whhscbox.com The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School Volume CXIV, Issue 1 Tues., Sep. 17, 2019
Feet on the ball, eyes on the future DREW HART / CHATTERBOX
From left to right: SENIORS Spencer Shroyer, Elliot Hull, and Caleb Price, the varsity soccer captains. These student athletes are not only committed on the field but also to college. Ryleigh Sanborn, ‘21 Senior year comes with a lot of ‘lasts’. Last first day, last school dance , the last few months with the people you’ve been going to school with for the past six years. For athletes, there’s another list of lasts. Last first game, last practices and for many the last time playing the sport that they’ve spent countless hours training for. That’s part of what makes playing sports in college so appealing to many high school athletes; a chance to continue playing the game that they love. This holds especially true for the captains of the WHHS men’s soccer team. SENIORS Caleb Price and Elliot Hull have been on varsity for four years and Spencer Shroyer has been on the team for two years. Shroyer and Hull have both committed to furthering their academic and athletic careers. Hull plans
to attend Lake Forest College, a DIII liberal arts school outside of Chicago. Hull credits his parents for helping him visit the many schools he fielded offers from before committing and his coaches for helping him become the player he wanted to be. He looks forward to the new competition as well as becoming a part of a new team. Shroyer committed to The University of Indianapolis in July , a DII college in Indiana. Shroyer had been interested in the school for some time. “UIndy was always at the top of my list, there were some other schools I was contemplating West Virginia University, but UIndy was always my first or second choice,” Shroyer said. Shroyer was also very proud of being selected to play for the U.S. Youth Futsal Team, which he credits as a huge help in getting him exposure in the recruitment process. Both Captains proclaimed their commitments as one
of their biggest soccer achievements. “My biggest accomplishment has probably been my commitment because it has been the culmination of a lot of hard work and the realization of one of my biggest goals,” said Hull, who views his commitment as a reward for all the work he’s put in over the years. Price has yet to commit but has offers from Florida Southern, the College of Wooster, University of Mount Union, and the Air Force academy. He has plans to announce his final choice before the end of the month. Price has wanted to play in college ever since he began playing the sport. For now, Price looks forward to making his last season in high school the best one yet. Like his fellow captains, Price credits his club coach especially in helping him choose the right school. As far as club soccer, Price’s team has qualified for the National League, which is a made of 16 high
school teams as well as being named ECC all conference. Price credits being apart of this league as one of his biggest accomplishments as it has allowed him to play in by cities such as Las Vegas and Orlando. The recruitment process isn’t easy. Once an athlete decides they want to play in college, they are faced with a lengthy todo list: Sending countless emails to coaches, making visits to many colleges, as well as making sure that you’re still playing at your best. Although the recruitment process requires a lot of dedication and patience, as the three captains stressed, it’s still something many soccer players aspire to do. “For anyone that wants to play in college but is scared of the recruiting process, don’t be. The coaches are very nice and receptive. The process is more straightforward than a lot of people make it out to be,” Hull said.
DREW HART / CHATTERBOX
From left to right: SENIORS Caleb Price, Elliot Hull, and Spencer Shroyer. Hull is committed to Lake Forest College and Shroyer has committed to University of Indianapolis. Price is yet to commit, but has offers from Air Force Academy and Florida Southern college among others.
OPINIONS
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
PAGE 2
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: GAVIN KURSMAN
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Tradition trumps technology
Meet the Opinions team
Gavin Kursman, ‘20 It was 7:25 a.m. on Aug. 19 as chaos erupted in the WHHS library. Student printing had been turned off. Widespread confusion flooded the hallways. Did Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) not have enough funding for student printing? Was WHHS attempting to go paper-free in order to be more environmentally friendly? The answer is none of the above. Over the summer, CPS updated software on the school’s laptops, and one of the changes was blocking student printing. However, our librarians and administration are working for our printing rights. Hopefully, we will soon have them returned. The printing fiasco coupled with the fact that teachers are still asking students for printed assignments led to the resurgence of the debate about whether paper should leave the classroom. My answer: it should never leave the classroom. While technological advancements have allowed for greater computer assistance in classrooms, they cannot replace the benefits of using paper and a writing utensil. “Writing notes on paper helps me remember more,” SENIOR Katie Sutkamp said. Sutkamp’s personal observation aligns with the results of research conducted by Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer of Princeton University and UCLA respectively: taking notes on paper has been scientifically proven to increase memory. While laptops are meant to provide a more engaging educational environment, they have the tendency to do quite the opposite. In a study at Michigan State University that monitored students actions on laptops in class, it was found that laptops create a large distraction from learning, primarily due to the internet. Students were found to have spent large amounts of time browsing and not engaged in class. However, is this really that surprising?
With the start of the new school year comes the new Chatterbox opinions team, ready to provide you with a diversity of ideology and many thought-provoking viewpoints. We have a fun year in store and will be covering local, regional, national and global views. We ask that you respect each opinion writer even if you greatly disagree with their views, as we all come from different backgrounds and can learn a thing or two from each other. If you are interested in joining The Chatterbox, come to room 2306 any Thursday during your lunch. We can’t wait to see you there and share our opinions with you.
SYDNIE BARRETT / CHATTERBOX
The library computer lab is an excellent resource for all WHHS students. While pen and paper can do many assignments, computers are still needed for others. How often do you find yourself checking social media or scrolling through texts when you are on your phone in class in order to do an activity? According to Nicho-
I grew up hearing “computers are the future” and with technological advancements today, no one can doubt that. Paper is being slowly phased out of the classroom. In my time at WHHS, I have transitioned from using a laptop once a week to once a day to now almost every hour I am at school. However, the benefits of physically holding that sheet of paper, of writing down those notes, of flipping the page to the test are still not rivaled by looking at a computer screen and clicking buttons on a keyboard. Paper should be here to stay.
“Taking notes on paper has been scientifically proven to increase memory” las Carr in his essay “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” we are captivated and absorbed by the unlimited information available in the internet, and as a result, we are losing our patience and critical thinking abilities. And sometimes, laptops can physically cause pain. SENIOR Lydia Graves explains that “my process of learning is hindered as I get headaches from looking at a computer too long.” Laptops cause distractions, loss of patience, loss of critical thinking abilities and even physical pain.
HAJRA MUNIR / CHATTERBOX
Top left to right Owen Cummings, ‘22 (Managing Editor) SENIOR Gavin Kursman (Section Editor) SENIOR Jacob Wendel (Club Writer) SENIOR Otto Kindel (Club Writer) Bottom left to right Sofia Tollefson, ‘21 (Staff Writer) SENIOR Drew Brown (Staff Writer) Yousuf Munir, ‘21 (Club Writer) SENIOR Luke McSherry (Club Writer) SENIOR Lydia Graves (Club Writer)
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.
Letter from the editor
ABIGAIL JAY / CHATTERBOX
Wassup Chatterbox readers, Let me introduce myself: I’m Caroline Horvath, Editor-in-Chief of The Chatterbox for the 2019-2020 school year. I’m probably not the first person to welcome you to WHHS, but I hope my welcome will be a little different, maybe informative or even entertaining.
114. This number probably means very little to you, but this academic year it holds great value. Since 1922 The Chatterbox has been publishing a print newspaper. While not always consistent or timely, it’s always been a part of WHHS tradition. This year marks the one hundred and fourteenth volume of The Chatterbox and I have high hopes for this seemingly average number. This year, along with the incredible Chatterbox staff, I aim for the publication to be more inclusive to all students and differing perspectives. In order to make our big school feel small we want to highlight more groups, clubs, students and activities than ever before. Those of you logical and rational people out there may be saying “Well Caroline, how are you going to do this with only an eight page paper with 12 print issues?” And a good question that is. For those of you who are unaware or technologically challenged, we have an outstanding website <WHHSCBOX.com>, maybe give it a look when you have time. In combination with our 12 print issues, we will be pub-
lishing new content, articles, photos, videos and podcasts, on our website, helping us cover more students and reach new readers. We also plan to continue our digital announcements through televisions located around the school, keeping students informed about the latest lost
Lab as we like to call it. It’s hard to believe that The Chatterbox has been a part of the WHHS community for so long, and it’s even harder to believe that so many editor-in-chiefs have come before me and written letters from the editors
“This year marks the one hundred and fourteenth volume of The Chatterbox and I have high hopes for this seemingly average number” and found items and spunky words of the day. The Chatterbox would not be The Chatterbox without the continued support of our readers. Whether you’re a student, faculty member, parent, friend or supporter of student journalism, I thank you for contributing to our community. With that said, we invite all readers of our publication to write to us their opinions and comments on our articles or happenings in the world. We also encourage you to come to our club meetings during all three lunches on Thursday in 2306, or the J-
just as I do now. As I scrolled through old letters from the editors hoping to spark ideas and inspiration I was reminded of the history our paper holds. Every article written, picture taken and video filmed captures a part of WHHS history and culture for us and alumni alike to look back on together. I truly hope you’re ready to make history with us this year. I’ll see you in the halls,
Caroline Horvath
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 Caroline Horvath,
Isabel Nissley,
Editor-in-Chief
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Abigail Jay, Managing Editor of News and Features
Alonna Johnson, Managing Editor of Student Life
Owen Cummings, Managing Editor of Viewpoints
Delaney Owens, Managing Editor of Visual Elements
Bobby Keegan, Managing Editor of Operations
Ryleigh Sanborn, Public Relations Manager
Samantha Gerwe-Perkins, Adviser
Brian Sweeney, English Department Chair
WHHSCBOX.COM
FEATURES
CINCINNATI, OHIO
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
PAGE 3
SECTION EDITOR: SHIV MALHOTRA
JETting off to national competition Over the summer, J.E.T.S attended the National Engineering Competition (NEC) in Washington, D.C. “It was just as fun and challenging as any other day in the club,” Co-president SENIOR Alma Russell said, “this year, we want to push ourselves... to do better, but at the same time, going to nationals itself was such a great accomplishment.’’ To get to nationals, the J.E.T.S had to compete and place in highly competitive regional competitions. During regionals, they were assigned tasks that were out of the ordinary. For example, during the 2019 regionals, students were given random gadgets and materials such as paper plates, popsicle sticks and twine, in order to get a teddy bear out of a box. “It’s just completely random,’’ Russell said. Similar to the club, the NEC was made up of challenges, each given a certain time limit, such as completing an essay and filming a video in just a span of
two weeks. As a matter of fact, the competition was not all rigorous work and non-stop thinking, it was also an unforgettable experience full of sights and exploration. “We met every single day after school and it really helped because by the time competition time came, we would be more relaxed and calm...You gain a lot of
“You gain a lot of life skills, especially if you’re going into engineering. ” - SENIOR Alma Russell
PHOTO COURTESY OF ALMA RUSSELL
Here stands the J.E.T.S nationals team in Washington D.C with their gold medals: (left to right) Matthew Menendez- Apponte, ‘20, Sushruth Manchineella, ‘19, Jack Garry, ‘19, Brendan Li ‘19, Alma Russell, ‘20, Isabelle Brandicourt, ‘19, Shea Britt, ‘20, Rowan Chatterjee, ‘20. Azariah Cuff , ‘23 Topics such as engineering or technology often get a bad name. Why? Well, perhaps it’s seen as nerdy, or generally deemed as “just a boring topic.” Although that may be true for some, if you gave it a chance, you
may be surprised at what you discover, and that’s exactly what the Junior Engineering Technical Society, or J.E.T.S, is all about. J.E.T.S is more than a group of students huddled around discussing blueprints and tech tips; it’s a place for students with a passion for all things technology, but also for their creative
abilities, to come together. J.E.T.S puts their technical and intellectual minds to the test frequently, and it can get pretty competitive. “The club is set up so that it begins where everyone collaborates, and then farther down the year, we split up into regional competition teams,’’ Copresident SENIOR Neil Ott said.
life skills, especially if you’re going into engineering. You get to learn a lot of different types of engineering… the competition itself was a really fun time because it was all of us,” Russell said. Currently, there are 70 J.E.T.S 2019-2020 members, and more students are welcome to join. They meet on Thursdays during third lunch, in room 3703. “Anybody can join the club, we take as many as we can,’’ SENIOR Rowan Chatterjee, a club member, said.
“Non-Stop” at NHD Matthew Proietti, ‘20
been good friends since kindergarten, so it only made Many students who at- sense that they would eventutended WHHS for their eighth ally team up, the two explained. grade year fondly remember Johnson had already conhaving to do their National nected 2019’s theme,Triumph and History Day (NHD) project. Tragedy, with one of his personal Tasked with choosing a histor- favorite historical figures: Alexanical topic, researching it as much der Hamilton. He knew the basics as they can, and connecting it all of Hamilton’s story from seeing back to the contest’s yearly theme, the revolutionary Broadway musistudents get a chance to be creative cal about his life three times (his faand explore their own interests. vorite song is “Right Hand Man”). The project has become From there, Johnson bea mainstay of U.S. history classes gan his own research, even reading at WHHS, especially in honors’ a majority of Hamilton’s Federalbells. While some students are con- ist Papers, which is an achievement worth its own ar“All that effort went into building our ticle. They own thing, which we then got to share agreed that rewith others. That was the fun part ” things ally started to come to- Louis Ke, ‘23 gether once tent with simply getting it done they started working as partners. just to get it done, others com“We probably worked mit to their assignment. They go for over 50 hours on our projabove and beyond to make their ect, even more if you count all paper, presentation, or website the hours we spent FaceTiming something they can be proud of. and talking,” Johnson said. Once WHHS’s National History They chose to put their Day ends, students have the choice project together as a website, comto continue on to regionals. Most plete with all the information you participants, even the ones with the could ever want about America’s best projects, choose not to. How- first treasury secretary. They made ever, over the summer, two students sure to detail how he affected histochose to take their project further. ry and how he fits into the theme. Louis Ke, ‘23, and Eli Johnson, When the time came to present all ‘23, ended up taking their project their hard work to the school in Janall the way to nationals, winning uary, the duo earned a great grade. seventh place in their category. But they did not feel finished. “My project just wasn’t “We did so much work working out,” Ke said. Between on this project, we thought, soccer practice and violin rehears- ‘Why not go far with it?’“ Ke als, Ke was struggling with finding said. They were regional bound. a way to make his NHD project “Any student who something special. “Eventually I wants can advance to regionals. realized Eli had a really good idea, I’m glad Louis and Eli decided so I asked if he wanted a partner.” to go for it,” Mitch Perdrix, the Johnson and Ke have pair’s history teacher, said. “They
were the first group in a while to continue on with their project.” Perdrix made it clear that Johnson and Ke’s achievement was mostly independent; after he helped them register for regionals, they were on their own. He also pointed out that many of their competitors come from schools where NHD is almost the entire history curriculum. “Students from those schools work all year long on their projects, with teachers guiding them the whole way, while at Walnut it is more independent,” Perdrix said. While this may have been discouraging for some, Ke and Johnson weren’t going to throw away their shot that easily. At regionals, the duo competed against over 1000 other students from the area. “Regionals were the hardest,” Johnson said, “because we had to memorize our whole project. The judges hadn’t seen it beforehand, so we had to go over the whole thing when we presented.” “It was also in this dimly lit, old classroom, so that didn’t help,” Ke added. Despite their nerves, the presentation went well. Only the top two or three projects in each category get to advance to the next level. With that said, the two were selected to go to state. Ke noted that the conditions for state in Columbus were better. This time, they were interviewed and had to go over the special points of their presentation. The judges were impressed by how deeply they had researched Hamilton. Again, only the top two or three groups move on, and again, they advanced. The national competition took place from June 9-13 at the University of Maryland. “We only stayed one day, because
ABIGAIL JAY / CHATTERBOX
Eli Johnson and Louis Ke, pictured here with their award certificate, made up the team that represented WHHS at National History Day. we were kind of busy the rest of the week. Our category [junior website] was also the very first to go,” Ke said. The judging process was similar to state, except they had to wait outside the room for almost an hour before presenting. “That was the most nerve racking part of the whole experience, just waiting,” Johnson said. “We were nervous at the beginning, but once we got into our groove, it was easy from then on,” Ke said. Their hard work paid off; the website ran smoothly, and they didn’t miss a beat of their presentation. They both enjoyed the experience in Maryland, and returned
home at the end of the day. They would have to watch the end-of-theweek awards ceremony at home. Besides placing seventh in the country in their category, Ke and Johnson were also gifted the U.S. Constitution Award. This is given to the best project that is connected with the Constitution - it also comes with a respectable cash prize. “We aren’t huge history buffs, really. At first it was tons of work. I learned a lot about how to make a real research project. And all that effort went into building our own thing, which we then got to share with others. That was the fun part,” Ke said. Johnson agreed.
PEANUTS
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: KAYLEE ROBBINS
PAGE 4
CINCINNATI, OHIO
On the field as a family
KAYLEE ROBBINS / CHATTERBOX
The WHHS Junior High girls soccer team has many different ways of getting ready for a game, but one good luck charm for them is their mascot, and fellow teamate Carmen Rubio’s, ‘24, soccer ball, Marshmallow. Kaylee Robbins, ‘24 WHHS is home to many sports teams, one of which is the junior high soccer team. Each year, the team gets ready to take down any competitors in their path and works hard to do better than the year before. Through conditioning, weight lifting and practicing the footwork that goes into getting past the competition, the WHHS junior high soccer team sticks together as a family. Through the ups and downs of a player’s bad practice or
a team’s loss, the Eagles find a way to be supportive and cheer the team on as if they were one of their own. Many players such as Thomas Sumanas, ‘25, get their inspiration from their team. When Sumanas is having a bad game or practice, his teammates stand by him and help him through it. “If one player gets the ball and shoots, but misses, it is not his fault but it is the teams fault for not helping him out,” Codi Donaldson, ‘24, said. Donaldson believes that the whole team has to work together in order to succeed. You
Effie Alert
have to work with yourself and others and strive to do better together. But with all the support of a team, you also have to be sup-
health are one of the most important things that you must achieve before you can do great on the field. A players mentality is one
“The only person that you can be better than is the person you were yesterday,” - Jorga Wilkerson, ‘24 portive of yourself. “The only person that you can be better than is the person you were yesterday,” Jorga Wilkerson, ‘24, said. Wilkerson believes that balance and mental
Welcoming new students to WHHS
Despite WHHS’ idea of a seventh grader with their big backpacks, crowding the hallways and running from class to class, the truth is Effie’s such as Scarlett Frank, ‘25, and Calvin Farmouh, ‘25, have a lot to offer our school. Isabella Zinchini, ‘22 In her free time, Frank enjoys theatrics, tennis and golf. When she’s not being active, she likes to hang out with friends or try to catch up on sleep. After becoming a Kilgour Elementary School alumnus, class of 2019, Frank is looking forward to her first year at WHHS and can’t wait for all of the theatrical productions.
of their biggest competitions. Self doubt can impact a player tremendously while on the field. Lauren Staley, ‘25, remembers this through the mistakes and problems she faces
on a daily basis. “Never give up and always try. Things always seem hard until you finish them,” Staley said. With all the support and guidance the junior high soccer team gets, the season ahead looks as though it could be one of the best yet. For more information about the team, practices, games or any other questions you may have, check out the WHHS website in the athletics section for all the answers.
Piper Peanut Hi fellow 7th and 8th graders! It’s me, Piper, here to tell you all the new dish of being a junior high student at WHHS. I’m sure some of you are struggling with fitting in at this huge school. Don’t worry, I’m here to help! One thing I wish someone told me when I was in seventh and eighth grade was new ways to get involved in the WHHS community. Joining clubs and sports is one of the best ways to make new friends and participate and something you enjoy. If you think there isn’t a club
for you then you should check out the WHHS Website, <walnuthillseagles.com>. There, you can see the information for all the clubs we have to offer. You can even apply to start your very own club! Don’t forget to send in any questions or concerns you may have and always remember, have a great day!
From your very own, Piper
Peanut
HAJRA MUNIR / CHATTERBOX
Scarlett Frank, ‘25 is gearing up to conquer the new environment that WHHS has to offer.
Hajra Munir, ‘23
HAJRA MUNIR / CHATTERBOX
Calvin Farmouh, ‘25 is excited and ready to take on his first of many years at WHHS.
Calvin Farmouh, ‘25, is a new student that previously went to Creekside Elementary. Farmouh’s favorite subject is math and he is highly interested in joining the WHHS math club. Farmouh also has a liking for the Chatterbox and hopes to join later on. Farmouh’s hobbies include watching TV, playing video games, and playing sports. Farmouh is excited to be a new seventh grader at WHHS and becoming more involved in clubs.
PHOTO COURTESY OF: HANNAH WARDLOW
Hannah Wardlow, ‘22 won the drawing contest for our new Piper character. Piper Peanut is the anonymous column for seventh and eighth grade advice. Be sure to check her out every issue.
WHHSCBOX.COM
NEWS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
PAGE 5
SECTION EDITOR: SHIV MALHOTRA
Navigating the matrix (or not) Shiv Malhotra, ‘20 Mesgana Mekibib, ‘20 As students spend countless hours working on assignments, studying for numerous quizzes and tests and fabricating countless projects, one thing remains on all of their minds: The final grade. Exams, administered at the end of each semester, often determine the grades that students receive for the semester. Grades in past years were typically determined by the well-known grade matrix, but for the 2019-2020 school year, a change has been implemented at WHHS. The grade matrix that many students have grown accustomed to has now been done away with for a fifty point percentage model, in which each quarter is 40 percent of the semester grade and the final
Going off of that, there are mixed feelings regarding how the removal of the matrix will affect the students at WHHS. On one hand, the removal could encourage students to take semester exams more seriously, as there is now more weight on the semester exam grade than there was with the matrix. Chemistry teacher Jeff Lazar agrees with this notion, saying that “[the change is] going to be worth it.” On the other hand, the weeks leading up to exams, which are already a stressful time for many students, could place a larger strain on the students’ mental health than has been applied in past years. Students already have obligations outside of academics, and adding more pressure on semester exams may not help with that. Some students did not even know that there was a change made to the grade matrix in the first place, as the topic was not something that was broadcasted to the entire student body. Iris Westphall, ‘24, said that the removal of the grade matrix was “news to me.” She also added that “[the change] would affect how people study topics and how they go about the exam.” SENIOR Collin Trissel found the change in grade matrix to be a “major disruption to my last year. Ever since seventh grade I have been used to the grade matrix, and such a subtle change without warning shouldn’t have happened in the first place, since it adds an unneeded stress to students.”
“[The district was] looking for what was best for CPS as a whole, not just [WHHS]” - Guidance Counselor Adrian Cabrera exam/assessment will be 20 percent of the grade, in order to match the information in the Cincinnati Public School’s handbook. For example, if you got a 90 first quarter and a 90 second quarter, you would need at least a 90 on the exam to get an A for the semester. Guidance Counselor Adrian Cabrera said that this change in the grading system has pros and cons and could cause students to be “more prepared for exams, which could end up being either good or bad.”
ABIGAIL JAY / CHATTERBOX
As of the 2019-2020 school year, WHHS has done away with the former grade matrix in place for an algebraic calculation to determine students’ final semester grades. WHHS in turn has reacted with mixed emotions. According to the CPS district, the change was incurred for what they believe would be beneficial for their students. “[The district was] looking for what was best for CPS as a whole, not just [WHHS],” Cabrera said. Overall, the removal of the grade matrix will definitely bring a change to the
WHHS community, but it remains to be seen the type of change.
APRIL 19 MAY 3, 2020
FROM POLAND TO ISRAEL
FROM DARKNESS
TO LIGHT
WE ARE an all expense paid trip.* Open to Cincinnati high school seniors with at least one Jewish parent.
INFO SESSIONS October 10th, 7pm at the Mayerson JCC Oct. 17, 7pm | Oct. 24, 7pm | Nov. 3, 5pm All In-home presentations Contact Jourdan Stein at MOTL@MayersonJCC. org or 513.761.7500 x1294 for more questions and the locations of the info sessions. *This trip is generously funded by The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, and organized by the Mayerson JCC, in partnership with the Nancy & David Holocaust and Humanity Center. Grants are administered by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. March of the Living grants are not need based and are offered to Cincinnati Jewish high school seniors who have not already used their high school Israel travel grant.
STILL HERE
TO LEARN MORE, VISIT
MAYERSONJCC.ORG
STYLE AND CULTURE
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: CHYNA SMITH
PAGE 6
Fashion forward
CINCINNATI, OHIO
WHHS students show off their own unique style at school
PHOTO COURTESY OF MAYA AND REGAN HOLTZMAN
Maya and Regan Holtzman, ‘21, express themselves through fashion influenced by pop culture. Sydnie Barrett, ‘23 There’s no doubt that the students of WHHS all have their own unique styles, and the Holtzman twins are no exception. Regan and Maya Holtzman, ‘21, are WHHS students with an unapologetic fashion sense to match their unrivaled confidence. The Holtzmans describe their style as colorful, unique and creative with influence from pop culture and 90s wear, but Maya says her style has a bit more of a modern twist than her sister, Regan, who says that her style is more feminine.
To copy their clothing wouldn’t be a simple task. They do occasionally shop at stores such as Forever 21 and PacSun, but they get a lot of their clothes from thrift stores around town. Regan often upcycles to add her own personal touch, and sometimes she even makes her own clothes. Although it would be hard to believe if you saw them now, their style hasn’t always been so bold. “Throughout the years, there has definitely been improvement. In seventh grade, we were shy and would really only talk to each other and our style reflected
that, but as we got more outgoing, our style got more outgoing. We got a lot more compliments which gave us a lot more confidence,” Regan Holtzman said. As seventh graders, the Holtzman twins were new to picking out their own clothes because their mom had been the one dressing them in the past, so it was a struggle figuring out what to wear while trying to fit in with the other students. It was a process, but over the next few years they developed their style to eventually become what it is today.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KYNNEDI PRIESTLEY
Kynnedi Priestley, ‘22, has built a collection of pieces from retailers such as Fashion Nova, Shein and Rue 21. Elizabeth Ramos, ‘20
How would you describe your style? Kynnedi: “I would say I stand out and I’m unique with my style. You don’t see a lot of people wearing some of the things that I wear. Some things that may be cute to me, people may not like it but I will still wear it.” Would you say your style changes every year? Kyneddi:“Yes, I try to change my style every year just because I
feel like I’m growing as a person so I want my style to grow with me. If you look at what I wore the first day of seventh grade, it’s a complete mess as opposed to what I wore the first day of sophomore year.” Was style always important to you? Kynnedi: “I’ve always had issues with confidence and weight, and so I used to always care about what people said about me until about the end of eighth grade.”
Best. Year. Ever. MAKE THIS A YEAR TO REMEMBER!
Design events, connect with friends, and curate your Jewish life at
CINCYJEWISHTEENS.COM THESE EVENTS & MORE WERE FUNDED BY VENTURE
AWARDS:
INTERFAITH BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
JTEXT: MOBILE JEWISH TRIVIA
HIGH SCHOOL CULTURE CLUBS
FUNDED BY THE JIM JOSEPH FOUNDATION AND JEWISH FOUNDATION OF CINCINNATI IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MAYERSON JCC
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
WHHSCBOX.COM
FINE ARTS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
SECTION EDITORS: NADYA ELLERHORST
Eagles ARTiculate their summer travels
PAGE 7
Nadya Ellerhorst, ‘20
There’s no better time to travel than summer. And there’s no better time to discover new art than in new places. Many WHHS students traveled near and far during their summer breaks, and some shared the masterpieces they saw. Chloe Lu, ‘24, traveled back to her hometown of New York City, and saw many of its gems, including the Statue of Liberty and the Hudson Yards’ Vessel. Her personal favorite was the art deco Empire State Building, but it wasn’t the height that intimidated her. “I wasn’t scared about anything besides dropping my phone,” Lu said.
New York City, New York, USA
Simone Sears, ‘22, journeyed to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where she explored many works in the Van Gogh Museum, including the iconic painting ,“The Bedroom.” The museum featured a “popup” display of Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings, along with a virtual display. “It was so crazy. It felt… mysterious in a way. It made me happy seeing it,” Sears said.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Nina Shaffer, ‘25, journeyed to the nation’s capital for the first time on a choir trip, where she sang in the gothic revival style National Cathedral. One of her favorite parts of the cathedral was an area with “a beautiful altar.” “It was really big, and beautiful because of the architecture,” Shaffer said.
On the WHHS trip to Italy, Braeden Price, ‘21, visited Florence, Rome and Sorrento. Price saw the works of Renaissance masters such as Michelangelo and Da Vinci. A highlight of his trip was seeing Michelangelo’s David. “I was blown away…. It was a lot better in person than in pictures,” Price said.
Washington, D.C., USA
Florence, Rome and Sorrento, Italy
As part of the WHHS Russia trip, Sophia Schwerin, ‘21, explored St. Petersburg and Moscow, visiting famous sites, including the Hermitage Museum, Peterhof Palace, and the Kremlin. The Hermitage Museum was a high point of Schwerin’s travels. Schwerin recalls, “I remember walking in… You go up this huge, marble staircase… It’s just so beautiful and elegantly done.”
Moscow and St.Petersburg, Russia
SENIOR Dhruv Rung ta went to Mumbai and Amritsar, India, and experienced Eastern architecture in various places of worship. The artistic culmination of his trip was Amritsar’s Golden Temple. Overall, “it was just really cool seeing the architecture, in that it varied from more Western architecture,” Rungta said, and it was “satisfying to the eye.”
Mumbai and Amritsar, India
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHLOE LU, SIMONE SEARS, SOPHIA SCHWERIN, NINA SHAFFER, BRAEDEN PRICE, DHRUV RUNGTA
JONES ON THE JUMP TO LOS ANGELES:
Student Chaya Jones wins singing competition
ALONZO MONTGOMERY/ CHATTERBOX
Chaya Jones, ‘21, who recently won the PBS Celebration of Music showcase, is excited for the opportunity to demonstrate her love for singing.
Alonzo Montgomery, ‘23 Chaya Jones, ‘21, is marching band drum major by day, singer by night. She also recently won the PBS Celebration of Music. The new talent search showcases some of the best and youngest musicians, singers, bands and dancers
from all over the United States. Talents from ages four to 25 were encouraged to send in their audition tapes. And WHHS’ very own Chaya Jones took to the stage to sing and show her passion for music. When asked how she prepared for Celebration of Music, Jones said, “I kind of just prepared
like by practicing and singing the songs.” While this might seem like unhelpful or ineffective, singing a song repeatedly can help you find out what your challenges are and how to fix them, making sure that you are warmed up for multiple situations and that your voice is clear is absolutely necessary. It can help singers perfect their own rendition if they aren’t going to be singing the original studio version. The competition had two rounds, an audition phase and a live audience phase. For her audition, Jones sent in a video of her singing ”Take the Box” by Amy Winehouse. The judges contacted her the next day and said they wanted her to perform in front of a live audience. In the second half of the competition, there would be two winners. The call meant Jones had to get vocally and mentally prepared to sing a different song. For this round, Jones sang “Writing’s on the Wall” by Sam Smith from the movie “007: Spectre.” After winning one of the fan favorite votes in her city and the producers’ overall vote, Jones
got picked to go to Los Angeles fol- fathers. Daughters look up to their lowing her live audition. The pro- mothers. Younger siblings look up ducer pick also means that she will to their older ones. Even celebribe on the show that is broadcast to ties and singers look up to and are the entire country. Jones will have inspired by people. Jones’ personal the chance to meet with some mu- role models include, “Ella Fitzgersic producers as well. This is just a ald, Sarah Vaughan, Lauryn Hill, step into what Jones sees for her fu- Aretha Franklin, and Beyonce.” ture musically. “I’ve been studying Music is something that and planning on going to college you can tell Jones loves. “It makes for mu“It makes me feel amazing. It’s the one s i c , either thing I enjoy doing the most. If I just sit vocal p e r - down and write or sing everything I just formelt away,” -Chaya Jones, ‘21 mance and like music production or like me feel amazing. It’s the one thing commercial music production or I enjoy doing the most. If I just something like that,” Jones said. sit down and write or sing everyAmid all the excitement, thing I just melt away,” Jones said. Jones looks forward to her upChaya Jones may be a coming trip to Los Angeles. “... drum major by day, singer by that’s crazy to me, because I didn’t night and perhaps renowned singthink I would be able to do it er in the near future. But, most and when they called my name, I importantly, Jones is passionwas kind of shocked,” Jones said. ate about achieving her dreams. Almost everyone looks up to someone. Sons look up to their
ARCADE
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: CHLOE SMITH
PAGE 8
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Perspectives
CHLOE SMITH / CHATTERBOX
Q: What was one moment from your summer that you will cherish forever?
CHLOE SMITH / CHATTERBOX
Q: What is your favorite thing about WHHS?
CHLOE SMITH / CHATTERBOX
Q: What is your biggest fear as a child?
“It would be that I don’t believe in myself, that would be a fear of mine, that “I was at summer camp and there were “I like that it encourages you to do better I don’t believe in myself and like to not a lot of people that I met years ago and academically,” push myself to try new things, to work one of them lived in Spain and I hadn’t -Taja Barnes, ‘23 harder, to have that growth,” seen him for a year and I got to see him,” - Morgan Taylor, ‘05, junior high coun-Ella Rentz-McCoy, ‘23 selor
Calling all artists! The CHATTERBOX needs YOU! The Chatterbox is looking for cartoonists to submit comics. Gain new skills and have your work published! Visit room 2306 during your lunch or contact cboxcomics@gmail.com.