Page Editors: Sam Dubin and David Lerner WALNUT HILLS HIGH SCHOOL Vol CIV, No. 1 Sept. 29, 2009 Priceless

Oct. 8 Jazz Lab and Ensemble Concert 7:30 Small Theater Oct. 9 Homecoming Carnival 2:45 Commons Homecoming Game vs. Little Miami 7:30 Oct. 10 Homecoming Dance 9 p.m.-midnight Greek Orthodox Church Oct. 12 No School Records Day Columbus Day Oct. 14 PSAT for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders 7:30 a.m. Homeroom

The Skinny

By Rachel Horn Chatterbox Staff Writer

If the packed hallways and overpopulated classrooms have students feeling unusually sar-dine-like lately, chalk it up to a substantial increase in enrollment at Walnut Hills this year.

As of a preliminary count, 2,204 students are walking the hallowed halls of Walnut in the 2009-10 school year, an increase of nearly 10 percent from last year’s 2,015.

Principal Jeff Brokamp said the trend is not necessarily unique to Walnut Hills. “I think the dis-trict is feeling that maybe this is the first year in a long time that enrollment has actually grown,”

he said. As it happens, 2009 marks the first Cincinnati Public Schools enrollment gain in 15 years. CPS’ newfound popularity reflect a significant number of students migrating from private and parochial schools, driven in part by the economic recession that began in late 2007, adminis-trators say.

Despite this good news for the district, students and teachers alike are feeling the effects of the headcount growth at Walnut Hills. Among those effects are packed hallways between bells, oversized classes and the addition of teaching reinforcements, in-cluding teachers who don’t have a home classroom.

The extra teachers are coming

in handy. One part-time teacher was taken on as late as the first week of school, and there are still plans to hire at least one more science teacher. But with a finite number of classrooms available, eight so-called “traveling teach-ers” move nomad-like during the course of the day from one class-room to another. Some of those are full-time teachers.

Even those teachers who are fortunate enough to have their own rooms are noticing changes. Latin teacher Tara Ligon notes that a few of the junior high classes she teaches have as many as 30 students. Fellow classics teacher Matthew Henstridge has one bell with 34 students.

“It’s harder for the kids than it

is for me … they just don’t have room to breathe,” Ligon said.

Senior Alexis Nelson agrees. “It’s kind of irritating. You never get time to talk to the teacher when there’s 15 other people [trying to do the same],” she said.

Students also complain about the unrelenting crowding in the hallways throughout the school day. More often than not, short commutes between bells become nightmarish traffic jams as stu-dents attempt to push past each other in search of nonexistent open lanes enroute to class.

Indeed, for a facility that was intended to hold a student body of 1,900, the current enrollment of around 2,200 makes for a rock-concert feel once an hour.

Mr. Brokamp insists that things will get better. “This year is the toughest year we’re going to have in terms of congestion for a long time,” he said.

Though enrollment is projected to peak at 2,300 to 2,400 students, he said, construction of building additions by 2010 is expected to remedy the overcrowding by add-ing at least 10 new classrooms and more hallway space.

As it stands now, though, Wal-nut students will have to deal with the aftermath of this year’s enroll-ment surge.

Junior David Gordon-Johnson put the dilemma succinctly.

“There are just too many peo-ple.”

Enrollment spike fills school halls and classrooms

Students crowd the hallway on a bell transition outside of the lunchroom. Joe Walsh / Chatterbox Photo Editor

Courtney Chase Chatterbox contributor

Since April, swine influenza has been one of the most talked about topics in the news. Health agencies and school officials are telling people to wash their hands, sneeze in their elbows and stay home if they have any flu-like symptoms. The warnings have grown even direr now that the virus has landed in Cincinnati. It was even announced in a phone call from Principal Brokamp that two students were tested and had positive results of probable swine flu. No more cases within Walnut have been declared.

But what is swine flu? Is it always fatal? How can it be prevented, and what do people do once they have been diagnosed with it?

Usually found in pigs, swine flu is caused by the influenza type A virus that causes respiratory illness and the flu in pigs. According to the Center for Disease Control, viruses such as influenza usually affect only one species.

(continued on page 2)

Swine Flu It’s Here,

Now What?

Rachel Horn Chatterbox staff writer

Walnut Hills students were put on edge last Monday morning when a young gunman tried – but failed – to rob two juniors in the senior parking lot before school.

Neither girl was harmed, aside from a minor cut on one’s forehead, and both finished the day at school. But the incident shook students and prompted Principal Jeff Brokamp to review security measures.

The two students – Chatterbox does not name minors involved in crimes – arrived on campus at 6:45 a.m. Monday and parked in the senior parking lot at the end of Ruth Avenue. One of the girls said a boy approached her in the darkness from behind. The boy held what appeared to be a gun against her neck and demanded her money.

The second girl saw what was happening and came to the aid of her friend.

“In these kinds of situations, my friend gets shocked, and I thought he might try to take advantage of that,” she said. She also said the boy seemed inexperienced and did not appear to know what he was doing. Springing into action, she said she tackled the attacker and

threw him to the ground by his hood, receiving a small scratch above her right eye in the process.

The boy, described in a police report as 12 to 14 years old, ran up Ruth Avenue carrying the gun, police said. Both of the students said the assailant was wearing a red hoodie and gray-and-white pajama pants.

Cincinnati Police spokesman Mark Briede told Chatterbox that investigators interviewed a neighborhood boy who matched the description, but as of press time, no arrest had been made and no gun recovered. He said the investigation was continuing.

“It’s still an open case at this point,” Lt. Briede said. “The boy who matched the description and was identified as a possible suspect was not arrested or charged. At this point, we’re still collecting information.”

Some students were undaunted by the mugging, feeling it was simply an isolated incident and not to be overestimated. “It was almost sensationalized…just something for the suburban schools to make a big deal out of,” said senior Momitul Talukdar.

But others, like senior Claire Janke, expressed concern. “Maybe there should be more awareness

about what to do in that type of situation,” she said.

Mr. Brokamp reiterates basic advice for all students about staying safe on campus.

“First of all, be on campus only a t t i me s wh e n t h e r e i s supervision,” he said. “Be aware if you are in a secluded area. Scan the area before getting out of your car. Park in well-lit areas only. The Sulsar side of the building is better lit than some other areas.”

He stressed that if a weapon is involved, it’s not a good idea to challenge an attacker.

Mr. Brokamp defended Walnut security, a force consisting of eight full-time security guards.

“Our campus security is as comprehensive as it has ever been. Crime rates in immediate areas around the campus have declined dramatically in the past seven months. We have worked to be very creative about how we secure our campus, and we will be reviewing other possibilities over the next couple weeks.”

Senior Taylor Hunt had a rather offbeat suggestion for an improvement in students’ safety. With a wry smile, he proposed, “Failing firearms, we should at least be allowed to carry stun batons or something.”

Would-be robbery rattles Walnut

(2001-2008 data: Ohio Department of Education. 2008-2010 data: WHHS registrar’s office.)

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Editors: David Lerner and Sam Dubin The Chatterbox — Walnut Hills High School September 29, 2009 / Page 2

Correna Kuhl Chatterbox staff writer

The debate over healthcare reform has become more and more controversial in recent months, especially since its result will affect everyone in the United States. Ad-vocates of the healthcare plan and Senator Sherrod Brown held a town hall meeting at U.C. in the Tange-man Center on September 1, with a panel discussion followed by a public forum.

Scott Grunder’s AP U.S. Gov-ernment class was invited to the event, and he saw this as a fantastic opportunity for his class to experi-ence politics in action, saying that he wanted his students to see how an elected official interacts with the general public. This is the first field trip Mr. Grunder has taken since 1989, and he felt that this was an opportunity he could not pass up. Mr. Grunder is not sure why Sena-tor Brown’s office thought to invite his class, but he says that it may have been because Walnut has been active in election campaigns for the last thirty years.

At the end of the forum, Sen. Brown asked each school to send a student to ask a question. Derek Hattemer, a senior at Walnut, asked the senator about how much the advocates of the plan were willing to compromise, on the bill, since the Democrats have the majority. Senator Brown answered that he wanted support for the healthcare plan to be bipartisan.

Mr. Grunder says that his stu-dents were excited at the prospect of going, and many of them admit-ted that it was the best field trip they had ever taken. On a survey, senior Bengt Kahlson wrote: “I thought it was the most educational

while also the most fun field trip I’ve been on.” Another wrote that it was “A good chance to see a real political forum. A part of the De-mocratic system.”

Most of the students say that they understand the healthcare plan more clearly; when asked about what they learned on the trip, junior Julia Kelley-Swift wrote, “[I learned] the basis of the healthcare plan-something I didn’t know much about beforehand. Also, [I learned] how vehement many supporters and opposition members are.”

The students made many obser-vations about rude and unreason-able people who would not let oth-ers talk, attesting to the controversy and nerves surrounding this issue. A few opponents of the bill booed at some of the comments of the panel, and the CEO of Children’s Hospital was forced to stop talking when parts of the crowd began to become impatient and loud. Stu-dents also talked about how they felt it was unfair that certain mem-bers of the crowd would not allow the panel to speak, and how that detracted from the experience.

Many were surprised at the discourteous manner of certain people in attendance. However, the class enjoyed the field trip overall, and the experience relates to one of the units in the AP U.S. Govern-ment course. The day after the field trip, Mr. Grunder spent the bell analyzing the meeting with the class and discussing their reactions.

Mr. Grunder said that he felt that the trip had gone well, and that his students had benefited from the experience. As for whether the bill will be passed or not, we’ll have to wait and see, but the field trip was a success, and Mr. Grunder says that he hopes to take similar field trips.

Extracurricular Information Who. What. Where.

Math Team Where: Tues. & Thurs., 2:30 - 3:15, Room 321 What: We compete in dozens of competitions each year Who: Any gifted math student in Algebra 2 AA or higher Culinary Club Where: Tues. third lunch, Room 321 What: Bring food and then eat it! Sometimes vote for the best homemade dish (Iron Chef competition) and give that cook a prize. Different theme each week. Who: Anyone with third lunch who is willing to bring food to share and/or paper goods and plastic ware. JETS (Jr. Engineering and Technical Society) Where: Fri. third lunch, Room 321 What: Prepare for the regional and National competitions in February. If the team wins the regional competition, one JETS member will receive a $5K scholarship to UC. Who: 9-12 graders interested in math, science and/or engineering careers. In house competitions will be held to determine the 16 team members and four alternates. Bridge Club Where: Mon., 2:30 Room 218 What: Learn how to play the card game called bridge: Who: All students (and parents!) Green Club Where: Every 2nd and 4th

Thursday of the month in room 269 at 2:45. What: A campus horticulture and beautification club dedicated to environmental principles in improving the school campus. Help to maintain the science court yard and to commission artwork along with several other fun activities. Who: All grades. Contact Mr. Schnure for more information. Gleam Where: Room 215,Thurs. 2:30 What: A literary and art magazine created by students. Poetry short stories etc. are brought to share and critique. Who: All grades Gay-Straight Alliance Where: Mon after school or Wed during first/third lunch What: Help spread awareness and plan upcoming events Who: Meeting attendees French Club Where: Room 310, contact Mrs. LaJeunesse or officers Thomas Crotty, Vicky Popp, or Bridget Battle for times. What: Promote French and Francophone cultures. Activities include preparing, sharing French food, watching French and French-themed movies. Who: Students in any grade who are interested in French language and culture. Community Action Team Where:As announced every Thurs. during third lunch What: A student volunteer and

community service group which takes part in and plans various volunteer events. Who: All grades. Email whhscat @gmail.com to join. Boo Radley Where: Wed. all three lunches Room 256 What: Help plan and take part in random acts of kindness. Who: All grades welcome Astronomy What: Learn and study Astronomy with hands on activities. Who: See Mr. Lavaglio (356) or Dr. Brock (373) if interested. BIO - ECO Club Where: Wed after school Dr.Harsh’s room 271 What: Work on projects beneficial to the environment finding new ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Who: All grades - new members always welcome AMNESTY Where: Mr. Filio’s Room (118) for grades 9-12 during first/third lunch. What:campaign for internationally recognized human rights through petitions, letter writing, and education. The goal is to raise Walnut's global awareness and expose abuses of human rights. Who: All grades - new members are always welcome.

(continued from front page) Therefore, influenza in pigs and

other animals differs from influenza in humans. However, it is possible for the virus to swap genes and morph into a new virus. This is what is believed to have happened with the human form of swine flu, medically termed H1N1.

With H1N1 spreading up to four times faster than other viruses, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced in this April that H1N1 is a “global pandemic,” pre-dicting it will take “six to nine months to spread world-wide,” As of now, this strain is believed to have reached most countries.

Since people have not come into contact with this disease since the 1940’s, no one is immune, al-lowing the virus to infect more people.

More than 2,180 people have died since the first case in April, and more than 43,771 cases have been diagnosed as probable H1N1. While high school students should be concerned, more than 60 percent of fatalities have occurred in people who have a previous medical his-tory with “underlying health prob-lems” such as diabetes, heart dis-ease, kidney disease, and asthma. For example, the first death caused by H1N1 in Kentucky was on Sep-tember 3rd. The woman was in her 50’s with “significant health prob-lems,” according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The third casualty in Ohio was reported as a pregnant

woman in her twenties. The previ-ous two deaths happened to siblings Matt, 19, and Mindy MaIntosh, 26, who lived in Dearborn County.

To ward off the virus, health officials recommend that people take the same precautionary meas-ures that are used to prevent the common cold and the seasonal flu.

According to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Cen-ter, however, the vaccine has pre-vented infection among pregnant women and their high-risk infants. The U.S. Center for Disease Con-trol recommends that pregnant women, children six months to four years old, and children between the ages of five and 18 with chronic medical conditions receive the vac-cine first, as there could be a vac-cine shortage. The seasonal influ-enza vaccine is not expected to work on the H1N1 virus.

What might appear to be a regular flu could be swine flu. The symptoms are alike -- coughing, runny nose, fever, body aches and fatigue. Doctors advise that people who become ill to stay at home for at least 24 hours after their fever has subsided. If severe enough, swine flu can require hospitaliza-tion. Most patients, though, will onlyhave mild symptoms and will “make a rapid and full recovery” without receiving any medical treatment, according to WHO.

For more information on H1N1, visi t the CDC website at www.cdc.gov.

Swine flu reaches students

Nineteen Walnut Hills High School students were recently named National Merit Semifinalists, ranking Walnut among the top three high schools in Greater Cincinnati. National Merit Finalists will be selected in the next stage of the scholarship program. Front Row: Ms. Grayman, Max Chaiken, Claire Janke, Emily Spencer, Meredith McNair, Camille DeJarnett, Ms. Sawan. Second row: Ms. Ferrell, David Lerner, Erica Hellmich, Annie Ward, Sarah Weiskettel, Mr. Chambers. Third row: Cameron Chambers, Boyang Zhang, Neko Jackson, Kelsey Oherron, Rachel Horn. Fourth row: Allison Weatherly, Derek Hattemer, Ryan Bardach, Dan Druffel, Kaitlyn Kass. Back row: Dominique Lyons, Max Bucher, Taylor Hunt, Alexis Nelson.

Marygrace Ashdown / Chatterbox contributor

Government class hears senator on health care

Page Editors: Shiwani Kamath and Gideon Resnick The Chatterbox / Walnut Hills High School September 29, 2009 / Page 3

Viewpoints

By Serena Dugan Staff Writer

It’s safe to say that’s our cherished abode, Walnut Hills High School, is in desperate need of some serious renova-tions.

As we traverse the hallways, it is egregiously obvious that we have some serious problems to address: cracked plaster, leaky ceilings and bathrooms that could ward off a cockroach.

From personal experience, traveling through the music wing is like walking through a flood. The floor has been mar-ried to a perpetual bucket but to no avail: the ground still de-notes the recent occurrence of a deluge.

Or take, for instance, a jour-ney into one of the gym locker rooms.

After battling the crickets, roaches and even snakes that inhabit the lockers themselves, one enters the bathroom only to find an absence of stall doors, toilet seats, plumbing, toilet paper, soap, paper towels and working facets.

Not to mention one’s grue-some encounter with the cob-webs and mold, which have been steadily accumulating over the past 20 years.

I think this is a problem. But as Batman would say,

“the night is always darkest just before the dawn.”

Indeed, the dawn is rising as we usher in the promise of some essential renovations.

Walnut is soon expecting a new music wing, changes to the existing Commons, expanded air conditioning and serious technological updates. All of which sound pretty great, right?

But will these new additions maintain our school’s architec-tural uniqueness?

Many of us fear that Walnut,

which prides herself on an inno-vative construction and tradi-tional style, won’t feel the same after these structural additions.

Who’s to say that after these renovations, our school won’t resemble the humdrum, educa-tional box so typical of our con-temporaries?

We all hope not. And despite the obvious le-

gitimacy of this apprehension, I believe it’s safe to say that Wal-nut’s character won’t suffer too much alteration.

After all, it’s the eclectic and gifted body of students who live under the dome that make Wal-

nut such a unique and special place.

What about the obvious time commitment that such renova-tions demand?

This is virtually impossible to bypass, meaning we are all go-ing to be a little uncomfortable for a few years. We will most likely have to deal with tempo-rary classrooms, detours and loose sawdust.

But it should all be worth it in the end – especially for the underclassmen who will be there when the overhaul is fi-nally completed.

What’s the ultimate irony? Juniors have to live through reconstruction but will never get to experience the final product. We will all have graduated.

Renovations: What’s Lost with Progress

By Momitul Talukdar Chatterbox Columnist

With accelerated classes, a plethora of standardized tests and a constant pressure to excel, Walnut Hills students know little about the concept of free time. So why is it that so many students spend so much time every day on social networking web sites?

Is it really necessary to con-stantly check others’ status, comments and life updates? Sure, it’s always nice to chat with someone we haven’t talked to in a while. It’s one of the great things about the Internet. Many times I find myself with this nagging feeling of “What is Carly or Serena up to?” Invited or not, we love to check their profiles and read how they just changed a light bulb. We see funny profile pictures and feel the urge to comment away. Be-fore you know it, a few minutes turn into a few hours.

Five months ago, the Depart-ment of Education at Ohio State University did a study showing a negative correlation between Facebook usage and grades. Imagine that. Students who did

not use Facebook had a grade point average between 3.5 and 4.0, while Facebook users had an average GPA between 3.0 and 3.5. The researchers found that Facebook users spent one to five hours a week studying, as opposed to non-users, who stud-ied 11 to 15 hours a week. Many of the Facebook-using students claimed that school work was their top priority. They believed that their time on social networking sites had no effect on them.

If the study was on the mark, they were dead wrong.

Based on Ohio State’s re-search, we could conclude that “B” Facebook-user students have the potential to be “A” students, if only they spent less time on the Web site. But it’s just not a matter of grades. It’s other things too, like our mental and physical health. Our bodies were not built to sit all day. We already sit enough in our Wal-nut classes. By 2:30, it’s time to do something else. The internet seems to have emptied parks and athletic playing fields that used to be full of activity. Treat your body to a nice walk, jog or run. Your body will thank you, and you’ll be happier.

Mental health is important, too. With apologies to my friends, reading about the in-nocuous everyday dreck of oth-ers can’t do much for our minds. Does it really matter what someone saw on TV or if they went to the bathroom? Whatever happened to having hobbies? Like reading a good book, cooking, creating things from our own hands, or collect-ing and trading things?

Some people are catching on. They’re snapping out of their addiction to social networking sites and are deactivating their accounts. Walnut students might consider the same course of action. We have only a small amount of time to ourselves and might as well spend it doing something worthwhile. And I think we can spend it on some-thing other than peeping into the moribund minutia of other peo-ple’s lives.

Our Time: The Disruptive Nature of Social Networking

Dang! I Forgot My…. By J.P. Schmitz

“Will these new additions

maintain our school’s

architectural uniqueness?”

Editor in Chief: Ryan Bardach

Managing Editor: Vicky Popp

News Editors: Sam Dubin, David Lerner

Viewpoints Editors: Shawani Kamath, Gideon Resnick

Sports Editor: Joe Manavalan, Andy McDonald

Fine Arts Editor: Mia Manavalan, Tanner Walters

Style & Culture Editors: Emily Spencer, Riley Theurer

Know Your Nuts Editors: Dan Druffle, Derek Hattemer

Features Editors: Nikki Fisher, Gabby Junker

Photography Editor: Joe Walsh

Business Manager: Chris Roark

Advisors: Greg Loomis, Jim McNair

E-mail letters, comments, suggestions and complaints to cboxwalnut@gmail.com

Copyright 2009-10 The Chatterbox, Walnut Hills High School, Cincinnati, Ohio

The Chatterbox

Momitul Talukdar taking a moment to pose in AP Biology.

“Is it really necessary to

constantly check others’ status,

comments, and life updates?”

Welcome to the brand

new, revitalized Chatterbox newspaper.

On the Viewpoints page, we

will feature your

opinions, comments,

observationsand letters

to the editor.

Ryan Bardach

Chatterbox Editor-in-Chief

& Vicky Popp Chatterbox Managing

Editor

Editors: Andy McDonald and Joe Manavalan The Chatterbox — Walnut Hills High School September 29, 2009/ Page 4

Upcoming Events

Courtesy of the monthly sports sched-ule from www.walnuthillseagles.com Monday, October 5 Boys Varsity Golf - 4:00 @ Loveland

Tuesday, October 6 GIrls 8th Grade Tennis– 4:00 @ Cardi-nal Pacelli Boys Varsity Soccer– 7:00 @ Ander-son High School Girls JV and Varsity Volleyball- 6:00 and 7:00 @ Amelia High School Wednesday, October 7 Boys Varsity Golf– Sectionals Boys Middle School Soccer-5:45 @

Princeton Jr. High Girls Junior Varsity Tennis: 4:00 vs. Little Miami Middle School Thursday, October 8 Boys 7th Grade Football– 4:30 @ Little Miami Junior High School Boys Varsity JV Soccer- 5:00 @ Wyo-ming HS Girls Varsity/JV Soccer– 5:30 vs. Clark Montessori

Friday, October 9 Boys Varsity Football– 7:30 vs. Little Miami (Homecoming) Saturday, October 10 Girls Varsity/JV Volleyball– 11:00 and 12:00 vs. Colerain High School Girls Junior Varsity Tennis GCTCA Tournament

Monday, October 12 Boys 7th and 8th Grade Soccer– 4:30 @ Clark Montessori Girls Varsity/JV Volleyball- 6:00 and 7:00 vs. Oak Hills High School Tuesday, October 13 Girls Varsity/JV Soccer– 5:00 and 7:00 vs. Kings High School Girls Middle School Volleyball– 4:30 vs. Amelia Junior High School

Adam Wolf Chatterbox staff writer

Three wins and zero losses. Not that long ago—last year

to be exact—the notion of perfection seemed to be unfathomable by all Walnut Hills varsity football fans. But going into the Sept. 18 game against Mt. Healthy, it was a reality.

The Eagles football team won their first three games of the 2009 season. Not a student in the school can say he or she has experienced that before.

In three weeks, wins against Purcell Marian, Milford, and Hughes sparked the football program, as well as the excitement of the rest of the school. The hallways and classrooms are electric with intrigue and anticipation for upcoming games. Suddenly, school spirit is centered around football rather than academics.

The Eagles are finally being publicly recognized for their achievements. The team has risen to a two-way tie with rival Turpin for the conference lead.

Channel 5 Sports selected the Walnut Hills-Hughes game as its High School Playbook Game of the Week after thousands of votes were cast online. And the Cincinnati Enquirer ranked Walnut seventh in the city for Divisions II-IV following their third win.

The 3-0 start was unexpected. After snapping a 36-game losing streak just one year ago, the team gave no hint that it could go undefeated three weeks into the season. The team had lost its all-city quarterback Ben Heiser as well as other key players. No one could predict how the team would fare with a team comprised of mostly juniors and s op h om or e s u n d e r t h e leadership of only a few seniors, like Mike Brown and Ricky Foster.

Although the team is young, the underclassmen have played beyond their years.

Third-year Head Coach George Kontsis praised two of the team's key players, quarterback Dez Stewart and Kenny Davis, a triple threat as running back, cornerback, and

kick returner. “Kenny Davis can take the ball to the house on every play,” said Coach K. “He is a dream for offensive coaches and a nightmare for defensive coaches and he has a tremendous future here and at the next level. Dez has

progressed much faster and much quicker than I ever would have dreamed. He has the x-factor, poise, makes things happen, and has a complete grasp of the offense. Having such a young team bodes well for the future. We expect to have

a championship someday.” The road to that future

championship began on Aug 28 against Purcell. Walnut won the game at St. X Stadium 14-9 as an ecstatic Nut House stormed the field for a second year in a row after beating Purcell.

Walnut’s next victim was Milford. The 20-14 win marked Walnut’s first ever league victory since joining the FAVC six years ago, when the team's seniors were effies. Finally, in their last year of high school, they got to. see their first league victory.

On the Milford win, Coach K said, “It’s a huge win. It’s a program builder. We are accomplishing the things this year that we wanted to accomplish.” The victory that got the Eagles to 3-0 was a 24-8 win over Hughes at Marx Stadium in front of an exuberant and passionate crowd.

In spite of the team’s 23-13 loss to Mt. Healthy, the undefeated start brought hope and elevated expectations for the remainder of this season and the years ahead.

One, Two, Three!!!

Nikki Cohen Chatterbox contributor

With only eight returning players, the Walnut boys varsity soccer team has a lot of new additions this season.

Will Hellmich, one of the four sophomores on the team, starts as an outside defender.

He has been playing soccer since he was in the first grade and has played on a variety of club teams including Sycamore Arsenal, The Classics and CUP.

Soccer is a year round commitment for him. During the fall season, practices take place an average of five times a week with games once or twice a week. During the spring, practices occur three or four times a week.

Simply put, Hellmich loves the game. “It’s a way to hang out with my friends, and I enjoy playing it at a high level.”

Although this is his first year on varsity, he does not get nervous before games. “I try not to stress or think about it too much. I want to win but I also want to have fun.”

What do you like most

about your coach? “I like that our coach is

always pushing us to do our best and always wants us to enjoy playing because I think there is no point in playing if you don’t like it.”

What is your favorite

soccer memory? “My favorite memory would

be winning state cup last year with my club team.”

Who is your favorite player

and team? “My favorite player would be

Dani Alves and my favorite team is Arsenal.”

Was it hard to adjust to the varsity level?

“It was a little difficult because the level of play is a lot faster and it’s more physical but I think playing soccer during the spring with my club team helped to make the transition easier.”

What is your favorite part

about being on the team this season?

“My favorite part is just having the opportunity to play for Walnut and with my friends, in front of the people who come and support us.”

Q&A with Will Hellmich

Athlete Spotlight: Liz Keller

Senior punter Brad Janitz makes one of his first punts of the season. In addition to his duties as punter, he is also currently perfect on his field goal attempts. Joe Walsh / Chatterbox Photo Editor

Ceara Glenn Chatterbox contributor

In her senior year at Walnut Hills High School, Liz Keller is making her mark in sports.

Keller is co-captain for the girls varsity tennis team and plays doubles with Lindsey Lassiter. This duo is 10-2 in First Doubles events.

The team has had a 7-6 season so far, and Keller’s winning record has been noticed by the FAVC, which dubbed her conference player of the week on August 31.

The honor wouldn’t come as a surprise to people who know her. She has been playing tennis since she was six years old.

Keller’s biggest setback occurred last March when she had knee surgery due to a tennis injury. But that did not stop her from continuing to play tennis.

Keller also plays for the Walnut Hills softball team, runs this year's Nut House and coaches tennis during the summer.

She said she hopes to continue playing tennis throughout college.

Key Wins Milford 4-1

Oak Hills 5-0

CCD 3-2

Winton Woods 4-1

Amelia 5-0

Madeira 4-1

Wilmington 4-1 Courtesy of favcsports.com

Page Editors: Tanner Walters and Mia Manavalan The Chatterbox / Walnut Hills High School September 29, 2009 / Page 5

Fine Arts

Gleam still shines after 114 years

Fall Events

Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic U.S. Bank Arena Sept. 23-27 7:30 p.m. The Color Purple Aronoff Center for the Arts Sept. 29 8:00 p.m. Hyde Park Square Art Show Oct. 4 10 AM- 5 p.m. Mat Kearney Madison Theater Covington Oct. 7 8:00 p.m. Fall Jazz Concert: WHHS Jazz Ensemble Small Theater, Walnut Hills High School Oct. 8 7:00 p.m. Jay-Z Bank of Kentucky Center Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY Oct. 10 8:00 p.m. Rent Aronoff Center for the Arts Oct. 28 –Nov. 1 7:30 p.m. Ingrid Michalson 20th Century Theater: Oakley Oct. 29 8:00 p.m. Oliver! Walnut Hills High School Nov 19-Nov 21 7:30 p.m. Fine Arts Links CincinnatiArts.org CinStages.com FineArtsFund.org CincinnatiArtMuseum.org StageAgent.com CincinnatiArtGalleries.com

Bridget Battle Chatterbox Staff Writer

Although sweet summertime

always seems like it slowly fades away, every year there is something to look forward to in the Midpoint Music Festival.

For all those music-goers out there, last weekend was special: 23 venues with 270 music acts, transforming Cincinnati once again into a bustling music showcase, filled with excitement and never- ending fun.

And as a warmup, the Mid-point Indie Summer series has been going strong every Friday night at Fountain Square.

If the question is, “Does Cin-cinnati have a music scene?” the answer is, “Yes, it does.” Mid-point displays all the favorite local acts like Buffalo Killers, The Pomegranates, and Wussy. Entries in the festival have

grown drastically over the years. Quite a few music genres, from bluegrass to punk, hit the vari-ous stages, offering something for all types of music fans. Even international groups like The Do are coming here for Midpointl.

Headliners this year include Chairlift and Micachu & the Shapes. Performances by many different artists and groups start at about 11:00 in the morning and run all through the day, end-ing around nightfall.

Venues include Know Thea-ter, Southgate House, Blue Wisp Jazz Club, Contemporary Arts Center, Coffee Emporium and many more.

Scion “streetcars” transported people to and from the different shows around town.

All this music was offered for a $25 weekend wristband.

If you missed Midpoint this year, make the effort to be there the next time. This is your chance to see some great bands, meet other music fans and enjoy what Cincinnati has to offer.

Visit www.mpmf.com to be ready for Midpoint 2010. It’s a great opportunity to go out and have a great time, while support-ing your local music pride.

Clayton Castle Chatterbox Staff Writer

This year’s Walnut theater department brings something special to the school auditorium.

On Nov. 19, the theater pro-gram will present the classic musical Oliver! The musical, based on the original novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dick-ens, tells the story of a young boy taken in by a criminal after he is kicked out of an orphan-age. The show also inspired the popular 1968 movie starring Ron Moody and Mark Lester.

But when this theater season was announced last May, many

eyebrows were raised at the de-cision. Many characters in the musical, including Oliver him-self, would be played by young boys—opening up the high mu-sical for the 7th and 8th graders for the first time in years. There

were mixed emotions about this, mainly among senior high stu-dents. Many were angered and some chose not to audition. Oth-ers thought the experience could

be exciting. “It’s a chance to help the kids

without theater experience,” says senior Chris Bucey. This is considerable coming from Bucey, who was nominated for a Cappie Award last year for his role as Mark Cohen in Rent—which brings up another point.

Walnut has been known to put on a variety of shows—wh ether i t ’s Sondheim, Schwartz, Hammerstein or Jona-than Larson. The theater pro-gram has performed fun, light-hearted shows like Godspell and last years’ Willy Wonka, Jr. to difficult shows like Rent.

This proves to many that

Walnut can pull of anything—and presenting Oliver! immedi-ately after Rent only emphasizes that point.

“With Oliver!, the school will really come together,” Bucey said.

“Rehearsals have begun and everything is going smoothly,” added sophomore Abby Gilster, who will portray Nancy, the lead female role.

The diversity in age among the cast will showcase the talent of the entire school.

“The audience should be in for a great show come Novem-ber!” Gilster said.

Joey Rison Chatterbox contributor

Dr. Patricia Bard’s Room 215 is a beehive of activity. Besides being an English classroom, the spacious corner room in the school’s north hall is home to a number of school publications.

While most students are fa-miliar with the Chatterbox newspaper and REM, the year-book formerly known as Re-membrancer, many probably know little about Gleam – if they know anything at all.

Gleam is the school’s literary and art magazine. Founded first in 1895 as a multi-purpose pub-lication; it served not only as the yearbook, but also as the school newspaper as well as an art magazine.

Now the magazine, published once a semester, contains po-etry, artwork and short stories by Walnut students, and is sold for $5 in Dr. Bard’s room.

“It’s a great way to share and publish your work,” says junior Madison Koenig, Gleam’s sen-ior editor.

How to get involved?

The club meetings take place every Thursday right after school. During sessions, like-minded artists and writers dis-cuss submissions to the publica-

tion and vote on whether or not to publish them. Time is set aside for writing, and construc-tive criticism is often encour-aged. But it’s not all business. “We have a very open, friendly atmosphere,” Koenig said. And, of course, what’s a club without snacks?

Throughout the year, Gleam sponsors a number of events. Last year, Halloween and Val-entine’s Day poetry contests drew a large number of partici-pants. More themed contests are expected to be held this year. Poetry Slam sessions, held in the forum at lunchtime, attract many poets and listeners. And one can’t forget “Wear Your Words”

Day, when poets write lyrics and verses on their skin for all to see.

Anyone interested in art or writing should take full advan-tage of the club.

“We’d love to have members of all grades at the meetings,” Koenig added. And if students can’t make the meetings, they can drop their submission in a mailbox in the main office.

The best part is, students whose work is accepted can brag that they are now a pub-lished artist.

Oliver! newest show to hit Walnut stage

“With Oliver! the school will really come together.”

Emily Luken Chatterbox contributor

My thoughts fly away like silent birds Into the evening blue

My thought’s fly away, a jumble A no, a yes, a you

So Now and again

I’ll reach for one Call it back

But silent stubborn And lonely birds

My thoughts Never come back They stand alone

On the telephone wires Of the outer reaches

Of the galaxy Waiting, waiting but nor for me

My thoughts fly away like silent birds

Into wisps of wind that make Make them float

Their destiny Unknown to them

Looking not For me

And so they sit A tired row On the edge

Of the galaxy

Silent Birds

Why MPMF belongs on your calendar every year

“This is your chance to see some great bands, meet other music fans and enjoy what

Cincinnati has to offer.”

Page Editors: Emily Spencer and Riley Theurer The Chatterbox / Walnut Hills High School September 29, 2009 / Page 6

Style & Culture

By Kendall Grace Chatterbox staff writer Walnut Hills is known for

many things: outstanding aca-demics, competitive athletic teams and, more recently, a spir-ited student body.

The Nut House, Walnut’s devoted cheer section, and away game attendance have both grown this year.

The Walnut Hills spirit culture has been growing rapidly over the last four years due to a steadily improving football team and the Nut House, a student led cheer section.The Nut House, led by Liz Keller, Emma Rahan, and Nathan Ziemba, is undergoing a lot of changes this year.

One of the biggest changes for the Nut House this year are the new T-shirts. Keller said “the new nuthouse shirts are much brighter and the WH stands out more and, of course, the Adidas symbol.”

Walnut Hills has become an Adidas sponsored school which means that all of Walnut’s ath-letic teams are outfitted with the “best Adidas uniforms and equip-ment” according to head football Coach George Kontsis.

Also, the Nut House has grown in size this year by allow-ing seventh and eighth graders to join. Senior Weston Wolf said, “There was a good mix of upper and underclassman at the game

but we need more people to cheer, but it was still spectacu-lar.” Coach George Kontsis c a l l e d t h e N u t H o u s e “outstanding”. Football Captain Mike Brown, a senior, said “seeing the Nut House makes me want to perform better.”

Seniors are also stepping up to raise Eagle spirit by painting their stomachs and rallying the cheers. These cheer “rallyers” pump up for football games by tailgating and hanging out with other Walnut students.

The football team takes a more serious approach to pregame activities by eating a team meal.

“Trash talking the other team is abundant during the team meal,” Brown said.

One thing that has become a ritual after winning the first game of the season is rushing the field after the game. While rushing the field seemed like the perfect way to celebrate the end of a 36-game losing streak, the practice is test-ing the tolerance of coaches.

Wolf said that “field rushing is an amazing feeling” and thinks students should celebrate every win. Coach Kontsis thinks differ-ently.

“I hope that is the last time.” referring to the students rushing the field at the end of the first game of season, “However, I expect winning to become the norm.”

By Ceara Glenn Chatterbox staff writer

Five Guys is a burger joint that

originated in the Washington D.C. area. This new restaurant is well known throughout the country, but didn’t open in Cincinnati — in Clifton — until this summer.

A friend kept raving about how great the food was. I decided it was time for a visit. When I arrived there with my family it gave me a feeling of a modern ‘50s diner. Ordering burgers at Five Guys is like ordering ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. You are able to choose whatever toppings you wanted on your burger.

I ordered a little bacon cheese-burger with grilled mushrooms, grilled onions and barbecue sauce.

The patties were juicy and did not have a horrible aftertaste. The bun was fresh and the toppings were cooked to perfection.

I also had their Cajun-style fries, which added a nice touch of spicy flavor.

This place definitely met all my expectations, and my family’s, too.

Style Profile: Gabby Glenn

GOT SPIRIT? By Tom Crotty Chatterbox Staff Writer

Walking down the hallway you will inevitably pass a blonde or two. But, the blonde with a bubbly attitude, reusable water bottle, and an effortlessly chic ensemble is senior Gabrielle Glenn.

Glenn, an avid environmentalist, describes her style as “Trendy with a twist.”

She likes to change her look frequently within this common theme, not sticking with one trend. She sports everything from classic pieces to bohemian chic.

On a Monday she might wear comfy yoga pants, very fitting with her granola-girl lifestyle, but on a Tuesday she might don a glamorous dress.

“I kind of just do my own thing,” she said. “I follow trends that I like and then add my own twist to make my outfits unique.”

“I love, love, love dresses,” she said. “Every girl needs multiple dresses in her wardrobe. All types of dresses, from simple cotton ones to formal evening gowns. Dresses make every girl feel pretty.”

Glenn’s favorite trend in bottoms? “Skinny jeans are a must,” she insisted.

When accessorizing, Glenn is a fan of “ethnic, color ful , over s i zed bags...turquoise jewelry, avia tor sunglasses , f e a t h e r / b e j e w e l e d headbands.”

She wears earrings and rings almost every day. H e r a d v i c e o n accessorizing is that keeping it simple is best. For seasonal shoes, Glenn loves strappy sandals, her favorite being gladiators.

As Judy Callahan, G l e n n ’ s p a s t environmental science AP teacher, often states, “K.I.S.S. — Keep it simple stupid.”

Shopping with Glenn can be just as eclectic as her style. “I buy clothes basically anywhere. I shop everywhere from Goodwill to boutiques.”

Her fashion don’ts include wearing athletic tennis shoes in public (except for working out), pajamas in school, and shirts as dresses.

“People have to wear clothes that they are comfortable in and that are flattering.”

The next time a blonde in gladiator sandals and a pretty dress apprehends you for littering, look out, it might be Gabby Glenn!

CHEAP EATS Five Guys

SKINNY JEANS FOR TWEENS? By Phylicia Neal Chatterbox staff writer

Skinny jeans are the latest trend for Junior High. “Everyone wants them,” said Abby Luke, an eighth grader at Walnut Hills. To find out why seventh and eighth graders like this specific cut of jean so much, I asked a couple.

Q: Why do you like or dislike skinny jeans?

“I really like skinny jeans,” said Johanna Coble, an eighth grader. “They are made in lots of pretty colors. Skinny also flatter people’s-figures and make their legs look longer. Skinny jeans can be worn with almost anything like sandals, sneakers, flip flops, or boots.”

Q: Why do junior high students wear skinny jeans?

“I think some junior high kids like them because they see older kids wearing them, so they think they are cool,” Coble said. “The rest

of the junior high kids just follow what the rest of them do.”

Not all students agree with the popularity of this latest style of jeans.

Q: Do you think you have to wear skinny jeans to be cool?

“Everyone should be unique and not follow the Nut trend, said eighth grader Abby Luke. “I love to wear my own unique clothing. I think that if you can’t stand alone in junior high school, what’s left for the rest of your life?”

But does Abby wear skinny jeans herself? “Yes, on occasion,” she said.

SIDE REEL 500 DAYS OF SUMMER

Senior Gabby Glenn poses for a picture in one of her many stylish outfits. Joe Walsh / Chatterbox Photo Editor

By Sarah Weiskittel Chatterbox Staff Writer

“This is a story of boy meets girl.” So starts 500 Days of Sum-mer, the new movie about love and, well, life.

This film has been in the U.S. since April, but has not been widely publicized. The name is unrecognizable to most.

I expected it to be like numer-ous other rom-coms of the sum-mer, like He’s Just Not That Into You or Confessions of a Shopa-holic: amusing and touching, but not outstanding. I was wrong. This movie is hilarious and serious.

“There’s romance and it’s funny, but it is not a romantic com-edy,” said Walnut senior Alexis Nelson.

To make it more interesting and confusing, 500 Days is not in chronological order, constantly skipping around in time. Viewers should prepare to read subtitles and watch two film sequences simulta-neously.

“It has the cuteness of a chick flick without the cheese, and the fresh, unorthodox-ness of an inde-pendent film,” said senior Katie Kass.

Nelson adds, “As soon as it gets sweet, it throws something horrible but funny in your face.”

Near the end of the movie, the narrator says, “Most days of the year are unremarkable. They be-gin, and they end, with no lasting memories made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a life.”

500 Days, however, leaves a lasting impression. Which is re-markable for often fun but forget-table summer movies.

Rating: ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ 1/2

Walnut fans show their spirit by painting up. Carina Carpenter / Chatterbox contributor

Five Guys Burgers RATING: ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ 210 Calhoun St. Cincinnati, OH, 45219 513-559-9900 Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily www.fiveguys.com

Personalities emerge at the Nut House

“Seeing the Nut House makes me want to perform better.”

Mike Brown, senior football captain

“Some junior high kids like them because

they see older kids wearing them.”

Page Editors: Dan Druffel and Derek Hattemer The Chatterbox / Walnut Hills High School September 29, 2009 / Page 7

Know Your Nuts

Greater Locker Swarm (Nynonners atluhnncha)

The Greater Locker Swarm typi-cally manifests itself around the second and third floors of the new building, along with the front of the gymnasium and wherever new stu-dents are placed for fourth bell. It consists of a large faction of stu-dents all congealing around their lockers at the same time, causing severe congestion and aggravation. Unlike the Lesser Locker Swarm, the larger swarm size allows the Greater to ignore typical hallway clearing species such as the Football

Senior and the Security Guard, and creates an exponentially greater amount of noise as well.

WHHS’s hallways are not unlike blood vessels in the body; cells/students are ferried about, white blood cells/hall monitors police the paths, and the corpuscles/individuals are constantly shoving each other out of the way. Within this analogy, the GLS resembles a blood clot. The walls of the passageways open, and many tiny beings catch on the open-ing and build into a huge mass, restricting flow and producing rising levels of tension. However, the GLS

doesn’t serve to protect or prevent anything in the school system; it’s just annoying.

Dealing with the Greater Locker Swarm is highly dependent upon context. Finding a large, intimidat-ing student (it doesn’t matter whether it’s through sheer size, stench, or scowl) and tailing him is viable, and it works even better when you are the big ugly student. One may also wriggle their way between the offenders, but the most effective method by far is to com-plain to your friends how slowly everyone is moving, often punctuat-ing your grievances with fruitless cries of “Move!” Or you could just be smart about it and try to use a different route. Oblivious Rolling Knapsacker (Theesar moronic)

If hallways are blood vessels, then the Rolling Knapsackers are cancer cells. Initiate Programmed Cell Death as soon as possible.

By Neko Jackson Chatterbox Staff Writer

Sifat Rahman is blurring the line between high school and higher education: the vast majority of his schedule consists of University of Cincinnati courses. While still tech-nically considered a Walnut Hills SENIOR, Sifat stays at the school only for the first two classes of his day before setting off for UC’s campus. This is done through Dual-Enrollment, a program that offers credit for both high school and college transcripts. Arguably the best feature of the program is its state funding: if a student has com-pleted all of a subject’s advanced courses in high school, that student will not have to pay for the college courses he takes in that subject.

Sifat was motivated to s e e k s u ch higher learning by his love of mathe mat i cs and science. By his senior year, Sifat c o m p l e t e d both top-level math courses (AP Statistics his sopho-more year, AP Calculus BC as a junior)and studied advanced chem-istry and physics.

“I couldn’t imagine a year with-out math and science,” he explains,

“so instead of loading up on history or electives to fill my schedule, I go to UC.” He also opted not to take AP Biology at Walnut because many of his college choices would require that he take their own biology courses should he attend. Sifat is considering University of Chicago and McGill Univer-sity (in Ontario, Canada), among others, to begin his true colle-giate career. His tentative plan of

study is a major in theoretical physics and/or mathematics. Having accrued so much col-lege credit through his AP

classes and bona fide undergradu-ate courses, he is well on his way toward whatever educational goals he may pursue.

SENIOR takes most courses at college

By Michael Peters Chatterbox Staff Reporter

Michael Peters sat down with English teacher Blake Taylor to discuss the new creative writing class.

Michael: So how have you been

this morning Mr. Taylor? Mr. Taylor: Dandy. Michael: Dandy, that’s nice. I’m

here to ask you about your new creative writing class. Is there any-thing right off the bat that you’d like to say?

Mr. Taylor: I’m very excited that we have the opportunity at Walnut to tap into all the talent and give an outlet to people who have long wanted to do a creative writing course. And it has been a while since we’ve had one here.

Michael: And—I mean I’m in your class—I think you mentioned that you did this before at another school?

Mr. Taylor: Yes I did. When I was at Aiken I taught a version of this class that was much more based on rudimentary skills. But also a fair amount of creativity.

Michael: How long did you teach at Aiken?

Taylor: I was at Aiken for five years.

M i ch a e l : I’m very sorry.

T a y l o r : No, don’t be, it was a very p o w e r f u l experience, a very dedi-cated, strong staff dealing with a popula-tion of kids who needed that.

Michael: I know it’s only been a month, but how does this creative writing class compare to the one at Aiken that you taught?

Mr. Taylor: Biggest difference is that the students in this class chose to be in this class; at Aiken they did not choose to be in my creative writing class. I don’t need to convince anybody of the joys and beauty that can be found in writing creatively.

Michael: Well at least most mornings.

Mr. Taylor: Most mornings, right. Sometimes I need a little con-vincing too.

Michael: Did you spearhead this new class?

Mr. Taylor: I did. Based on a number of students over the years who have expressed both dismay that we didn’t have a course and the desire for a course. So it was mostly done. I enjoy teaching it and I’ve wanted to teach it, but if it wasn’t for the student interest I probably wouldn’t have taken the initiative to try to get the course.

Michael: Was all of your previ-ous teaching experience at Aiken?

Mr. Taylor: Oh gosh no, no I started teaching in Boston after I went to grad school at Tuft’s. So after I finished my masters there I started teaching in Boston, and then I taught in Northern Kentucky for a while and then I came over to CPS. I’ve got to say the Boston to Boone County transition was a bit of a culture shock, but I learned a lot.

Michael: I would say. Are you from Boston?

Mr. Taylor: No, I’m from up-

state New York. Michael: So you are a well-

seasoned traveler. Mr. Taylor: I was very lucky as

a teenager to be able to do a lot of traveling and then did some more when I was in college. I haven’t had the chance to do much since I graduated from college. Travel, especially international travel, is one of those things that I think will change anybody for the better. It broadens your perspective; it really gives you a sense that there are incredible amounts of beauty in humanity outside of the 275 loop, believe it or not. There’s a story: my aunt, who is now 60, she never left the country—frankly never left upstate New York until she was about 50 years old. And she was in Florence, Italy. And she was walk-ing down the street one night and apparently just started breaking down, crying. My parents were there with her, and asked her what was wrong, and she said “I had no idea any of this existed, and I feel like I’ve wasted the last 50 years and now I cant wait to travel as much as I can.” It was a powerful moment.

Michael: It sounds like some-thing you look back on to inspire your own writing.

Mr. Taylor : Well, if all writ-ing is autobio-graphical, then a b s o l u t e l y . Whether I’m writing an essay or whether I’m writing an article for The Enquirer or Ci tyB ea t , whether it be an editorial or a music review, or whether I’m writ-ing creatively or just journaling nonfiction, abso-lutely. I draw on all these experi-ences, and be-tween my travel-ing and teaching and the hundreds

of students I’ve had over the years I think I draw on that experience everyday down here at Walnut. And it affects how I teach and what I teach.

Michael: Have you ever under-taken any large writing projects?

Mr. Taylor: No, I don’t have a novel in the works.

Michael: Have you ever at-tempted one?

Mr. Taylor: No. I never have. I don’t have the idea, I don’t have the...I keep my self really busy and that takes a lot of work. I’ve never had the urge to spend vast amounts of my free time to do that. Largely because I have almost no free time. Between teaching and I also work in the summer time, and I also play music, and I have two small kids so…writing’s difficult when it’s going well. When it’s not happen-ing, of course it’s impossible. I’m my own worst critic, of course a lot of writers are; the best writers are those who revise as they go and are rarely satisfied with what they write. And the idea of trying to write 10 pages of fiction, not to mention 300 pages of fiction, is really daunting. And I guess maybe I just don’t have the arrogance to think that I have something to sus-tain a reader for 250 to 300 pages.

Michael: Well, OK. Thanks for your time.

Mr. Taylor: Thank you. I really look forward to the rest of the se-mester and the future of the creative writing course here at Walnut.

Hunt’s field guide to common corridor beasties: part I

By Taylor Hunt Chatterbox Staff Writer and Cartoonist

In character: Murray Johnson

Mr. Taylor exposed

This is a feature in which a person of astounding facial dexterity is presented situations and reacts.

The journalist and the teacher. Parker Rueve / Chatterbox

Sifat Rahman during his brief school day. Parker Rueve / Chatterbox

Your mouth contains 20 warheads.

You are a giraffe, roaming the African savannah.

Terrify a small child.

Photos by Joe Walsh / Chatterbox

Page Editors: Nikki Fisher and Gabby Junker The Chatterbox / Walnut Hills High School September 29, 2009 / Page 8

According to the recent bar-

rage of news reports, you’re fat.

And if you’re not, the people

you’re sitting next to are. And if

they’re not, you live in another

country.

Such is the fate of America,

according to practically every

news source. You’ve heard it

thousands of times before, to be

sure. The blame for this ranges

from the blindingly simple

“You’re being lazy and eating

junk” to the laughably far-

reaching/ recently developed

chemicals called “obesogens” (I

am not making that up) that are

making it easier to fall on the

undesirable side of the Body

Mass Index chart. Heck, even

our BMI chart is more forgiving

than the rest of the world’s,

classifying their morbidly obese

as our overweight.

But you knew that. What you

also know is that, essentially,

being overweight boils down to

taking in more energy than you

put out. The problem with this

is that the human body is frus-

tratingly good at extracting and

conserving energy, going

through functions like sleep and

variable heart rates in order to

save a few extra calories.

If we were able to digest gas-

oline, our digestive system

would rank roughly 10,000

miles per gallon. (I got sick of

citing things in English class.)

Which makes sense when

you’ve been picking at a saber-

tooth tiger carcass for the past

week, but works against you

when you can drive to the place

that has motorized shopping

carts, then drive to your favorite

mass of compressed calories.

I’m not the first person to

note this trend. There has been a

push for schools to provide

healthier options for school

lunches, because we can’t trust

teenagers to care about what we

eat, apparently. If you’ve been

at Walnut for a while, you prob-

ably remember when pizza and

French fries were served every

day. That’s changed considera-

bly. (You may also remember

students lamenting their loss. I

have no idea why.) A little more

interesting are our drink chang-

es.

Ohana was the alternative to

soda some years back. Manu-

factured by Faygo, Ohana was

different from soda by losing

the fizz. Never mind it still had

the same amount of sugar; I’m

not lying when I say I could feel

my teeth eroding.

Now, we have those energy

drink knockoffs whose name I

can’t remember for the life of

me. Are those better? Well, they

contain less drink for more

money, so I guess they do con-

tain less sugar. That marketing

powered Vitamin Water mon-

ster has displaced PowerAde,

both of which are functionally

identical.

One argument I keep seeing

about this is the Diet Soda vs.

Sugary Soda debate. Diet Soda

fans bring up the fact that sugar

has been inevitably linked to

tooth decay, that problem up

there I mentioned, and highs

and crashes.

Which is all true. Sugary

Soda proponents point out that

the average can of Diet Coke

can be even more unhealthy

than a regular can of Coke

(according to studies other than

the FDA’s). Saccharin may not

cause cancer in small doses, but

it tastes awful anyway.

My take on it? Stop drinking

soda if you pretend to care so

much.

RULES FOR KENKEN®

Fill the grid with digits so as not to repeat a digit in any row or col-

umn, and so the digits within each heavily outlined box will produce

the target number shown in that box by using the operation

(addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) shown by the

symbol after the numeral.

So, for example, the notation 6+ means that the numerals in the box

should add up to 6, and the notation 48x means that by multiplying

the numbers in the box you will get 48. A 4x4 grid will use the dig-

its 1-4. A 5x5 grid will use 1-5. A 6x6 grid will use 1-6, and so on.

©KenKen Puzzle LLC 2009. KenKen® is a registered trademark of

Nextoy, LLC. All rights reserved. www.kenken.com

KenKen

Wally Hill

Tara Von Rosenberg Chatterbox Staff Writer

The art of going to your lock-

er is one that few can master.

Students gawk at those

around them that don’t even

carry a backpack, while the rest

shoulder the overflowing back-

packs to avoid being late to

class. Isn’t there a way to get to

your locker and still make it to

your next bell on time?

Most Walnut students learn

the value of time management

from the start, so why do most

students carry the weight of a

locker on their shoulders? Is this

because of kids who stroll to

class and block the hallways

traveling in packs? Or does the

blame fall on those cruel people

who put your locker in the base-

ment while the rest of your clas-

ses are on the opposite ends of

the building? There are some

cases where the people cannot

be helped, but most could prob-

ably squeeze in an extra stop or

two at their locker.

You’re a typical student. The

bell rings. You jump out of your

desk, along with everyone else,

and clutch your Lit. book as you

fight your classmates to the

door. You begin power walking

to slip by the masses of Effie’s

standing in hordes to escort each

other to the next class. You dis-

creetly pull out your phone and

see that you only have three

minutes left to complete your

route. You pass teachers and

miscellaneous adults sauntering

through the halls, sipping their

coffee and gabbing to one an-

other. As much as you would

love to stand and eavesdrop, you

power on through.

Finally, you arrive at your

locker not a moment too soon.

Quickly you spin the dial,

missing each number by a few

notches and hoping that the lock

isn’t too particular today. After

ripping the lock off and flinging

the door open, you look inside

and push aside the bags full of

soccer and cross country equip-

ment. A few of your locker part-

ner’s items fall out but you

shove them back in, knowing

that they do the same to your

belongings. As you jam a few

binders into the available space,

you jimmy out your physics

book that’s wedged under that

huge three-inch binder your

math teacher insists you keep.

Like mad, you slam the door,

leaving a sweater sleeve stran-

gled between the door and side

of your locker. Looking around

you see that only a few upper-

classmen are left wandering the

halls, and of course those Effie’s

that are still lost even after

weeks of school. Now for the

final phase of your extensive

five-minute journey, you must

decide whether to go through

Alumni Hall, across the com-

mons, or cut through the circle

to get to your class – all in about

45 seconds. You chose the

breezy blue comfort of Alumni

Hall and arrive at your final

destination, scurrying through

the door as the bell rings —

another mission complete.

So what will solve your prob-

lem? There are a number of

things to know: where your

classrooms are in relation to

your locker, which route to take

to class, which staircases and

hallways to avoid, and many

other factors. You have to de-

cide if flirting with the cute new

kid is worth carrying an extra

two books and binder, or if you

can wait to talk to them at lunch.

Try to pack up a little earlier, so

you don’t have to scramble for

the door. Walking at a glacial

pace doesn’t help either. Con-

sider walking through your clas-

ses the day before school starts

in August. Remember that even

if you can’t manage going in

between every bell, a little extra

planning can make all the differ-

ence, getting you to your locker

with enough time to switch

books and maybe even fix your

hair.

The art of going

to your locker