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View Points May 20, 2011 Serena Says: The Art of Graceful Derision Serena Dugan, ‘11 View Points Editor It is a pitiful but true fact that insulting one’s peers is an art form sadly lacking in modern culture. Insult, while having many gradations in usage and meaning, is, in its simplest form, the pointed manifestation of our anger or frustration toward societal incompetence. This propensity for slander is universal; it is a cross-cultural bridge of our fundamental humanity. Whether someone is cut off by a discourteous driver in Kentucky or Hong Kong, the subsequent invectives of the aggrieved will ring with the same sonority. And despite the moral ramifications of launching oneself into a vindictive diatribe, nothing is quite so satisfying as regressing to a childish state of mockery and name-calling. Immaturity is unparalleled bliss. However, while the instinct to insult remains anchored in our ranks, the grace with which we attempt to accomplish this end is sorely wanting. This laxness in refinement of rant we can attribute mainly to ill-conceived attempts at propriety, laziness, and a growing deficiency in the facility of language. But all hope is not lost. By addressing these impediments, perhaps we can reinstate the skill of elegant disdain into society’s invective arsenal. The first hurdle to witty slander is the growing impetus towards non-confrontation. This, in my opinion, is a serious social problem and also a viable health concern. Internalizing one’s anger can exacerbate numerous health conditions, not to mention its psychological ramifications. Observing humility for the sake of propriety only leads to feelings of 3 The Chatterbox worthlessness and regret. Why willingly surrender to inferiority? Square off, confront your opponent, and carpe every last shred of self-dignity you can muster out of each diem. This is all about establishing an internal locus of control. Once you manipulate your words, you can manipulate your world. So throw decorum and propriety out the metaphorical window of selfinflicted obstacle, and get vocal about some things. The next issue at hand is perhaps more serious than the first. Even having embraced derision, one can accomplish nothing of wit without the proper drive. And thus we delve into the problematic realm of indolence. People are lazy. Instead of generating a thoughtprovoking, insightful, and delightfully convoluted snub, the majority of our populous relapses into worn and tired invectives. Cursing surely has its place in society, but a well-crafted insult will trump foul language in 9 out of 10 confrontational situations. The best way to flex your muscle for wit is to practice making sarcastic remarks about societal annoyances: inadequacies in the government, the stupidity of morning radio talk show hosts, faults in the education system… whatever has you particularly peeved at the moment. But whenever you attempt to deride, do so with passion, with precision, and most imperatively, with élan. A Field Guide to Mythical Creatures Rachel Chung, ‘11 Chatterbox Staff Writer She came through fire. She came through water. She rose, hatched from an egg, to captivate millions of viewers young and old. What many would call the Madonna of this generation, Lady Gaga emerged on the popular music scene some number of years ago. However, Lady Gaga runs in a different vein than your average pop star. In addition to her catchy music Walnut Hills High School (complete with four-note choruses and driving, computer-generated beats), Lady Gaga has earned a reputation as more of a performance artist than a musician. Overall, her performances consist of approximately 30% music, 30% expensive effects, and 40% something else. This “something else” might be anything from arriving in an egg to wearing dangerous objects as a dress. These distinctly Gaga behaviors have both shocked and enthralled our nation. Perhaps you ask, “Why are you writing about Lady Gaga, Rachel?” It is true; Lady Gaga is not in the same genus as the Loch Ness Monster or Edward Cullen. Some would say that Lady Gaga has invented an entirely new breed of performer. (However, some discredit Gaga, accusing her of emulating Madonna. In addition, performance art has existed as a genre for almost half a century.) Regardless of your artistic perspective, Lady Gaga is a mythical creature in her own right. Audiences are obsessed with her bizarre antics, rabid to know her true name, and engrossed by her personal life. Lady Gaga is a mythical creature because she has shamelessly and completely reinvented herself to become an entity not entirely human. Perhaps she aims to be something closer to a deity, and many would argue that she has very nearly become one. Like any mythical creature, Lady Gaga’s mystical image lends her music the allure absent from the music of other pop stars today. However, the popularity of Gaga’s music may also be attributed to innate musical talent. As someone distinctly pop-music challenged, I have often suddenly found myself listening to a song of Lady Gaga’s. Free of bias, I often appreciate her music more than that of other pop artists. Like the results of a blind taste test, the results of my accidental experimentation are clear: Lady Gaga is a musical deity. I am gaga for Gaga. (Just kidding...) Vol. CV, No. 6
Sports May 20, 2011 SENIOR Track and Field Runners Kibret Alem, ‘15 Chatterbox Staff Writer While football and basketball may reign at Walnut, track and field is gradually becoming the most successful sport in the school. Under the guidance of Coach Valenzano and Coach Turner, the varsity team -especially class of ‘11 SENIORS, are making a name for themselves and WHHS above all throughout the city. This Varsity team includes great SENIOR track athletes, such as Phillip Akanbi, Emily Akin, Keita Arthur, Keith Benjamin, Ferris Harvey, Tiffany Caldwell, Cush King, Jaelynne and Trafawn Johnson, JR Roley, Karen McCormick, Allison Nurre, Lovieree Simmons, Brianna Woods and Dez Stewart, who in fact most of them has worked with Coach Valenzano for three years. When Coach Valenzano was asked how he feels about his SE- NIORS, he replied saying, “I have some great SENIOR runners in my team. They all have great potential. They are very easy to work with and they were the 2009 Boys Lead Champions.” So far, this is their best year and the season is going great for the Eagle runners. As long as they keep doing what they’re doing, they will have no problem competing for the state championship into their hands. Coach Valenzano continues to rave about his team, saying that, “Walnut Hills has a good tradition of track and field. It’s one of the most successful sports in school and we’ll keep on getting better and better. We have great athletes that both achieve greatly in academics and sport. That’s what makes Walnut great.” SENIOR runner Dez Stewart also has only good things to say Vol. CV, No. 6 The Chatterbox about the track team. “Track is fun. The meetings are interesting. Our coaches are entertaining, training us better while having fun. Me and my teammates have watched track teams and since this is out last year, we are working hard to achieve what has to be achieved.” This high school track team is working hard to make it to the state 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams, and they believe the eagles are capable of anything they set their minds to. SENIOR Captains Interview Adam Wolf, ‘11 Sports Editor This month I sat down with SENIORS Brooke Smith and Jake Holden to talk to them about their highschool softball and baseball teams. Q: How long have you played for Walnut? Brooke Smith: I’ve been a Varsity starter all 4 years, thank you very much. But I’ve played softball since 5th grade. Jake Holden: I’ve been playing for Walnut since I was a freshman. Q: Are you going to continue playing in college? B: No, this is my first year not being on a summer-travel team, and then I’m not playing in college so this is my last season ever. J: No. Its tough to get on the UC team. Q: What’s your role on the team? B: I’m a SENIOR captain with Liz Arthur and Kiara Hampton, and I play every position except for pitcher and catcher. I like to play 3rd base the most. J: My role is to be the SENIOR captain and play in the outfield and pitch the ball. Q: What’s your favorite part about playing your sport? Walnut Hills High School B: Lauren Boulding and Ashley Larkins. Def totes towntest people alive. J: My favorite thing to do is win baseball games, but that doesn’t seem to happen very often this year. Q: What is your schedule like? B: We have games everyday, and if we have a game we have practice, everyday, for a month and a half. That’s 50-plus days. J: We have ten games the next eight days. ‘Nuff said. Q: What are your practices like? B: We run, and then we do a dynamic warm-up, and then we toss, and we do an infield, and then we hit, and then we to listen to the coaches prepare us for the next game. J: We basically practice plays the whole time. Of course, we run and hit, but mainly its practicing working as a team. Q: What are you going to miss most about playing ball? B: I’m really going to miss playing. It’s a fun past-time. It was definitely my favorite part of high school. J: I’m gonna miss being able to go outside and play everyday. I won’t have an excuse to do that anymore. SENIORS Brooke Smith and Jake Holden are this year’s captains for the softball and baseball teams. Photo by: Adam Wolf, ‘11 4
Page 1 and 2: May 20, 2011 Walnut Hills High Scho
Page 3: Senior Staff May 20, 2011 SHIWANI K
Page 7 and 8: News May 20, 2011 Walnut 24 Hour Wa
Page 9 and 10: The Wally Hill May 20, 2011 Wally H
Page 11 and 12: College Map May 20, 2011 Armed Forc

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