Volume CXVI, Issue #10
The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School
Tues. April 26, 2022
WHHS goes NUTS! The robotics team is headed to world championships Kimaya Mundhe, ‘25 ‘The NUTS!’ robotics team anxiously waits to hear who will win the FIRST Tech Challenge state championships. Huddled around the screen they hear “And the inspire award goes to…” Team members rejoice, some in relief, others in disbelief, all in excitement. ‘The NUTS!’ will be representing WHHS at the world championships in Houston, Texas from April 20 to 23. “It was a very surreal moment to know all our hard work advanced us in the competition,” Lillian Klinedinst, ‘24, said. FTC is an organization with over 7,200 teams competing worldwide for an opportunity to advance through district, state and national events. It is an international science and technology program geared to prepare high school students to excel in challenges engineers experience in the real world. “Ohio historically is one of the most difficult states to get out of because of the quality of competition in the state of Ohio,” Coach Rocky Tekulve said. “To be the top team in the state of Ohio, you’re really one of the top teams in the country, if not the world. It’s a very, very exclusive accomplishment.” This is not the first time ‘The NUTS!’ have advanced this far in the competition. Historically, the team has been very strong, making it to the world championships twice. While specific team members cycle through, one thing remains consistent: commitment. The team meets three times a week, Wednesdays are used as planning meetings for the five and eight-hour practices on Friday and Saturday.
FTC has several values, including gracious professionalism, a goal to build competitors up and to help them succeed. “Part of [gracious professionalism] is competing in an alliance format. Two alliances are competing against each other so your partner in one match might be your competitor in the next match,” SENIOR Kaylaa Betts said. Betts is a part of the programming team and serves as the outreach leader. The inspire award is the highest award any team can achieve in the FIRST Tech Challenge competition, an automatic qualification to Worlds. It is presented to a team that serves as a role model to others, by promoting the values of FIRST and is highly ranked in both judging and field competitions. “Making it to Worlds is a great achievement, but we also want to be able to do well [while] at Worlds. Now we’re looking forward to competing with the best of the best.” Abhinav Goel, ‘25, said At Worlds, ‘The NUTS!’ are focused on continuing their current strategy and enjoying the experience. This will be the first international competition for many of the members so the team is maintaining a low-pressure environment. “If that means we wind up 160 out of 160 teams, so be it. If it means we wind up in second or third place, that’s wonderful as well,” Tekulve said. “To me, making a difference has always been a pretty high goal. We’re really hoping to represent Walnut Hills and have a great experience at Worlds this year,” Luke Early, ‘23, said. Early leads the programming section of the team. Despite being
COURTESY OF ‘THE NUTS!’ ROBOTICS TEAM
From left to right: SENIOR Kaylaa Betts, Nathan Huang, ‘23, Luke Early, ‘23, Abhinav Goel, ‘25, SENIOR Justin Chan, Lillian Klinedinst, ‘23, Daniel Ramirez, ‘24 and Julian Debono, ‘25. The WHHS’ FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team, ‘The NUTS!’, won the Ohio State Championship on March 5, advancing to the World Championships in Houston, Texas. strictly for high schoolers, Early shadowed the team for several years prior to his freshman year, his persistence and knowledge gained over the years has been essential to the team’s success. “He is truly the mastermind behind our team right now,” Betts said. As SENIORS leave the team, choosing members is done very thoughtfully to carry on the team’s legacy. Looking for personality, as opposed to skills is a focus in the selection process, which is currently in progress. Students can apply to be on the team by submitting an application and if accepted, attending an interview. “Our main priority is to make the best team possible for the kids who are returning for the next year. So we don’t want a kid to come in with preconceived ideas as to what they think we want of them. We just want to know who they are, what they’re all about and what motivates them.” Tekulve said.
‘The NUTS!’s robot, named The Crab, showcases one of the team’s major collaborations with Procter and Gamble. “That may be one of the most impressive things about our team and in comparison to other teams, so we’re in decent shape to be a contender for what’s called the Connect Award, [awarded to team with exceptional outreach],” SENIOR Kaylaa Betts said
Members of ‘The NUTS!’ robotics team gathers together in Summit Park to watch the awards ceremony with their parents and coach, Rocky Tekulve. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ‘THE NUTS!’ ROBOTICS TEAM
OPINIONS
APRIL 26, 2022
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WHHSCBOX.COM
CINCINNATI, OHIO
SECTION EDITOR: ISABEL RODRIGUEZ
Overshadowed at the Oscars
DESPITE THE AMOUNT OF PRESS GIVEN TO THIS YEAR’S OSCAR’S DUE TO “THE SLAP,” THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER AWARDS THAT DESERVE ATTENTION Isabel Rodriguez ,‘22 The world was taken by surprise with what’s being dubbed the “Slap Heard Around the World,” when Best Actor-winner Will Smith stormed the Academy Awards’ stage and confronted comedian Chris Rock, after a joke he made about Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair loss. Within less than 24 hours, the event was being retweeted and memed hundreds of times. With everyone caught up in the sudden and unthinkable-ness of this event, people failed to truly recognize the monumental awards won that night. From CODA to Encanto, several awards winners represented a turning point in increasing media presence and awareness of marginalized groups. For the first time, a film featuring three deaf actors earned center stage as the Best Picture. CODA touched on themes of family and aspirations, centered around a hearing girl in an otherwise deaf family. The film also won a Best Supporting Actor award for Tony Kotsur, who plays the father. CODA’s Oscar wins gave a platform to people with disabilities by capturing the realities and complexities of their family lives,
and made a point of casting deaf actors to accurately portray their characters. The film’s goal is to lead to continued change and recognition in the industry for those with disabilities. Encanto won Best Animated Feature, celebrating Colombian culture and bringing Latino experiences into the spotlight. The win also granted an Oscar to producer Yvett Merino, the first Latina to be nominated and win in that category. Ariana DeBose was awarded Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in West Side Story, the same award given to Rita Moreno when she portrayed the character in the 1961 film. DeBose is the first queer woman of color to win this award, and she made a point to recognize this, saying “To anyone who has ever questioned your identity…I promise you this, there is indeed a place for us.” All these award winners deserve recognition and praise for their highlight of underrepresented groups. So, why do so many people remember “The Slap” instead? I can remember sitting on my couch, watching the moment it happened, rewinding it to see if it was really happening or just another staged event. I Google-searched to
COURTESY OF: SHINYA SUZUKI/FLICKR
The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. A functioning movie theater on the regular, this theater has hosted the Academy Awards since 2012. make sure I wasn’t the only one who was shocked by this, and I wasn’t alone. Tweet after tweet of various reactions filled the space as I scrolled and scrolled. Not one tweet that I saw at that moment was about any of the Oscarwinning movies. Right after the slap, Questlove won Best Documentary Feature for Summer of Soul, which recognized a forgotten music festival that coincided with Woodstock back in the 60s and had a primarily Black
lineup and audience. In his speech, he accepted the award and mentioned his community, saying “But it’s not about me. It’s about marginalized people in Harlem that needed to heal from pain.” While opinions on the incident that shocked the world Oscar night may differ, it’s unfair to these winners that we continue to over-analyze and discuss the moment that made us forget why we were really watching the awards ceremony. Hollywood will be Hollywood,
and there’s no way to predict what may happen on any given night. However, there’s still time to bring the attention back to all the winners who made history at this years’ Oscars and created space for more marginalized groups to get the global acclaim they deserve. 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.
Rounding third, looking for home Kylie Bridgeman, ‘22 I play for a team that has no home, no common ground, no sense of consistency and normalcy and no pride for the field we claim as ‘our own’. The concept of home field advantage is something that has never struck me as a softball player at WHHS. The phenomenon of teams being more likely to win at ‘home’ is something that in the past six years has never hit home for me. Claiming the third baseline dugout is something that lacks significance for us, because it truly isn’t even ours. Our field should be home to another, but instead we rent space. We own nothing. At WHHS there are no true home fields for softball and baseball, there are no diamonds found on our campus, and not only that, but there is no off campus site that truly houses our baseball and softball programs. Each season coaching staffs are pressed with the burden of finding space for practices and games during
the season, taking away valuable time that would, quite frankly, be much better spent developing coaching tools and fostering team culture. Currently, the softball program plays at Summit Athletic Complex, and baseball has made the Reds Urban Youth Academy a home for themselves, but neither team is provided transportation to and from these off campus practices and home games. Personally, chauffeuring myself and my teammates to and from practice and games throughout the season is frustrating as an athlete, but I do it because I love my sport and my team. However, despite my love for softball, I can’t help but feel let down by the resources that have not been provided to me as a student athlete. It has been a disheartening realization that WHHS’ campus has two facilities equipped to host sports such as football, lacrosse, soccer, basketball and volleyball, but yet only a batting cage to offer for me. In the fall and winter I love the Nuthouse, in the spring I resent it. Students flock to football, basketball and even soccer and volleyball games, but when it comes time to venture
out to the ballpark nobody is taking the journey. My team and I do not blame students for not coming, we blame the lack of accessibility. We blame the stigma that spring sports lack entertainment. We blame the lack of recognition for spring sports. We blame the circumstances, and we are ready for them to be changed. We want our community, our peers and our families to be able to support us, and if not on our campus, at the very least it could be closer than 15 minutes away. We want the Nuthouse to gather at our games, eating seeds, screaming when we have a solid at bat, losing their minds because of a stellar catch in center field or an incomprehensible double play. We want that, need that, and deserve that. We hope our place to call home is somewhere on the drawing board, and that our community gets to join us there soon. 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.
COURTESY OF: SALINGMEDIA
Chloe Dollar, ‘25, not only plays softball for WHHS, but for the Ohio Hawks as well. She has completed one season with them since moving to Cincinnati.
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
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The Chatterbox Editorial Staff
SARAH DAVIDOFF, ‘13
Bobby Keegan,
Isabella Zinchini,
Editor-in-Chief
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Kaylee Robbins, Managing Editor of Current Events
Hajra Munir,
Managing Editor of Student Life
Owen Cummings,
Managing Editor of Viewpoints
Sydnie Barrett,
Managing Editor of Visual Elements
Ryan Helton,
Operations Manager
Alonzo Montgomery, Public Relations Manager
Samantha Gerwe-Perkins, Adviser
Brian Sweeney, English Department Chair
SPORTS
WHHSCBOX.COM CINCINNATI, OHIO
APRIL 26, 2022
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SECTION EDITOR: MEGAN DORR
Record breaking expectations Track athletes hope to break school records as season begins
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY WESTRICH
The girls 4x800m track relay team qualified for regionals last season, and this year has their sights set on state. The relay is made up of Mary Westrich, Kate Steins, Kaitlyn Grover and Isabel Shemmel.
Megan Dorr, ‘22 Track season has kicked off, and the WHHS track team is ready to take on the season. The meets have begun and WHHS athletes have already been dominating the standings. They have been doing well in all the events that track has to offer. Contrary to popular belief, track is not all just short sprinting races. There are three main categories people run in: sprinters, middistance and long distance. The short distance events include the 100m and 400m, along with the 4x100m and 4x200m relay. The mid distance events are the 800m and the longer distances are the 1600m and 3200m. Runners do not have to specialize in one group. For example, SENIOR Nathan Hammond is a mid-distance runner, but also does some distance events. His best event is the 800m, which he has high goals for this season. “I want to break the school
record in the 800. I think I have a pretty decent chance of breaking it,” Hammond said. Hammond has been running track since eighth grade, when he was encouraged to join by his science teacher. This was something Hammond had been thinking about since he was a kid. “When I was a little kid I watched Usain Bolt at the Olympics and I wanted to be like him,” Hammond said. In order to prepare for the wide range of events runners compete in, the team has different practice days each week. They do longer runs, track sprints and easy days in order to be prepared. “Our training depends on the day. We do two or three easy runs which are four to five miles,” Hammond said. “An example of a hard day on the track is a 200,400 and 600 four times or 16x200s.” A newer member of the team is Kaitlyn Grover, ‘24, who ran cross country in the fall and decided to join track.
“I did cross country and that was a lot of fun and I like doing athletic sports stuff so track was the next thing,” Grover said. Grover is a member of the girls 4x800 relay, which is one of WHHS best relay teams. Last season they qualified for Regionals, and hope to make it far again this season. “We hope to, at the very least, make it back to the regional meet and, if not, to make it even further and go to state,” SENIOR Mary Westrich said. “Another goal would be to try and break the school record from 2010.” A theme around the track team is a sense of community and friendship, the team has strong chemistry. “My favorite part about track is the friends I have there who are really fun to hang out with,” Hammond said. “The team atmosphere [on track] is a lot nicer than other sports I’ve done,” Grover said.
Spring Athletes Shining Chloe Dollar
Noah Smith-Trondle Hajra Munir, ‘23 Liam Garth, ‘24
Kylie Bridgeman, ‘22 Chloe Dollar, ‘25, is new to WHHS after moving from Georgia to Cincinnati this past summer. Dollar swiftly became a student athlete here, and has claimed her spot as a first year varsity softball player. Dollar moved to Cincinnati when her father, Chad Dollar, landed a position as an assistant coach for The University of Cincinnati’s basketball team after previously coaching at the University of Georgia. “He’s such a leader on the court,” Dollar said. Dollar has been an athlete since the age of three, as she previously played basketball, but left the sport to pursue her success on the dirt year round. “Basketball was just like there, it didn’t excite me,” Dollar said. Dollar is an eclectic asset to the softball program because she has the knowledge to play every position on the field, except catcher. “[Learning to pitch] has been very interesting,” Dollar said. “It’s something that I’ve never done before.” This season there are five
COURTESY OF CHLOE DOLLAR
Chloe Dollar, ‘25, primarily plays center field for the Lady Eagles. “I enjoy playing center field because I have a wide area to cover, and I’m able to back up my teammates from different sides of the field,” Dollar said.
freshmen on the varsity roster: Lilly Hovenga, Rebecca Zilliox, Jade Scharff, Taylor Birl and Dollar. “The older girls really treat you like a little sister,” Dollar said. “They’re like your uber drivers to practice, and are just really there to support us.” However, the freshmen are still leaning on each other to navigate their first varsity season. “Becca and I clicked really well, she’s the first girl in my grade that I really talked to,” Dollar said. “We also have the same last bell [so we spend a lot of time together].”
The Eagles have begun their season with a 2-3 confrence record, as of April 14, which mirrors their record from last season. “My goal for this season is for the team to do better, and have a better record than they did last year,” Dollar said. “I love the way we connect on the field, I know we can do it.” Disclaimer: SENIORS Kylie Bridgeman and Bobby Keegan are involved with the softball and baseball program
Noah Smith-Trondle is one of the three SENIORS of the Boys Volleyball team having a great season so far. They beat St. Xavier this year and this was the first time they had beaten them in program history. “I think our future for the team is very bright. My goal after that win was to make the state tournament and hopefully win the championship,” Smith-Trondle said. Smith-Trondle is a setter for the team and is going to continue playing in college, where he has committed to Thomas More University. “Playing for a new team can be a bit overwhelming but I am super excited for the new people I’ll meet and new experiences,” SmithTrondle said. Smith-Trondle is excited to be joining Thomas More in the fall because of its program but also because of its convenience. “I knew if I played volleyball in college my parents and friends would want to watch so picking a place close to home while still playing at a high level was super important to me,” Smith-Trondle said. He is very excited to finish off his senior year and play in college, but the team still has a long season ahead of him with 15 games remaining. Smith-Trondle is not only excited to finish the season strong, but also for the future of the boys volleyball team at WHHS. “I am trying to lead the team on a
bright path. We have a few younger players on our team, so building their confidence on the court is big for me. I’m also trying to show the team that anything is possible if we work hard towards our goal,” SmithTrondle said. The young players see SmithTrondle as a constant leader on and off the court which helps with the team’s skill as well as their overall morale. “He’s very cool and calm under pressure and has a lot of experience on the big stage which helps our whole team out a lot,” teammate Barret Wade, ‘24, said. Smith-Trondle is excited to see what his SENIOR season will look like and has high hopes for his very last season as an Eagle. “Last year we went undefeated in conference play and I’m hoping to keep that going this year. I am very confident we can win the conference,” Smith-Trondle said.
COURTESY OF ANDERS SALING
FINE ARTS
APRIL 26, 2022
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WHHSCBOX.COM
CINCINNATI, OHIO
SECTION EDITOR: NAZRET DEGAULLE
Celebrating diversity at WHHS
Kiara Brown-Turnbow, ‘23, raps at the Black Culture Club Talent Show. When asked what her favorite part of the performance was, Brown-Turnbow said, “When I heard everybody while I was behind the curtain and I heard them already hype before I came out. I think that was the best experience.” Nazret Degaulle, ‘23 Lael Ingram, ‘24
WHHS has been known for its amazing diversity and talented students for many years, but this year, students took celebrating that diversity and talent to a whole new level. On March 23, WHHS held its annual Black Culture Club talent show and the first Culture Fest. WHHS clubs, representing different cultures, set up booths where they could sell goods and educate people on their cultures. The Black Culture Club Talent Show invited all students to showcase their talents for an audience in the WHHS auditorium. Students sang, danced, rapped and more. Among the student performers was Ella Vaughn, ‘23. Vaughn sang “Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin as a solo and “Take me to Church” by Hozier as a duet with Nija Olagbemiro, ‘23. Vaughn previously performed in the talent show when she was in
seventh and eighth grade and was thrilled to participate again this year. “I think it was really good to see that representation in arts because you don’t see that often,” Vaughn said. Many students were excited to see this display of representation once again after the talent show was shut down for two years due to the pandemic. “I would say that [the talent show] was a lot smaller… I felt like it was easier for the audience to digest,” Vaughn said. Along with the talent show was a new event, the Culture Fest. “I feel like this new culture fest is a great way to show off all of the different clubs that are representing culture,” Macy Brown, ‘24, a co-leader of Asian Media Club said. In the past, WHHS students have celebrated culture separately among clubs with events like Woke fest, held by Black Culture Club. However, this is the first time students have come together as a community to celebrate.
“Being able to see faces that look like you, have the same background as you, even though you might have little nitpicks here and there, is really important,” SENIOR Ximen Morgan said. Many students share the same view as Morgan when it comes to clubs at WHHS and younger students looking to join the community. “Especially when you’re young, it’s good to be surrounded by a diverse environment,” Kate Sampson, ‘24, said. Because seventh and eighth graders come from a variety of elementary schools that tend to be smaller and less diverse communities, coming to WHHS can be quite the culture shock for many students. “[Being an incoming seventh grader] can be kind of scary, but it’s probably more diverse than most elementary schools… it really gives students who are of different races…just a space to…relate to other people and connect with other people that are similar to them,” Brown said.
Ella Vaughn, ‘23, and Nija Olagbemiro, ‘23, sing “Take me to Church” by Hozier at the Black Culture Club Talent Show. “[We] decided that that’d be a cool song to do together,” Vaughn said.
SENIOR Tamia Palmer performs “I’m Going Down” by Mary J. Blige in her 4th year performing at the Black Culture Club Talent Show. “It was very different from my previous years performing... I enjoyed myself more because I knew it was my last time performing at the talent show.” Palmer said.
Dance club left it all on the floor with their performance to “Pretty Savage” by Blackpink remixed with “Helicopter” by CLC. After working on this performance for months, their hard work finally paid off.
ALL PHOTOS BY KAT SWIFT / CHATTERBOX
FEATURES
WHHSCBOX.COM CINCINNATI, OHIO
APRIL 25, 2022
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SECTION EDITOR: KIMAYA MUNDHE
French with Fox
Crepes and Mardi Gras King Cakes are just some of the foods that the club includes in their meetings. Fox likes to implement cultural practices in meetings to increase interest in the French language.
French club meetings are always centered around food, and sometimes centered around traditional French and Canadian holidays.
SYDNIE BARRET /CHATTERBOX
French club members prepare for the upcoming school year at this year’s Homecoming Parade on South Field. Sarah Gebremeskel, ‘25 Doreena Fox is a French teacher at WHHS. She joined the WHHS staff in 2013, and has since made many strides in the modern world language department. “Before I arrived, the modern world language department wasn’t truly very active,” Fox said. “There weren’t a lot of AP courses, [and] there weren’t a lot of languages. The clubs weren’t very active at all, it was just my desire to put some life back into the department and put some life back into French.” Fox’s efforts to help revive the department were made easier due to WHHS’ students. After previously
teaching at Princeton High School, Fox was immediately drawn to the willingness and passion for learning WHHS students have. As the child of a single mother, Fox is able to recognize the various walks of life students come from. Fox’s upbringing led her to become an industrious learner, something she sees in her students each day. She also admires the close-knit community she was able to develop with other teachers in the modern world language department. “I think that Walnut students really value their education,” Fox said. “[They] want to learn from the top-notch people, and they’re just a pleasure to teach.” After joining the department,
one of Fox’s most significant efforts was energizing the foreign language clubs. Fox serves as the French club advisor and utilizes the club to bridge a gap between students interested in French and her classroom. “I guess the club for me was a segue into bringing life to the department,” Fox said. In her classroom, Fox focuses on a communicative and interactive approach to both the French language and culture. Fox likes to place emphasis on the speaking portion of the language rather than regular practices like translation and analysis. Students in her classroom often engage in partner work, listening activities and
RYAN VOGT /REMEMBRANCER
cultural learning. “There’s no sense in studying a foreign language if you cannot walk out of the classroom and speak it,” Fox said. It’s hard for Fox to recall a time in which she wasn’t teaching French; and she attributes her love for teaching to the push that others in her life gave her as a college student. Despite a high school counselor strongly advising against pursuing language education as a career, Fox took on teaching French as a result of the foreign language department staff at college, who took her under their wing and acknowledged her affinity for the language. Fox’s journey to teaching was one with many twists. Although
she pursued law school and even worked as an attorney for 10 years, she continued teaching part-time at the collegiate level. As a result of her personal experiences, Fox constantly reminds her students of the importance of pursuing their passions, no matter the obstacles they may face. “Keep on pursuing dreams would be my message [to students],” Fox said. “No matter what you do, take people’s advice into consideration, but don’t dwell on it. Dwell on who you are, and what you want to be in life. If you’re passionate about it, you can do it.”
Spring Fling Updates Sarah Wilson, ‘25
Where and when?
What’s happening?
The dance will be held Saturday, April 23, in the Senior High Gym from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Despite being held later in the school year than is typical, Student Congress hopes that the later date will be beneficial. “We get to use the experiences [from the Twilight Ball and Prom] as examples for [the Spring Fling]… and I think both of their dances were very successful,” Maya Sampath, ‘25, Vice President of the freshmen class, said.
This year, freshmen and sophomores will share their spring dance - the Spring Fling. While in previous years, freshmen and sophomore dances have been separate, COVID-19 restrictions prevented sophomores from attending homecoming, prompting the creation of the joint Spring Fling.
What to wear?
NAME NAME/CHATTERBOX
Where to purchase tickets?
The Spring Fling is considered a semi-formal dance, and student attire must adhere to the school policy expressed in the student handbook.
Students may purchase tickets digitally through April 22 for $15 by using an online payment method and entering their student ID number.
What to expect? Following a vote by freshmen and sophomore students, the decided theme of the dance is Night in New York. Decorations will follow this theme, accompanied by a DJ. Food and drinks are included in ticket purchases and will be provided at the dance.
Who’s running it?
COURTESTY OF STUDENT CONGRESS CLASSES OF ‘24 AND ‘25
Student Congress created a flyer for the dance, allowing students to scan the QR Code to purchase tickets.
Student Congress classes of ‘24 and ‘25 have made a joint effort to plan the dance over the past months. Both classes are using funds raised throughout the school year to cover purchase costs for decorations, food and music.
STYLE & CULTURE
APRIL 26, 2022
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WHHSCBOX.COM
CINCINNATI, OHIO
SECTION EDITOR: KATE STIENS
The wheel of fashion consumerism Kate Stiens, ‘23 Faith Wallace, ‘24 Fast fashion is the business model of mass producing cheap, unsustainable clothes for little cost. For adolescents in an age of strong peer influences, owning the latest garments can seem life threatening. Fast fashion accelerates the fear of missing out, with low self esteem and anxiety increasing the demand for clothing. The fast transition between elementary and high school can lead adolescents to feel loneliness and buy into materialistic objects in order to feel more power over their identity. The marketers understand teens’ confusion and use their identity searches for sites, encouraging teens to engage in materialism and create their identities to brands. Possessions are a branch of themselves, and oftentimes, these clothes are seen as who they are or want to be. It is estimated by the American Psychological Association that children see up to 40,000 ads on television alone, and with peer pressure to fit in, it’s hard for them to differentiate between what they actually like and what
they are told to like. Psychologically, brains experience a spike of dopamine when looking at what’s new, and the fast fashion business capitalizes on this, constantly dropping new items for purchase. Look-and-you-buy shopping is being integrated into a lot of social media apps, such as Pinterest and Instagram, allowing users to shop on the app and purchase clothing recommended by influencers and aesthetics. Many fast fashion sites try to keep up with social media trends. The buyers, adolescents, are overconsuming due to influencer branding. “I feel like the root cause is social media and being influenced by people who you look up to, people online or on Instagram doing collaborations with companies, or wearing certain things that can influence other people to wear those things and do the same thing,” Sinna Gibson, ‘27, said. As of now, there have been no unique styles between 2020-21, creating more of an opportunity for trends and fast-fashion to endure, and social media has connected fast fashion to spring into the new decade.
KATE STIENS/CHATTERBOX
Trending: in and out KATE STIENS /CHATTERBOX
“Clothes get disposed of very readily and fashion sense and what’s like cool and trendy changes so frequently.” -Corinne Adams, ‘24
WINNING TIME TIME Ben Schneider, ‘24 From the jump, Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty is enthralling. The show follows a middling professional basketball team in a league on the verge of collapse, bought by millionaire businessman Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly). Head Coach Jerry West (Jason Clarke) is a loose cannon in every sense of the phrase. The fact that he lost so many championships years
ago is still tearing him apart. He often takes it so far over the edge that his competitiveness turns into comedy, and is ultimately what makes him quit. With Buss wanting to create a more stylized era of Laker Basketball, he drafts Magic Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) to lead the Lakers back to any kind of legitimacy. Sweeping vistas, smooth soundtracks, and an unmistakable city are brought to life by great actors and editors alike on a mission to recreate 80s Los Angeles. They make the show tick,
with there being little to no downtime. Like “ShowTime” era basketball, Winning Time is always moving. Memorable imagery and the occasional old school camera filter make each frame jump off the screen. The drama of simply owning and operating an organization is exciting enough, but paired with some great actual basketball makes Winning Time truly different in its variety of storytelling methods. Along with mere trash talk, the players have to prove themselves on the court and back up what they are saying.
“Depending on how popular they are, one week a shoe might be really in and then the next week it’s like don’t wear it.” KATE STIENS /CHATTERBOX -Sanii Renynolds, ‘23
Show time basketball is back in LA
The days of shows where people sit in a room and talk about nothing is now an ancient fossil. Winning Time takes a far more modern approach. Monster slams and flashy passes heighten games, while quick camera cuts and smart editing make conversations feel like basketball, with their own flow and purpose. With how much the Lakers have been struggling lately, it’s refreshing to get to take a look into a more successful Lakers organization during the 80’s. Although it’s not always pretty, Winning Time is a celebration
of Laker basketball and all things NBA, but at the same time does not sugar coat some of the harsher realities of the league. The story of the “ShowTime” Lakers alone could make for a good show, but here the showrunners don’t pull any punches and they dive deeper into its characters. It shows what made the Lakers the “Lakers.” They don’t just have fans, they have celebrities. Their cheerleaders don’t just cheer, they dance. And they don’t just have basketball players, they have superstars.
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SECTION EDITOR: FAITH WALLACE
APRIL 26, 2022
PAGE 7
Eighth grade student council
A review of 2021-2022 junior high activities
FAITH WALLACE/CHATTERBOX
The student council meets every two weeks. Their last meeting will be in May as some prepare to go into next year’s student council.
Faith Wallace, ‘24 After returning to in-person school, the pandemic left a lot of holes to fill. People did not know where students would be in terms of education, mental health and in-person communication. That is where the eighth grade student council came in, their one goal of brining everyone together after months apart. They planned a year full of events for their grade-level in an attempt to foster a sense of togetherness.
The dodgeball game was the first of the student council-led events. It was at the start of the school year when new seventh graders had new teachers, a new environment and a new workload, and eighth graders had to apply all they had mastered last year to a new set of faces, expectations and settings. This event, designed for both grades to intermingle, got students’ attention. Even though the eighth graders took the win, both grades got to come together and pack the nuthouse in a lighthearted
start to the year. They followed this up with a party that has been in the works since the summer. The Boogie Bash would be the first dance that the student council had to set up, and they were determined to make it a success. The student council arrived on set half an hour early to set up the floor using newly bought materials, as well as old ones from the previous Boogie Bash. The entire council organized into designated roles, such as: costume judges, music curators, set-up teams and the chaperone coordination team. It was a massive team effort for the student council and created a new experience, not just for the middle schoolers who organized the event, but also for those who attended it. The next event they planned followed the theme of connection, with the council planning a holiday card-writing celebration. They invited their peers to come join them and write out cards for every holiday and hand them to hospitalized children. The setup was meant to allow students to hang out and focus on giving to the community. Expectations are high for these eighthgraders who are planning on moving on to freshman student council. “It’s always kind of sad because I enjoy student council… it’s a community of people that you know, you’re going to come back to next year,” Caroline Lovelace, ‘26, said. “Ending off it’s a lot of reflection, looking back on the year and passing it on to the seventh graders who will be next year’s us.”
FAITH WALLACE/CHATTERBOX
7th and 8th graders faced off in the first ever Jr. High dodgeball competetion duringthe first quarter of the school year.
DOMINIC HAMON/CHATTERBOX
The Boogie Bash is the annual 7th and 8th grade costume dance.
CATHERINE FROST / REMEMBRANCER
The Twilight Ball is the annual 7th and 8th grade dance, and was held in the Jr. High gym on April 8.
Helping students help themselves Junior high counselors on the causes of student stress Dominic Hamon, ‘25 Having stable mental health is an essential aspect of living that everyone should strive to maintain, yet even those of us who are aware of the impact of mental health still struggle to treat it properly. The number of children who deal with mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression, increases more and more each year. For students, the need to address any psychiatric distress they have during their junior high years is dire while their brains are still maturing. Becky Junewick is a JH counselor, and she is just one of the many resources that WHHS has to offer to help and treat students in need. Junewick has been working as a counselor for seven years, two of which have been spent at WHHS. These years have given her insight on the mental health of WHHS students. “I think the cause for most stress among JH kids is just dealing with a lot of change and transformation, who my friends are, who I am and trying to figure all that out.” Junewick said. “At Walnut there’s a lot of academic-related stress and anxiety just because there’s a lot of high
expectations.” Junewick considers stress to be caused by a range of factors, but an element common among JH kids is they are not honest with each other, so they think they are alone in what they are dealing with because they don’t share. “Just connections with people, having someone to talk to and relate to…Which I think is sometimes difficult right now because we’re all just coming out of spending a lot of time in isolation,” Junewick said. ”I think sometimes the phones are great connectors but I also think they are great at severing connections in a way.” School, stress and phones are not all sources of stress for everyone. Someone can experience stress due to a number of things that might trouble them. Just because something out of the ordinary is weighing anyone down mentally, that does not mean they are alone in how they feel, because they never are. One of the great things about WHHS are the several resources for seeking help or guidance when struggling with
mental health. There are seven total counselors, a mental health specialist anda Mental Health Self Care Guide
EVA LUDKE / REMEMBRANCER
JH counselor (last names M-Z), Becky Junewick, standing outside of the counseling office. Junewick, along with her co-workers, provide an outlet for JH students to destress in a very academicallycharged environment.
within the WHHS website with everything from the benefits of self care to a plan for seeking those benefits. And of course, there are also friends, peers and teachers who are always within an email or a text’s reach.
“The schools’ environment towards mental health is not bad, my friends are pretty good,” Laura Vanderelst, ‘27, said. “I don’t know about anyone else, but my teachers are pretty understanding about stuff.”
ARCADE
APRIL 26, 2022
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SECTION EDITOR: JAKAYLA ROGERS
Bareen Abdulrahman, ‘26
MISSION: FIND THE ROBOT START HERE
EA PERKINS / CHATTERBOX
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