Volume CXIII, Issue 2
The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School
Tues., Sept. 25, 2018
The Student Success Center Striving to help students soar
REHME LEANZA / CHATTERBOX
Eric Ravenscraft, Kevin “K.P.” Phelps and Hadrian Dwyer, ‘23, collaborate on their homework at the Student Success Center (S.S.C.). The S.S.C. is a place where all students are welcome to ask questions and receive help, whether regarding schoolwork, extracurriculars or their future at Walnut.
Drew Brown, ‘20 Imagine. You’re a new student at a huge school. There are a lot of older students walking the halls with you. You’re half-nervous, half-excited. You want to make new friends and want to see if you can play your favorite sport or try to join a club at your new school. The first couple weeks go pretty well, you’ve made some new friends, got a sense of the bell schedule and, even better, you found a secret hallway that gets you to class quicker, how awesome! Now it’s midterm, you’re struggling in class, finding it hard to focus, not able to have fun in your extracurriculars because you’re worried how long it will take you to do that math homework you don’t know how to do. Many new students at WHHS experience this, who try their best but seem to come up short. No more! No more study nights until two in the morning, no more taking four hours doing math homework
and definitely no more taking six hours to write that English essay! Students of WHHS, this year the Student Success Center (S.S.C.) was formed to help you be the best you. Christina Wickemeier, Sally Updike, Peggy Groeber and Meg Dietz, the staff at the Student
“We are so compatible because we are aware of our strengths and that will lead us to be successful at the Student Success Center,” Wickemeier said. The Student Success Center offers a plethora of services, such as individualized student success plans, metacognitive awareness instruction (thinking about how you learn), academic tutoring and support, study skills intervention, as well as organization and time management support, just to name a few. “All of us have different backgrounds, which reinforces that we look at the whole student,” Groeber said. One of the differentiating factors between the Student Success Center, the College Information Center and the Writing Center is that the S.S.C. “helps students with social and emotional support.” Groeber goes on to add that “[students] deserve to be here [at WHHS], and we don’t want to lose them.” The staff at the Student Success Center are dedicated to helping students perform at their best
“All of us have different backgrounds, which reinforces that we look at the whole student,” -Peggy Groeber, S.S.C. Staff Member Success Center, are enthusiastic to meet and help students in any way possible. All staff members can be found in the S.S.C., room 2701. The team dedicated to helping students at the S.S.C. all come from different backgrounds, such as English, Math and Study Skills:
ability, both in and out of the classroom. A handful of student-help programs don’t actually help the students address problems that hold them back from succeeding: “Traditional tutoring puts a band-aid on the problem; we go in and try to fix the problems that a student has,” Wickemeier said. Through their mind-print assessments, the staff at the Stu-
dent Success Center are also able to help you determine your strengths and weaknesses in order to help you get back on track. Don’t wait another minute, if you’re struggling, whether at school, in extracurriculars or if you just need some advice, the Student Success Center will always be available to help.
NAME NAME/CHATTERBOX
REHME LEANZA / CHATTERBOX
Samuel Wright, ‘24, works on the famous seventh grade Scavenger Hunt at the Student Success Center with the help of Sally Updike. The Student Success Center is a place where students can develop writing skills that can help them in both personal and academic situations.
OPINIONS
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
PAGE 2
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: ISABEL NISSLEY
CINCINNATI, OHIO
The many shades of WHHS spirit Rehme Leanza, ‘19
When I think of school spirit, I think of going all out, dressing up head to toe according to a theme. I cover all the exposed skin on my body with glitter and scream cheers for the entire event. Some go all out in the audience, or on the field playing, but others are more subtle with their excitement. Urban Dictionary defines school spirit as “Devotion of your whole entire high school life to your school. Going to football games if not to sabotage it.” Students at WHHS have many ways to define school spirit, ranging from an emphasis on sports and spirit wear to simply a general attitude. However, different students define school spirit in different ways. “I define school spirit as supporting one’s school. You don’t have to support everything, but trying to keep a good attitude about your school is showing school spirit,” Jack Richey, ‘24, said. At WHHS, school spirit is encouraged and everyone has some sense of pride in their school. However, one may look down
on school spirit as too peppy, too much work or unnecessary, when others enjoy going all out with costumes or being loud and open about their school pride. At WHHS, we tend to show the most support for football games, while other sporting, academic and fine art events are often overlooked. WHHS is a college preparatory high school, and may not be the best at sports, but many students have immense pride in our school and what we do here. “Going to sports games, [and] appreciating my school outside of [its] walls,” Sean Kelly Darks, ‘20, said about how she shows her support inside and outside school events. Students take many college level courses and are given many extracurricular opportunities both academically, in clubs and through alumni creating opportunities for students. If you don’t go to WHHS, you don’t have the same high school experience as WHHS students and faculty. These experiences bring us together and we have a feeling of camaraderie and accomplishment that we can’t help
REHME LEANZA/ CHATTERBOX
Some WHHS students show their school spirit by attending football games and cheering on the Eagles. WHHS played St. Xavier in a rainy competition, but students’ spirits were not dampened.
but talk about outside of school. WHHS students are unique and show their spirit in their own way. For example, through “humor and zest. Maybe even some nice outfits/costumes,” Omar Hill, ‘23, said. Even with the academic workload, clubs, sports and other extracurriculars, WHHS
students have a good attitude and show spirit in every way they can. This can be as simple as “having a smile on my face and always trying to spread positive vibes,” Jamiya Barnett, ‘21, said. School spirit is shown in so many different ways, and WHHS is full of it. Students and faculty
Will Fitton, ‘20
League. He’s the best,” Filipe Luís, a defender for Atletico Madrid, said. Enrique and Filipe Luís’s comments are spot on. Anyone who watches him should easily be able to say that he’s superior to his rival and expected winner of the award, Cris-
show their spirit by attending sporting and academic events and honoring traditions. 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.
FIFA’s best male player of 2018: the wrong choice Last week, FIFA unveiled the finalists for their annual Best Men’s Player of the Year award. As usual, there were three nominees selected as finalists, with the winner to be revealed on Sept. 24 in London. Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić and Mohamed Salah were selected based on “respective achievements during the period from 3 July 2017 to 15 July 2018,” per FIFA’s website. For those who have followed soccer in the past year, the omission of Lionel Messi has been the top story in the past few days. Widely considered to be the greatest of all time, the exclusion of Messi has come as a shock to everyone, including new Spain boss and former Barcelona manager Luis “Lucho” Enrique. “If you have to give an award to the best in the world, I would give it to Leo Messi. Without a doubt. He’s a step ahead of every other player,” Enrique said of his former player. “The award is for the best player in the world. For me, today, it’s Messi. Just like in previous years… When he’s not there, it loses credibility. It doesn’t matter who wins the World Cup or the Champions
Match awards, as well as being tied for most assists in La Liga. All of this becomes even more impressive when you realize that this means Messi bested the likes of Mohamed Salah on goals, Kevin de Bruyne on assists, Neymar on dribbles, Mesut Özil on chances created and Paulo Dybala on free kicks. Each of these players is among the best in their respective position, and Messi was better than all of them all while covering more space than any of them. While it’s true that the other finalists had more team success on the larger stage (Modrić led Croatia to the finals of the World Cup while all three appeared in the Champions League final), this is supposed to be an award for individual performance. The statistics and highlights don’t lie. No matter who FIFA names the Best, there was simply no better player in the world last year than Lionel Messi.
“...if you have to give an award to the best in the world, I would give it to Leo Messi.” - Luis Enrique
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON/WIKIMEDIA
Lionel Messi’s shocking omission from the finalists of FIFA’s most prestigious individual award has left many scratching their heads.
tiano Ronaldo, in nearly every way. Messi is better at dribbling, passing and arguably shooting than Ronaldo. He has better acceleration, and you would be hard pressed to find an instance of Messi diving in the penalty area. A common argument used by Ronaldo’s advocates is that he is a better goalscorer than Messi. And yet Messi scored more goals across La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa Del Rey last year than Cristiano Ronaldo. On top of that, he led Ronaldo, Modrić and Salah in every meaningful attacking stat, including Goals, Chances Created, Dribbles and Man of the
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 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
NEWS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
PAGE 3
SECTION EDITOR: DREW BROWN
A stormy start to the school year Dripping ceilings and slippery floors pose dangerous obstacles for WHHS students Essaye Tekia, ‘19 It was fifth bell, and Lauren Posta’s AP English Language and Composition class was assigned an in-class essay. Then, a particular hum started to sound from the ceiling, a sound that teachers in the North Wing of the school are all too familiar with. “It would start off as sort of a squeak, with a development into a moan...then moving into a high pitch squeal of several different octaves, before coming back to a moaning start,” Posta said. The noise would frequently disrupt classes, especially in her classes teaching eighth graders, Posta said. Dubbed “Moaning Myrtle” by the English teachers in the wing, the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system has garnered a notorious reputation, as it would frequently be the cause of classroom disruptions. Aside from the noises, reports of water leaking from classroom ceilings were frequent during the first few weeks of school. “It did [disturb class], my teacher would have to put tissues down during class to keep it from getting the floor wet,” Darren Thomas-Dixon, ‘20, said. Since then, the leaking from classroom ceilings has stopped, but the HVAC system continues to be the cause of problems. The noise is still heard in classes throughout the
school, and major incidents last year highlight issues with the HVAC. Last spring, the entire Arts and Sciences Wing was evacuated for a day because of what was described as flooding in multiple classrooms. The first floor classroom of art teacher Donald Stocker was flooded that day. “When I walked in the class that morning, it was coming straight down the center of the room from the ceiling ... it was Niagara falls,” Stocker said. “It took most of the day to clean up the mess, because there were definitely chemicals in the water,” Stocker said. During the clean up that day, Stocker and other teachers in the Arts and Science Building had to relocate to the senior high gym, as maintenance staff cleaned up the coolant-laden water. The new HVAC system was part of a series of renovations to the school involving the construction of new buildings and remodeling of current ones. This project totaled to $67 million and was done over a period of about 3 years. It was one of the largest projects in the Cincinnati Public Schools district, according to a November 2010 issue of The Chatterbox. In fact, in 2015, WHHS received the Gold Cincinnati Design Award for interior renovation, given for “Design conceived and executed at the highest levels of professions,” according to the Cincinnati Design Awards
CAROLINE HORVATH /CHATTERBOX
Alma Russell, ‘20, gazes down at a soaked desk in the journalism lab. On top of the already hectic first week of school, another element of discomfort was added to student’s first few days with the realization that HVAC units throughout the school had begun to drip. website. Because many students and faculty saw the renovation as necessary, what was considered a drab and poorly-lit campus was transformed in a way that satisfied many in the WHHS community. WHHS’s HVAC system started experiencing these issues within a few years of being installed, but according to Aqualityhvac.org, the average commercial HVAC system should last 20 to 25 years. It has to do with the type of system the school uses, the chilled beam system. “You see, the chill bean HVAC system is not optimal for the Midwest. It’s much better for drier climates, like Arizona, where it is drier,” plant operator Edwin Sam said. A chilled beam HVAC system is one which involves a horizon-
tal beam of chilled water in the ceiling that chills the air around it, causing it to sink, replacing it with warm air. This causes convection, thus the cooling room. “Now when it comes to the leaking, you have the chilled water valve and the air is humid; common sense tells you what’s next,” Sam said. Sam continued to discuss how the Arts and Sciences Wing is governed by an entirely different HVAC system altogether, Variable Air Volume (VAV) boxes, where air is taken from outside and supplied to each room through boxes that are either heated or cooled as needed. Sam explained that he doesn’t know why both wings have different HVAC systems, nor why the chilled beam system is used in the North
Wing. “I came into this, I was not aware of these things until after I was hired, so the people who came before me decided that this was what they were gonna do,” Sam said. These issues brought up by students and faculty are part of multiple problems that are affecting life at WHHS, which are not only limited to the HVAC, but also include peeling paint on walls, strange smells in the hallways and what some thought to be urine in the ceiling in the spring of last school year. These renovations led to a big change in WHHS. Overall, students seem to view most of them as beneficial, but many believe there are problems that have not been fixed.
Serena Williams calls out sexism in tennis
PHOTO COURTESY OF ISHOT71/WIKIMEDIA
Serena Williams prepares to send the tennis ball back across the court at the exhibition event at the BNP Parabas Showdown. Williams has been in the news recently following the controversial rulings against her by a referee at the U.S. Open Final, which many have deemed sexist and discriminatory. Chyna Smith, ‘22 On Sept. 8, 2018, Carlos Ramos, the referee of the U.S. Open Final, was accused of sexism by tennis champion Serena Williams. After Williams received a warning violation because her coach was seen allegedly guiding her during the match, he docked a full point from Williams after she smashed her racket out of frustration. Williams then was docked a game because she called the referee a “thief” for stealing the point from her. After the match, Williams was fined $17,000.
The match itself saw Naomi Osaka beat Williams to win the U.S. Open. Williams did not seem phased as she struggled, but what happened next angered her. The referee, Ramos, accused Williams of cheating, and she demanded an apology. Williams said in an interview with CNN, “I don’t cheat. I’d rather lose. Every time I play here, I have problems.” Williams is currently speaking out about sexism she believes exists in the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals). According to CNN, Williams also said, “There are men out here that do a lot worse, but
because I’m a woman, you’re going to take this away from me? That is not right.” Many believe sexism is alive and well in the tennis community: “There have been plenty of times where the males get away with everything,” Williams said. During the Open, Alize Cornet, a French professional tennis player, changed her top during a 10-minute break, realized it was on backwards and fixed it. The refs gave her a code violation. The U.S. Open organizers later made a response to the sexism Cornet believed she received. Allegedly, U.S. Open organizers have expressed “regret” for the way Cornet was treated for briefly taking off her shirt on court. However, many have wondered why it is so different for Williams. The ATP also
banned the Nike body suit the day after Williams wore it to a tennis match. She wore the suit in May after giving birth to her first child. The bodysuit was designed to fit her health conditions, like preventing blood
clots and other post-pregnancy complications. According to Vox, French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli said, “I think we sometimes went too far... The combination of Serena this year, for example, it will no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game and the place.” Tiye Dennis, ‘21, shared h e r thoughts: “I feel for what she was saying. And like, you know, how she got upset over it. But I feel like she could’ve controlled her energy a little bit more.” It is still unknown if these scandals will change the rules or culture of future U.S. Open tournaments. Nevertheless, the debate over the effect of sexism in professional tennis seems unlikely to go away.
PEANUTS
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: HEAVEN ONLEY
PAGE 4
Junior High football Dear Piper, excited for new season
CINCINNATI, OHIO
“I’m having trouble staying organized and focused with all the work the teachers give me. Any tips?” - Disorganized Dan
ARIANNA BODDIE /CHATTERBOX
Students gathered in the gym for the annual junior high fall pep rally. Students celebrated their student-athlete classmates and got excited for the season with the help of the Junior High Cheerleading team. Bobby Keegan ‘21 ter Jonah Hutchins, ‘23, said. admires the work ethic and
Last year, the then-seventh grade WHHS football team ran a historic record of an undefeated season, and the winning streak remained heavy on their minds through the summer conditioning. Now, the season has started again, and the team hopes to continue its winning ways in eighth grade. However, the team lost their first game of the season against Loveland, ending their string of victories--but the team is not discouraged. “[The loss] humbled us and took us back to our roots,” cen-
The eighth grade team maintains the same goal as last season: to win the rest of their games and go on to win the championship tournament at the end of the season. At the same time, the new seventh grade team is off to a better start. The new WHHS football players won their first game of the season, but could not create the same result for their second game and finished with a tie. With a 1-0-1 record, the seventh grade athletes strive for the same goal as their eighth grade counterparts. In addition, many of them aspire to be like their WHHS elders. Cameron Craft, ‘24, says he
determination of other players, and more specifically, looks up to quarterback Jack Reuter, ‘23. Craft is also optimistic about his team’s future. “We got a fast team and I don’t think anyone is going to touch us for the rest of the season,” Craft said. Both junior high teams look to complete their seasons with winning records and aim to accomplish the feat of winning the championship tournament. This article is updated as of Tues., Sept. 18, 2018. Check whhscbox.com for recent scores and results.
As the new school year starts, incoming seventh and eighth graders are introduced to lockers. It does require some getting used to, being that you have to plan out when you need to go there and get your supplies and work for your classes during the day. It seems like a hassle to use, so instead some may tend to just keep everything in their backpacks. Well let me tell you now, don’t do that. It does not help at all, and if anything, it will make you feel even more disorganized when you keep everything you work with in your Jansport or North Face bag. Just imagine working in an office without a desk and having to keep all of your files and information in one suitcase. It just won’t work out! So please, utilize those lockers and your life will be easier. I guarantee it. Plus, you don’t want to be labeled with having an “Effie backpack.” It’s definitely a part of WHHS culture, but the back pains from it would be unsatisfactory.
A planner will be your best friend through your high school career. If you write down everything you need to do for homework, there is less of a chance of you forgetting to do your assignments. Being at WHHS, I’ve learned that when you are more organized, it leads you to becoming a better student. Notice how I didn’t say “a perfect student.” At the end of the day, everyone makes mistakes. You might forget to do your homework for a class or you might receive a pop quiz over something you may not have studied for. Don’t let it bring you down because you always have the next assignment to make up for that mistake. It will not be the end of the world. Just know that if you follow the advice that was given, you will be great. Yours truly, Piper Peanut
WHHSCBOX.COM
CINCINNATI, OHIO
SPORTS
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
PAGE 5
SECTION EDITOR: RYLEIGH SANBORN
Shroyer shines in Colombian invitational
PHOTOS COURTESY OF U.S. FUTSAL NATIONAL TEAM
Shroyer stands with his teammates while they pause for the National Anthem. Spencer Shroyer, ’20, is pictured practicing in Columbia with members of the U.S. National Futsal team. Shroyer didn’t Shroyer left for the trip July 23 and returned on July 30. have any oppurtunity to practice with his teams prior to arriving in Medellin. futsal and soccer is the size of the ball. In futShroyer was invited to a tryout with hopes fore the trip, yet still went 1-1-1 overall. Jackson Dunbar, ’19 sal, the ball is heavier and smaller, making it to make the U.S. Futsal National Team. Try“They were some of the best athletes I WHHS is known for many things nation- less bouncy. Other differences include the outs lasted three days from July 3 to July 5, had ever seen. Fast and strong players, efally in both academics and extracurriculars. fact that there are only five players on each 2018, with fifty kids trying out and hoping fortless in their movement,” Shroyer said. Many students have a wide range of interests team in futsal, opposed to eleven players for for a position on the team. The following All they had was one training session and talents. One unique student within the each team in soccer. There is also no offsides Friday, Shroyer received the amazing news and a team bonding experience, before playWHHS community is Spencer Shroyer, ‘20. rule in futsal, and there are also unlimited in an email. ing games. The team bonding experience esHe said, “I was so nervous that whole week. pecially resonated with the young Shroyer. Just sixteen years old, Shroyer’s pas- substitutions, creating a faster-paced game. Shroyer has been on the WHHS Men’s My mom called me and told me [I made the sion to play the up-and-coming sport, “We went to see a creek and really got futsal, recently gave him the opportunity Varsity Soccer Team for two years, but fut- team], and I just lost it. I was so happy.” to know each other. It was rewarding being Shroyer and his mother left with their bags able to see the true beauty of Colombia. It to compete against the top players and sal was something different entirely. His teams in the world in Colombia, South futsal journey began six years ago, when he packed July 23, excited for the week-long trip. really is an amazing country,” Shroyer said. He stayed in a hotel in Medellin, roomAmerica. This meant a seat at the table signed up to a play for a local futsal team On an off-day on the trip, the team went against elite, international competition. named Ginga. He has continued to play ing with three other teammates. Shroyer sightseeing in their host city of Medellin. Futsal as a game is very much similar to futsal in the winter during the offseason. said being in a place he had never been be- The intensity of the city, the streets floodShroyer said playing futsal at a young fore with people he had never met was “re- ed with vendors, the loud music. Shroyer soccer. It is played on a field the size of a basketball court. The sport originates in Monte- age “really contributed to developing my ally nerve-racking. But once I got to know said of his adventure, “This was by far video, Uruguay, created by Juan Carlos Ce- skills in soccer at a faster pace.” Little did my teammates, we had a ball.” the coolest trip I have ever experienced.” riani. Ceriani produced five-a-side version Shroyer know, six years later he would The level of talent he faced and of soccer for youth competition in YMCAs. be given the opportunity to travel to an- went against was “mind-boggling.” The most fundamental difference between other continent to compete in futsal. The team did not practice together be-
Nuts go nuts Zach Bahri, ‘19
JONATHAN BROWN/REMEMBRANCER
(Above left) The Eagle mascot stands on the track before the game starts. (Top Right) The Nuthouse WHHS student cheering section rallies as the game goes on. (Far Right) SENIORS Zoe Sherman, Maggie Cavellier and Rose Airaldi all participated in the gold rush.
The WHHS Nuthouse is a student-led organization that supports a wide range of WHHS teams and sports. The Nuthouse is committed to enhancing the student body’s experience with athletic events on and off campus and supporting student-athletes by getting the WHHS student body engaged at sporting events. If you would like to join the Nuthouse, you can contact anyone in the Nuthouse and be put into the groupme. A great place
to start would be coming to a home football game and asking a SENIOR leading the cheers to join the club. If you join, you can expect to learn how to plan themes for sporting events, lead and create cheers, have a good time at various sports events, help plan and lead the pep rallies and come out to support as many varsity sports teams as possible.
Taking a stand by taking a knee Trent Willhite, ‘19
Colin Kaepernick is the quarterback who forever will be known as the man who kneeled during the national anthem. Kaepernick shocked the world by sitting alone when the national anthem was playing before a preseason game in 2016. When photos started to go viral of him kneeling, there was an uproar of NFL fans across the nation who were in shock that a millionaire athlete could “disrespect the American flag.” However, they failed to consider the reason he did it. Colin Rand Kaepernick was born on Nov. 3, 1987 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to a teenage mother who gave him up for adoption. At just a few weeks old, Heidi Russo, Kaepernick’s biological birth mother, met with Rick and Teresa Kaepernick, a white couple who had just lost their two babies to heart disease. The Kaepernicks took in the young baby to try to give him a better life than his birth
mother could. tion, dominating in basketball, football When the Kaepernicks adopted Kaepeand baseball. Throwing a fastball at 94 rnick, they saw no color. They just saw a miles-per-hour, he was selected by the young boy who needed help. Even though Chicago Cubs in the forty-third round they didn’t care about his bi-racial backof the 2009 MLB draft. Passing over this ground, those around him did. Kaeperopportunity, he stuck with his passion, nick’s parents would often receive stares which was football. He took his only offer and strange comments from a college team: from others. This University of Nevada raised questions in in Reno. There he would Kaepernick’s mind at tune his skill as quara very young age, but terback, earning the noticing the difference in the color of starting position his his skin did not stop freshman year. By him. Some might say the end of his college it motivated him. career, he had become Throughout high the first quarterback school, he maintained of a Division I Foota 4.0 G.P.A, and in his ball Bowl Subdivision senior year, he was a to pass for more than PHOYO COURTESY OFMIKE MORBECK/WIKI first-team All-District, 10,000 yards and rush Kaepernick kneels before a San Francisco 49ers All-Conference and for more than 4,000 game.Before leaving the NFL Kaepernick led the All- Academic selecyards. He was quickly team to a super bowl victory in in 2012.
noticed by NFL scouts and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft. Kaepernick had finally reached his dream of becoming an NFL player. He played as backup quarterback throughout his rookie year behind Alex Smith, and then in his second year he was given an opportunity. After Smith was sidelined by a concussion, Kaepernick was finally starting. Given one shot at the starting position, he went on to help the 49ers get a superbowl victory in 2012. Even though he achieved his dream and reached millionaire status, Kaepernick saw a difference in the way people were treated due to their skin color. So, he decided to do something about it. He took one knee. One knee that, some say, “ruined” his career, millionaire status and NFL dream. Nevertheless, Kaepernick took the knee, believing it would be step in the right direction.
STYLE & CULTURE
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: DELANEY OWENS
PAGE 6
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Fortnite fever sweeps WHHS Do you play Fortnite? At some point (24.9%) Yes (42.5%) No (32.6%)
The above survey results show that a combined 67.4 percent of participants either play Fortnite or have in the past.
Some colleges are now giving scholarships for being good at Fortnite or other e-sports. Do you agree with this idea?
PHOTO COURTESY OF BAGOGAMES/FLICKR
No (50.9%)
The online video game Fortnite was first released by Epic Games in July 2017. Since then, the game has made the news for its real life impact, from causing divorces to creating college scholorships. Owen Cummings, ‘22 Trailing Minecraft by 4 million copies, Fortnite has sold 140 million copies and is expected to make a collective $2 billion by the end of the year. To put that in perspective, Microsoft bought the entire company that made Minecraft, Mojang, for $2.5 billion. If Fortnite sales maintain their current pace, Fortnite will have made more money than that by summer 2019. Created in July 2017 by Epic Games, Fortnite started out as a Minecraft-esque zombie survival game with guns and slightly more realistic graphics. But the game started soaring in popularity after they added a second mode: Fortnite Battle Royale. Debuting Sept. 2017, this mode increased revenue so much that Epic Games released it as its own game on numerous platforms. In a survey of WHHS students, 190 of 285 surveyed students play or have played Fortnite, and of those, 54 play or have played for five hours a week or more. What makes Fortnite more popular amongst the general population? It succeeds in including something for everyone. It involves strategy for professional gamers, a simple premise, cartoonish graphics and bright colors to get a younger audiences’ attention and no gore
that would upset parents. Many of the students surveyed think that Fortnite is popular is because the game is free, and its constant updates keep players on their toes. “It’s only popular because the community and the ‘Battle Royale’ feature makes the game seem as if it’s highly competitive and takes a tremendous amount of skill to play,” Will Albright, ‘23, said. The fact that Fortnite is a shooting game has caused some parents and teachers to be opposed to the it. One school in Sydney, Australia, actually banned Fortnite entirely. “I just wanted to highlight a concern that we have with the boys playing a game called Fortnite,” the principal of the school said. “This game does not allow for messaging to be turned off so the boys are accessible to hundreds of online strangers. The game is played in teams of four so can be quite addictive as the boys feel they are letting their team down if they are not playing.” As of July, a petition on Change.
org to ban Fortnite entirely has been signed by over 7,000 people, saying that it was just too popular, too violent and too much of a cash grab. Despite the attempted censoring of the game, Fortnite has continued to grow, up to a point where some parents are paying tutors around $20 an hour to try and make their kids better at Fortnite. Out of the 285 WHHS students s u r ve y e d , 53 are being given or know someone who is being given Fortnite lessons. Some colleges are now offering scholarships to students if they are good at Fortnite. Ohio’s Ashland University is offering up to $4,000 if students are good at Fortnite (having a lot of recorded wins) or other e-sport games. Even the Disney Channel has its own e-sports competition show, not for Fortnite, but for another popular cartoonish shooting game, Overwatch. But as this show attracts viewers, and with the growing population of Fortnite players, it isn’t out of the realm of
“It’s only popular because the community and the ‘Battle Royale’ feature makes the game seem as if it’s highly competitive” -Will Albright, ‘23
Yes (49.1%)
Certain colleges are awarding scholorships based on e-sports like Fortnite. The survey showed that 49.1 percent of participants agree with this practice. possibility that Disney will make a Fortnite League show as well. This seems like a good idea for students who might not warrant academic or athletic scholarships, but one has to wonder if Fortnite will still be popular by the time some of its players are ready to go to college. A game like Marvel’s Spider-Man by Insomniac has by no means surpassed Fortnite in sales or current popularity, but the amount of hype surrounding the game up to its release is somewhat staggering. There is a difference in trailer views, but when a game that hasn’t come out yet nears the same popularity as the biggest game in the world right now (37 million views for a Spider-Man trailer on YouTube vs Fortnite’s Season 5 announcement at 46 million), maybe Fortnite’s popularity will soon give in to other games. But as a consensus seems to be forming that Fortnite is slowly dying, many big game companies are noticing all the attention the game has gotten, and are trying to piggyback off of its success. One of the most successful shooting series
of all time, Call of Duty, has just released a Battle Royale mode in its latest game, and Nintendo has also joined the bandwagon, as they recently revealed that they are coming out with a Battle Royale add-on to Splatoon 2. And if Fortnite is really dying, Epic Games certainly won’t be acknowledging it anytime soon, as they announced that they will be offering a total of $100 million in online tournaments this fall. Fortnite has without a doubt become an icon in modern pop culture, and it doesn’t look like they will be giving up that status anytime soon. Despite its opponents saying that it is too violent, and there are those opposed to the idea that people are getting tutored for a video game, no one can deny that Fortnite has a place in a gaming hall of fame, just like Minecraft, as an experience that brought millions of people together in just a few months, and for that, it deserves a #1 Victory Royale. Read the full article online at whhscbox.com.
Rap culture and drug use Arianna Boddie, ‘19 The past two years have been tough for hip hop fans. Rappers have been unexpectedly dying left and right. If it’s not due to drug use, it’s due to mental health. Mental health has been overlooked in the music industry forever. With so many young rappers getting famous nearly overnight, mental health issues have been skyrocketing. How these artists deal with their pain is typically not healthy. Most of the rap genre consists of black men and women, and their mental health only worsens when they begin to get a lot of attention. According to a 2015 study by The National Alliance on Mental Illness, black Americans are
20 percent more likely to experience mental health issues. They are also half as likely to actually use mental health resources than their white counterparts. Many black Americans can’t afford to pay for talk therapy or other psychological resources. This creates a cycle of unhealthy patterns that gets reflected onto later generations. In reality, the entire genre is plagued with mental health issues, even outside of the black majority. In the age of the internet, regular teens and young adults alike can get famous in an instant. Going from rags to riches so quickly can cause a major mental shock. Having millions of people start watching your every move and friends you once thought you knew using
you for your money can mess up the way you trust people. Feeling alone and used leads to many types of mental disorders like anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. If any of these artists get help, they immediately get prescribed medications like Xanax or Prozac, which are highly addictive. Once they get on these drugs, it can be very difficult to get off of them. With rapper Lil Peep’s death in late 2017 due to a drug overdose and rapper Mac Miller’s death earlier PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLAS VÖLCKER/WIKIMEDIA this month for the same reason, the Rapper and producer Mac Miller died on Sept. 7 of an apparent drug overdose. mental health and drug use probHis is one of many recent losses in the rap community. lems have become widely noticed. Rapper J. Cole even released an en- on the path of death by overdose. able to come up with a solution to tire album earlier this year, KOD, However, even as the problem ap- save the lives of many young artthat he proclaimed was aimed at pears to get worse, no one has been ists. all of the young rappers who are
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SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
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ARCADE
SEPTEMBER 25, 2018
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Perspectives
SECTION EDITOR: RYAN HILL
What is your favorite thing to do in Cincinnati?
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Riddles
CINCINNATI, OHIO
1. It can be done to buttons and shopping carts. What is it? 2. I can fall off a building and live, but in water I will die. What am I? 3. Where do butterflies sleep? 4. What’s always coming, but never arrives?
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“My favorite thing to do in Cincinnati is to go to the Cincinnati Ballet.” - Jennifer Vargas
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“My favorite thing to do in Cincinnati is going shopping at Kenwood Mall with my friends.” - Valencia James, ‘19
5. We are two brothers on opposite sides of the road, but we never see each other. Who are we? 6. What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years? 7. What buliding has the most stories?
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“My favorite thing to do in Cincinnati is to go the Kings Island with my friends and ride rides.” - Jaden Battle, ‘22
Escape the maze!!!
1. “Push”2. Paper 3. Caterpillows 4. Tomorrow 5. Eyes 6.The Letter M 7.The Library 8. Post Office
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“My favorite thing to do in Cincinnati is to go to the parks and play basketball.” - Tyler McGlothin, ‘24
8. What two words have a thousand letters in them?