Jade K. Clark, News & Features Editorhttp://my.hsj.org/chatterbox The Chatterbox

Walnut Hills High SchoolNovember 6, 2012 Volume CVII, Issue 3

The Яussians are here! Josh Medrano, ‘13 Students taking AP English Literature at Walnut Hills High School can now take part in read-ing Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment in its native lan-guage. Actually, everybody can! With the new Russian course, students now have the chance to speak, read and write the eighth most spoken language in the world. The inclusion of Russian in the curriculum deviates from the set of Romantic languages that are currently offered at Walnut, which includes French, Spanish, German and their ancestor, Latin. Howev-er, while some students raised eye-brows at the addition, some took advantage, like SENIOR Jordan Posey, who said that he is taking the course because “it seemed new and exciting.”

So far, it has been manage-able for Posey, who has also taken French for two years. “Learning Russian is a lot different from learning a Romance language,” he says. “For me, it is more natural regarding grammar and pronun-ciation than French.” SENIOR Nick Wymer, who has taken five years of Latin and three years of Spanish, would agree, but he is taking the course for another reason: he is going to be a linguistics major in college. Knowledge of Russian leads to many careers, including those in the fields of linguistics, aeronautics and mathematics. Furthermore, it has helped people in their occupa-tions, such as actress Mila Kunis, whose linguistic skills at a press conference in Moscow were taped and went viral on YouTube. The popularity of Russian as a foreign language program in the

United States has had many “peaks and valleys,” according to Johanka Hart-Tompkins, who was born in Czechoslovakia and has been teaching German at Walnut since 2010. She is also the “maestra” of the new class. She studied Russian along with German at Princeton High School. “These [peaks and valleys] are often dependent on current politi-cal and economic relations of the US and Russia,” Hart-Tompkins tells the Chatterbox. “Russian is identified as a critical language by the state department and becom-ing quite popular again after a decade of decline.” Aside from the excitement about the class, Russian students are starting a Russian club this month, which will offer movie nights, authentic cultural food and projects involving arts and crafts, according to Hart-Tompkins. In

addition, a trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg is planned for the first two weeks of June next summer. The mode of transportation is still in dispute.

Students who are interested in next summer’s trip may contact Mrs. Hart-Tompkins for more details.

Students will be exercising to a new tune this December

Garretson Oester, ‘14

The sounds of the “Hallelujah Chorus,” the splash of flip turns and the incessant pounding of feet on the basketball court will soon return to the main building. Though the first phase of the renovation opened for the aca-demic curriculum, on November 26 the other parts of Walnut Hills High School’s liberal arts cur-riculum will again be under one roof. The temporary classrooms, referred to as the “music mods,” will disappear and, instead, the music department will be located in a new, self-designed space: five classrooms and a 125 seat recital space. The athletic department, on the other hand will have access to a new gymnasium, larger locker rooms and a six-lane pool. These will be accessed by an extended Arcade, no longer straight, but serpentine. Walk into any of the new

music classrooms and one of the first things noticed is the light coming from ceilings, 16 feet 8 inches high. This is accomplished by using large windows and in the choral and orchestral rooms, on the upper level, by translucent roofs. Hanging from these roofs are “clouds of sound absorption and reflection paneling,” says Alumni Foundation Executive Director Debbie Heldman. The clouds are curved hanging panels. These rooms all have built-in cherry wood storage and record-ing and playback capabilities, and are configured for the group using them--the choir room has built-in risers. Color-wise, the space includes yellows and grays. Also in this space are small rehearsal rooms, a music library, teacher offices and an electronic musical production space. How-ever, finding the music classrooms at first might be a challenge since that wing will be called the Lyce-

um, which is a Latin modification of a Greek word for a gymnasium dedicated to Apollo Lyceus. The Gymnasium/Natatorium complex is centered around the basketball court on the upper level and the swimming pool below. The gymnasium has three seating sections, including one that was added after the original design process, specifically for the Nut House. This space also has a trans-lucent ceiling. To access the new spaces, a new entrance is located off of Jonathan Avenue. It leads into a continuation of the Arcade that runs through the entire build-ing with display cases, a conces-sions stand and larger restrooms. The pool has six lanes and can be seen from the lower level through a wall of windows. It is not a chlorinated pool; instead it is filtered with an ultraviolet system and seats 210 spectators. Also, on the level with the pool are two locker rooms, for girls and boys,

which can then be transformed into a home and away team room for events on the field. The locker rooms are large, two sectioned spaces and include swimsuit spinners. There are also athletic offices on this level. All of the athletic spaces in the building are being standardized with the same logos and scoreboards. However, the football team will be cen-tered around the basement of the

old gymnasium, with a separate locker room, laundry facilities and coaches offices. This area will be-gin construction in January 2013 and finish later in that year. Music department head Kerry Kruze played a role in designing the facilities. “I really appreci-ate the thought the architects gave,” Kruze said. He drew rough sketches of what he thought would be most useful for the department during the design phase in 2009. “Acoustical divisions were key,” he remarked, remembering the thin walls in the old music space currently occupied by the new Academic Wing. Although the new space is not what he had first envisioned, many of his ideas are incorporated, including the large rooms and the use of instrument storage rooms as sound barriers. Over 140,000 man hours have been put into the project. When asked how the construction work-ers felt, site superintendent Rick Newcomer says that “the work-ers are proud of what they have accomplished on this challenging project and will enjoy seeing their hard work showcased.”

New music wing and athletic facilities are set to open November 26

JOSH MEDRANO/CHATTERBOX

The students learn a Russian dance.

JOE SCHMIDLAPP/CHATTERBOX

CHARLIE HATCH/CHATTERBOXThe new gymnasium has sound panels on the upper register and a yellow and blue stripe below.

A music room on the lower level.

ViewpointsThe Chatterbox Page 3

Jaylen Hill, EditorIssue CVII.3 Walnut Hills High School

It’s no secret that students are subject to a lot of scrutiny in school. Other students, of course, are perennially judg-mental of everything, like it or not. Your entire academic career, meanwhile, is based on scru-tiny—every time you turn in a paper or take a test, you’re being judged and scrutinized by your teachers. When you’re inducted into the Chatterbox, the first thing that happens to you (after your soul is replaced with the thirst for news) is a quick lesson in journalistic ethics. Then you receive your golden ticket: the press pass. This card’s main job is to establish a change in role: When you’re wearing it, you’re a journalist. When you’re not, you’re a student. Becoming a student journal-ist and wearing this press pass increases the levels of attention and scrutiny exponentially. When I wear my press pass, I get asked for random interviews, Student Congress representatives begin their sentences with “off the record” and I can’t walk into a public meeting without hav-ing suspicious eyes cast on me. When I don’t wear it, I get held up in study hall by suspicious teachers, panicking as the pre-cious seconds tick away until our publisher deadline. It’s an awkward dichotomy that student journalists find themselves in. I always have to tread carefully when I interview one of my teachers, or ask per-mission to do something for the

Letter from an editorThe double life of a student journalist

The current event I should be riffing on is the presidential election. But I’m not going to talk about that today. There’s some-thing else on my mind. You, dear reader, may not know that this time of year all of Walnut’s SENIORS are swamped in the college application process. If you’re one of the innocent youth, you may not want to think about this frightening prospect. And, in truth, the whole thing is frightening. I’m sure everyone who is reading this can agree that being judged is a scary feeling. As college applicants, we feel a great deal of vulnerability in putting ourselves up for judgment from a group of complete strangers—the admissions committee. It’s like we’re all candidates running for office, exposing our private lives to the voting public and hoping something good comes of it.

answer with substance and style. And our application fees… well… in this day and age, you really can’t win without a SuperPAC. Through the course of election season we hope that the media (the application as a whole) portrays us faithfully to the voters, those formidable college admis-sions people. So the next time you see one of your SENIOR friends sweating, furrowing their brows, or star-ing aimlessly off into space, just remember that, on top of a full load of academics, we are also in the middle of managing our own presidential campaign. And SENIORS, don’t stress too much. Just remember to wear your American flag lapel pin.

Empathetically, Wally Hill, ‘13

Wait a minute… on second thought, I am going to talk about the election. Because applying to college is exactly like running a campaign for president. Okay, I’ve made my big, sweeping claim. How far can I take this comparison? Our Com-mon Application, the one we send to all the colleges we’re applying to, is like our policymaking experi-ence—it shows our grades, classes, extracurriculars—aspects that will help predict our performance in our new office as college students. Our essay is like our convention speech, prepared remarks that pitch us, clearly and concisely, to the voters. Teacher recommenda-tions are like endorsements from public figures. Our supplements, the parts of the application unique to each college we apply to, are like our debates, posing unique, specific questions that we must

Chatterbox. Many of my colleagues share these sentiments: Gar-retson Oester, ‘14, our Junior Managing Editor, says that “the constant switching of hats... is my life.” Oester is also a Student Congress representative, and because of this duty he cannot write about Student Congress. “It is definitely difficult to transition between roles; today I spoke to Mr. Brokamp three times and each time I was doing something different.” Meanwhile, staff writer Kibret Alem, ‘14, finds that people don’t always treat him as a reporter because he’s a student: “When I ask [many people] for an opinion... or an interview, they don’t take it quite as seri-ously as I’d hope and it ends up being awkward.” Please remember that we journalists have one job: to cover the news and keep the community of Walnut Hills informed. We’re not trying to look for gossip or to expose hidden secrets, and we take our jobs seriously. We’ll continue to bring you the latest and most objective news around, and we humbly ask that you help us in our quest for truth. Thank you to the Walnut community and administration for all your support so far. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a college app deadline and a publisher dead-line to meet...

Jonah Roth, ‘13Editor-in-Chief

Wally Hill: The election, college applications and you

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.

BRANDON WAGNER/CHATTERBOX

The Chatterbox Editorial StaffCharlie Hatch and Jonah Roth, Editors-in-Chief

Emily Friedman, Senior Managing Editor Garretson Oester, Junior Managing EditorJosh Medrano, Copy Editor KeMarca Wade, Copy EditorJoe Schmidlapp, Design Editor Martine Williams, Business Manager

Page EditorsJade K. Clark, News & Features Editor Jaylen Hill, Viewpoints EditorJenna Weber, Fine Arts Editor Hannah Shaw, Style & Culture EditorAustin Railey, Sports Editor Brandon Wagner, Arcade Editor

Celeste Kearney and Rico Blackman, Peanuts EditorsAdvisors: Samantha Gerwe-Perkins and Dawn Wolfe

Illustration by Sarah Davidoff

Emily Friedman, ‘13

“That book was so much better than the movie” is an expression we’ve all said and heard countless times before. It makes sense; a book gives the reader more time to elaborate on the story and the characters. That being said, people need to differentiate between a book and a film before judging which story interpretation is better. Some stories should only be books. In The Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden hates phonies and the movie industry. No movie will ever capture the true essence of The Catcher in the Rye. Ever. And if some director tried, the movie would just end up being ironic. Some stories are meant to be movies, and would be awful as novels. In Christopher Nolan’s Inception, the CGI, special effects, music and dialogue are all what

make the story great movie mate-rial, but the characters and the story aren’t strong enough to carry on for an entire novel. The story translates much better visually. When people complain about their favorite books being turned into two-star movies, that makes sense. Usually the movie’s budget interferes with what could have been an even greater movie, or the director simply didn’t stay true to the message of the book. In my opinion, the movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower did justice to the book in its repre-sentation of the characters; this was most likely because Stephen Chbosky, the author of the novel, also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Perhaps the success of the film was due to Ch-bosky’s envisionment of the story in visual form from the beginning. Nonetheless, as we saw with The Hunger Games, having the author transpose the book to a

film script is not always success-ful. Joe Schmidlapp, ‘14, says of the movie, “The camera work was shoddy, the acting was sub-par, the lighting was poor and it didn’t follow the book at all.” Sometime, however, readers need to take a minute to step away from the book, and put themselves in the shoes of the filmmakers. That way they’d see that film-making is an entirely different art form. Things that work in a novel aren’t necessarily going to work in a movie. Instead of worrying about part of the book being cut or the addition of a new character, consider the possible reasons for why the change was made and whether the filmmakers’ changes actually ruin the story or simply add to the visual representation. The best movie adaptations will always capture the essence of the novel instead of trying word for word to replace it.

“If there’s one thing I hate it’s the movies.”—J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

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.

SportsPage 4 The Chatterbox

Austin Railey, EditorWalnut Hills High School Issue CVII.3

Charlie Hatch, ‘13

For better or for worse, this football season will probably go down as forgetful. Last year was historic for the football team, but this year the Eagles were 5-5. Just another aver-age team. But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope, it just means the pro-gram needs to re-evaluate itself. Walnut Hills is at a crossroads. Here are my thoughts on how that can be changed: 1. What kind of offense does

Walnut run? Sure, we run a spread option that features a mix of run-ning and passing, but did they develop an identity? Following the huge comeback victory against Western Hills, head coach George Kontsis told me that quarterback Kevin Blount, ‘15, “is going to be one of the most domi-nant, and most talented quarter-backs in all of southwest Ohio in another year, if not the next two years. He’s outstanding.” If he firmly believes that, why doesn’t he take advantage of him as a good passer?

Blount did a great job run-ning, but the offensive coordinator should utilize his passing game as well. When the Eagles came out and passed a lot against Western Hills and Milford, they walked off the field as winners. See the correlation? 2. When it came to offensive play calling, why did it take 7 weeks to be aggressive? Why did Walnut save all of their trick plays so long? Sometimes it looked like the team kept running the same five plays on repeat. And they probably were!

Once they finally developed the ‘under center qb sneak,’ the Eagles converted every fourth down and short, one of which was a touchdown. This play call probably would have helped in the seven weeks prior as well (remem-ber Anderson?). 3. All of Walnut’s offensive leaders are returning next year, so the team should use that to their advantage. Along with Blount, running back Tieren Williams, ‘14, will be back, as well as the three leading receivers (Kendal Fitzgerald, ‘14; Jordan Fuller, ‘14; and Randall Mincy, ‘14). This past season they combined for 22 of our 27 touchdowns: that’s the majority of the team’s points suiting up next year. 4. On defense the Eagles are losing nine of our eleven starters, so the returning starters need to take over the reigns. Walnut also needs the linebackers to fill the gap between the line and second-ary, which at times looked as parted as the Red Sea. 5. The kickoff and punt cover-age needs to come back next year much more disciplined, or else they’ll place a lot of pressure on

an inexperienced defense. This season the Eagles had a great leg in SENIOR Adam Brown. Next year that might not be guaranteed, so forcing opponents into poor field position could change final score outcomes. In the six years I’ve been here, I’ve seen our team rise up from what was at the time was thought to be a ‘bottomless pit’ full of losses. Now the Eagles have built their football program into something reputable. Gone are the days of win-less seasons. To be honest, six years ago we really just didn’t have any talent. Now we have it, so this opportuni-ty needs to be taken advantage of. Next year the offense will have more experienced ‘skilled’ players and should be able to compete with schools that beat us this season, such as Kings and Glen Este (still can’t figure out how we lost those!). But for now, let’s get ready for basketball season...

[Editor’s note: This was an opinion article. If you would like to give feedback, please email <cboxwalnut@gmail.com> with your thoughts.]

Sports commentary: Walnut Hills football at a crossroads

Women’s cross-country team sees successAustin Railey, ‘13

This past October, the women’s cross-country team claimed the inaugural Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC) title in what proved to be a competitive league. This conference championship will be their second title in four years, previously winning the 2009 Fort Ancient Valley Confer-ence (FAVC) title. Coached by Bill Valenzano, this year’s team is led by a multi-tude of SENIORS: Maryn Lowry, Tessa Ward, Frankie Reimer, Helen Bedree, Rachel Jarrold, Erin McAuliffe, Megan Koenig and Isabelle Farrel. Commitment seemed to create a winning atmosphere on the team. “We [SENIORS] have and still want to make this year count,” SENIOR Tessa Ward says, “be-cause a lot of us won’t be running next year.” The women’s cross-country team recently qualified for the regional cross country meet by winning the Mason district race in which several runners placed in-

cluding SENIOR Maryn Lowry—seventh overall. At regionals they faced the Turpin Spartans for a spot in the state championship. Needing to place in the top four groups, the Lady Eagles posted as a team fifth place and came up one spot short of making the state champion-ship meet. But not all was lost when Lowry individually placed fifteenth overall and competed in Hebron, Ohio for a chance at a state title. Furthermore, the team will end their season with five runners placing within the top ten in the

conference, more than that of any other team. When asked what the big-gest impact on the women’s cross country team was, Coach Valenz-ano reaffirmed the team’s commit-ment, saying “The [SENIORS’] experience and leadership really helped.”

Ace up! Volleyball team ends season wellAustin Carpenter, ‘13

The Walnut Hills volleyball team ended with a season record of 8-14. The team started off slow, losing their first two matches to Glen Este and Kings but battled back and won four of their next five matches. The team was led by SENIORS Katie Estep, Kelsea McWilson, Devin Magner, Kiyah Auguste and Da’Monica French. The Eagles went out for the Volley For the Cure game on Oc-tober against rival Purcell Marian and won, while benefiting a good cause. They also made the postseason tournament and had a date with old conference foe Little Miami. Unfortunately, the Lady Eagles

fell short of winning the match and had their season come to an end. Although the team was upset with their result, SENIOR Katie Estep said, “I think we had a great year considering our loss of a great coach from last year and having a new program, our record was not too bad.” Estep complimented her team-mates, too. “I love my team,” she says. “There was never a time I was wishing I was playing with anyone other than these girls.” She also adds, “Kayla Bog-gess [a junior] and myself were captains, but I thought our SE-NIORS showed great leadership and provided good role models for the rest of the program.”

KARLA BAILEY

SENIOR Katie Estep looks to spike the ball.

The Walnut Hills Eagles mascot: Who is he? Why is he so peppy? And why is he so loved?

ALEX PERSIANI/CHATTERBOX

The Eagles run back onto the field to start the second half against Hughes. Walnut went on to defeat the Big Red 34-6.

Sports of all sortsKate Warren, ‘14

If a school team is not what you are looking to join, there are clubs that are introduced every year that could be. Two sports-affiliated clubs that have been introduced recently are Boxing Club and Baseball Appreciation Club, supervised by mathematics teacher Ferd Schneider and social studies teacher Robert Moliterno, respectively.

These clubs offer unique opportunities that most schools don’t and show students new ways to understand and play sports. When asked what students were looking to discuss in Baseball Appreciation club, Moliterno responded, “Students seem inter-ested in learning about the history of the game of baseball, including the major leagues, Negro leagues and the Women’s league during WWII.”

If you are looking to get involved in either of these clubs, the Baseball Appreciation Club meets every other Tuesday in Moliterno’s room (next meeting is Tuesday, November 6th) and the Boxing Club meets once a month on Thursdays at Cincinnati Fitness Boxing. New or old, these clubs are al-ways looking for new members to join and be a part of a sports-filled environment.

REBEKA DREW

COURTESY OF BOB MCAULIFFEThe girls pose for a picture after the meet. Collier Summay, Maryn Lowry, Kelly Coleman, Hannah Schroeder, Erin McAuliffe, Tessa Ward, Grace O’Donnell and coach Bill Valenzano (from left to right).

Fine ArtsThe Chatterbox Page 5

Jenna Weber, EditorIssue CVII.3 Walnut Hills High School

Karinne Hill, ‘15

The Veteran’s Day Commemoration at the Main Library, a very emotional experi-ence according to choir instructor Lisa Peters, has been honoring veterans in the Cincinnati area for 58 years. Walnut Hills High School’s choir program has been in-volved for the past ten. During this decade, a large crowd of veterans and their families consistently attend. This year, Walnut’s Senior Ensemble will be performing “The Star Spangled Banner,” “America the Beautiful” and “The Armed Forces Salute”—tbe songs representing the different branches of the army. This portion of the ceremony is made especially memo-rable when veterans stand during part of the piece dedicated to their their branch of service. SENIOR AJ Schwartz says, “The songs are really something to rally around.” Other aspects of the program will include a speech from retired Chief Master Sergeant James R. Shaw, contributions from the Lebanon High School Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and a

Walnut’s choir honors veteransperformance by Sheriff Leis’ Bagpipe and Drum Corps. Local 9 News meteorologist Steve Raleigh will also appear in “‘The Star Spangled Banner’ as You’ve Never Heard it Before,” an oral presentation of the history of the National Anthem. The morning will also include the lighting of the Flame of Remembrance. The Annual Veteran’s Day Commemo-ration is a way for Cincinnati to tell our veterans that they have not been forgotten. It shows them that although they have to deal with the same gas prices as everyone else, they will always be remembered for the outstanding things they have done for our country. The musical aspects of the program are especially useful in demonstrating this because, as Schwartz says, “music is such a powerful thing.” The event will take place at 10:45 a.m. on Monday, November 12 following Vet-eran’s Day on Sunday, November 11. The performance is free and open to the public.

Staff picks: Photography featureIn every issue, the Chatterbox Fine Arts staff will pick two pictures submitted by students to feature on our page. The reason for this spotlight on photography is to bring attention to the talent of the Walnut Hillls student body in non-conventional media. All other submissions will be displayed on our online publication. To submit photos for future consideration, email a JPEG file to <cboxwalnut@gmail.com>.

Fine Arts in Cincinnati

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (Music Hall)

Bond & BeyondNovember 4 & 11

Contemporary Arts Center (Emery Theater)

Dean and Britta: 13 Most Beautiful...Songs for Andy Warhol’s Screen Tests

November 9

Procter & Gamble HallR. Kelly—Single Ladies Tour

November 11

Procter & Gamble Hall The Ultimate Doo-Wop Show

November 16

Procter & Gamble HallJersey Boys

November 28 - December 9

Talent displayed at Fine Arts Evening Jenna Weber, ‘13

“When you walk past the art rooms in the new building, you can see how much talent the students here really have,” says SENIOR Rachel Quinn. Although student art is on display in the Arts & Science wing all year round, the annual Fine Arts Evening is a chance to see a more extensive collec-tion of student art. A large range of mediums will be displayed: painting, pottery, photography, masks and sculptures. Quinn, who is cur-rently taking AP 2D Design, says “everyone in each class of AP Art is working really hard and it’s exciting to see it all come together.” The Fine Arts Evening takes place on Thursday, November 15 at 6 p.m. in the Forum. Refreshments will be provided.

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Priority scholarship consideration Priority consideration for on-campus housing Priority registration for Fall 2013 classes

Visit saic.edu/ugmerit for more informationVisit saic.edu/ugapp to apply

ADMISSIONS | 800.232.7242 | 312.629.6100 | admiss@saic.edu

DECEMBER 1, 2012 AMERICA’S MOST INFLUENTIAL ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL WANTS TO REMIND YOU OF OUR UPCOMING NON-BINDING EARLY ACTION DEADLINE!Completing your entire application by this date provides you:

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JENNA WEBER/CHATTERBOX

The Rookwood fountain in the main hallway has survived the renovations.

Correction The article “These pans aren’t for cooking” (CVII.2) stated that “Walnut Hills Instrumentalists’ Parents (WHIP), the parent music booster organization, generously donated money to the pro-gram for the purchase of new drums.” The money was actually donated by the Parent Board, and the instruments were rented. The Steel Drum Band was se-lected along with twenty other ensembles to perform at the Ohio Music Educator’s State (OMEAS) conference in February; the article incorrectly stated that it is a competition. The Chatterbox apologizes for these inaccuracies.

If you have corrections or feedback, email <cboxwalnut@gmail.com>.

Style & CulturePage 6 The Chatterbox

Hannah Shaw, EditorWalnut Hills High School Issue CVII.3

From Walnut to Ghana: Students learn sustainable styleHannah Shaw, ‘14

Peak into art teacher Pearletta Williams’s room on a particular Thursday after school and you may be surprised when you see a mass of students examining pic-tures of natural materials: peppers, flowers, nuts and more. These students are learning about natural dyes while partaking in a col-laborative workshop with design students from the University of Cincinnati’s Design Art Archi-tecture and Planning program, DAAP, to explore and learn about topics pertaining to design, fash-ion and sustainability. “The goal of the outreach pro-gram is to bring in 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th graders and let them ex-perience sustainable design,” Wil-liams explains. She has organized and supported the program that defines learning about sustainable design as “where it came from, how it turned it to something, and how we can keep it in existence without destroying the environ-ment.” The students get hands-on experience in green design with various activities. One Thursday after a seminar on alternatives to chemical dying, students went out and collected their own materials from around Walnut and turned them into natural dyes. The workshop spans over a month and half, and each week has a different lesson. The topics covered range from hand sewing and mending, to learning about

wants versus needs, to discussing retail and marketing. Even with a variety of topics, each workshops’ lesson relates back to the key topic: sustainable fashion. The weekly workshops are run by an assemblage of UC students who pair up with Walnut students to work as mentors throughout the program. The one on one attention allows students to delve into each concept covered and truly understand what the pro-gram is trying to achieve. But the outreach program isn’t just DAAP students reaching out to Walnut; those participating in the program

are corresponding with a village in Ghana. Williams adds that “They part-ner up with someone in Ghana and it becomes an outreach where they reach backwards and forward with each other.” Students will send an individually designed item to their assigned peer in Ghana and receive one in return. After discussing where cotton and raw materials come from today, the correspondence with a person their age from Ghana drives the message home and shows students why it’s important to reuse the materials already available.

At the end of the six weeks, the 25 students participating in the program will put on a show to display all that they have achieved throughout the workshop. They will have gained knowledge of fashion and gotten a taste of what the future of the industry and sustainable fashion looks like. This is in addition to the profes-sional and cultural connections that has flourished throughout the program. Williams describes it as “Art, saving the world and getting in touch with a different race and culture.”

“Gangnam Style!”: K-pop hits the US

Style Tips

Ladies:# 462: Colored cordu-roys are functional and fabulous. They’re warmer than jeans and add texture to your winter wardrobe.

#129: Bring out your inner biker by incorpo-rating leather into your look with a jacket, boots or all out with leather pants.

Gentlemen:#391: As we welcome the new season of winter, it’s time to retire your shorts until next spring. Snow and bare legs don’t mix well.

#217: Add pizazz to your wardrobe with snazzy socks. Try out new pat-terns and bright colors with different outfits.

Walk the Moon takes Walnut by stormGrace Hill, ‘15

With their newly released al-bum, which includes the hit single “Anna Sun”, local band Walk The Moon has been climbing the charts and growing more and more popular across Cincinnati and throughout the country. Elanor Eberhardt, ‘15, a diehard fan, says the genre of the band is Indie. The band’s self-titled debut album, Walk the Moon, is full of catchy, fast paced and energetic songs with a couple of slow ballads mixed in. Andrea Gutman, ‘15, who is also a fan of the band, describes their sound as

“indie rock with a pop twist.” The band has a self-described “vocal heavy” sound. The album is full of intricate harmonies to put particular em-phasis on the vocal aspects. Because they are from Cincin-nati, the band has played plenty of local shows. Eberhardt has been to three already and she plans to go to more. She says the concerts are amazing, with the band members painting their faces and really having fun. Gutman has also been to a local show and really enjoyed it. She says, “They have a lot of energy and the band really gets into their music.” It’s a whole new

Jeongwoong Noh, ‘13 Cheering, singing, soju and a shirtless PSY—now that’s “Gang-nam Style.” “Gangnam Style” is a song by South Korean rapper and YouTube sensation PSY. The song took him toward becoming an international singer. His unique song and his signature “horseback riding” dance rose his audience and fans to enthusiasm. Still, this “historic” (it is the first time a Korean song is getting fame in the U.S. and playing in foreign radio and TV programs) song is beloved by people of all ages—children, teens, adults, and even dancing senior citizens—and their support makes up the biggest

force in spreading K-pop glob-ally. The music video of “Gangnam Style” is ranked third on YouTube’s all-time list of most-viewed videos. According to YG Entertainment, “This record beat out ‘Love the Way You Lie’ by American hip-hop star Eminem, which drew 515 million viewers.” “Gangnam Style” has remained at the number two spot on the U.S. Billboard chart for its third consecutive week—a first for Korean singers. Most Koreans are proud of his “unbelievable” records, and it’s likely that no matter the current Billboard ranking is, PSY will be remembered as the number one singer in their hearts.

kind of concert experience—she adds that it’s “very interactive and fan friendly.” Walk the Moon recently had a local show on November 1 at the Madison Theatre in Covington. They were by accompanied by the band Family of the Year. SENIOR Kyle Chase won a contest through Q-102 and had the exclusive opportunity to go to Walk the Moon’s pre-show sound check. He describes the band members as “super nice and really cool to talk with.” He added,“They thought it was sick that I’d been listening to them since I first saw them at the Annunciation Oktoberfest when I was in 8th grade.” Myrna Borgert, ‘15, who at-tended the concert said, “It was phenomenal... The energy was amazing especially after the crowd chanted ‘one more song!’ The lights were bright, everyone was singing and jumping.”

Korean words to know:

- Oppa: Brother (usually for elder brother).- Gangnam: A city in South Korea. It is similar to New York and LA in that many Korean popular culture fig-ures live there. It is a mixture of different cultures. Gang-nam is the most expensive place to live in South Korea because it is so trendy.- Soju: Korean wine that is distilled from rice. (Good for one who is living a stressful and gloomy life, but not rec-ommended to students.)

Outreach leader Brooke Brandewie gives one on one attention to a Walnut student during their workshop on natural dyes.

SHAWNTEZ ROBERTSON/CHATTERBOX

Walk the Moon’s newest self-titled album cover is a representation of their free spirit style.

COURTESY OF BROOKE BRANDEWIE

1. The Sunglasses

3. The Horseback

2. The Cowboy

4. The Finish

Gangnang Style

Above are the dance moves of the latest music craze.

PeanutsThe Chatterbox Page 7

Celeste Kearney and Rico Blackman, EditorsIssue CVII.3 Walnut Hills High School

7th and 8th graders: Join the Peanuts family!

What: The Peanuts section of the Chatterbox is all about Junior High. The articles cover a wide variety of topics pertaining to 7th and 8th graders at Walnut Hills.

When: Meetings are every 1st and 3rd Wednesday during 2nd lunch.

Why: The Peanuts section is a great way to learn more about the Chatterbox, journalism and school newspapers. Working on Peanuts will also help you decide if you want to be a part of the Chatterbox in high school. Peanuts will help you practice and develop your writing and photography skills. There is always room for other talents that would like to be showcased in Peanuts.

Where: Email <peanutschatterbox@gmail.com> or come to one of our meetings.

Exams are coming, so get readyZoe Cheng, ‘15

Imagine this: it’s the middle of second quarter, and just as you’re falling into the familiar routine of classes and schoolwork, the dread-ed word begins to appear--exams. If you’re like any other student at Walnut, the word “exam” can incite feelings of anxiety; if you are new to Walnut, you may not know what to expect at all. Luck-ily, you’re not alone. “At the school that I attended last year we did not have a lot of exams, so this is a new experi-ence,” relates Zoey Seibert, ’18. “Exams are always a little nerve-racking, but if you pay attention in class and you study correctly, the nervousness goes away.” Oth-ers are not so positive; Shamarah Watson, ’18, complains that “exams are entirely too long.” Despite some divided feelings, even SENIORS can tell you that exams are very important. It’s cru-cial to start studying early, since

doing so can dramatically benefit your grade. Why wait to cram? Here are some study tips: 1. Study over Thanksgiving break. Believe it or not, soon enough exams will be a mere few weeks away. Beginning the study process now instead of the weekend before will make you feel much more prepared. 2. Make study guides, espe-cially for classes where you feel behind. Create outlines of class material from the beginning of the year and match up your notes chronologically with your out-line. 3. The weeks leading up to exams are crucial for you to cover the gaps in your knowledge. Studying early helps you spot the areas you need most assistance in. Marlo Whetstone, ’16, shares: “Make sure to study and get help on anything you aren’t sure about. It really helps and you’ll feel more confident when taking the exam.”

ZOE CHENG/CHATTERBOX

Henry Fellerhoss, ‘18, Jacob Strom, ‘18, Bethany Serson, ‘18, and Henry Sofge, ‘18, at the Boogie Bash. For more pictures, visit <my.hsj.org/chatterbox>.

After discovering your trouble areas, go to help night and ask questions. 4. Utilize the tutor list in the seventh and eighth grade office. A quarter grade of C or lower can be very detrimental to your overall semester grade, so pulling those letters up is imperative. 5. And finally, study your notes from first quarter. It’s easy to forget what happened in class fifteen weeks ago, so remember to brush up on everything from the beginning of the year so that you don’t fall behind. “Don’t freak out about [exams], they aren’t as bad as you would expect,” advises Ellie Cassedy, ’17, “But make sure you study enough, that way you feel more secure walking into the exam.” Whetstone also adds: “Don’t stress too much. They aren’t that scary.”

Justeen Jackson, ‘18

Now that Walnut is getting into full swing, your opinions may have changed a bit. You may think Walnut isn’t going to be so difficult, or that all of the changes that you have encountered so far and the ones that you will in the future, might not be so bad. With the new school year one-fourth of the way finished, students have the opportunity to control their Walnut Hills experience by deciding how to approach the new school year. Organization is key to being a Walnut student. Wil Frye, ‘17, suggests, “Keeping organized can

help your grades stay up because you know where everything is when it’s due.” He also says that “some ways to stay organized are to keep up with your planner, utilize your binders and go to your locker as often as possible.” Tobias Hofman, ‘17, says that Walnut has a “top notch” cur-riculum as well as a student body that captures the “diversity” of its students. Students can also start to get their own feel of Walnut. Nick Lampe, ‘18 says he “likes Walnut better now than in the beginning of the year because it seems to be easier, and it seems to be flowing better.” He also doesn’t get lost as much. Walnut is a big school, and time is going to go by fast! So keep studying, working, and improving!

Augusta Battoclette, ‘17

A new school year means new fashion styles. One recurring fashion is scarves. At this time of the year, with the cold, windy days, scarves aren’t just for fashion—they’re also protection for your neck from the cold. There are many different ways to tie a scarf. One way to tie a scarf is to start with a traditional slip knot (put scarf around your neck with a loop on one side and two ends on the other) and slip the closer of the two ends through the loop. Then you twist the loop and put the other end through to create a “twisted” look. To do a Loose Wrap, wrap the scarf around your neck from the front to the back. Then, bring it back around the opposite way (to continue the circle) to create the Loose Wrap.

One quarter down, 23 to go

Photo of the month: Boogie Bash costumes

Style Update: Scarves back in style

Celeste Kearney, ‘15

Tired of PB&J? A small change in your lunch can make a big dif-ference. 1. Try a different type of bread: swap white bread for wheat bread. Or try a new style of bread: pita bread, flat bread, English muffins or even bagels. 2. A new type of fruit in your lunch can really make a difference. Instead of apples and bananas, throw in a pear, orange or mango. Bite-sized fruits like strawberries, grapes or pineapple cubes can also be a small but fun change. 3. If you buy your lunch, try something new everyday in the cafeteria. While the consistent

schedule of cafeteria food may be hard to break away from, a differ-ent meal will make every lunch even more enjoyable. 4. There are hundreds of differ-ent types of sandwiches, so make something new. A different type of meat or cheese on your sandwich can make all the difference. Even a simple ham and cheese or a wrap might be just the break you need from PB&J. 5. Drink something else during lunch. A new type of juice or just water may be the best change. Trying new foods can help you break out of your everyday lunch-time routine.

Tip of the month: Spice up your lunch

LANCE CHEUNG/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

A turkey wrap is great way to spice up your lunch.

Master these (and more), and your year will be so much more fashionable. No matter what fash-ions are in or out, stick with your style and make sure to be unique, but comfortable, but if you find yourself sighing at your style or just not interested anymore—read on. You don’t need to change your style right away, take your time. If you wear a purple headband every day, switch it up and wear a green

headband. Or if you always wear black socks, wear neon pink socks one day. Your style will stay “you” with a twist. Also, take fashion risks. They’ll guarantee more inter-esting outfits.

HANNAH SHAW/CHATTERBOX EMILY FRIEDMAN/CHATTERBOX

Dominic Ventura, ‘16 (left), and Rebeka Drew, ‘16 (right), show off their scarves.

ArcadePage 8 The Chatterbox

Brandon Wagner, EditorWalnut Hills High School Issue CVII.3

Horoscope of the monthSean Wood, ‘15Brandon Wagner, ‘13

Aries The word SCIENCE can in fact be an appropriate answer for ques-tions that don’t require math on some quizzes and tests in physics class.

Taurus Error 404: Astrological Divination not found.

Gemini Your evil twin has already suc-ceeded in taking over your Face-book account and started sending out random, incomprehensible texts with your phone, which is probably why you haven’t noticed he exists yet.

Cancer You might find that escargot goes well with chocolate syrup and graham crackers. But more likely than not, you will throw up just by looking at it.

Leo While you are in deep meditative thought contemplating the finer points of the meaning of life, your best friend will sneak up behind you and try to squirt you with a water gun for the eleventh time this week. At least pretend to act surprised.

Virgo Stop ignoring the seemingly frivo-lous and inconsequential things in life and you’ll be much happier for it.

Shawntez Robertson, ‘13

“Thank you, Thang God.” “My number is 555-THANG.” “Do the Thang-bot.”SHAWNTEZ ROBERTSON/CHATTERBOX

In Character: James Oyewale

SHAWNTEZ ROBERTSON/CHATTERBOX SHAWNTEZ ROBERTSON/CHATTERBOX

James Oyewale is a SENIOR of self-proclaimed African heritage and a rapper named Thang God. Likes: women. Dislikes: Non-women.

Shout-Outs

B-SPOON!—Anonymous

Shout-Outscost $5.

To purchase a shout-out, visit room 2307 or email us at <cboxwalnut@gmail.com>.

3 5 28 1 9

7 6 2 8 51 3 9 6

9 4 25 8 29 1 2 7 4 5

2 5 86 4

SudokuSean Wood, ‘15The object of sudoku is to place the numbers 1 through 9 in each column and row without repeating any of them. Order is not important as long as they don’t repeat. Answers will be posted online at myhsj.org/chatterbox. Good luck!!

2 6 3 5 7 4 9 8 15 4 8 9 1 2 3 6 71 7 9 6 3 8 5 2 47 5 1 8 4 9 2 3 64 3 2 1 5 6 4 1 88 9 6 3 2 7 1 9 56 8 7 2 9 5 1 4 39 1 4 7 6 3 8 5 23 2 5 4 8 1 6 7 9

Libra Stop talking to mysterious strang-ers in trench coats unless you think it has ever ended well for all parties involved.

Scorpio Never ask your parents why they haven’t let you eat noodles after you were 4 unless you want an incredibly long and drawn-out story involving baboons, asteroids, and Cthulhu.

Sagittarius If you use the new Apple Maps for iPhone, you will end up driving around in the desert for days and days with your date, trying to find the expensive French restaurant that you promised to take her. Make sure to bring plenty of water.

Capricorn Gressible is actually a word; look it up. You’ll be surprised how rarely everyone use it in everyday conversation. YOLO does, after all, have absolutely no practicable uses in everyday speech.

Aquarius “Glub Glub Glub,” when put into Google Translate, comes up as “feed me” in fish. Just thought you pet owners should know that. Pisces If you never try, you’ll never suc-ceed. Keep that in mind when saving the whales.

Last Issue’s Sudoku Solutions

Oh dear Soldier,as a boyall your guns weremerely toys.Oh dear Soldier,way back thenwhen you died itwas pretend.

Oh dear Soldier,now a man,you fight as hardas you can.Oh dear Soldier,as you fought,did you give itany thought?

When a soldier fallsSarah Wagner, ‘14

Oh dear Soldier,why’d you go?you killed peopleyou don’t know.Oh dear Soldier,now you’re gone.They got you back,battle’s done.

Tell me Soldier:where’s your fame?You don’t evenhave a name.Tell me Soldier:can you seehow your thoughts cantrouble me?

Smelling FunnyBrandon Wagner, ‘13

Shout-OutsStand Out.