Walnut Hills High School
March 1, 2012
Volume CVI, Issue 6
AP scores ‘rise to the highest’ Josh Medrano, ‘13 News and Features Editor
This month, The College Board released the 8th Annual AP Report to the Nation, which illustrated and interpreted results last year’s AP scores. Advanced Placement courses are offered every year by the College Board, who also administers the SAT. Enrolled students then take the accompanying exam, on which they receive a score from 1 to 5. Based on their scores, students have the opportunity to get credit or course placement in college. There were more than 900,000 students who took AP exams last year, and out of them, only 18 percent received a 3 or higher. Walnut Hills High School, on the other hand, takes a higher shot, with 84 percent. Taking an AP class is now a trend for most high school students in the nation. During the last ten years, the number of students taking an AP exam has doubled. Ten years ago, there were only 2 AP Psychology classes and this year, it has nine sections, the
Middle East conflict drags on Garretson Oester, ‘14 Business Manager Recently, Russia and China blocked United Nations Security Council’s attempt to end the killings in Syria. The two countries, who are among the short list of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, said that the plan would violate Syrian sovereignty, putting diplomats in a difficult situation as they quickly run out of options to end the growing humanitarian crisis. Moreover, according to the United Nations, over seven thousand people have been killed in the fight between a fervent opposition and a government who seeks to keep hold in a country that is attempting to free itself from over four decades of Assad’s rule. The conflict began over eleven months ago when protesters in Daraa, Syria demanded reform. It has since progressed, engulfing the entire country as government snipers lurk on rooftops and tanks rumble through the streets. Protests have erupted at Syria’s embassies, and Tunisia expelled the Syrian ambassador. “The Syrian government [has committed] unspeakable assault against the people of Homs,” said
most of all AP courses. There are now also more than five sections of AP Economics, in part due to the change of required classes last year. Rate-wise, the average number of AP courses a student takes has doubled in the last five years, from 2.4 to 4.8. Despite this massive increase, the Walnut administration’s concern goes to courses that are underrepresented, or courses that attract only certain student populations. For example, very few African-American students are enrolled in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) courses, such as AP Physics or AP Calculus BC. Similarly, College Board continues to be challenged by the unequal representation of each minority and low-income group. The report said that “four out of five... African-American graduates were either left out of an AP subject for which they had potential or attended a school that did not offer the subject.” Nevertheless, the school administration has been constantly launching a 5-year cycle long-
President Barack Obama. The Security Council resolution “fully supported” the Arab League’s plan for Assad to step aside for his vice-president and stated its commitment to act when German ambassador to the United Nations said, “The scandal would be to not act.” The unrest is a continuation of the Arab Spring, which started in December 2010, when Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi, a jobless graduate, set himself on fire while protesting the Tunisian depotism. It quickly spread across the Middle East. On January 25, Egypt imploded where protesters in Tahir Square were beaten and hundreds, including foreign journalists, were arrested. Supporters of Hosni Mubarak, the president, rode through the square wielding clubs on horses and camels. Foreign news sources began to send high profile correspondents to the region, such as CNN’s Anderson Cooper who, at one point, was beaten in the street on camera.
http://my.hsj.org/chatterbox
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
AP Psychology is a popular course taken by many Walnut Hills students.
range plan, to engage more with AP and encourage students to take the courses. “In the last cycle that we just initiated a year ago, our primary initiatives are to understand how technology ought to be used in the school,” says principal Jeffrey Brokamp, “and... now that we have all
students taking some number of AP courses, to take a better look at who takes which one.” Although it takes a 3, 4 or 5 to get a college credit or placement, a primary goal is that every student has an experience of AP courses. “AP classes provide an opportunity for our students to advanced
JOSH MEDRANO/CHATTERBOX
through college at a quicker pace and gives them an advantage over other college students who have not taken any,” AP Psychology teacher William Shaw says.
Taking a look at security cameras Jonah Roth, ‘13 Design Editor
“Big brother is watching you,” security guard Michael Mitchell jokes as he tells about Walnut Hills High School’s security camera system. “They’re always on, 24/7.” The small number of security cameras at Walnut, which are mostly in the lunchroom, stairwells and outside area, is not a cause for alarm. However, the recent installation of temporary modular classrooms (mods) brought with it ten additional security cameras, two in each unit, raising questions for some students. “The purpose of [the cameras] is [to be] a deterrent,” explains security guard Eugene Grady, “to prevent stuff from happening.” This approach has been used widely across the U.S.; for example, the Guam Pacific Daily News recently reported that vandalism rates decreased dramatically in areas in middle schools where security cameras were installed in December. Although Walnut’s cameras can be watched in real-time, they’re not often used that way. “It’s on tape, basically for evidence,” Mitchell says, “so we can find out who’s done what, what’s going on, whether someone was injured.”
JONAH ROTH/CHATTERBOX
Each of the academic mods is equipped with two security cameras in the hallway.
The tapes can be played back for several days after being recorded. “The biggest [recent] problem was probably with the vandalism on the side of the restrooms, but other than that we haven’t had to use them too much.” The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has taken steps in the past to prevent security cameras from being installed in schools on a large scale. In 2001, ACLU protested the installation of security cameras in schools across Boulder, Colorado. Chapter vicechair Judd Golden then said, “The message it sends to students is ‘We don’t trust you, and everybody is a suspect.’” SENIOR Ray Cook, on the other hand, recalls a time when he was at Western Hills Engineering High School when security cameras proved his innocence. “There were security cameras everywhere... A few weeks before
Mia Manavalan, Editor-in-Chief
school got out, the senior prank was a big food fight in the lunchroom.” Cook (a sophomore at the time) and several of his friends decided to leave the lunchroom to avoid getting involved. “We all just walked out... an exit that nobody used... Walking through the halls, we got caught on one of the security cameras.” When he was called to the office later that day, he used the footage from during lunch to show that he was not involved in the food fight. As for the cameras in the mods, Mitchell says, “they’re going to get rid of [the mods] once the renovation’s done, so they want to make sure they’re still protected... if the school wants to sell them or do something else with them.”
INSIDE
News & Features
2
Viewpoints 3 Sports 4 Fine Arts 5 Style & Culture
6
Arcade 7 Just Nuts
8
The Chatterbox
News & Features
Page 2
St. Baldrick returns to Walnut Ayana Rowe, ‘12 Copy Editor It’s almost that time again to see students and teachers sporting shaved heads. On March 21 the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is coming to Walnut Hills High School to shave the heads of volunteers, better known as “shavees.” St. Baldrick’s is a nonprofit organization, which, since 2000, has become “the world’s largest volunteer-driven fundraising program for childhood cancer research.” Almost 200,000 people nationwide have shaved their heads for this cause, raising money for childhood cancer research grants. Walnut has been hosting St. Baldrick’s for the past three years, raising more than $10,000 in all. Students and teachers sign up to become shavees and their peers purchase raffle tickets so they can have the chance to shave the participants’ heads. Each participant has his or her own separate raffle. The shavees also raise money by reaching out to family, friends and others, encouraging them to donate towards the cause. Shaving off all of your hair
COURTESY OF JENNIE WAITS
Lea Phillips, ‘12, shaves Jennie Waits, ‘12, at last year’s St. Baldrick’s fundraiser.
may be a frightening experience, as most first-time shavees agree; however, the knowledge that you helped out a child suffering from cancer should be a motivation enough to overcome one’s anxiety. “If I can raise nearly $800 just by shaving my head, why not?” said SENIOR Jennie Waits, one of last year’s shavees. “Hair grows back [but] the money those kids need won’t just come out of the sky.”
Middle East
Continued from Page 1
The situation further deteriorated as the Internet and phone services were cut. The upheaval continued for 18 days until the country’s vice president announced that Mubarak would step down. His foreign monetary assets were frozen, but Egyptians still were not satisfied. Protests persisted over lingering concerns about the speed of the reform program. The military appointed a new Prime Minister, Essem Sharaf who is having his powers held at bay by the ruling military council. The council, which consisted of military leaders, moved slowly in the prosecution of Mubarak, who was not put on trial until June. Citizens are still rioting over the reinstatement of emergency law, the violent crackdowns and the lack of election transparency. Meanwhile, Libya dissolved into conflict on February 16. In mid-March, the European Union and NATO began air strikes on Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s forces in Operation Odyssey Dawn. The unrest continued as the rebels began to gain ground in the eastern half of the country
Student Spotlight: Matthias Michelis Michela Rahaim, ‘13 Staff Writer Every year, there are foreign exchange students walking the halls of Walnut Hills High School. One of this year’s students is Matthias Michelis from Germany. As a student, he enjoys going to Walnut sports games and theatrical productions. He also participates in the German Club because he says “it’s nice to hear my language.” Although he finds Walnut easier than his old school—he says, “A’s here would be almost impossible at my old school”—his classmates and teachers are always
willing to help him when he needs it. He is also friendly with the other exchange students; they help him enjoy his time here. His adjustment has been easy because of Walnut’s welcoming atmosphere. Although he misses his friends and family back in Germany, he enjoys traveling with his host family and seeing the sights. When he gets home, he says he will miss the large malls and one-stop shopping that Americans take for granted on a regular basis. However, Matthias will enjoy driving on roads without posted speed limits again.
The Chatterbox where the port of Misrata became the center of the rebellion. The NATO-led air strikes intensified as Gaddafi’s wife and daughter fled the country. The rebel troops pushed forward in pickup trucks and on foot. The air strikes began to take their toll on loyalist forces, allowing the rebels to advance to outside of Tripoli when Col. Gaddafi went missing. The newly formed government, the National Transitional Council, was formed and in August, Tripoli was captured. The fight turned to Gaddafi’s hometown where he was believed to be hiding. On October 20, rebels discovered Gaddafi hiding in a drainage pipe. He was pulled out and shot. For several days, his corpse was displayed in a meat refrigerator where it became a macabre spectacle. Syrian protests began in the southern city of Daraa which police had sealed off. By March, the fire has spread to other cities including Homs. Syria also began to crackdown on protesters who demanded the resignation of al-Assad; hundreds are killed per week, according to reports. Assad hinted at reform, but at the end of last month, he reversed course, blaming the unrest on foreign conspirators.
On April 12, it was reported that security snipers would shoot soldiers who refused to fire on civilians. Syrian protests migrated to other cities, including the capital of Damascus, where 100 people were killed over two days in May, when Assad began to utilize tanks in the cities. By the end of June, Syria took the spotlight when up to one million protested daily according to the New York Times. The bloodbath continues as many in the government resign in protest. The world soon condemned Assad and some countries, like the United Kingdom, have called for his resignation. In early September, the European Union banned the importation of Syrian goods. By that time, the Syrian National Council, the civilian government, was formed, but still did not have any authority. The major players on the security council decided that implied sanctions would not bring peace when China first condemned alAssad then reversed course. Syria has refused reform, alAssad has refused to step down and the world community is helpless to stop the fighting. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon calls it “a sign of worse to come.”
Letter from the Editor Mia Manavalan, ‘12 Editor-in-Chief
MICHELA RAHAIM/CHATTERBOX
Matthias Michelis, an exchange student at Walnut Hills this year, taking a pause from his busy schedule at Walnut Hills.
Since the last issue was published, many students have said that the Chatterbox has taken on risky and even scandalous topics, such as the articles about marijuana usage and students cheating in classes. I would like to make it clear that the Chatterbox has not turned into a tabloid or a publication that reports only “sensational” material. That said, it is not a publication created to glorify the school’s achievements. The staff and I have taken a pledge to report the truth, good and bad. We do
not choose topics based on the spark and controversy it will create within the school, but rather on the importance of the material to the Walnut Hills High School community. Students, parents and teachers alike may raise eyebrows at the articles in this issue, such as the opinions on sex, problems with the school administration and the negative impact of Facebook. I urge you to read these articles and understand their significance to the student body. As I’ve stated in earlier articles, the purpose of this newspaper is to report and serve as the voice of the Walnut student body.
Congratulations to the 2012 Cum Laude Initates! Claire Beauchamp Benjamin Brandicourt Karah Brown Emily Cavellier Kelsey Collins Micaiah Copeland Jane Corwin Grace Counts Lindsay Dennis Adrienne Donica Collyn Downing Riki Drout Jessica Fan Julianna Hofmann Abigail Janke Aaron Kinskey Benjamin Kovarsky Maria Krutkova
Olivia Logan-Wood Mia Manavalan Joshua Mansfield Vivian Mao Anna Mendlein Aaron Morehart Daniel Nolan Lucy Rahner Katherine Rhame Signe Schloss Ariel Schmid Maya Sekhar Warren Sheets Jeremy Siegel Neha Sinha Elizabeth Sukin Ryan Youkilis Suohui Zhang
Calendar March 9 Third Quarter Ends
March 21 St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser
March 12-16 Ohio Graduation Test
March 26-30 Spring Break
March 17 FROSH, 8-11 p.m.
April 2 School Resumes
Walnut Hills High School
The Chatterbox Editorial Staff Mia Manavalan, Editor-in-Chief Tanner Walters, Senior Managing Editor Emily Friedman, Junior Managing Editor Ayana Rowe, Copy Editor Jonah Roth, Design Editor Kemarca Wade, Web Designer John Butler, Assistant Web Designer Luke Kloth, Print Photo Editor Signe Schloss, Online Photo Editor Garretson Oester, Business Manager Akilah Phillips, Subscription Manager Dominick Clark, Parent Liaison Cody Stayden, Chatterbox Archivist Page Editors: Josh Medrano, News & Features Print Editor Sean Wood, News & Features Online Editor Jessie Heines, Viewpoints Print Editor Sierra Kingston, Viewpoints Online Editor Jenna Weber, Fine Arts Print Editor Amanda Dias, Fine Arts Online Editor Joe Neidhard, Style & Culture Print Editor Hannah Shaw, Style & Culture Online Editor Charlie Hatch, Sports Editor JP Schmitz, Arcade Editor Jaylen Hill, Just Nuts Print Editor Jessica Fan, Just Nuts Online Editor Advisors: Samantha Gerwe-Perkins and Dawn Wolfe Front page masthead by Jessica Fan and Signe Schloss. Illustration by Sarah Davidoff.
Josh Medrano, Print Editor
Volume CVI.6
Viewpoints
The Chatterbox
Page 3
‘Am I ready?’ Students debate the birds and the bees Anonymous
I am a virgin. Why should it matter, right? Who cares? The thing is, it does matter, to me at least. I’m not exactly sure why. It’s not like anyone ever “straight-up” told me, “don’t have sex,” besides in health class (and Mean Girls). My parents never even really talked to me about it. I’ve just always had a personal conviction against it. I try not to judge people who have sex. I just feel that “doing it” in high school is not the best choice. A lot of people have sex before they’re ready, and often for overwhelmingly selfish reasons. People use sex to feel better about themselves. They have problems in their lives and think having sex will relieve or even eliminate some of these issues. It’s similar to drugs and alcohol: it only masks the problems at hand. I read on Indiana University’s website about a study that found that girls with lower self esteem usually have sex earlier in life. However, this study neglected to account for peer pressure and social expectations. Deny it all you want, but face it: we’re teenagers, and we care about what everyone else thinks. I also recently read an article on a women’s health website that provided a pretty accurate
description of what I think a lot of sexually active teenagers are guilty of. “Most of us want passion, commitment and intimacy, but we confuse intimacy with intensity.” Maybe we really don’t want to have sex, we just think we do. Kids in high school think they know when they’re ready and quite a few might end up disappointed, maybe not now, but someday.
While you may feel it’s okay now, you should always begin with the end in mind. Just because you have a driver’s license or the ability to vote doesn’t mean you know everything. In five or ten years you might look back and say “what was I thinking?” What I’m saying here is, while you may feel it’s okay now, you should always begin with the end in mind. How is this relationship going to end? Is it going to last? Of course if you don’t care about it lasting, then I guess this wouldn’t apply as much. But a lot of us need to think about what we want out of high school or just life in general. When considering sex, take a step back and ask yourself if you really want this, not just for now, but for the future. We all make mistakes but does anyone
ever regret NOT having sex? And remember: American Pie is just a movie.
BIBLEKNOWLEDGE Some teens and couples choose to wear Purity Rings as a testament to their beliefs.
HANNAH SHAW/CHATTERBOX Some teens make the decision to go beyond hand-holding in their relationships.
Responses to these viewpoints can be sent to Rm. 8003 or to cboxwalnut@gmail.com.
Anonymous
The decision to have sex can be difficult. Making this
decision requires a certain level of maturity-don’t rush into it or you will certainly regret it. First let’s get some things straight: Losing your virginity isn’t anything special. You aren’t any cooler. You aren’t a different person. It doesn’t make you an adult. “Everyone else is doing it” is not an excuse to do it, because some people are probably just lying.
Ask yourself this: Can I walk in to Target, find the ‘family planning’ aisle, choose a box of condoms, walk to the register and pay for them? People lie about sex both ways, some say they have done it when they really have not, and others say they are virgins when they have had sex. Sex has the potential to ruin your relationship or even your current life plans. Obviously, the biological purpose of sex is to repopulate, but having a child before you’re ready can be detrimental to your future. Ask yourself this: Can I walk in
to Target, find the ‘family planning’ aisle, choose a box of condoms, walk to the register and pay for them? If not, you’re probably embarrassed by sex and shouldn’t be considering having it. If you are feeling at all hesitant about having sex, please do not do it. Your hesitation might mean you aren’t ready. But if you can confidently say, “I want to have sex!” or “I am ready,” by all means do it! I have had multiple sexual partners, and each experience has been very different. With one the sex was purely for fun, our relationship was not strengthened or weakened by our decision to have sex with each other. In this case sex was almost as an activity. We would have sex if we had some time before or after our plans for the day or night. In my life, sex has brought me both physically and emotionally closer to my partners in different ways. I think that sex is better when you have a connection with someone and you truly care about each other. But in the end, no one can tell you if you’re ready for sex except yourself. Whatever you decide to do in your future, please keep it safe and legal (the age of consent in Ohio is 16). And use a condom; you go to Walnut.
My only grievance with the administration
Wally Hill talks love?
Char Daston, ‘13 Staff Writer
Wally Hill, ‘12 Staff Writer
A couple of months ago, my seventh-bell teacher, who often ends class a few minutes early to allow students to put away their things, received an e-mail from the principal at 2:31 PM, exactly one minute after the final bell rang. The message informed him that a few of his students were spotted outside before the bell rang. The next day, this teacher informed us that no one, on pain of detention, was permitted outside of the building before the end of school and the problem was solved. I am not writing to complain about the relative lack of danger these students were in; rules are rules.This particular problem was resolved quickly and with the best interests of student safety in mind. Then why am I writing about it? Compare this solved problem with another, much larger, unsolved 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,
one. Around late September, PA boxes stopped working in not one, but two of my classes. One of the speakers was not replaced until the second week in December; the other one remains broken and announcements cannot be heard from the nearest box (in the hallway) when the classroom door is closed. Two of Walnut’s major emergency procedures, tornado and lock-down, begin with announcements through the PA system. True, it is likely that classrooms unable to hear those announcements would see others evacuating or locking their doors, but if my emergency/first aid training in gym class last year has taught me anything, it’s that a few moments can be the difference between life and death. I know, of course, that fixing the PA system is a much more involved process: a work order
must be sent out, the district must approve it and supplies must be sent for. But it cannot, and should not, take over two months to fix a major safety issue. The fact that, within a few minutes, the administration has the resources and the knowledge to solve a small problem tells me that, within a few weeks, they should be completely capable of solving a larger one. I repeat that this is my only grievance with the administration; I firmly believe we as students are in very capable hands. I only ask them to set an example. Mr. Brokamp has urged students at several assemblies to prioritize: to put homework first. I urge his administration to prioritize the same way: to resolve major safety issues with the same energy it puts in to smaller ones.
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.
February is a strange month. Not only is it the shortest month of the year, but it’s also an interesting hodge-podge of fun little holidays and cultural celebrations to rejoice in. However, it is also the harbinger of what I consider to be the dumbest holidays on our calendar: Valentine’s Day. Now hold up, before you assume that I’m some terrible miser who frowns in the face of love, I have nothing against the holiday’s general concept: to display your affection to (your significant) other(s). That’s fine and dandy. In fact, that’s great! But sadly, it’s not like that, and for as long as I can remember, it has never been (primarily) like that. Much in the vein of an equally stupid holiday, Sweetest Day, Valentine’s Day is all about blowing your money on expensive, disposable crap to somehow vindicate and legitimize your affection for another person. Much like letting your older brother “oversee” the finances of your childhood lemonade stand; this holiday is a bad idea. Valentine’s Day has transformed into a monstrous fire of teddy bears, chocolates and flowers into which you toss will countless dollars to see only a slim return (if any at all). I was listening to the radio recently, and just about every commercial was telling me how I could buy stuff for my significant other to impress their friends. Very few of the commercials mentioned doing it too because you actually like
the person. They all had a vain, materialistic feel to them. It was quite annoying. Now, some of you may know a little bit about the holiday (or may read Wikipedia) and you may be tempted to cry “Wally, the holiday is about expressing your love through by presenting flowers and blah, blah, blah…” Clamp it. I’ve read Wikipedia too. I know that. Just because that’s supposedly what the holiday is about, doesn’t mean it should be. Why do we need to buy people stuff to show them that we like them? If you really want to do that, make it yourself. It’ll have more meaning. Furthermore, shouldn’t you express your love/affection/ endearment everyday? Why is it even necessary to have a specific day for this? In short, I don’t like Valentine’s Day because corporate America already swindles people out of their money enough. Why do they need to have a themed “waste your money day?”(Don’t we already have Black Friday?). And again, this may seem a bit of dark opinion, but it’s fairly accurate. In reality, Valentine’s Day is just an excuse for the CEOs of large corporations who sell this stuff to laugh all the way to the bank as you generously line their wallets. And while it’s too late to ward off the hordes of roses and Russel Stover this year, I encourage you to think about my rant. Maybe next year you’ll do something a bit more meaningful than paying ten dollars for that ugly teddy bear. Think about it.
The ideas expressed on this page are the views of individual authors and do not reflect the opinions of the Chatterbox pubilcation as a whole. Letters to the editors may be sent to Rm. 8003 or to cboxwalnut@gmail.com.
Volume CVI.6
Jessie Heines, Print Editor
Walnut Hills High School
Sports
Page 4
The Chatterbox
Eagles rock as winning-streak rolls
CHARLIE HATCH/ CHATTERBOX
After receiving a pass from Adam Brown, the ‘Big Dog’ Isaiah Johnson dunked over a Loveland defender. Throughout the year, Johnson was the go-to-guy in the paint, and was a big reason for the teams incredible 18-2 record. The Eagles claimed the fifth seed in the city for the state tournament.
Charlie Hatch, ‘13 Sports Editor If you could write a script to describe the best possible season for the boys basketball team, it would sound like this year. Not only did the Eagles win the FAVC conference, they also finished the regular season riding on a 17-game winning streak into the state tournament, a Walnut Hills record, and went undefeated at home. Although the team started 1-2 with losses at LaSalle and Milford, the Eagles were able to keep it together and play well throughout the season. “[LaSalle] was our first real test of the season,” said Isaiah ‘Big Dog’ Johnson, ‘13, the center who can be a threat in the paint both offensively and on defense. “Even though we lost, it made us that much better as a team seeing where we were and where we needed to get to.” “They had the best player we played all year, they were the best team we played all year, and we were away at their court,” SENIOR Carlitos Anderson told the Chatterbox. Throughout the season, Walnut got poor and questionable calls in every gym that they played in. One huge reason, was the ‘Big Dog’ himself, who towered over every opponent the Eagles faced all year. “It was kind-of hard play-
ing against teams that didn’t have anyone my size,” says Johnson. “So I couldn’t play as physical as I would’ve liked, but what makes a good player a good player is how he is able to respond to adversity and I think I responded pretty well.” But when the going got tough, Walnut was able to come out on top in every game. The Eagles were able to pick up big wins at St. Xavier, and both games against Turpin. Walnut beat the Turpin Spartans by one point each time they played, which both came down to the last shot. At home, Kodey Jackson, ‘13, was able to bury a fade-away jumper to hit a buzzer beater, and away Turpin was unable to make theirs. Another major factor that boosted the Eagles into an undefeated home record was the Nut House. “Playing in our gym was amazing,” said Anderson. “The Nut House was always packed, loud, and had our backs. We felt more comfortable at home.” And the best example of that, was the game of the season, Senior Night. On a night celebrated as the last game in the historic gym, as well as for the SENIORS, the Nut House and the parents worked together to overflow the building with bodies making it one of the loudest home games in recent memory, despite the lop-sided 6946 score over Wilmington.
“It was great playing in that gym,” says Johnson. “It was loud, hot and the crowd was right there next to you the whole time. I can only imagine how it must of been for the visitors to play there.” “It was packed, it was loud... I think the whole student body was there,” Wilmington coach Mike Noszka told wnewsj.com. And it didn’t help his team’s cause by trying to double team Johnson, only to leave guards open for three pointers. The Wilmington Hurricane didn’t get any favors from SENIOR Andrew Mitchell, who went out in a blaze hitting threes and producing 20 points in his final game at home. “I was feeling well all night long but it was hard not to feel that way tonight,” Mitchell said to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Mitchell went on to describe how his grandfather played on the same floor generations before, and how meaningful it was to him. When the final seconds ticked off of the clock and horn sounded, the crowd stormed the court for one final time, to join new FAVC conference champions and congratulate the team on their undefeated home record. Athletic Director Tom Donnelly hired Miller Photography to take a picture of all the Eagle supporters in attendance before the team cut down the nets. After all the players went up
the ladder to snip their piece of history, the driving force behind the team, coach Rob Moman, took down the net and rose it into the air above the Nut House with the look of satisfaction. Moman, in his third year as the head coach of the varsity team, already has two FAVC titles for the Eagles, and has provided the tools essential to compete in postseason play. “Coach is like the driver of the car,” says point-guard Sterling Gilmore, ‘13. “Without him we wouldn’t be as good as we are. He has adjusted to us and how we play just as much as we have adjusted to him and how he coaches.” “Coach ‘Mo’ does a lot with the help of all the other coaches,” Anderson believes. “We are always prepared for whatever team we have to play, we know exactly
what they will do and players on the team will do that. But the most important thing he does is plays with us in practice because he is actually good and big and makes ‘Dog’ and the rest of us work harder.” If nothing else, this Eagles team demonstrated great unity which has been unmatched by any opponent on their schedule. And as they enter the state tournament, they know they have each other’s backs. “My favorite moment was any moment that I got to spend with this team,” says Johnson. “This is one of my favorite teams that I have ever played with, I love all these guys. Coach ‘Mo’ has helped us out tremendously by getting us all focused on the same thing and I think that this tournament run this year will be something special.”
CHARLIE HATCH/CHATTERBOX
Coach Rob Moman raises the net after the last game in the 80 year old gymnasium.
Lady Eagles prepare for upcoming lacrosse season Alina Tashjian, ‘14 Staff Writer As the winter begins to wind down and roll over to spring, the Lady Eagles lacrosse team is getting ready for their upcoming season. The lacrosse team is a club that welcomes new members with no experience needed; they just need to have the will to learn the game, practice and play hard. Coached by Tim Becker the lax
Walnut Hills High School
team participates in the Southwest Division-I league in the Ohio High School Lacrosse Association (OHSLA), where they are up against teams such as Loveland, Mason and Oak Hills. Although the team has to take on the hardships of fundraising themselves, according to Sarah Stillpass, ‘14. “Being a club really lets us get out there and get noticed by college coaches as well as giving us a sense of unity because we are a
club and a team,” she says. “Plus, we are a very competitive group of girls and we have a lot of strengths for the upcoming season that I am very excited about.” The high school girls have a mix of speed and aggressiveness that will win them matches, but does the fact that they are only a club prevent a certain school spirit from accompanying them to the events ? In the last three years, Athletic Director Tom Donnelly has done
Charlie Hatch, Editor
well in promoting the idea of lacrosse to both the junior high and high school students, boys and girls alike, hoping for big turnouts at the events. The 2010 season for the junior high girls team was much more successful than the high school’s season, and hopefully with the 8th graders now freshmen, their skills and talents will come with them and help the team out. Because the lacrosse club is still a fairly new sport, not just to
Walnut but to other Cincinnati schools, they have not yet had to deal with the loss of seniors and the impact that can sometimes be to a team. The Lady Eagles lacrosse club is definitely full of potential. With support from not just fellow athletes but the entire school, lacrosse will surely become one of Walnut’s recognized sports.
Volume CVI.6
The Chatterbox
Fine Arts
Page 5
Shmalo brings passion to the stage
DAN LEDBETTER PHOTOGRAPHY
The first play that Marlene Foreman Shmalo will direct at Walnut Hills, Once Upon a Mattress, G2K, consists of two casts totaling over seventy students.
Jenna Weber, ‘13 Fine Arts Editor Maybe you have seen her walking through the halls of Walnut Hills this year, but now as the opening day for Once Upon a Mattress, G2K looms closer and closer, the new Junior High musical director Marlene Foreman Shmalo spends most of her time in the Walnut Hills auditorium. Although Shmalo may be an unfamiliar face to most students, she is not entirely new to the Walnut Hills teaching community. She started teaching here 38 years ago, but left to raise her oldest son. After a recent reunion with a former student and current parent, she was offered a position to direct the junior high musical and play and without any thought, she accepted the position. Shmalo has a Master’s degree from the College-Conservatory of Music, and also has extensive experience in public and persuasive speaking and oral interpretation
of literature. So what drew her to Walnut’s theatre department? When asked about her feelings towards her new position, she said she “loves teaching junior high here more than life itself.” Shmalo is clearly glad to be back. In her opinion, Walnut “hasn’t changed. The kids are still diverse and bright and adorable and fun and the school looks a little better, the statues are still naked in the halls and everything is pretty much the same, which makes me very happy”. The musical Once Upon a Mattress has sentimental value for Shmalo. “It was the show I was supposed to do when I had my son James and I thought ‘what a wonderful show to come back to do.’” To see the evidence of her hard work and her passion that she invests into her job, make sure to attend the production of Once Upon a Mattress, G2K on March 1, 2 and 3, 2012 in the WHHS Auditorium at 7:30 PM.
The Death of Socrates hangs in the Forum
The recreation reflects Walnut’s classically-based curriculum.
Cody Stayden, ‘12 Staff Writer This painting, seen by most passing the Forum, is a beautiful recreation of JacquesLouis David’s The Death of Socrates. This scene depicts the death of the famous Greek philosopher Socrates defiantly accepting his condemnation. The painting also includes representations of other notable philosophers of the time.Plato sits on the left of the bed, while Crito grasps the knee of Socrates. In the center of the painting sits Socrates, who clasps onto the goblet of hemlock. Socrates, an influential philosopher and
CODY STAYDEN/ CHATTERBOX
teacher who pioneered such ideas as his namesake, the Socratic Method, was most widely known for the Socratic Method, was condemned to death in 399 B.C. for his criticisms on a democratic system that the Athenian government had adapted at the time. This rendition of Jacques-Louis David’s original painting holds true to its predecessor yet, unlike the original, uses a vibrant color palette that brings out the figures within the painting. It is one of the few paintings that has continued to hang in the Forum throughout the years.
Once Upon a Mattress, G2K For more information about the production, visit our website! www.my.hsj.org/chatterbox
Volume CVI.6
Jenna Weber, Print Editor
Walnut Hills High School
Style & Culture
Page 6
The Chatterbox
Facebook Use and You
JONAH ROTH/CHATTERBOX
Hannah Shaw, ‘14 Style & Culture Online Ediitor “Students shouldn’t live their lives through Facebook. Too much time on it can affect you more negatively than positively.” says Terrin Bates, ‘13. Many students look at Facebook as a useful tool to connect with friends or as a distraction from that looming essay you should have written days ago, while others see it as a breeding ground for high school drama. In today’s world a teenager’s presence online is prevalent in everyday life. Some teachers even use Facebook as a way to connect with students outside the
classroom. But what happens when the line between what you do on Facebook and your life at school becomes blurred? Websites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and even websites facilitating emails are banned in schools to prevent social media interactions during school hours. Simply sending an email on a school PC is considered a category-two offence that could lead to suspension from computer access at school. But what about student Internet use at home? According to the CPS Acceptable Use Policy, the Internet and administration collide when cyber-bullying takes place. When asked about administration interfering with online interactions Kelsie Gerard, ‘14, says, “What happens on Facebook is outside school hours. If you can’t handle the stuff people write to you or about you then deal with it…The school doesn’t need to be involved.” Fifty-percent of students surveyed on the matter said that the school should not be able to punish students for what they do online. Yet if the administration did not punish students for their online actions would that mean they would condone online activities such as cyber-bullying or sexting? One thing the children of the technology age tend to forget is that nothing you do online is private. Even if your account is password-protected or your profile perfected so your parents are only able to see certain
FOR HER: #315: Just because it’s fortyfive degrees out doesn’t mean you should be wearing shorts/skirts. Respect the season.
West Side Story (February 29March 11) Addams Family (March 21-April 18) CCM Into the Woods (February 23March 4) CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM Monet in Giverny: Landscapes of Reflection (February 4-May 13) US BANK ARENA Black Keys (March 2)
Tired of needing your dad’s help every time you have to dress up? Visit <my.hsj.org/chatterbox> to learn from resident expert and Style & Culture Editor Joe Neidhard, ‘12, the proper way to tie a tie.
Dreadlocks: twists and turns
Tanner Walters, ‘12 Senior Managing Editor
Walnut Hills High School
ARONOFF CENTER
JESSICA FAN/CHATTERBOX
What? No Bacon?! At a school like Walnut, where thick black glasses, neck scarves and “Coexist” bumper stickers abound, vegetarianism tends to come with the gig. What bleedingheart freshman hasn’t gone through the Meat is Murder phase? The diet seems to be a growing trend, but is it more than just a juvenile fad? “For me, it was a choice originally linked to animal cruelty. I was in seventh grade,” says Nick Wymer, ‘13, who continues to follow a vegetarian diet. This issue convinced Megan Young, ‘14 as well. “The idea of eating something that was once living disturbed me,” she said. The lifestyle also has an environmental advantage. A 2006 study conducted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found that between 14 and 22% of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by meat production. Another factor to consider is the amount of land and resources used by the industry; according to the Vegetarian Times, the amount of water to produce one pound of beef in California is 2,464 gallons, whereas the amount of water used to produce a pound of wheat is 25 gallons. Others cite health benefits as the reason to choose tofu over turkey.
Around Town
Online Exclusive
Style Tips FOR HIM: #426: If you are wearing one, look at the baseball cap on your head. If you can not say that you are a fan of that team, you should not be wearing it.
parts, it’s very easy for people, like teachers, administrators, possible employers and even strangers to access information about you or the things you post. This may seem like a complete invasion of privacy, but it’s information that you offer about yourself to all Internet users. Recently information and pictures obtained from Facebook have even been used in court cases. If you are one of the fifty-percent who believes your place of education has no right to control what you do or say on the Internet, there are ways to enjoy your social media without earning a trip to the main office. The school is responsible for what you do online when it poses harm to you or another student. Bullying is bullying and whether it be online or shoving an “effie” into a trash can, your school has a responsibility to stop it. Valuable advice on how to stay out of trouble online can be found in your Cincinnati Public School Acceptable Use Police Network Safety Agreement that you and your parents are required to sign every year. CPS advises “If you post a photo, consider if it’s one your mother would display in the living room” and “assume anything you post is on the Internet permanently and cannot be removed.” If you find those rules hard to follow maybe it’s time to disable your Internet profile and resort to contacting your friends via carrier pigeon.
“I became a vegetarian because my dad has really bad heart disease,” said SENIOR Diamond Penn. The American Dietic Association has confirmed that a “well-planned” vegetarian diet can prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. However, this is not the case for everyone. “I use up a lot of energy when I dance and I’ve found that protein from meat helps me refuel best,” said SENIOR Emma Currens. Though protein can be found in plant products, it is often more difficult to find. Vegetarians must also play close attention to iron intake, as they are often susceptible to anemia (especially girls). It is advised that they take vitamin B12 supplements as well. Prospective vegetarians must also consider the potential inconvenience of the lifestyle in daily life. As a vegetarian myself (and one for six years), I realize it’s a very personal decision. Most teenagers jumping into it at a young age with little more motivation than an angry PETA sticker will quickly give it up, but for those who can stick with it, the benefits can be convincing. I’ve heard arguments against it, but those are usually grounded in vague macho rants against granola types. It boils down to respecting the choices of others.
HANNAH SHAW/CHATTERBOX
Malindi Robinson, ‘12
HANNAH SHAW/CHATTERBOX
Sophia Weathersby, ‘16
BUY ONE DRINK, GET ONE 50% OFF
Joe Neidhard, Print Editor
at Cafe DeSales 2835 Woodburn Ave 513-751-2233 Limit one per customer.
Volume CVI.6
Arcade
The Chatterbox
Page 7
Not Your Ideal Spring Break JP Schmitz, ‘12 Arcade Editor
WANT TO TELL MY FUTURE?
CALL TO ALL STUDENT ARTISTS
For the past semester our team of professional as- If you are a student artist, trological visionaries have in any media, and you slaved over star charts would like you art to be and planetary observafeatured in the Chattions to craft horoscopes terbox (cartoons, poetry, of the highest quality. etc.), then send your But now it’s your turn. work in to us! You can If you think that your submit art to the Chatclairvoyent skills are up terbox mailbox, or send to snuff, then drop your it to cboxtoons@gmail. twelve month spread (no com. Provided that the Ophiuchus please) in the art is of tasteful artistic Chatterbox mailbox, or merit, you could see it send them to cboxscope@ published in our next gmail.com. issue
“Oh come on! More Construction?!”
Horoscopes JP Schmitz, ‘12 Arcade Editor
Aquarius: Your closet is a dark and scary place. Tread lightly, for with one wrong step, you could unleash the horde. You can buy lychee juice at Jungle Jim’s. Pisces: In a parallel universe, a war rages over the proper distribution of blueberry muffin mix. You are their only hope! Climb to the top of the tallest building and sing an assortment of Disney songs. That is the only way you can save them!
Spook of the Month Jarod Estes, ‘17 Chatterbox Cartoonist
Aries: I know of a place where you’ll never be harmed! A magical place, with magical charm! Bora Bora! Pack your bags, the plane’s a’waitin’! Taurus: The universe is out to get you! You’d better eat your pineapple or you’ll regret it. Eyelashes hurt when they get in your eye. Run more for better health. Gemini: Instead of watching reruns of Barney and Friends, we recommend that you devote your time to something productive, like building bird houses. Cancer: You spin the dial, move three spaces, decisions, decisions. Pay me! Lawyer’s salary, please! Leo: Secretly you have been looking forward to this week, but you wouldn’t dare tell anyone. The present planetary alignments encourage you to hide your passionate feelings under a mask of apathy. However, you would be advised to give someone at least a hint of what lies percolating beneath your apparent cynicism. Be generous and share your Belgian waffles - let them know your love is true. Virgo: This may be the end. Quick call for pizza! Libra: If you know how to cartwheel, then it is advisable that you execute three cartwheels in a row at exactly 5:17 PM. If you do, something magical will happen. Scorpio: By this time tomorrow morning, there is 13.5% chance that your home will be surrounded by porcupines. As scary as this may seem, they love polka music, so make sure you have an accordion. Sagittarius: I tnaw ot eb eht yrev tseb, Ekil on eno reve saw. Ot hctac meht si ym laer tset, Ot niart meht si ym esuac. Eht melborp t‘nsi taht uoy kniht uoy wonk, s‘ti taht uoy wonk uoy wonk. Yats denut, uoy pu rof a esirprus? Capricorn: The Chupacabra has found your house. Luckily he might not eat you. Did I tell you to order pizza?
Volume CVI.6
JP Schmitz, Editor
Walnut Hills High School
Just Nuts
Page 8
The Chatterbox
Nutty Notebook: Peanuts, Not so Lame Jessica Fan Just Nuts Online Editor Many people regard peanuts as lame. I am not one to think of a peanut as lame, but some do not think it should be in the same ranking as the COCONUT, or the MACADAMIA. I am here to once again, raise the peanut to fame...to glory...to success. I first tried to implement this plan by inserting the peanut into various conversational compliments, hoping that people would thus associate the peanut with nice flattery. I had gently stabbed my fellow peer in the armpit a fortnight ago and said “My dear sir, your face does not resemble a peanut at all today.” Strangely quiet, said person did not know how to react.
The next morning, I stabbed said person again in the armpit and said “My dear sir, I am sure you have many peanuts as friends.” Said person started to chase me down the hallway. I waited some days before slyly creeping up to said person once again and stabbing them in the armpit. I told him “My dear sir, if thou and I were to get married, I would give you a peanut ring.” I regard this compliment as the best of them all and use it only in desperate situations. In short, this plan did not go quite well seeing how I had recieved a restraining order and am now prohibited from encroaching the boundary set 5000 miles from said person. Instead, I turned to plan B and decided
to replace the word “peanut” in my compliments with some other known registered forms of the word. I had sneaked into a naval facility and yelled into a megaphone: “YOU ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL PIG NUTS, GOOBER PEAS, MONKEYGROUND NUT, ARACHIS HYPOGAE‒” I did not get to finish since I was escorted out. Although having suffered many failed attemps, I still believe in the trusty benefits of the peanut. The peanut, which tries so hard to be healthy, holding a whooping .882 grams of Isoleucine, 1.300 g of Phenylalanine and 3.001 g of Arginine. These may be things you don’t care about, or anyone cares about, but think about how great you will feel, everyday, knowing that
you will have so much Isoleucine in your system. So just remember all the great aspects of peanuts. To the right is a picture in support of their adequacy.
JESSICA FAN/CHATTERBOX
Wikimedia Commons
In Character: Lindsey Steffe
Jaylen Hill ‘13 Just Nuts Print Editor
Presenting SENIOR Lindsey Steffe, social butterfly and ex-cheerleader. This spirited Remembrancer member can be found at the Teller’s restaurant in Hyde Park or listening to Wiz Khalifa, the rapper Steffe is currently “obsessed” with.
JAYLEN HILL/CHATTERBOX
Your friend just told you that she heard from her friend that her friend’s brother cheated on your best friend.
JAYLEN HILL/CHATTERBOX
You just ate three warheads and then realized how much you hate them.
JAYLEN HILL/CHATTERBOX
You’re in the middle of reenacting Napoleon Dynamite’s sign language dance.
Vote for your favorite Chatterbox masthead! Masthead #1
Jonah Roth, ‘13 Design Editor The results are in, and after much discussion, we (the editorial board) present to you our three favorite masthead contest submissions. Now, the Walnut community has to decide which masthead will appear on the next issue of the Chatterbox and become a part of Walnut Hills history. To cast your vote, just return the ballot below to Room 8003 or Ms. Gerwe-Perkins’ mailbox before Tuesday, April 3.
Masthead #2
Chatterbox Masthead Finalists (Please check one submission)
Masthead #3 Masthead #1 Masthead #2 Masthead #3 Return this ballot to Room 8003 or Ms. Gerwe-Perkins’ mailbox before Tuesday, April 3.
Walnut Hills High School
Jaylen Hill, Print Editor
Volume CVI.6