Hannah Shaw, Editor-in-Chiefwhhscbox.com Page 1

Zoe Cheng, ‘15Ashwini Kamath, ‘17

In the Arts and Science Build-ing, a chemistry teacher hands out a worksheet covering protons and electrons. Across the school, an English teacher passes tests down a row of students. Down the hall, an administrator prepares an agenda for a meeting. In the lunchroom, a security guard hands a detention slip to an unruly seventh-grader.What do all these scenarios have in common? They all involve copy clicks.Each quarter, every teacher receives a certain quota of “copy clicks.” With these clicks they are able to copy handouts, packets and tests to pass out to students. “The purpose of the allot-ment of copy clicks is budgetary,” explains Secretary Patti Abbatiello, who is in charge of rationing out copy clicks to individual teach-ers. “[Walnut has] to pay for the ink and paper we use, so we must account for our usage… Each

Papers are an educational necessity at Walnut Hills. There are approximately 1,100 copies allocated per student. Picture left to right: Olivia Wolf , ‘16, SENIORS Noah Catalan, Perry Stargel, Eva Patterson, and Thea Contin.

ALISON MCNAIR/CHATTERBOX

Congress provides opportunities

Satia Hardy, ‘14 New committees and clubs are coming to Walnut Hills High School. Student Congress has recently approved a new club, Eggheads. This club prepares high school students for college by developing their vocabulary and grammar skills by reading higher level literature. The club will meet every Thurs-day after school in Patricia Bard’s room at 3:45. Although most of the books for the club meetings will be available in the library, stu-dents are responsible for obtaining their own books for discussions. This club is an opportunity for students to prepare for their ACTs and SATs, build their vocabulary and spend time with other people

who enjoy reading. In addition, Student Congress has involvement opportunities within its committees which have specific roles and benefit the school community. The Inreach Committee focuses on building school spirit and a sense of com-munity. It also manages the Career Lecture Series, a lecture series that invites professionals to come speak to students about their experi-ences. The Outreach Committee ex-pands into the surrounding neigh-borhood of Evanston, including working with the Community Action Team to tutor children at the local elementary school, Evan-ston Academy. All students are encouraged to join in any of these activities that benefit the school.

Over 7,000 pairs of shoes, all for a causeAbrena Rowe, ‘14

The students who attend Walnut are known not only for their academics and what they do inside of the Walnut community, but also for what they do outside of this community. SENIOR Mer-edith Bailey is known for her skills on the varsity volleyball team, being a well rounded student, and, as SENIOR Lauren Allen says, for “her overall friendly and cheerful personality.” What most don’t know is that she has a strong passion for

volunteer work and that her field of choice is recycling and donating unwanted shoes. Bailey began collecting shoes back in 2010 when she was trying to obtain her Girl Scout Gold Award. She took the shoes that she had collected and sent them to Nike Outlets at Cincinnati Premium Outlets. From there, the donated shoes were recycled and turned into rubber to make playground mats for low-income neighborhoods Bailey then began a small shoe drive at French Park Day Camp, the Girl Scout camp where she volunteered. Here she discovered that people were donating shoes that were too high in quality to donate to Nike. She subsequently began to donate to The Caring

Walnut Hills High SchoolVolume CVIII, Issue 1 September 19, 2013

$98,180.22 spent on copies at Walnut Hills High School

Kevin Kruse, ‘19 is being tutored by Allonte Hart, ‘16 after school. The tutoring program is an example of a long-standing involvement opportunity.

ALISON MCNAIR/CHATTERBOX

month, paper is ordered based upon the clicks used that month.” On June 24, 2013, the Cincin-nati Public School board ap-proved a $474 million General Fund Budget for the 2013-2014

school year. In the previous fiscal year, Walnut Hills was allotted $98,180.22 to spend on copies. Each copy costs three cents. This is approximately 3,272,674 copies. Under Ohio law, schools cannot

go over their budget, and excep-tions are rare. “They give us a dollar amount,” explains chemistry teacher Jeffrey Lazar. “Some quarters I end up going below my allocated amount

and then in other quarters I go over.” What many students do not know is that the term “clicks” refers to more than just the copy machine. “We are now ‘charged’ clicks when we print from our computers,” says social studies teacher Megan Gaskin. “We are also ‘charged’ clicks when we make copies of school-required documents, like detention forms, hall passes, etc. These are forms that we have to use, but [aren’t provided with]… For teachers who don’t use all of their clicks, this obviously isn’t an issue, but for some of us it can be.” Abbatiello says that “...the amount of copy clicks a teacher receives is based upon the needs of the class he or she is teach-ing. There is no ‘set’ amount, or particular allotment. As I see what a teacher is using, I can give him/her more as needed.”

Continued on page 2

Place, a secondhand pantry in Kennedy Heights, as well as to The YWCA Battered Women and Children’s Shelter downtown. For Bailey, this effort snow-balled into collecting even more shoes, holding her own drives, and organizing drives with recycling companies to bring in more donations. Specifically, in May 2013 she teamed up with Cohen Recycling Company and Amberley Village to organize a large shoe donation drive. She was in charge of organizing the shoes that were being brought in, and she collected 2,000 shoes alone. These shoes were sorted and sent off to different charities, including Cincinnati Public Schools Project Connect, First Step Home, and SOTENI International. Over the years, Bailey has collected and donated over 7,000 pairs of shoes, and she plans to continue the work that she is do-ing now as well as other volunteer opportunities for the duration of her life. “I love donating shoes because I know that I am help-ing so many people,” says Bailey. She strongly encourages others to donate shoes or simply to find a community service that fits them as well as hers does.

Meredith Bailey and fellow Girl Scouts at a shoe drive over the summer. The organization began as her Gold Award project.

PROVIDED BY MEREDITH BAILEY

FEATURES

Homecoming is just around the corner;

start planning for spirit week

Page 2

SPORTS Eagles football bounc-es back after a tough

loss.

Page 4

VIEWPOINTS The anonymous voice of Walnut’s SENIOR

class returns

Page 3

FINE ARTSCheck out the new

faces of Walnut’s Fine Arts Department!

Page 5

STYLE & CULTURE

Learn about our new students from around the world.

Page 6

PEANUTS7th and 8th graders—

feeling like a little fish in a big pond? Peanuts is just

for you!Page 7

September 19, 2013Page 2 Issue CVIII.1

FEATURESGarretson Oester, Editor

Features StaffAshwini Kamath, ‘17

Neriya Servant, ‘15

$98,180.22 spent on copy clicks at WHHS (cont’d)“I get very close [to using up all my copy clicks] every quarter/semester,” says Gaskin. “With my SENIORS, we don’t have a textbook for Ethnic Studies, so I have to do a lot of handouts, ar-ticles, class copies, etc. Also, with teaching seventh grade students, I feel the need to have handouts for them so they can be more hands on and visual right then and there.”

The total school budget is 13,016,943.66. The average teacher makes $66,470.06. The per student instructional copy allocation falls at approximately 1,330. This is 188 per class or approximately one per day.

CHATTERBOX

ALI MCNAIR/CHATTERBOX

This is approximately 3,272,674 copies.

then they have to go out of their way to do homework. It’s annoy-ing.” “[The copy clicks rule is fair] to an extent, but isn’t any issue that really can be solved in a day,” says Gaskin. “I understand that everything has a cost. Schools have

anybody in this school… needs more clicks than they get,” says Lazar. “I think everybody has their needs satisfied… I think the administration knows that pho-tocopying is an important part of the whole education process.” The rationing of copy clicks can be seen as both an asset and a liability. “I think the copy clicks rule isn’t fair because you might need more clicks,” says Benjamin Kelly, ‘19. Sakinah Worsham, ‘19 agrees. She believes that “there shouldn’t be a number [on copy clicks],” because “kids need to get enough papers to learn what they need to.” “[Copy click rationing] is good, though, because we can see just what we use, and how much,” says Abbatiello. “As we move toward becoming more ‘green,’ knowing what we’re using gives us information that is helpful in

that clicks create, many teachers have begun to utilize other alter-natives, such as putting handouts on BlackBoard for students to print out at home. “[The amount of copy clicks Walnut uses] seems to have less-ened slightly since I began work-ing here about five years ago,” says Abbatiello. She adds that “with added technology, like Black-board... the amount of copying needed seems to be somewhat less. I imagine the need for copying will continue to lessen with time, as more technology is utilized.” However, some teachers still prefer handing out hard copies in class. “It’s the same amount of paper and ink, so [by hav-ing students print out their own handouts], it’s just pushing the cost off onto the students rather than the school or the teacher,” says Lazar. Still, he adds that “in some situations there may not be much choice though. If a teacher has really, really big documents, it might… just be the only way it’s going to get done.” “I think that [putting handouts on Blackboard] isn’t a good idea,” says Jessica Kavinsky, ‘17. “If a student doesn’t [have a printer],

to budget in order to keep things moving. However, there are in-stances when I wish that we were given more.” It’s a given that some teachers will pass out more papers than others. Nevertheless, “I don’t think

teachers are way more mindful now about not running off things that they don’t really need to.” “I think some people are more concerned with the amount than others,” says Gaskin.

“[The papers I receive in class] help [me to] understand what is needed to be studied or learned throughout the year,” says Lakya Mack, ‘16. She is one of many who believes that handouts con-tribute to the educational process in a positive way. Furthermore, many students believe that limiting the number of handouts teachers print does not allow them to maximize their learning potential. “I probably would have learned more if there weren’t copy clicks,”says SENIOR Maddie Weyand-Guise. Also, what happens when clicks are disproportionately allocated? “There’s some teachers [who] know they’re not going to use their clicks, so [Abbatiello will] take their excess clicks and divide them up among teachers who need more clicks,” explains Lazar. However, Gaskins comments that “sometimes...we are out of luck and are heading to Kinkos to do some damage there.” To further avoid the challenges

‘I probably would have learned more if there weren’t copy clicks,’ says SENIOR Maddie Weyand-Guise.

making strides toward that goal.” Lazar agrees. “It used to be that teachers… abused the copy machines,” he says. “And I think

Jazlyn Day, ‘14

As Miley Cyrus would say in her hit song “We Can’t Stop,” “La di da di, we like to party!” This year, the homecoming dance will be held on September 28th, from 9-12 pm for 10th through 12th-graders at the Xavier University Cintas Center. “I’ve never been [to the homecoming dance],” says Sjors Verhaak ‘16. “I’m not looking forward to paying for the tickets.” Doors close at 10 pm, and tickets are priced at $20. As reported by SENIOR class advisor Karen Rowe, the theme for the dance is “Up, Up and Away.” A new addition to the dance this year is a photo booth. The cost will be $8 for four 2x3 pictures. A “picture packet” includes a free photo booth picture and costs

$12. Props are provided. Nomi-nees for homecoming court are nominated by student organiza-tions and the voting occurs at the dance. “I look forward to seeing my best friend and seeing

everyone excited. It gives everyone a day to dress up and act like you,” says Alainna Sanregret, ‘16. The festivities before the dance include spirit week, a tail-gate, a parade, and of course, the

CHATTERBOX

big football game against Shroder Paideia High School. The themes for the spirit week days are Ameri-can, Hawaiian, Super Hero, Class Color and Spirit Day. Friday, September 27th is

We like to party, Homecoming is almost here

“”

“

”

[Copy click rationing] is good...we can see just what we use, and how much...knowing what we're using gives us informa-tion that is helpful in making strides to [go-ing green].

“

the pep rally. This year it will be more theatrical than ever: Walnut will be presenting a skit! The school will also be presenting its fall sports teams as well as the marching blue and gold. There will be a tailgate from 5 - 7 pm, with refreshments, music, food and activities. After the tailgate, there will be a parade from Parking Lot D to Jonathan Avenue and into the Marx Stadium. It will include the marching band, members of clubs and extracurricular activities, as well as the presentation of the homecoming court nominees. Despite all the anticipated fes-tivities, Student Congress is keep-ing some aspects of homecoming secret for the students. “We don’t want to give too much away,” says SENIOR Garretson Oester, Student Congress president.

Disclosure: Garretson Oester is the Student Congress President and the Features Editor of the Chat-terbox

Students hit the floor at a school-sponsored dance. Homecoming is the first of seven dances at Walnut Hills High School.

CHATTERBOX

”

DeIssue CVIII.1 Page 3

VIEWPOINTSViewpoints StaffJason Hettesheimer, ‘14Bradford Williams, ‘15

September 19, 2013

The Chatterbox Editorial StaffHannah Shaw, Editor-in-Chief

Zoe Cheng, Managing Editor Celeste Kearney, Managing EditorJoe Schmidlapp, Design Editor Alex Persiani, Photo Editor Neriya Servant, Business Manager Oliver Olberding, Online Manager

Page EditorsAbrena Rowe, News Garretson Oester, Feautres Editor Sarah Wagner, Viewpoints Editor Kibret Alem and Kyren Palmer, Sports EditorsKarinne Hill, Fine Arts Editor Grace Hill, Style and Culture Editor Kandyce Calrk and Kendall Young, Peanuts Editors Sean Wood, Arcade Editor

Advisors: Samantha Gerwe-Perkins and Dawn WolfeIllustration by Sarah Davidoff

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 prohib-ited. 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 admin-istration 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.

Questions or comments?We would love to hear your thoughts! All feedback and corrections for the Chatterbox should be directed to

<cboxwalnut@gmail.com>. Written feedback and submissions can also be dropped off in Room 2307.

From old news to hard news

Wally Hill, ‘14

I turn right. I veer left to avoid traffic. I stop, I go, I slow. I ac-celerate. I wait. I check the time. I hurry. I realize I’m going the wrong direction; I make a U-turn. I worry about being late… then I slide into my assigned parking spot just in time. This is what it is like to travel the hallways of Walnut Hills High School -- yes hallways, not high-ways. I sometimes wonder if traffic lights would help alleviate traffic at the most congested intersections. Imagine walking from the cafeteria to math class and after passing a staircase, slowing to a stop at a second staircase as a light overhead shifts from yellow to red. When the light turns green you continue

on, move into a left-turn lane and wait for a clear pathway into the classroom. It seems that Walnut is a tad overpopulated: classes are filled past their maximum holding ca-pacity, study hall students overflow the cafeteria, the hallways are as crowded as ever and even some-thing as simple as navigating the school can be a challenge. Even I don’t know where teachers’ class-rooms are -- and I’m a SENIOR! There are so many changes and complications: why can’t Walnut just be the way it used to be? All of this road-like construction only makes over-crowding and navigating worse! It’s so easy to get caught up in these complaints, but is change really that bad? We have some great new facilities; those old

locker rooms were not exactly high-class suites. Academically

speaking, more students than ever are achieving highly, taking AP classes, passing the test to get in: isn’t that good? There are both drawbacks and benefits to change, but change by definition, is neither bad nor good. We must not be victims of confirmation bias, the ten-dency to look for evidence that supports our claims and dismiss evidence that opposes them. We must view the situation critically, but not cynically. Although there are collisions, accidents, crashes, and fender-benders, the road-way is mostly smooth, pleasant and scenic. On the drive, I have watched out the windows as teach-ers, students, and classes pass by. Things change, but the impact that teachers, administrators, students, counselors, advisers, and coaches have on us are lasting, whether we are aware of it or not.

Bumper stickers recall inside jokes and lasting friendships. And little dents and scratches are forever reminders of rising to the highest amidst all of the accidents.

Wally Hill is the persona of a Wal-nut Hills SENIOR, chosen annually by the Chatterbox advisers to write a Viewpoints column for the duration of the year. Wally is virtually free to write about whatever he wants, within reason. He hopes to write about issues that matter to students, while also maintaining his unique style. Please do not seek out Wally’s identity -- all will be revealed in the Chatterbox’s final issue. For now, Wally hopes you read his column. Until the next issue!

If you would like to send Wally any comments or suggestions, please feel free to email him at <thewallyhill@gmail.com>.

Beep, beep!

Letter from the Editor

Sarah Wagner, ‘14

Did you know the Chatterbox was once shut down by Walnut’s administration? Did you know this school year is only our paper’s third year back as a class since 2001? What about the fact it was all because of an editorial and its cartoon? It has come to my attention that many students today at Walnut Hills have never heard of this vital part of the school’s history, and I intend to change that. As George Santayana once said, and I am sure you have heard paraphrased from at least one of your social studies teachers, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” On March 16, 2001, the Chat-terbox printed an article regarding the movement of Saturday deten-

tions to Friday afternoons (you may know this as a Friday school). The article was paired with a car-toon depicting the vice principal, Gerald Houghton, as the character Two-Face from Batman while he gave out a detention slip. Obvi-ously, not one of our best moves...as we would learn the following day once our distribution and production was suspended by Principal Marvin Koenig. “I have to say [the cartoon] was inappropriate because it targeted an administrator in a very negative light… it spoke to the content of someone’s character and that was not fair or correct,” tells art teacher Pearletta Williams. Although she agreed the caricature was unseemly for a school paper, she added that, “the closing down of the Chatterbox was a surprise to everybody,” and, with a laugh,

“that being said, the cartoon was really well drawn.” We may not have done things in the best of taste, but suspending the paper was still a direct viola-tion of the students’ First Amend-ment freedom of press rights, and the students took notice. About 125 students held a walk-out (unbenounced to the student pub-lication staff members) where they left classes, stood in Blair Circle and demanded the Chatterbox be put back into production. Six days after the initial halt and the afternoon of this commotion, we had our paper back, although it has never been the same. “I think it may have been a slight wake up call,” says Mrs. Frazier. “The Chatterbox has gone through [its] ups and downs as far as content. There were several years when it didn’t seem to have a

lot of substantial content and was just a paper.” Williams believes, “the Chat-terbox has done nothing but become stronger and better from that particular instance,” and that it has become “much more profes-sional.” As editor of the View-points page and a SENIOR this school year, I plan to be sure we maintain this level of professional-ism, and bring more hard-hitting news topics the Walnut com-munity cares about to this page

specifically. After the 2001 shutdown, the Chatterbox seemed to be pushed to the side and was no longer an integral part of Walnut that the students once fought so passion-ately for. The News Production class became only a club, lost its faculty advisor and was then run by volunteers. Now, after thirteen years of absence, this is our third year as class once again with fan-tastic faculty support and wish to regain that passion.

OLIVER OLBERDING/CHATTERBOXHere at the Chatterbox we hope to always be able to fill our news stands.

SAMUEL WITKOWSKIWally Hill’s Identity is always revealed at the end of the year

Dear Readers,

Entering Walnut on the first day, you may have been left won-dering if you were at the right school, or had traumatic flashbacks to your time as a new student. Luckily, with the days of jackham-mer sounds during tests behind us, this year is the start of a new chapter of Walnut Hills history. In the spirit of change, this year the Chatterbox will be pub-lishing twice a month. This gives us the chance to cover more of the vast and diverse happenings at our unique school—and provides you with the opportunity to make twice as many newspa-per hats. Within this first issue you will find articles that provide insight on both the new and old aspects of Walnut, and that will hopefully serve as a helpful guide as we take on the new year. As one of Walnut’s oldest student-run organization, the Chatterbox will proudly continue to remain committed to being a newsworthy source, providing you with the exciting, entertain-ing, and accurate news you need. As a student-run newspaper we are entirely written, edited, and designed by students in the News Production class and in the Chatterbox club. Of course and as always, anyone can contribute to the Chatter-box, since our purpose is to provide a public voice and forum for all members of the Walnut Hills family. As the year goes on we look forward to being an integral part of your days at school. The Chatterbox will continue to report press-ing issues and events so that all students, from effies to SENIORS, feel both informed and important in our distinguished school.

Yours truly, Hannah Shaw Editor-in-Chief

Sarah Wagner, Editor

September 19, 2013Page 4 Issue CVIII.1

SPORTS Sports StaffTony Heim, ’15

Alina Tashjian, ‘14Kibret Alem and Kyren Palmer, Editors

Tony Heim,’15

A new school year begins, bringing back the Friday night lights.The Eagles have been placed down to Division II because of the number of male students, yet their season goals have not changed. The team brings back a few key starters: quarterback Kevin Blount, ‘15, SENIOR tight end Randall Mincy, and SENIOR safety Nilijah Ballew. They have started the season with one win and one loss, but they are optimis-tic for the remainder of the season. Blount, a second year quarterback and captain, says “We want to fin-ish out our season with eight more wins and go deep in the playoffs.” Although we see the team in the fall playing, workouts be-gin in the dog days of summer, where the team lifts weights and

conditions. Ballew said “In the offseason, our saying was ‘the best is yet to come.’” During this time, teammates build chemistry which is then reflected on the field. In the first game against Sycamore, Blount and wide receiver Reid Finley, ‘15, connected on five passes for 59 receiving yards. In the home opener game, Mincy scored his first career touchdown. Recalling the experience, he said, “I was just extremely hyped that all my hard work finally paid off.” Echoing Blount, Ballew and Mincy call for the state playoffs as the ultimate team goal. Although they began the season with a loss against Syca-more, Walnut earned a victory against Western Hills High School to push the record to one win and one loss. Optimistic for the remaining eight games, Blount

Alina Tashjian, ‘14

The Walnut Hills mens soccer team is back on the pitch and looking for a three-peat Confer-ence Champions title, and so far they’ve proven their determination to do so. Coached by Eric Rothwell and undefeated so far, the Eagles focus on playing to feet and being direct, using Barcelona as their example of play and style. Their hard work has paid off earn-ing a passing completion rate of over 80% in their last two games against Anderson and Colerain, a testament to their hard work and focus with an undefeated record being icing on the cake, and being the first Walnut men’s soccer team to go 7-0 in school history isn’t so bad either. They are as player Adam Cooper 15’ says, “legend-ary.” The boys are lead by Daniel

Bundschuh, ‘15, Logan Wied-mann, ‘15, and SENIOR Andrew Moore. Bundschuh is a pivotal striker and is valuable in the attack with four goals this season so far. Wiedmann, a goalkeeper, has logged 490+ minutes and has all seven wins for walnut under his belt and only three goals against him. Moore plays in the midfield and uses his speed to be a funda-mental player in building up the attack and playing to feet to get in and create opportunities. Weidmann describes the mind-set of the team and how they’ve been so successful this far when he says, if you do not believe you can do it, you have no chance at all.” The Walnut boys have given them-selves their chance and continue to push forward and rack up wins. Jess Carr, ‘16, is proving that youth is not a hindrance, becom-ing a crucial part of the attack. In the last six games Carr has put

9 goals in the back of the net, earning a hat trick in their game against Anderson and the title of the team’s leading goal scorer thus far. Coach Rothwell does not just focus on the soccer aspect of the boys’ lives, however. Of their many short and long term goals, quite a few address not just enhancing the boys level of play but also bettering themselves and focusing on getting into post secondary education, whether it be to play collegiately or not.Walnut Hills boys soccer strives to be the breeding ground of accom-plished and skilled soccer players. Realizing they need more than talent alone, they have built team chemistry, creating a team that no one wants to face because of their abilities and desire to win. With their winning work ethic and sights set on a championship they will continue to be a tough versus on anyone’s schedule.

Tony Heim, ‘15

“I like to stay true to who I am and not let myself get a big head. I

was raised to always stay modest and never take anything for granted” -

Olivia Connaughton, ‘17

Connaughton began running at the age of seven with her father. By starting at an early age, she was taught a strong work ethic, rep-resented by her talent today. She is the number one runner on the girl’s varsity cross country team, and broke Maryn Lowry’s school record at the 2013 Mason Invita-tional on September 7th. How-ever, this is due not just to talent,

but hard work as well. “Time will tell what [Connaughton’s] poten-tial is, but her goal is to be third in the state championship this year,” says girl’s varsity cross country coach Bill Valenzano. “It will be a tall order, but I’m not saying she can’t do it.” Last year, Con-naughton became the state middle school champion and placed fifth in the nation for her age group. Teammate Collier Summay, ‘15, says that “watching Olivia run is one of the biggest motivators ever. She pushes me and the rest of the team to try harder.” Watch Connaughton closely, because she will be gone in a flash.

targets Loveland, Turpin, and Glen Este as major tests in the remaining eight games. Blount affirms that the team is more important, saying “I play for the team and all of our goals before mine.” This metamorphosis will be needed if the team comes together and makes a push for the playoffs. Ballew wants to leave the school on a high note, saying “It's all too real that this is my last year at Walnut. I want to make the most out of this season and enjoy the memories that will be made. And also I want people to always remember Nilijah Ballew was one of the best to ever put on a Walnut jersey.” With a long season ahead, the team hopes for a the school’s first playoff since 2011, but with a different result this year.

Kyren Palmer, ‘14

The girls’ soccer team has started the year with a record of three wins, one tie with Fairfield and one loss to Oak Hills. “All of the girls are hard-working and dedicated, which shows on the field every game,” says SENIOR Captain Morgan Schaefer. The girls have beaten the team St. Ur-sula, which was ranked second in the city, as well as the team from Ursuline, which was ranked third in the city before Walnut defeated them. This season, the girls are very motivated and energized and are working towards a winning record as well as winning the state championship. They are currently ranked fourth in the city. “Our team is doing well this year,” says Schaefer. “Every indi-vidual adds something extra to the team which makes us very unique and hard to beat.” With nine SE-NIORS returning, the team has a

TONY HEIM/CHATTERBOX

Connaughton (in front) leads her teammates to success during practice.

RICK NEFF

The boys line up before their game against Wyoming; they go on to win 3-2.

Men’s soccer continues to rise up the rankings

Lady Eagles defeat top teams in city

Football team fights back

Player profile: OliviaConnaughton

lot of leadership and experience on the field. Schaefer is very excited for the team and hopes to go far into the postseason and get a shot at the state title. “Being captain of a great soccer team is such a privilege to have,” says Schaefer. “I’m glad I got to work with all of the SENIORS because they are the best I could ask for and we are all really close.” With an experienced team, the girls embark on the future with hard work. “We represent who we are, [the] Lady Eagles, to the best of our ability,” says SENIOR Emily Roemhild. “Our strengths as a team are: leadership, confidence, determination, com-munication, passion and overall friendship.” The team has a bond like no other which contributes to their field play.

KIBRET ALEM/CHATTERBOX

Quarterback Kevin Blount, ‘15 completes a pass to wide receiver Reid Finley, ‘15.

Friday night isn’t for students anymore! Faculty and teachers are invited to blow off some steam at

Marty’s Hops & Vines!

FINE ARTSKarinne Hill, Editor

September 19, 2013Issue CVIII.1 Page 5

Fine Arts StaffKemi Goode-Mayo ,‘14Oliver Olberding ,‘15

Student photography feature Brie Rothan, ‘15, describes photography as “a really expressive art, whether it’s digital or not.” She specifically likes photographing her friends, because she enjoys being able to “capture and save a moment in time.” Rothan first became interested in pictures through Donald Stocker’s photography class. She decided to take the class because photography “can just be really beautiful.” Spring Grove Cemetery and the Walnut Hills campus are some of her favorite places to photograph. Below, left, is a statue she came across in the Cemetery, and to the right is a shot from outside Walnut’s Arts and Science Building. To submit photos to the Fine Arts page for future consideration, e-mail a JPEG file to <cboxphotofeature@gmail.com>.

BRIE ROTHAN

Changes in store for Walnut theaterKarinne Hill ,‘15

This year, welcoming all the new teachers is just one of many changes the Walnut Hills Theater Department is facing. The new head of the department and Wal-nut class of 2000 graduate, Mi-chael Sherman, has many ideas for the program, adding he is “thrilled to death to be able to come back and run the department.” Sherman will begin his direct-ing career at Walnut with Rogers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, which will be performed Novem-ber 14-16, 2013. In reference to his upcoming production of the show, he says, “I don’t think we’ll be doing your father or your grandfather’s Oklahoma!” His desire to put a different spin on Oklahoma! is consistent with Sherman’s plans for the de-partment. His goal is to continue the program’s focus on classics, such as Shakespeare and O’ Neill, but to also delve deeper into experimental works. He hopes to put on shows “kids at any other high school wouldn’t be mature enough to handle.” Students are also pleased that Walnut will once again be com-peting in the Cappies of Greater Cincinnati. Cappies is an inter-national theatrical competition that mainly aims to celebrate high school theater. Erin Magner, ‘15, is “excited” for the program. She adds, “I think that we’re ready to push ourselves not just to be the best we can be, but so that other people recognize it too.” Sherman also discussed high hopes for the technical aspect of our theater program. He says he would like to develop the stage-

craft class, taught by fellow new director Helen Raymond-Goers, so that it “discusses the theory and practice behind design.” Ideally, it would eventually be divided into separate areas of interest, such as costume design and lighting. Sherman says he aims to revive the Styles of Acting and Directing class in upcoming years. In addition to being a Walnut alum, Sherman was taught and directed by former Walnut Hills director Tom Peters. During his high school career, Sherman was also the first and only student to win the Cincinnati Shakespeare Competition two years in a row. He sums up his first few days back at Walnut by saying, “walking back onto that stage for the first time, it kind of gave me chills.”

OLIVER OLBERDING/ CHATTERBOX

BRIE ROTHAN

Kemi Goode-Mayo, ‘14

This school year at Walnut our choral program has acquired many new additions, including Anthony Nims, the new choral director. He took over directing the seven choirs for recently retired Lisa Peters.While teaching at Anderson High School from 2000-2004 and Lakota West High School from 2006-2013, Nims helped all of his choirs earn superior ratings at formally judged district and state choir events. He is now working towards getting our very own Men’s Ensemble, Women’s Ensemble, and Senior Ensemble to the Ohio Music Education As-sociation (OMEA) this year. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Ohio Wes-lyan University, where Nims was instructed by both his mother and father. His mother was his sight singing teacher and his father was

his choral director. Another addition Nims is bringing to the choral program is his very own composed music. Nims plans to incorporate his mu-sic into the setlist of the Walnut choirs. SENIOR Geordan Pryor says that, “Nims is an excellent choral instructor! He is very enthusiastic about music and working with our choir, the Women’s Ensemble. He is so dedicated to the program that he is willing to stay after school to help students improve on their sight reading and other choral skills. I’m looking forward to this year.” Nims says that his “vision is to make the choir program the stron-gest in the state and country.” He encourages everyone to be moti-vated and he believes that the end result will be great if all the choirs stay dedicated and motivated. He stated,“I think big.”

Walnut welcomes newcomer Nims

OLIVER OLBERDING/CHATTERBOX

Choir teacher Anthony Nims poses next to a piano in the Recital Hall. Nims has many changes in mind for the vocal department at Walnut.

New teacher Michael Sherman stands in front of his alma mater. Sherman graduated with the class of 2000.

Fine arts calender

• Cincinnati Everyday is open now through September 22, 2013 at the Cincinnati Art Mu-seum. In this entirely Cincinnati focused exhibit, Cole Carothers and Courttney Cooper present our city through two very different medium.

• The Tuskegee Airmen are the focus of Cincin-nati Playhouse in the Park’s production of Fly. The show runs through October 5, 2013.

December 4, 2012Page 6 Issue CVII.4

STYLE & CULTURE Style & Culture StaffAli McNair, ‘14

Kristian Tatum, ‘14

September 19, 2013Page 6 Issue CIII.1

Welcome to AmericaGrace Hill, ‘15 Celeste Kearney, ‘15

Ten students, nine countries. Luca Alberani, Lorene Deglise, Adriana “Sofia” Gualoto, San-tiago Martinez, Adele Micoulaut, Sophia Morelli, Paulina Quintana, Alberto Santella, Juan Mougan and Tess Tedgaard are all new foreign exchange students coming over to participate in American schooling and to experience our life and culture. These students have come to join us for a time ranging from one semester to a whole year. The students will be assimilating into the school by taking a number of classes and in many cases participating in clubs and sports. One of the biggest challenges presented to these students is adjusting to Walnut. Walnut’s size and rigorous academics are among the varied misconceptions held by the new exchange students. Italian student Luca Alberani expected a less challenging academic environ-ment, while Lorene Deglise, from Fribourg, Switzerland found that, at Walnut, “everything is big-ger.” She also commented on the diversity of the school, which she enjoys because students can “find people with like interests.” Another very different aspect of American schooling is the passing of bells. Several of the exchange students commented on this topic. Tess Tedgaard from Sweden said that in her city of Stockholm, “we

do not have bells, we stay with one group of classmates throughout the day.” This aspect of Walnut exposes its students to a different group of people every class, giving each person a glimpse of the diver-sity here. Luca Alberani believes this to be a very crucial part of the American social experience, but says it is a slight hindrance to new students trying to assimilate into the school. A big part of becoming com-fortable socially in America lies

in getting involved. Accessing the plethora of after school activities at Walnut is a way for like minded students to get together, get to know each other and have fun. Lorene Deglise is most excited about the choral program. She ex-pressed her excitement specifically about the choir’s new goals to sing in competition, something she has never experienced in Switzerland. Adriana Gualoto, from Quito, Ecuador, also plans to get involved in extracurriculars, opting to take

Kristian Tatum, ‘14 Who can explain back-to-school fashion better than the students who rock these trendy styles? Now leaders of the school, SENIORS Aisha Powell and A.J. Newberry give us tips on how they stay up to date with what’s cool, as well as insight into their own personal styles. SENIOR Aisha Powell uses the words “simple and classy” to best describe her personal style. She says her biggest pet peeve in fash-ion is “when people try too hard and everybody ends up wearing the same things.” Powell stresses the importance of being differ-ent and trying new things, along with having confidence. “ Almost any outfit can be cute if you wear it with confidence,” Powell says. “Be different, don’t try too hard. Trends have to start somewhere. People who try new things inspire me.” Students can always look up to Powell for fashion tips, because she will most likely always be caught rocking her favorites: fitted maxi dresses, parachute pants and high waisted parachute shorts. Some people may think guys aren’t fashion conscious and don’t care about their “personal style,” but SENIOR A.J. Newberry has a different opinion on that thought. Newberry thinks that the phrase “crafty (not the same as cheap)”

best describes his personal style. Newberry accredits his style to the Internet and the people he sees out in public everyday. His favorite article of clothing is his “80’s Nike track jacket. It’s a women’s large but nobody can tell and it fits really [nicely].” Newberry finishes with a tip for his classmates: “Don’t be afraid to experiment with your style, that’s what high school is about.” Also, “you’re as free as your hair,” so cut it yourself, then head to the thrift store and pick up some sweaters for this fall. The conclusion? Try new things with your style. Overall be yourself when it comes to fashion, because you are your biggest fashion critic.

ALI MCNAIR/ CHATTERBOX

Students bring in the new school year with style

a role on the Community Action Team. Luca Alberani acknowledges how his involvement on Walnut’s Varsity soccer team is helping to introduce him into the school. He states, “I am really happy to play soccer because I love it.” Luca appreciated the acceptance and welcome that he received from his fellow players. Santiago Martinez also plays for Walnut’s soccer team and River Plate, his soccer team in Argentina. Likewise, French

student Adele Micoulaut enjoys the hurdles and triple jump in track and field. The culture at Walnut is an-other topic of interest among the foreign exchange students. While Tess Tedgaard believes “the teen-age culture in the United States” is “very similar to the culture in Sweden,” many other students are finding it very different than that of their home countries. Lorene Deglise says, “people don’t think the same.” On the topic of style, Adele Micoulaut offered that the fashion in France is “really differ-ent” from the fashion in Cincin-nati. The food has also been an adjustment for some of the students. The best thing Alberto Santella, from Carrara, Italy, has tasted while here has been the shrimp at Outback Steakhouse. As for Cincinnati’s famous chili, his assessment was simply that it was “blegh.” Overall these students have expressed a genuine happiness to be here at Walnut, taking in American culture. Luca Alberani feels excitement to be here, and he looks forward to experiencing our culture and perfecting his English, as do many of the foreign exchange students. Alberani is thrilled to be spending his time in Cincinnati, what he calls, “a very beautiful city”, but he is most looking forward to simply “be-ing an American for the next six months.”

Students (left to right) Sofia Gualoto, Adele Micoulaut, Alberto Santella, Tess Tedgaard, Luca Alberani and Lorene Deglise hang out at lunch in Blair Circle. The students will be getting to know each other well over the next months.

ALI MCNAIR / CHATTERBOX ALI MCNAIR / CHATTERBOXA.J. Newberry shows off his patterned shirt and retro sunglasses. Newberry is a fan of experimenting with personal style.

Aisha Powell sets trends in parachute shorts and a crop top. Her biggest rule? Be Yourself.

Style Tips#666: Step outside of your comfort zone.

#48: Be picky with what you buy.

#19: Dress in layers. You know Cincinnati weather, there’s always a chance of sudden changes in tem-perature that you need to be

prepared for.

Grace Hill, Editor

September 19, 2013Issue CVIII.1 Page 7

PEANUTSPeanuts Staff Augusta Battoclette, ‘17Riley Taylor, ‘18

Peanut of the issue

Kendall Young, ‘18

Who is this Peanut? He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and has dual citizenship in Europe and The United States. This Peanut can also speak two languages: French and English. Before attending Walnut, he lived in Montreal, Canada for one year and attended the Drummond School. He’s the son of two professors and has a little sister who attends The Gifted Academy. Who is this Peanut? He is Alex Tiro,‘18. At times, Walnut can become stressful. Tiro has a easy way to en-dure the stress. “Have something to look forward to,” he says. For example, Tiro decides to “treat” himself almost every Friday with his friends by going places and spending money on items he does not need. The purpose of “Treat Yourself ” is to relax and unwind

by buying whatever you desire and can afford with your money. The idea is based upon an event that happened on the televi-sion show Parks and Recreation. On the show, they hold an annual “Treat Yourself ” event. “I thought it would be awesome to do a ‘Treat Yourself ’ once a week,” Tiro says. One day, Tiro, walking home from the bus, thought, “You know what I should do? I should buy some soda. You know what else I should do? I should buy some coffee.” “I regretted it,” states Tiro after seemingly wasting his money, “but I thought it was still cool!” He in-vited his friends to come join him for the next “Treat Yourself.” So, what goes on at this fun, relaxing event? “We [do] stuff like go to Skyline and see movies. It’s pretty random when you get together, but on the last ‘Treat Yourself,’ we did laser tag!” Tiro comments that “when you’re sad or happy, [‘Treat Yourself ’] always helps!” Take Tiro’s advice and treat yourself once in awhile! It doesn’t have to be every Friday of each week or once a year, just when-ever you feel the need to “Treat Yourself!”

Riley Taylor, ‘18

Latin teacher Christine Lynn is famed for her “Lynnsanity” and unique teaching methods. She often uses songs and dances to help her students learn Latin. Some of her former students, like Maren Bickle, ‘18, think that Lynn is“really funny, but a little crazy. I mean what other teacher flings flying monkeys at you?” Bickle adds that ”I think [Lynn’s methods are] a great idea. They helped me memorize everything, and I still use them this year.” So what’s behind the “Lynnsanity” of Mrs. Lynn?

Chatterbox: How long have you been teaching at Walnut?Lynn: This will be my 13th year. I started in 2001, just after 9/11.

CB: Why is Latin important? Lynn: It helps increase [students’] English vocabulary. It strengthens

their understanding of English grammar. It’s an excellent founda-tion for other languages, espe-cially the Romance family. It’s very helpful in developing critical and analytical thinking skills, and it’s a wonderful background for medical or legal careers.

CB: Do you have any advice for kids struggling in Latin? Lynn: Ask questions, do the homework when it is assigned, learn the vocabulary as soon as it is assigned, and continuously review your vocabulary and notes. Come to Latin with a positive attitude. Too many kids start Latin [class] thinking [Latin is] too hard for them, [but] if they try and put time and effort into it they can do very well. Remember, Mrs. Lynn loves you and Latin rocks!

With her experience and exper-tise, it is no wonder that Lynn has found so many new ways to teach an old language.

Who’s your teacher?

Rashaan Williams7th, 8th, 9th grade counselor

(last names A-L)

Email: <willira@cps-k12.org>Phone: (513)-363-8493Room: 2209

Rashaan Williams is a new addition to the Walnut family and is enjoying Walnut thus far. Though new to Walnut, Williams is no stranger to Cincinnati Public Schools; he has been counseling at other CPS schools since 2009. The aspect that he values most about Walnut is diversity,“I get to meet many different types of students instead of the same kind.” Wil-liams says. Like co-counselor Patty Morgan, Williams also stresses the importance of visiting the coun-selors’ office. “Seventh and eighth grade [students] should come. The doors are always open. We have a lot of resources. We talk about anything—we don’t judge.”He also advises students to “take your time! Don’t be in a rush to grow up. Also, make sure to reach out to people who are different from you.”

Tip of the Issue: Get to know your counselors!

Patty Morgan7th, 8th, 9th grade counselor

(last names M-Z)

Email: <morganp@cps-k12.org>Phone: (513)-363-8488Room: 2209

After teaching English at Wal-nut for seven years, Patty Morgan is returning for her second year as a junior high counselor, a position that she finds extremely gratify-ing, “I think the best thing [about being a counselor] is working one-on-one with students—help-ing them [to] achieve academic success at Walnut.” Students should utilize counselors to their full potential—not just use them to deal with schedule issues. “Students can come if they need academic support, emotional support, or club information,” says Morgan. “We have so many programs to offer.” And her words of advice? “DO. YOUR. HOME-WORK. EVERY. NIGHT. If you start to get behind, seek help immediately!”

Hi, 7th and 8th graders!

This is Piper Peanut! For those of you who don’t know who I am, I am the eyes and ears of the seventh and eighth grade student body. If you ever have any ques-tions that have to do with school, friends, or just dealing with life as a junior high student at Walnut Hills, talk to me about it! Email me at <peanutschatterbox@gmail.com>, or come down to Mrs. Gerwe- Perkins’ room, 2306, and drop your question (labeled with your graduation year) into the basket labeled “Peanuts.” I will

Introducing... Piper Peanut!

Augusta Battoclette, ‘17

Is your locker jazzed up? Are there glittery decorations and cute posters? If not, and it’s just a rect-angle of blue or mustard yellow color with barely any books in it: you should decorate your locker. Here are some tips to make your locker more attractive:

1. Posters. Do you adore Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, or Mind-less Behavior? Why not show the world your love? Bring your favorite posters of your celebrity crushes and put them in your locker using cute magnets (see below). Your friends will be jealous every time they see you making out with Louis Tomlinson.

Lock it up with style

2. Mirrors. Make sure you have a mirror in your locker to make sure you don’t have af-ter lunch crumbs on your face. Beautify a plain mirror- which you can buy for an affordable price at many stores- by hot gluing sparkles and ribbons on the edges of the frames.

3. Magnets. Magnets come in various shapes, sizes, colors and patterns. You can use small bottle-pop lids and turn them into magnets. You can hang up pictures of your little brother, your dog or your friends. You can also use larger magnets that come in the shape of a pencil holder to, well, hold pencils! You can also use it to hold pens, erasers, markers, Band-Aids, safety pins and bobby pins (for fashion emergencies).

Remember to express yourself with your locker decorations. You can also compare lockers with your friends to get new and fresh ideas for your own locker. Just make sure to leave (a little) room in your locker for school books!

choose one question to answer each issue, and publish both my response and your question in the next issue of the Chatterbox. Because all questioners will remain anonymous, feel free to ask me anything! I am absolutely positive that I will be able to answer your question with great advice!

Best of Luck,Piper Peanut

CELESTE KEARNEY/CHATTERBOX

An example of a decorated locker using the following tips.

RILEY TAYLOR/CHATTERBOX

Mrs. Lynn has been teaching for almost 13 years. She uses song and dance to teach her students Latin.

JOE SCHMIDLAPP/CHATTERBOXThis is where you can reach your counselors for help.

Kandyce Clark and Kendall Young, Editors

ALEX PERSIANI/CHATTERBOX

The mysterous peanut of the issue.

Kandyce Clark, ‘15

September 19, 2013Page 8 Issue CVIII.1

ARCADESean Wood, Editor

Arcade StaffA.J. Newberry ‘14

Strike a pose! Show off your comedic talent!Get your face in the paper!

In Character: YOU!

7 5 8 3 18 1 7 2 6

8 55 8 6 4

1 2 52 7 6 5

4 89 5 3 8 66 8 3 4 9

SudokuSean Wood, ‘15The object of sudoku is to place the numbers 1 through 9 in each column, row and 3x3 box without repeating any of them. Order is not important as long as they don’t repeat.

Homework IntolerantA.J. Newberry, ‘14

Every issue, the Arcade Page offers the chance for students to express their creativeness and personality by featuring them in the “In Character” spotlight. Interested? Visit Mrs. Gerwe-Perkin’s room 2306 at lunchtime.

Across2. School yearbook3. First word in our School’s motto5. Eighth grader7. Number of years one must take Latin 9. Seventh grader10. An anonymous SENIOR

Down1. Principal of Walnut Hills High School4. Title character of a 1981 movie featuring Johnny Cash, part of which was filmed in Walnut Hills6. Roman building that the Old Building is (indirectly)based off of.8. Our school’s mascot

Crossword PuzzleSean Wood, ‘15

Pack for ClasssA.J. Newberry ‘14