Volume CXVI, Issue #2
The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School
Eagles flock to their own beat
Wed. Oct. 6, 2021
Three dance groups offer options for all skill levels.
TAMIA PALMER/REMEMBRANCER
WHHS dance team, The Golden Girls, performs at the annual Homecoming pep rally in Marx stadium on Sept. 24. “We’re just ready to show off what we got and to get everybody excited for the year,” dancer Lael Ingram, ‘24, said.
Nazret Degaulle ‘23 Dance at WHHS Dance, along with the WHHS theater, music and visual arts programs, are all parts of fine arts that excel under our “stately dome.” Both beginners and trained dancers can take their pick from various types of dance offered here at WHHS. Dance Club, Dance Team and Step Team do their part to keep the essence of the art forms intact for current and future eagles. Hip Hop Dance Club The Hip Hop Dance Club (HHDC) is for students with no prior dance experience to experiment with the art form. Club leaders Chloe Lu, ‘24, and Kate Sampson, ‘24, say that their goal through the HHDC is to inspire all students to appreciate dance. “We want to build a community of dancers who are interested in dancing and just having fun,” Samspon said. Lu, Sampson and the other club leaders are responsible for choreography, scheduling performances and hosting practices. “We love just being able to dance to whatever kind of music we enjoy,” Lu said. Many members of the HHDC are also on the dance team, includ-
ing Sampson. “The main difference is that the dance team practices multiple times a week and we do a competition at the end of every year and we’re learning multiple routines,” Sampson said. The HHDC does not participate in any competitions and they meet once a week, on Fridays after school in the forum. During their practices, the HHDC prepares for their upcoming performances. “We are planning our performance or showcase for the next pep rally. It’s gonna be a mix of some K-pop and hip hop songs,” Lu said. The HHDC is excited to perform at the Winter pep rally and the Black Culture Club talent show. Dance Team This past pep rally on Sept. 24, marked the WHHS dance team’s first performance of the new school year along with their first performance with their new coaching staff. The dance team, also called the Golden Girls, underwent an extreme makeover over the past year. Their previous coach, Jaime Moore, stepped down and head cheer coach, Landon Zellars, took on the dance team.
“He is really no nonsense. He makes sure we represent Walnut as best as we can,” dance team member Bella Gordo, ‘23, said. Lael Ingram, ‘24, agrees saying, “Under the new cheer coaching staff, we’re kind of becoming a new team. We’ve gotten a lot stronger, and I feel like we’re stronger as a team now.” The transition of joining the Cheer Team has gone smoothly according to Gordo. The Cheer Team and the Golden Girls stretch together at the beginning of practice before separating to practice their respective routines. The two teams also joined together for the pep rally with a combined performance. “The cheer team is super supportive, they hype us up all the time. We really look up to them,” Gordo said. This transition also brought a makeover to the Golden Girls’ costuming. “We’re kind of getting a whole little upgrade when it comes to our style,” Ingram said “We’re getting new uniforms and we’re going to have pom poms.” Ingram also mentioned that day-to-day practice changed significantly because of the merger with the cheerleaders. At the beginning of practices, the Golden Girls run
campus laps and then they stretch with the cheerleaders. “It’s a lot harder, and I feel like we really are accomplishing more,” Ingram said. The Golden Girls were heavily focused on preparation for the pep rally that happened during homecoming week. “We’re just ready to show off what we got and to get everybody excited for the year. We are upping our game so we are excited to show everyone what we can do,” Ingram said. The pep rally was the first time the Golden Girls have performed since they participated in the ECC, the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, in early 2021. The ECC is a competition between dance teams in other schools around Cincinnati. However, they did not place. This year, Ingram is confident that will change. “We’ll be much more prepared and we’re really gonna put up a fight,” Ingram said. Step Team The Step Team’s performances are an iconic and loved part of the WHHS pep rallies. However, they were not present at the Sept. 24 pep rally leaving a lot of unanswered questions for eager students. Over the pandemic, Ohio re-
leased a rule saying that in order to be considered a team, there must be a coach. While the step team’s advisor, Ms.Brokamp, is a certified athletic trainer, she does not have a coach’s certificate. Since the step team cannot officially operate as a ‘team’, it has joined with the Black Culture Club. SENIOR Madisyn Ellis, co-president of the Black Culture Club, spoke on the new changes. “It will just be like a subset of black culture club,” Ellis said. Step Team will also have a different name, which will be voted upon at a later time. SENIOR Tamia Palmer hopes these changes are temporary. Palmer was a member of the step team and is a co-president of the black culture club. “We are actively looking for coaches,” Palmer said. She hopes to find a coach in the coming weeks so that the team can get back to performing in pep rallies and basketball games. “Our main goals are to get a full team and perform and get people interested to keep it going next year,” Palmer said. All parts of dance at WHHS are ready and excited for the new school year.
OPINIONS
OCT. 5, 2021
PAGE 2
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: ISABEL RODRIGUEZ
CINCINNATI, OHIO
Harmless TikTok trend or devious
devious destruction? destruction?
Isabel Rodriguez ‘22 The Tiktok trend sweeping the nation has finally made it to WHHS. Since Sept. 1, the trend began as a hashtag after one user posted a video holding a box of disposable masks he had stolen from his school. The video was captioned, “A month into school..absolutely devious lick.” This purposeful theft of pandemic necessities catapulted students in schools nationwide to follow suit. Bathrooms were ravaged, along with just about anything
students could get a hold of. The idea that people would want to remove items like soap dispensers and toilet paper in a time when staying safe and away from germs is so important was shocking to me. There’s been several times that I’ve walked into the bathroom to see a line because one stall is missing an entire toilet paper dispenser or is simply out of toilet paper. Then, all three people were able to use separate sinks but the same soap dispenser because only one remained--and in one scenario that I remember--the dispensers had all been removed and only a pouch of soap with a pump remained.
At first, I’ll admit, it was funny. It was strange that anyone would pick the bathroom, of all places, to victimize. An easy target, perhaps, and “bathroom humor” has always been easy to joke about. If I saw someone walking out of the building with a sink or a hand dryer or anything unusual like that, I would laugh. But the more I think about it, the more I consider the steps that come after this seemingly simple, humorous theft. The boy’s bathroom knows exactly what comes after a hand dryer goes missing because the yellow tape had it closed off and forced them to walk to the opposite side of the second floor hallway. More than that, it’s someone’s job to
replace that hand dryer. And I can’t imagine that it comes cheap. So while I can see the pull of internet fame and the following of trends and hashtags for popularity, our student body has to look beyond that and think of the custodians that will be working to fix the mess that was madeor even the smaller things, like relief when you run to the bathroom before class and everything is fully stocked. 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.
A series of bad ideas Isabel Rodriguez ‘22
milk crate
Participants of 2012’s cinnamon trend were challenged with eating spoonfuls of the ground spice in under a minute without drinking anything, and then posting the video online as proof.
Kylie Jenner lip This trend involved an attempt to emulate the Keeping up with the Kardashians star by using a shot glass that a user placed around their lips, and sucked in, creating a result with an effect similar to lip fillers. Doctors spoke out with concern over this trend and the many medical risks people were taking by participating.
2017 2017
cinnamon spoon
2015
The planking trend consisted of internet users laying face down and motionless on random public structures. While seemingly harmless, the trend led to the death of one Australian man, who fell seven stories to his death after trying to plank on his roof. AIMEE DANIELLS / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
2012
2011
planking
This challenge involved combining table salt and snow or ice on parts of the skin, and testing how long the solution was bearable. Another concerning trend, one group of 12 year old girls in Eastern Illinois tried the challenge and faced second- and third-degree burns as a result.
2021
salt & ice
Another popular trend from earlier this school year, the milk crate challenge was relatively self explanatory- participants stacked crates into a pyramid, with stairs going up and then down on each side. The task is to make it safely up and down without destroying the structure or falling- a significant risk, according to health experts.
tide pods The Tide Pods challenge is probably the most famous- and most memorable internet trend in recent history. Not so much a “challenge” but a popularly circulated meme, internet users began commenting on Tide’s newest detergent product-small, compact packets noticeably similar in appearance to candy. Tweets about being tempted to try and eat one turned into memes of Gordon Ramsey giving Tide Pods a delicious rating.
JOSH PARK / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
MIKE MOZART / FLICKR
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.
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
Only a sophomore, WHHS standout Tyler McKinley has already received multiple offers to play college basketball. McKinley, a 6’9 power forward, was instrumental in the WHHS men’s basketball team reaching the playoffs last season. “I would describe my game as all around, versatile, on and off the ball defense and offense,” McKinley said. McKinley currently has official offers to play basketball in college from the University of Cincinnati, West Virginia University, Miami University [of Ohio] and the University of South Carolina. Many other schools have shown interest as well. He went on an unofficial visit to Columbus to visit Ohio State the weekend of Sept. 25. Prospective athletes can not go on official recruiting visits until Aug. 1 entering their junior year, but can go on unofficial visits, meaning they pay for the trip entirely themselves. Additionally, coaches can not directly contact prospective athletes until June 15 entering their junior year. Once June 15 hits, McKinley is expecting to hear from a load of coaches. “Everyone says that it gets crazy once June 15 hits,” McKinley said.
PAGE 3
SECTION EDITOR: MEGAN DORR
Balling! Megan Dorr ‘22
OCT. 6, 2021
Though the recruiting process can get hectic, McKinley has a support system to help him through it. WHHS boys basketball coach, Ricardo Hill, has helped many former WHHS athletes with the process, and has already been assisting McKinley. “Tyler is a special student athlete at Walnut. We’re concentrating on making him the best player he can be on and off the court. This will allow him to remain grounded and not get caught up in the hype. We believe his character is far more valuable for his future, “ Hill said. Hill would not be helping McKinley with the recruiting process if it were not for all the hard work McKinley has put in. McKinley not only plays for WHHS, but two other club teams: Vegas Elite and All Ohio Red. With the All Ohio Red team, McKinley traveled to Georgia to play at the Peach Jam tournament this summer. Peach Jam attracts the best players from all over the country, and is a hotspot for college coaches to come and get some recruiting done. McKinley gathered a lot of attention from coaches there after averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds, along with two blocks. Being a student at WHHS is hard enough due to the workload,
WHHS sophomore already receiving college offers
but McKinley must also balance basketball with school. He not only practices every day, but comes in before school around 6 a.m. three to four days a week on top of evening practices. “Yeah, it can be hard to balance school and ball, but you just gotta be dedicated,” McKinley said. McKinley is able to enjoy this grind in part because of the joy he experiences while playing basketball. “My favorite part [of basketball] is just meeting new people along the journey and having fun doing it,” McKinley said. McKinley has been able to form connections with his teammates and become connected with the student body in such a short time because he was a starter on varsity during his freshman campaign in 2020-21. Being on varsity allowed him to meet more people who he has left a significant impact on. “I am super happy for [Tyler] with all of the offers he’s getting,” fellow varsity basketball player SENIOR Owen Murray said. “He works extremely hard and it is paying off. He is only a sophomore so there is definitely more to come.” As a sophomore, McKinley has lots of time to gather more offers. Although he already has offers from basketball programs that
HAJRA MUNIR/CHATTERBOX
Tyler McKinely drives towards the basket during an open gym at Walnut. College coaches from universities across the country have been dropping in to watch the WHHS players at the open gyms. are consistently ranked in the top 25, McKinley dreams of playing at college basketball powerhouses Duke University or the University of North Carolina. McKinley does not plan to stop playing basketball once college ends. He says in 10 years he sees himself
playing in the League, another name for the National Basketball Association (NBA). Until then, the WHHS community is lucky to call McKinley one of their own.
Taking the lady eagles to new heights
SYDNIE BARRETT/CHATTERBOX
During the homecoming pep rally the spirit program came together to perform to a mashup of songs on Marx Field. The spirit program is made up of the cheerleaders and WHHS dance team: The Golden Girls. Kylie Bridgeman, ‘22 The WHHS cheer team has been on the rise for many years with several talented athletes coming through the program. This year the team has fallen under new leadership. After the class of ‘21 graduated, the team was left to the five SENIORS: Co-Captains Sade Demu and Melanie Mitchell, Ava Corocran, Jaia Mitchell and Zoe Cummings. “We definitely had some big shoes to fill, but I’m really so proud of us,” Mitchell said, “We are so close, all of us, and we have truly just done such a great job of setting a new precedent for varsity.” In addition to the new SENIORS, Landon Zellars became head coach
for the Lady Eagles in the Spring of 2021. “It’s been an amazing transition, the kids, the parents, the students have been very open to change and very optimistic as well,” Zellars said. “It’s been great.” With Demu and Mitchell as captains, the varsity cheer team is prioritizing sisterhood this season. Demu and Mitchell want to make everyone feel welcomed and supported as captains. “Before I was a cheerleader I thought the sisterhood thing was just a line that they told you, but it’s real,” Cummings said. Zellars has an extensive background in cheerleading. He coached high school cheer for 10 years, worked with Universal Cheer Association as a staffer,
has experience with Allstar Cheer leading, was an assistant coach at Kentucky State University for two years and cheered in high school and college. “[My experience] allows me to see a vision and execute it,” Zellars said. “I saw what kind of program Walnut was and where I wanted to take them this year and we’ve been doing a pretty good job.” Zellars comes to WHHS from Withrow High School, where he was an assistant cheer coach. On Aug. 27, the Eagles and Tigers faced off in their annual rivalry game, which put Zellars in an interesting position as a coach. “I always just try to make it the best atmosphere for the kids I’m currently coaching, while also letting the kids that I previously coached know that it’s always all out of love,” Zellars said. Zellars says that having a brand new roster for varsity cheer has been a blessing. He acknowledges the struggle he would have had if some of the team was already used to certain expectations on varsity, but with everyone being new they are learning from each other. “My SENIORS were previous to Walnut cheer and they’ve been very helpful in making things happen and making me feel welcomed and wanted as a coach,” Zellars said. The entire program participated in a cheer camp over the summer at Miami University in Oxford, OH, where they experienced success. Kamani Killings, ‘23, received a Pin It Forward award for her sportsmanship during the camp,
and the team won the top Banana award and the leadership plaque, along with nine other awards for their performance. At UCA camps each year individual cheerleaders are able to compete to be recognized as All American cheerleaders, which invites them to perform across the country. This year Madison Reece, ‘25, Niomi Abel, ‘25, Aubrey Ottaway ‘24, Mitchell and Demu received the award. As a brand new face in WHHS cheer, Zellars has goals and visions for the future that these athletes haven’t seen before. His main aspiration for the program is to “grow, it’s not always
about being the best or on top, but it’s about growth, as long as I see growth then I’m happy,” Zellars said. The team feels Zellars has done a good job of stepping up into his new role as head coach. “He’s done it, we went to an amazing camp, he’s been super supportive, he’s been kind, but he works us hard,” Cummings said. The team and Zellars have connected over the past several months, and are sure to impress for the remainder of football season as well as upcoming basketball season. “I love them, they make my bad days good and make me love coaching again,” Zellars said.
SYDNIE BARRETT/CHATTERBOX
“Everybody do the Eagle Rumble!” The Lady Eagles performed flips and kicks to hype up the Nut House as they cheered on the varsity football team at the homecoming game on Sept. 24.
FEATURES
OCT. 6, 2021
PAGE 4
WHHSCBOX.COM
CINCINNATI, OHIO
SECTION EDITOR: KIMAYA MUNDHE
Castle for city council
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMIE CASTLE
With just a few weeks left until election day, Jamie Castle continues her campaign while being a long-term substitute teacher for WHHS. Kimaya Mundhe, ‘25 Jamie Castle went from a busy mom, soccer coach, substitute teacher and active volunteer in her church to giving her first speech and running for US congress almost overnight. Last year, Castle and her friends wanted to vote out their current representative, but he didn’t have any opponents which is why she decided to run. Normally, running for a position in Congress takes months of planning and networking, but for Castle it was an urgent, spontaneous decision. “Time was running out, there was only a month left to step up and run, we said amongst ourselves, ‘one of us needs to run for congress.
No big deal right?’ So I was like, ‘I’ll do it.’ It was super impulsive.” Jamie Castle is a name you will see on the ballot as an unregistered democrat for city council this year. She is a long-term substitute teacher at WHHS for English 8 AA this year and has substituted at CPS schools for four years. During the Congressional run she won Hamilton County, but as she expected, lost the other seven counties. Castle wanted to be a voice for those who wanted to see change but has no regrets about running. Through that election, she was able to meet and connect with stakeholders in the city and state. “I called my opponent that day to concede…and he said ‘Jamie
you know you’re a good person, you did a really good job and you should keep at it because I lost my first election [too]. You should try again.’ It was really nice because normally politics are gross and nasty. It was a nice validation,” Castle said. “I felt this responsibility to represent women and mothers and even children because as a teacher, I’m really sensitive and energetic toward youth programming and youth initiatives to get kids and teenagers, safe places, good opportunities and strong education,” Castle said. With this newfound energy, she was ready to get back out there and run for a city-level position on city council this year. Because
Castle had more time to plan this time around she was able to raise $300,000 within six months to earn name recognition because of the Congressional run. “As somebody in a gerrymandered district and a first-time candidate to raise that much, it’s really good…I learned that I had that support base, when I started my city council race I had people that have already volunteered and put their yard signs up for me,” Castle said. Maintaining a work-life balance is very important to her and she stressed the importance of keeping an intentional schedule. “This job at Walnut Hills was kind of the perfect thing, I imagined myself still subbing for CPS because I can control my schedule...and that’s the beauty of being a substitute,” Castle said. Castle described city council as a “field race,” in which there are nine total positions that all candidates are competing for. For this election, voters will not see the party designation for each candidate, which is unusual. The nine council people work in different committees to pass legislation and together on initiatives to better the city, along with the mayor and city manager. If elected, Castle hopes to prioritize affordable housing and the tax abatement issue. In terms of education, she wants to ensure that CPS has a good champion and advocate working with them. “Families leave or stay [in
neighborhoods] because of schools, we need to make sure our schools are succeeding, and that kids have the opportunity and skills to get careers, not jobs, careers,” Castle said. Throughout the campaign, a major setback she faced was not getting the Democratic endorsement. This means Castle’s name won’t be listed under the Democratic candidates on the information sheet given to voters before election day. “I had to make an intentional choice to keep going, but to be positive, and have fun with it because there were things we could do this time that I couldn’t do last time when I ran for Congress,” Castle said. Castle’s family, parents, parentsin-law and church community have all been supportive and proud of her decision to run for Congress which means a lot to her. Senator Brown and his team have also been very supportive. “He understands that you support all your candidates in every corner of the state, no matter how hard their race is because that’s how you grow leaders,” Castle said. Looking forward, if she gets elected, city council will take up the majority of Castle’s time. She still hopes to sub at WHHS occasionally but will prioritize city council. “I love being at Walnut Hills. It’s just a positive place that I find joy and meaning in and I’d love to continue being a part of this.” Castle said.
water, but without determination and motivation, Smyth may have not even still been on the water. As a sophomore quitting was all Smyth could think about. “I was surrounded by bad influences which caused me to have clouded judgment and not work hard in the sport I love,” Smyth said. Smyth realized that he had too much potential to waste by not being on the water.. Even when he may have doubted himself, assistant coach Ethan Revis always knew the potential that could be found in Smyth. Revis from the beginning, he saw something in Smyth that one doesn’t come across often. Over the years, Revis has seen Smyth go from an eighth-grade boy to one of the top athletes in the country. “Nick is really a testament of what can happen with a kid when they really dedicate and grind out something that they’re passionate about.” Though not all of his teammates have made it as far as him, Smyth
knows that without the people around him, he may not be as successful as he is. “My favorite part is after the race. When everyone says good race…I know other sports do that but for me, when rowers say it, it feels more genuine because you know they are trying to the best of their abilities, just like you are,” Smyth said. Everyone has one passion that they absolutely love and for Smyth, rowing is that thing. Smyth works hard not only to prove to himself that he can work hard, but also works hard for his teammates around him. Though hasn’t always clear to Smyth that he belongs on the water, for coaches like Revis, it has never been a question. “It’s very clear how much he loves the sport and I think that that’s something that you can’t replace,” Revis said. Smyth doesn’t know yet exactly where the sport will take him but for now, he plans to keep working hard and proving just how far he can go to those around him.
Average athlete to national rower
PHOTO COURTESY OF SCOTT SMYTH
From left to right: Grant Dutro, ‘21, SENIOR Joe Adler, Carter Jacobs, ‘21 and SENIOR Nick Smyth rowed together in the varsity four. In the 2020-21 season, Smyth along with the other three rowers were considered the top rowers out of the men’s varsity. Kaylee Robbins, ‘24 Imagine waking up at six in the morning, going to school for seven hours, heading straight to rowing practice for another two then coming home to start on the WHHS workload, just to do it all over again the next day. Now imagine that this has been your life for five years and finally, after hundreds of hours of dedication, all your hard work pays off. For SENIOR Nick Smyth, this is exactly what happened. Smyth has been rowing for five years, and in the summer of 2021 his life changed. After being selected to try out for the US National Rowing team, Smyth and almost 70 other teens his age were invited to the Chula Vista Elite Athletic Training Center in San Diego for a chance to make either the national or world teams for the country. After weeks of hard work, Smyth
was able to make the National boat, along with only seven other rowers in the country. On this boat, Smyth was supposed to race against teams from Mexico and Canada but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plans changed and they raced instead in the US rowing summer nationals. Within 30 minutes, Smyth raced in two different boats, placing 4th and 2nd overall. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most was just another goal for Smyth to accomplish. Rowing for the Cincinnati Junior Rowing Club (CJRC) Smyth often looks back to what those at the club have done before him as motivation. “I just think about the reputation that CJRC has and the legacy that we should uphold,” Smyth said. As a club, CJRC holds one of the highest numbers of medals won at the youth national level and for its rowers, and winning is just an
expectation that comes with being on the team. Hanging in the boathouse of CJRC is a wall of plaques that include the names of past club rowers who have gone on to race at not only the national level but also worldwide. Smyth looks to this wall often and aspires not just to be on it, but to embody the type of person that gets on the wall. Even after making the National team, Smyth is working harder than ever to get better. With rowing as Smyth’s top priority, he spends two to three hours, six days a week, at practice, giving it his all, on and off the water. After tackling the national team, Smyth hopes to come back better and stronger next year to make the US rowing worlds team, virtually the highest team a US rower could make. Smyth never expected to come this far in his rowing career. Being 6’7 definitely helps Smyth on the
KAYLEE ROBBINS/CHATTERBOX
SENIOR Nick Smyth goes to practice six days a week for two to three hours each day. While on the water, winning is virtually the only thing on Smyth’s mind and victory is what pushes him to success.
WHHSCBOX.COM
NEWS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
OCT. 6, 2021
PAGE 5
SECTION EDITOR: KAT SWIFT
California’s gubernatorial recall election Isabella Huth, ‘23 On Sept. 14, Californian citizens voted on whether to recall Gavin Newsom as their governor. Unsurprisingly, Newson came out on top with two-thirds of the 70 percent of counted votes supporting him. Even so, this particular Gubernatorial (state governor) Recall Election was unique due to the fact that a Californian Governor has only been recalled once before. In addition, this recall election has drawn nationwide attention due to its bipartisan influence. Newson was elected in 2018 as the Governor of California. As a democratic candidate in a state where democratic voters outnumber Republican voters two to one, he won in a landslide victory. Currently in his third year of his four year term, Newson has been known for his strong enforcement of COVID-19 policies such as shutdowns and mask mandates. The recall process began in February of 2020, with the
argument being that “laws he endorsed, favor foriegn nationals, in our country illegally, over that of our own citizens,” as stated in the official Petition For Recall. This argument lost momentum as COVID-19 began, but with the pandemic came Newson’s enforcement of public health restrictions, furthur angering state Republicans. Due to the pandemic, a judge gave the recall proponents four extra months than usual to gather signatures. It just so happens that these four months occurred during the winter months of the pandemic when COVID-19 cases began to rise again and in turn Governor Newson imposed harsh public health restrictions. This combination of factors allowed the recall campaign to gain more and more signatures, eventually meeting the required number of signatures for the recall vote to take place. When Newson was caught on camera dining at Napa Valley French Laundry Restaurant for a friend’s birthday celebration
while he was urging Californians to stay home, it further angered conservative Republicans. His opponents used this example of hypocrisy to drive their campaign against Newson. In the past, Californian’s have attempted to recall many state governors since the 1960s, but were only successful once in 2003 when an unpopular Democrat governor was replaced by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. And had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, chances are this attempt to recall Governor Newson would not have happened. But what makes this situation important, is the implications of the recall election itself. Had this recall attempt by Republicans been successful in removing Newson from office, a governor that would not represent the majority of voters would have been elected.This all started because of immigration implications but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it had the potential to completely change California’s political stage. Had Newson been recalled, the
GAGE SKIDMORE / FLICKR
Gavin Newson speaking at the 2019 California Democratic Party State Convention at the George R. Moscone Convention Center in the city of San Francisco, California.
political trajectory of California would change dramatically. According to the BBC, issues regarding his handling of the
pandemic will be a primary argument during the upcoming midterm elections.
Gymnasts testify to the Senate Kat Swift, ‘23 On Sept. 15, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, as well as former gymnasts Aly Raisman, Maggie Nichols and Mckayla Maroney testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the abuse they suffered from Larry Nassar, a former doctor for USA Gymnastics (USAG) and Michigan State University (MSU). In each of the women’s testimonies they expressed that they felt they had been let down by the FBI and those who were supposed to protect them. “We suffered and continue to suffer because no one at the FBI, USAG or the USOPC [United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee] did what was necessary to protect us. We have been failed, and we deserve answers,” four time Olympic gold medalist Biles said in her statement. Nassar has been accused by more than 330 people of sexual assault according to the BBC and has been charged in three different cases, one of which holds a prison sentence of 175 years. Many of those who have been accused of allowing the abuse to continue have not been charged in these cases. “Those who enabled him deserve to be held accountable...A message needs to be sent: If you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough,” Biles said. The hearing comes just a short while after the release of a report from the Justice Department Inspector General in July detailing the failings of the FBI’s investigation into the allegations against Nassar. “Approximately 70 or more young athletes were allegedly sexually abused by Nassar under the guise of medical treatment between July 2015, when USA Gymnastics first reported allegations about Nassar to the Indianapolis Field Office, and September 2016,” according to the report.
EA PERKINS/CHATTERBOX
Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney and Maggie Nichols after testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee about Larry Nassar’s abuse and their subsequent interactions with the FBI.
In September, a search warrant for Nassar’s residence was issued by the MSU Police Department and the FBI Lansing Resident Agency finally learned of the allegations. The Assistant US District Attorney had advised the Indianapolis Field Office to turn the case off to the FBI Lansing Resident Agency, but the office did not do so even though they informed the USAG that they had. So the first the FBI Lansing Resident Agency heard of the allegations came after the MSUPD issued the search warrant. “The Lansing Resident Agency ultimately discovered over 30,000 images of child pornography on the devices seized by the MSUPD during its search of Nassar’s residence,” the report said. The report detailed how after receiving the allegations of abuse from USA Gymnastics the Indianapolis Field Office conducted “limited follow up” including only interviewing one of the three athletes who reported their abuse, failing to open an official investigation, and not documenting any of their investigative work including the interview with the athlete or their
meeting with USA Gymnastics. “Further, both offices had serious questions as to whether the allegations against Nassar were sufficient to support federal jurisdiction. Yet, the Indianapolis Field Office did not advise state or local authorities about the allegations and did not take any action to mitigate the risk to gymnasts that Nassar continued to treat,” the report said. Maroney referenced the OIG report in her statement saying that after detailing her abuse to the FBI for nearly three hours in 2015 the agents who interviewed her did not write down her statement until about 17 months later in “a statement that the OIG Report determined to be ‘materially false.’” The statement “could have jeopardized the then-ongoing, and future, criminal investigations by providing false information to bolster Nassar’s defense,” Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz said during his testimony. Raisman provided another example of the FBI’s lagging investigation when she told the
committee that it took the FBI 14 months to contact her even though she had asked to be interviewed several times. When she was finally interviewed she said that “Steve Penny arranged with the FBI to conduct my interview at the Olympic Training Center where I was under the control and observation of USAG and USOPC. The day of my interview Steve Penny flew to the Olympic Training Center and made sure that I was aware he was there.” Raisman also reminded the committee that the Indianapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge, W. Jay Abbott, met with Penny, the USA Gymnastics President, to talk about a job opportunity with the Olympic Committee. “These discussions included Penny expressing concern to Abbott about how USA Gymnastics was being portrayed in the media and whether Penny might be ‘in trouble’ and Abbott proposing to his colleagues an FBI public statement that would place USA Gymnastics in a positive light. At the same time, Abbott was
aware that Penny appeared willing to put in a good word on Abbott’s behalf. Abbott applied for the U.S. Olympic Committee position in 2017 but was not selected. Despite evidence confirming that Abbott had applied for the job, Abbott denied to the OIG during two interviews that he had,” the report said. In addition to the testimonies provided by the gymnasts and Horowitz, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified saying that an Indianapolis Field Office Supervisory Special Agent, identified to the Post by anonymous sources as Michael Langeman, who lied about his mistakes during the investigation has been fired. In the report the supervisory agent was said to have been the one who wrote the statement attributed to Maroney that she said was “fabricated.” According to a press release by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, Langeman’s boss, Abbot was also determined to have lied about the failings of the Indianapolis Field Office. However, he retired before any action could be taken. According to NPR, no charges have been brought against either of them by the Justice Department. Wray went on to apologize to the gymnasts saying “I’m deeply and profoundly sorry to each and every one of you.” Also letting them know he would make “damn sure everybody at the FBI remembers what happened here— in heartbreaking detail.” Towards the end of her statement Maroney said “To not indict these agents, is a disservice to me and my teammates. It is a disservice to the system which was built to protect all of us from abuse. It is a disservice to every victim who suffered needlessly at the hands of Larry Nassar after I spoke up! Why are public servants whose job is to protect, getting away with this? This is not justice. This is more injustice! Enough is enough!”
STYLE & CULTURE
OCT. 6, 2021
PAGE 6
WHHSCBOX.COM
CINCINNATI, OHIO
SECTION EDITOR: KATE STIENS
Homecoming Week Styles Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
PHOTOS COURTESEY OF MARIE CARTER, ELLA RENZ-MCCOY, KATRIN VILLINSKY, KYLIE BRIDGEMAN, DERICK CAMPOS, CAMERON MUTTERS, AVA HANSEN, THOMAS MAGGART, NIJA OLAGBEMIRO, MADDIE BUEHLER, BELLA GORDO, AUDRA GERTH, MELANIE MITCHELL
Old Me Over the New Me Ben Schneider ‘24
There is this stark duality throughout Drake’s discography of disconnecting ideals. One side is alluring love ballads with melancholic melodies of the empty feelings that come with fame and the ultimate price of Drake’s success: not being able to keep a meaningful relationship going. The other side of Drake’s records are these braggadocious “Bat Mitzvah’’ bangers, in which Drake stops on dime and divulges into his own decadence being: partying and polyarmourus relationships. These differences in his music are what make Drake a dynamic artist, but it also makes a lot of his work disjointed, with him asking a lot of questions. A lot of his answers result in these weak dissolutions as he drags on in a monotone giving us little to no clarity in his many recent albums. The line between “Sad Drake” and “Hype Drake” is getting thinner by the year. His latest album, Certified Lover Boy, was diluted immensely by the combination of the two distinct flows in many songs and Drake’s inability to fully commit to either his sad or hype persona. Beat switches happen a lot during the album, which is not uncommon in contemporary hip hop, most recently done by Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar in their single “family ties.” The single has
three beat changes in four minutes, changing the beat to match the flow instead of changing the flow to match the beat. Drake, however, would change an entire flow of a song just to match another artist’s style. This causes division in a few of his tracks and he even compromises some of his own creative identity to accommodate his features. Ultimately, his more ambitious collaborative tracks can fall short. By keeping one foot on each side of the proverbial “Drake line,” as a listener, it can be hard to empathize with him. It’s as if he doesn’t even know what to feel sometimes, but that’s what’s admirable about Drake. He’s not Kendrick or Kanye - not all his songs have a profound message behind them. It can be hard to know what to feel sometimes, and Drake’s own personal dichotomy of introspective ballads versus dance tracks, lovey dovey versus hype, emotional pop versus gangster rap, show that fact. As the album progresses these genres are battling for the spotlight, but it’s the more personal tracks that shine through. As Drake enters fatherhood, he is at his most vulnerable yet maturest place musically to this date, and although his latest release has some rough edges, it’s Drake that finds solace in his own ballads.
Lil Nas X: Montero album review Tobey Logan ‘23 After the incredible success of Old Town Road and its many remixes, it was unclear if Lil Nas X would be able to prove himself as an artist who wasn’t just a one hit wonder. However, now that his debut album MONTERO is out, audiences don’t have to question this anymore. The way that he is able to weave between triumphant tracks about his success in the industry and melancholic ballads where he ponders his race, sexuality and mental health shows a great amount of skill from the singer-rapper. In songs like SUN GOES DOWN and VOID, Lil Nas X shows that he has a lot of promise as a writer with some really emotional lines. It’s clear that a lot of work was put into making the album sound up to par with other pop music. Everything from the production, to the vocals sound very polished.
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There is clearly a lot of praise to give this album, especially given that it’s his full-length debut. He definitely shows that he is a capable artist, but there is still a lot of room left for him to grow and innovate. A lot of what’s here is very clean, radio-friendly pop music, with elements of rap and early-2010’sstyle emo rock thrown into the mix here and there. This isn’t inherently bad, but it’s bland and leaves a lot to be desired, especially given the amount of potential he shows here. MONTERO is very comparable to Post Malone’s most recent album, Hollywood’s Bleeding. It’s trying to be alternative, but it’s trying so hard that it just comes off as robotic a lot of the time. Lil Nas X has shaken his reputation as the “Old Town Road guy.” However, now that he has proven that he has staying power in the music industry, we have to ask a new question: how long can he keep it up?
WHHSCBOX.COM
OCT. 5,2021
PEANUTS
CINCINNATI, OHIO
PAGE 7
SECTION EDITOR: FAITH WALLACE
Effies vs. E-flats dodgeball: Fighting for the win Jeannie Ngansop ‘26 Many 7th graders, like Christopher Potts, ‘27 were very confident in their performance. “Effies [will win] because we’ve been demolitioning [E-flats] and they’ve only won once,” Potts said.
JEANNIE NGANSOP/CHATTERBOX
Despite a rocky start, the E-flats were able to pick the game up and strive into victory, beating the Effies six to two. “We won because we used teamwork and the other team lost people fast,” Onyx O’Neill ‘26 said.
A Booster in Extra Credit: A Guide to Artwork Competitions for Middle Schoolers Faith Wallace ‘24 Every creator needs to find their muse, and student art competitions are a great way to do it with several prizes and resume boosters.
Scholastic Art and Writing Awards • • • GIGI TWATCHMAN/REMEMBRANCER
Some of the techniques the 8th graders used to win included catching the ball to bring back teammates that were taken out of the game, staying in the front to have better aim and controlling the game by grabbing the balls first right after the countdown ended.
DOMINIC HAMON/CHATTERBOX
Although the 8th graders won, the main purpose of the dodgeball social was to have all students of Junior High be able to meet each other while having fun. As new 7th graders come into WHHS, 8th graders return to WHHS after attending online school for the majority of the year.
For many 7th graders, it is hard adjusting to a new school setting, environment and building. For many 8th graders, it’s hard adjusting to in person after being online screen to screen for such a long time. So, students of the Junior High student council created the Junior High dodgeball game in order for their fellow peers to connect with each other face to face.
• •
There are many Scholastic Awards to watch for, such as the Bestin Grade award, which offers $500 nationally for two artists and writers with original pieces. The Herblock Award offers $1,000 scholarships to three students who create visual commentary or criticism on current pop culture and political current events. The New York Life Award is about grief and loss and provides a $500 scholarship for two students who explore their anguish in writing. The One Earth Award offers four scholarships worth $1,000 to individuals who write a 50 word personal statement on climate change. The Civic Expression Award offers a $1,000 scholarship to six students who write a 50 word or more personal statement on a political or social topic.
Submission fees for The Scholastic Art and Writing Award are $7 per person and the deadline to enter is Dec. 9. (https://www.artandwriting.org/awards/how-to-enter/>
Advena World Children’s Art Competition •
A freestyle artwork competition for those 12-15 years old. You can submit paintings, drawings and other original artwork. There is a $35 entry fee and it gives you an opportunity to create art of family, friends, dreams and current events.
Submissions end Nov. 27, 2021. < https://advenaworld.com/kids-1> JEANNIE NGANSOP/CHATTERBOX
GIGI TWATCHMAN/REMEMBRANCER
The pay off : Junior High football Dominic Hamon ‘25 While the WHHS football players are mid-season, junior high teams are trying to utilize all the practice they’ve been having and use it to get their first win. Both junior high teams have the same record of 0-4 after their game at Kings High School. “It’s been going good but we haven’t won yet,” Braylon Dennis, ‘27 said. “It’s been fun though.” Both teams practice together during the school year, in addition to spending their summer training. During the summer, both teams practiced on Tuesdays and Thursdays, conditioning and working on plays and routes. “We talk about what we need to
do better after every game,” Dennis said. “And before a game we talk and prepare for it.” The teams started off small, but once school came around, a lot more people started joining and the team is improving because of it. “The team developed a lot more with conditioning and things like that,” Dennis said. “If you want to join the football team then join it because we need people.” Middle school coaches Howard Birl, Eghosasere Sherman and Travis Tompkins are excited to watch the team progress as the season continues. “They’re good coaches,” Dennis said. “They put us right in the positions to make plays and it’s just up to us to execute them.”
If you want to catch their next games, they play Oct. 6 at Loveland Middle School and the next home game against West Clermont High School is on Oct. 13. More details on the WHHS Athletics website.
MARGARET WEALER/REMEMBRANCER
MARGARET WEALER/REMEMBRANCER
Number 8, Braylon Dennis ‘27
Number 17, Robert Robb ‘26 sprinting down South field with ball in hand while Nagel does what they can to stop him. The extensive WHHS audience awaits the chance at a touchdown to give them a possible lead in their 5th game of the season.
ARCADE
OCT. 6, 2021
PAGE 8
WHHSCBOX.COM
SECTION EDITOR: JAKAYLA ROGERS
Read more stories What’s on by WHHS student journalists on our our website? website: whhscbox.com
ISABELLA ZINCHINI/CHATTERBOX
Orchestra tunes back into in-person learning
The structure of the WHHS orchestra tremendously shifted during remote learning. Typically, the orchestra students rehearse pieces to prepare for a concert, but during online learning all concerts were canceled.
Perspectives
HAJRA MUNIR /CHATTERBOX
Q: What are your expectations for this being your first year in the building?
“I would say just breathe and take one day at a time.” -Rita Patel
“One thing I expected was having the older kids help us seventh graders get to classes because I had to ask a lot of peole on my first day of school.” - Andrew Prevost, ‘27
Water Polo Wins; The Men’s WaterPolo Team is Projected to Have Their Best Season Yet Since becoming an official sport at WHHS in 2019, the men’s water polo team is on track to have its best season yet. After going 1-15 last season, the team now has a 5-9 record, and are hopeful about the remainder of their season. After six SENIORS graduated, the team turned to Matthew Dillion ‘23 and Danny Westrich, ‘23, to lead the team to success. There are currently no SENIORS on the team, so Dillion and Westrich have had to step into the role of captains and learn how to best lead the team.
An All-American Fashion Disaster
The 2021 Met Gala was the star-studded fashion event of the year for celebrities, designers and fashion lovers around the world. The excitement for the gala was at an all-time high after the cancelation of the 2020 Met Gala, but this year’s outfits did not exactly meet the standards of fans and critics alike.
ALONZO MONTGOMERY /CHATTERBOX
Q: This is the first year full year back in the building after two years, what ais some advice you’d like to give students to ease their nerves?
PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTHEW DILLON
ART BY THERESA NGUYEN
CINCINNATI, OHIO
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