-
“I don’t know if [Peele] can live up to how prolific Rod Serling was. But there’s definitely worse people to do it.” -Elena Hall, ‘21 after the first episode aired on CBS, the show is getting a modern makeover. Jordan Peele, along with the original network, CBS, has taken on the challenge of re-creating the series in a modern setting. Episodes evolve around the current political atmosphere and the impact of technology on our society. The most prominent difference between the original and the re-creation, aside from the switch from black and white film to color, is the creator and narrator. Serling was the creator, narrator and writer for the original series, but, as he died in 1975, he can’t fulfill those same roles on the 2019 version.
median,” starring Kumail Nanjiani. The episode is currently available for free on YouTube, as well as the CBS website. The transcendent nature of the series attracted many big names to the cast of Peele’s version, such as Adam Scott, John Cho and Seth Rogen, to star in the first 10 episodes of the reboot. Three episodes in, the series has a 6.6/10 rating on IMDb. Here’s to hoping that the reboot can live up to its predecessor.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KAIKETSU/WIKIPEDIA
PHOTO COURTESY OF CBS TELEVISION /WIKIPEDIA
Rod Serling, creator and star of The Twilight Zone, began his writing career in Cincinnati. He wrote scripts for WLW radio beginning in 1950. After shifting to TV, Serling also wrote for WKRCTV in Cincinnati.
Jordan Peele is best known for his work in comedy sketch writing and television. He has since shifted to the horror genre, directing both Get Out and Us. Peele will also voice a new character in the upcoming movie Toy Story 4.
SENIOR year survival guide
Advice for the class of 2020 and beyond Arianna Boddie, ‘19 Grace Berding, ‘19 Class of 2020 (and beyond)! As we SENIORS get ready to depart, we want to leave you with some advice on how to get through it your SENIOR year. Here are ten things we learned this year:
1
Get started on your essays early. Some colleges will release their essay topics early, which helps you have time to come up with a thoughtful response. If the specific college doesn’t, the common application website always publishes the essay topics early.
2 3
Visit the College Information Center. The office has so many good resources from test prep to college advice. You can find some new college ideas too!
Go to common app bootcamp. The bootcamp, held late in the summer, helps you get super far ahead by assisting you in completing nearly your entire common application.
4
Finalize your college application list. This list will change a lot during the year so don’t panic if your list doesn’t look like you thought it would.
tatesupply.com
5 6 7 8
Save up for SENIOR activities. With prom, Senior Dinner Dance and graduation ahead, you will be buying a lot of things. Spend as much time as possible with your friends. This may be your last year to make memories with them. Make it count. Don’t take your time for granted. You will spend most of the year hoping for graduation, but as you get closer, the reality sets in. Regularly check the SENIOR group chat. You will try to plan things in there, but usually it’s just memes.
859-727-1212
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Don’t let your senioritis get out of hand. You may have a very low morale toward the end, but try to push through it.
Make sure your mental health is taken care of. SENIOR year can be super stressful and you may start losing sleep, having panic attacks or having really bad days. Make sure you talk to someone and let them help you through it. Rising SENIORS, this next year will be fun, stressful and the most fun you’ve had in high school. Make the year count!
Contact the experts at Tate Builders Supply to transform your interior or exterior space with fireplaces, stone, or brick.
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NEWS/FEATURES
ALLYSON STANDLEY /REM
Students gather in the Forum during lunch as part of WHHS’ new club “We Dine Together.” W.D.T. was started by both students and faculty as an outreach program for students who are seeking to meet and interact with their peers during lunch.
Kindness. It is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. Some believe that it has died out or no longer exists in our world. But there is a club that is dedicated to spreading kindness: the We Dine Together (W.D.T.) club. The club was started by three people: Aiden Lenox, ‘21, Audrey Lenox ‘23 and Intervention Specialist Anna Tewell. They want to express that showing and spreading kindness to others will help build a sense of community here at WHHS. Clubs at WHHS require a Faculty Advisor, which Tewell serves as for W.D.T.. “It is a club that’s trying to put forth
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We Dine Together
Alonzo Montgomery, ‘23
APRIL 25, 2019
more effort in school to make everyone feel included and to promote kindness in ways that are more unique and unexpected during the school day,” Tewell said. In the future Tewell wants more students to join the club and to help spread the club’s message in more places. She also wants to spread the message and the framework of the club to other schools in the district to get “CPS more involved in kindness awareness and bullying prevention.” The club founder, Aiden Lenox, spoke to the District Board of Education and gained the interest of some of CPS’s administration members. They are “hoping to find innovative ways to combat bullying and hatred in
Students show solidarity with new club
the schools. We are hoping to get more people involved here at Walnut so that we can spread it to other schools,” Aiden said. He expressed that he wanted to spread a feeling of inclusiveness throughout the school. He explained that during lunch in elementary school he felt isolated and lonely. He also said “that’s not the case for me today, but that’s still the case for a vast number of students here at Walnut.” He wants people to take away from this that all students are welcomed and loved; whether or not they feel like they are loved, they are. He also hopes the club will help spread kindness and stop bullying. Beyond stopping bullying, he wants to make sure that people who are being bullied know that they are accepted. Aiden saw that there was a problem and it needed a solution. He believes W.D.T. is that solution. He said that bullying and unkind words and actions are apparent all over WHHS. He said that no one should have to feel that kind of belittlement and that is one of the reasons that he instituted the club at WHHS. But not everything that is great can be done alone. Every good thing starts somewhere and with someone, but great things start somewhere and with the help of someone else.
And in this case that someone else is Audrey. Audrey is not only Aiden’s younger sister but also one of the two eighth grade lunch captains. Audrey not only cares about the club but she wants it to be able to expand for more students to know about it as well. She describes the club as “creating a strong community in Walnut Hills by making people feel more welcome.” Typical club meetings for Audrey look like a gathering of club members in the forum socializing and strategizing new ways to make the school feel more like a community. W.D.T. is pushing for more kindness and community with their “Kind is the New Cool” campaign. Kind is the New Cool is a movement that W.D.T. wants to start to not only prevent bullying, but to take it a step further by spreading kindness to each other and the people that they encounter. One way W.D.T. aimed to accomplish this was by doing a Kindness Awareness Week. W.D.T.’s Kindness Awareness Week was the week of April 15-19.
“It is a club that’s trying to put forth more effort in school to make everyone feel included and to promote kindness in ways that are more unique and unexpected during the school day.” - Intervention Specialist Anna Tewell
Note: Alonzo Montgomery is an active member of W.D.T. as well as a Chatterbox club contributor.
Admissions scandal exposes unfairness in college process
PHOTO COURTESY OF ADAM JONES/ WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
It was recently uncovered that coaches of various varsity teams at the University of Southern California and other universities accepted bribes to scout and recruit children of wealthy families and help to get them admitted in to the university. This admission scandal, also known as “Operation Varsity Blues,” has caused an outcry from students and parents alike who see this manipulation of the system as unjust.
Chyna Smith, ‘22 On March 12, 2019, actresses Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman and over 50 other parents were caught in the biggest college cheating scandal ever. It was recorded that some parents paid between $15,000 and $500,000 for their children to receive fraudulent scores on the SAT and ACT, in order to ensure admission in selective universities. The parents engaged in two types of fraud: one to better their children’s scores and the other to use connections with college sports coaches by using fake athletic credentials, like faking athletic awards and editing pictures. According to CNN, William Singer, the orchestrator of the operation, laundered money from the parents by disguising bribe payments as charitable contributions to the Key Worldwide
Foundation, a purported nonprofit that was actually “a front Singer used to launder the money that parents paid him.” Loughlin, who famously starred in Full House, and her husband paid $500,000 in bribes to get both of their daughters into the University of Southern California. SENIOR Alex Bick shared her thoughts. “I think it’s unfair to all the people that have to actually get into college. But they think that because they have money, they have an advantage because they think that they can pay their way into college.” Gabrielle Folds-Parks, ‘23, said, “I don’t think it’s right because other kids actually work hard; meanwhile parents just pay their children’s way in. It’s not fair because kids that are actually trying to get that spot [are not getting it because] someone just pa[id] for it and takes it immediately.”
Adding onto this idea, Taja Barnes, ‘23, said, “I feel like they should work hard to get to college and not have someone do it for them.” As of now, one of Loughlin’s daughters, Olivia Jade, tried to withdraw from University of Southern California. The university released a statement saying that “This prevents the students from registering for classes (until they have agreed to participate in the review of their case), withdrawing from the university, or acquiring transcripts while their cases are under review.” Currently, the fate of the students who gained entrance to universities fraudulently vary depending on the university, but many are unknown. “It makes me feel cheated kind of in a way. You shouldn’t be able to just pay your way into it...At least they shouldn’t accept
the money or they should be like at least, ‘oh no, we’re not going to take that. Your child needs to do what other children do to reach the requirements,’” Folds-Park said. Bick also said, “It definitely makes me feel terrible about the situation because a lot of people, including myself, I don’t have money, so I have to work my way into college. It’s totally unfair to those of us that have to work to get into college, they don’t have to worry about money and just use their parents [who] want you to get into college.” As of now, it appears that most kids didn’t even know their parents had paid money for them to be accepted. According to CNN, Huffman made a post saying that “My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her.”
ARCADE
APRIL 25, 2019
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SECTION EDITOR: RYAN HILL
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Perspectives
What decision in your life would you change?
RYAN HILL/CHATTERBOX
“Everything happens for a reason so I wouldn’t change anything.” - Shannon Brewster, ‘20
RYAN HILL/CHATTERBOX
“I should have tried to find more friends that I could hang out with.” - SENIOR Deven Pennington
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RYAN HILL/CHATTERBOX
“I wish I would have taken more AP classes throughout high school.” - SENIOR Sierra Hix
“I wouldn’t change anything because the decisions we’ve made in our past have gotten us where we are today.” - Sophia Kramer, ‘22
RYAN HILL/CHATTERBOX
“I wish I would have tried to play more sports at Walnut.” - SENIOR Te’Vonna Bonner
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“I would try a lot harder in school and study more.” - Salome Tregre, ‘22
Escape the Maze!