CV, No. 3 - My High School Journalism

January 26, 2011 Walnut Hills High School 

Vol. CV, No. 3

From the Editors January 26, 2011 

The Chatterbox 

The Chatterbox Editoral Staff 

Shiwani Kamath, Co-Editor-in-Chief Marshalla Eves, Co-Editor-in-Chief 

Letter from the Editors 

Shiwani Kamath 

Co-Editor-in-Chief 

SENIORS, our coveted time is 

finally here. No more standardized 

tests or extensive application 

essays for us! Even if you haven’t 

received one of those beautiful, 

thick 9x11 envelopes, enjoy the 

last semester of your time in high 

school. Underclassmen, kindly 

try not to express your bouts of 

jealousy; its all very much sound 

and fury. Your time will come... 

eventually. 

As we move into the month of 

February, I think of all the things 

that could happen. Spring could 

arrive, and I could go puddle hop- 

1 

Mia Manavalan, Senior Managing Co-Editor Sarah Davidoff, Junior Managing Co-Editor 

Mac Calvert, Photo Editor Clayton Castle, Fine Arts Editor 

Serena Dugan, View Points Editor Emily Friedman, Style & Culture Editor 

Simon Lazarus, Copy Editor Jonah Roth, News & Features Editor 

JP Schmitz, Cartoon Editor Riley Theurer, Visual Editor 

Adam Wolf, Sports Editor Advisors: Samantha Gerwe-Perkins & Dawn Wolfe 

Photo Credit: Gerwe-Perkins 

ping. I could romp around in the snow 

during an administration-approved 

day off (in that case, we will have one 

day left). I could get extremely nostalgic 

and buy the platinum graduation 

package. I could simply just submit to 

senioritis and watch House for hours. 

Or, I could practice some self-control 

and do my homework on trigonometric 

integrals. 

Whatever may happen, you should 

join me in a couple of things. Definitely 

go to the Dance Marathon on 

February 19, while dancing and talking 

(or singing) amidst a fog machine 

and cool lights, we could win cash and 

certificates for Chipotle and Don Pablos. 

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with 

your other half and a pile of chocolate 

candy grams. Appreciate Black History 

and visit 

the Freedom 

Center. Have 

fun. Just don’t 

try to garner advice 

from anonymous 

Facebook 

sources. 

Until we 

speak again, enjoy 

this month 

and this issue. 

As always, 

suggestions are 

welcome. 

cboxwalnut@ 

gmail.com 

Walnut Hills High School 

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 prohibited. Articles found to be 

discriminatory, libelous, or unnecessarily 

obscene (as determined by the 

editors or the advisor) will not be published. 

Finally, journalists are granted 

the right to keep private the name of 

a source from whom they received information 

with the understanding that 

the source was to remain anonymous. 

The role of the newspaper advisor will 

be to provide counsel and criticism 

pertaining to the newspaper’s content 

and production. Although both the 

advisor and the administration hold 

certain powers regarding The Chatterbox, 

both must respect the paper’s autonomy. 

No student shall be prevented 

from joining the staff on the basis of 

sex, race, creed, or national origin. 


View Points January 26, 2011 

New Year’s Resolutions: 

Why You 

Shouldn’t Even Try 

Serena Says 

Serena Dugan 

Chatterbox Viewpoints Editor 

As we return to school with 

minds brimming with holiday 

cheer, pleasant wintertime fantasies 

are brusquely supplanted by 

the academic grindstone. Memories 

of joyful tree trimming and 

Christmas caroling reside no longer 

in minds now freshly assaulted 

by an onslaught of knowledge. 

Blitzkrieg! Newton’s method, osmotic 

pressure, and implicit differentiation 

besiege us as our holiday 

joviality is reluctantly usurped 

by doom, despair, and ennui. For 

those preaching optimism in light 

of the New Year, I am here with 

voluble cynicism to guide you back 

to reality. For alas, is it no great 

surprise that the majority of our 

resolutions will fail? My friends, 

this is not pessimism but realism. 

In all likelihood the well intentioned 

resolution to clean your 

room will dissipate as you hastily 

deposit clothing on the floor in 

attempting to adequately apparel 

yourself for a friend’s glow bowling 

party. Or take for instance 

your scholastic resolution to spend 

Friday evenings at home working 

diligently on calculus homework 

and US history flashcards. 

Despite the sincerity of your 

intentions, I doubt that few if any 

of you will forgo glow bowling for 

Marybeth Norton and riemann 

sums. Whether you lay blame to 

moral laxness, your teachers, or 

glow bowling for these shortcomings, 

it is unrealistic that your 

un-idealistic expectations of 

yourself will warrant any considerable 

success. So I advise you to 

take New Year’s resolutions with a 

Vol. CV, No. 3 


grain of salt this year and to set goals 

you might actually accomplish. Now 

resolving to study only after a hearty 

rendezvous at the bowling alley, 

however, that may be a resolution you 

actually keep. 

An (Attempted) Field 

Guide to Mythical Creatures 

Rachel Chung 

Chatterbox Staff Writer 

As a self-declared mythical creatures 

expert, I find that I have neglected 

to address a topic that has revolutionized 

literature and entertainment. 

You guessed it—vampires. Vampires 

have long been present in legends of 

old. During the Romantic era of literature, 

to many, a vampire story was 

put on parchment, to be preserved for 

the inspiration of future readers. This 

interred inspiration was rediscovered 

in the 20th century with film versions 

of famous vampire tales, most notably 

among them Dracula. The vampire 

craze somewhat waned towards the 

end of the 1900s, but, as we all know, 

has had a recent resurgence in the 

past six. 

Thanks to what some would call 

literary genius and others the disgusting 

shallowness of present day society, 

a young author by the name of Stephenie 

Meyer has resuscitated the vampire 

frenzy. I must confess that when 

the first Twilight book was released 

around my seventh grade year, I was 

captivated. I engaged in heated arguments 

with my mother in defense of 

Stephenie Meyer’s literary skill and 

arguments of even greater heat with 

my friends over whether Jacob or Edward 

was the better man (I was a Jacob 

fan, for those who are wondering). 

Years later, I find myself appalled. 

After rereading the first Harry Potter 

book this year, I decided to brave my 

long-abandoned copy of Twilight. 


To say that I was dismayed would 

be a terrible understatement as the 

caliber of writing was truly appalling. 

However, despite a serious lack 

of literary merit, the stories woven 

by Meyer, albeit by only one or two 

threads, are quite brilliant. Not brilliant 

in the sense of Dostoevsky or 

Dumas, but brilliant in terms of their 

commercial feasibility. The truth is 

this: sex and violence sell better than 

any topic in modern entertainment. 

To combine sexuality with violence in 

one fantastical creature is ingenious. 

Meyer even offers readers multiple 

options: Edward, the perfect, sophisticated 

vampire, or Jacob, the rough, 

emotional werewolf. 

To anyone unfamiliar with Twilight, 

such a pairing would seem 

utterly ridiculous. And it probably is. 

However, Twilight is only the beginning 

of vampires’ rise to stardom. 

Vampire-related television series, 

such as True Blood, have skyrocketed 

in popularity, not to mention the 

Twilight films. To be sure, I have no 

field experience with vampires, but 

I can say with some confidence that 

they possess a baffling sex appeal and 

therefore have captivated readers for 

centuries. Somehow, women of all 

ages are intoxicated by thoughts of 

Edward Cullen and Jacob...whateverhis-last-name-is. 

However, as much as 

literary snobs like myself may criticize 

Twilight and ostracize Stephanie 

Meyer from the circle of great fantasy 

authors, vampires have become an 

integral part of pop culture. And, as 

is a customary portion of this field 

guide, my advice to one who happens 

to meet a vampire (especially one with 

red eyes): if you are a normal human 

being, cry. If you are self-pitying, 

confused, and generally challenged in 

the art of communication, you have 

nothing to worry about, because said 

vampire will fall in love with you on 

the spot. 

2

Sports January 26, 2011 

Wrestling Team 

Kibret Alem 

Chatterbox Contributor 

Wrestling, while being an 

extremely physical sport, has 

proved to be no match for Walnut 

Hills students. These athletes 

have learned how to conquer the 

sport and are on their way to a 

very successful season. The Wrestling 

Team has already competed 

against McNicholas, Withrow, 

Centerville, St. Xavier, North College 

Hill, Badin, and Mariemont. 

The team may be small, but it has 

strong players, including Thomas 

Brame (T.J.), Randall Mincy, and 

Dylan Volt. 

In the Deer Park Tournament, 

Randall Mincy defeated Tyler 

Berger from Loveland, earning 

him the first place medal. To date, 

Randall Mincy is the number 

one wrestler with nine straight 

wins and only one loss. Randall 

Mincy says, “we have a strong 

nucleus, competitive wrestlers, 

and an excellent coaching staff, 

and although we are a young program, 

we have the makings of an 

elite team that will be very good 

for years to come.” Even though 

Dylan Volt has been on the squad 

for one year, he is off to a great 

start. T.J. is a second year member 

and has won one match so far 

this year. 

Chelsea Carpenter, the team’s 

manager, has this philosophy: 

“Pain is temporary. Pride is 

forever. To be great, you have to 

work for it and that’s what the 

wrestling team is all about.” As 

more matches come, the team 

hopes more victories will come as 

well, bringing much pride to one of 

Walnut’s newest teams. 

3 


Walnut Swimming 

Eli Wilz 


Swimming has been recognized 

as a competitive international sport 

that forces athletes to have a very 

strong mentality to work well under 

pressure and time constraints. The 

Walnut Hills Swim Team continuously 

works to achieved its goals, such as 

competing at state. The participants 

swam strongly in all of their meets 

this season against Taylor, Colerain, 

Norwood, Glen Este, and Purcell. They 

have had some terrific wins this year, 

including an invitational in which Junior 

Michelle Baverman finished first 

in the 100 Backstroke and Sophomore 

Zach Fisher finished first in the 100 

Fly. At the Coaches’ Classic at Mason 

High School, Juniors Grace Counts, 

Jillian Hassel, and Zach Fisher were 

invited back to Finals. This success is 

largely due to the team’s hard work 

and commitment, even in the offseason. 

During the season, practice is held 

Monday through Friday for two-anda-half 

hours each day. Mandatory dry 

land practices are also held during 

the week, during which swimmers 

focus on strength building exercises. 

Many athletes participate in year 

round teams or compete in summer 

clubs. Students primarily focus on 

drills to improve their times. It’s clear 

that Coach Greg Lynch and Assistant 

Coach Madeleine Sheblessy have 

this team in top condition. They have 

prepared them well for the next upcoming 

meet: FAVC Sectionals which 

will be held in February. Sheblessy 

has been such a positive influence for 

the team that one swimmer has even 

called her “the best thing to happen to 

Walnut swimming”. There are more 

great things to come, so stay tuned to 

these last meets as Walnut swimming 

continues to impress. 


Barrett Weckel: The Ice King 

Adam Wolf 

Chatterbox Sports Editor 

Perhaps one of the most unknown 

sports at Walnut Hills is the ice hockey 

team. Most people are not aware 

of its existence; even if they did, most 

would not think twice about it. So 

why should people go watch the team 

perform? “For one thing, we’re better 

than many other teams around here,” 

says SENIOR team captain Barrett 

Weckel. “It’s a bit out of the ordinary, 

but its much more in-your-face 

than other sports, and plus, there’s 

nonstop action.” Barrett has been 

playing hockey for eight years, and 

has been on the Walnut team since 

eighth grade. While he mainly plays 

defense, he can play all other positions 

as well, including center and wings. 

Every winter, he looks forward to two 

things: plowing driveways and playing 

hockey. He looks forward to playing 

club hockey at either the University of 

Cincinnati or Xavier University. 

All the players, included Weckel, 

are very fond of their coach, Jim Flannery. 

“He’s a motivator and he’s very 

dedicated”, says Weckel. In fact, this 

dedication has produced great results 

for all the members of the team. Weckel 

and the rest of the team members 

are very proud of all their success, and 

Weckel predicts a winning season. 

Barrett Weckel poses in the snow. 

Photo Credit: Mac Calvert 

Vol. CV, No.3

Fine Arts January 25, 2011 

Steel Drum Band 

Ruby Wilz 


Next year the Walnut Hills 

Steel Drum band will celebrate 

a very important milestone: its 

tenth anniversary. The Walnut 

Steel Drum program was started 

by Ed Leborgne, who learned the 

trade while studying at Miami 

University in nearby Oxford, Ohio. 

The steel drum band is a unique 

opportunity, and Mr. Leborgne 

is not shy about reminding his 

students of that. “ I never imagined 

that the steel band program 

would have grown as much. The 

students and I are so privileged to 

have the equipment that we do. 

The fact that I teach two classes of 

steel drums a day [beginning steel 

drums and advanced steel drums] 

makes my job extremely enjoyable. 

Loud! But enjoyable.” The band is 

loud, so students are required to 

buy ear plugs. They play mostly 

music of the soca or calypso 

style. The band has ventured out 

into the realm of popular music, 

recently playing songs like “I’m a 

Believer” from Shrek and “What 

I Like About You” by the Romantics. 

Many students enjoy dancing 

and grooving to the music they 

make each day in class. 

Steel drums, also known as 

steel pans, originated on the 

island of Trinidad, where they are 

still played today. Steel Pans are 

made out of 55 gallon oil drums 

through a 5 step process. Walnut’s 

Steel Drum band has four 

different drums: the lead pan, 

the double tenor pans, the guitar 

pans, and the bass pans. The lead 

pan is just one drum, while the 

bass pans include four drums. The 

deeper the sound of the drum, the 

more pans it has. Each year in 

Trinidad during a large carnival 

Vol. CV, No. III 


known as Panorama, large steel band 

groups come together to perform. 

Unlike what many music students at 

Walnut are used to, these groups learn 

to play their songs without sheet music, 

so it is mandatory that they learn 

and understand the music. 

Want to come and hear some great 

music? This year the Walnut Steel 

Band will be making an appearance 

at Miami University’s Steel Drum 

festival and many other school performances. 

The next performance will be 

January 22nd at “Nuts About the Fine 

Arts”. Their official spring concert will 

be on April 8th at 7 p.m. The following 

day the band will travel to Oxford, 

Ohio to play in the Miami Steel Drum 

Festival. 

Backstage with 

Clayton: Eric Krohn 

Clayton Castle 

Fine Arts Page Editor 

With a literary magazine, newsletter, 

and writing lab, Walnut Hills is 

prone to have several talented writers. 

I had the great honor of sitting down 

with one of those artists this month 

when I spoke with Eric Krohn, an accomplished 

writer. As a sophomore, he 

won the Mount Saint Joseph Fiction 

Writing Contest. This year, Krohn was 

selected to represent Walnut Hills at 

the Overture Awards in the category 

of Creative Writing. 

C: Eric, when did you first develop a 

love for writing? 

E: Probably in about first grade. In elementary 

school, our teachers always 

made us do what were called “written 

illustrations”, where you had to write 

a story and draw pictures for it. I 

wrote the most ridiculous stories, but 

as ridiculous as they were, I loved doing 

them and I still write them today. 

C: What type of writing do you do? 

Any specific genre? 


E: I do a lot of fantasy, but I’ve really 

been trying to branch out recently, doing 

pretty much any genre that suits 

the mood that I’m in for that time 

period. I’ve never done non-fiction, but 

I have been into more realistic fiction. 

C: Do you plan on writing a major 

work, such as a novel, at any point in 

your life? 

E: Honestly, yes. When I look at the 

majors for college, I can’t find anything 

that really suits me, other than 

writing, and it would be nice to write a 

novel and make a lot of money and not 

have to do any of those other jobs. 

C: Take me step by step on how you 

develop a piece of writing. Do you 

plan? Do you form an outline? 

E: Whenever I start writing a piece, 

it usually starts with a singular idea 

that doesn’t have many details to it, 

like “a baby falling from a roof.” I basically 

start with that one simple idea, 

write a couple sentences, then my 

writing creates a life of its own. I’ve 

never created an outline for my stories 

or really known where the direction 

will go. It kind of just flows and the 

story makes itself. 

C: Any last words to aspiring writers? 

E: It’s very hard to make it as a 

writer. The opportunities are there, 

but you have to search for them. I’ve 

been rejected and lost competitions, 

but I have succeeded in the past and 

it’s just my love of writing that keeps 

me going. To the aspiring writers, just 

stick with it and never give up. If you 

do that, great things will happen. 

To read Eric Krohn’s Overture Creative 

Writing submission, please visit 

the Chatterbox Fine Arts webpage at 

www.walnuthillseagles.com . 

4

Style & Culture January 26, 2011 

Learning From Our 

Exchange Students 

Ciara Williams 


Since August, new exchange 

students have walked the Walnut 

campus, navigated the halls, and 

begun to know their peers. Each 

one of them was brave enough to 

leave their homes and experience 

life as a teen in America. Two of 

the new students, Amel Miladi 

from Tunisia and Monica Haugen 

from Norway are willing to not 

only learn from us, but teach us 

about their culture. I sat down 

with them and talked with them 

about new life in America. 

“It’s hard to make friends, but 

I like it here,” said Monica, commenting 

on her current experience 

in Cincinnati. According to her, 

Norwegian culture is very similar 

to Cincinnati’s. Walnut is a much 

bigger school than high schools in 

Norway, which only have three 

grades. Another major difference-- 

food. “There is more junk food 

here.” She added. 

Monica misses Norway, but is 

still enjoying her year in America. 

“I recommend going to another 

country and learning to be strong.” 

She adds that it not only helps you 

learn more about another country, 

but about yourself as a person. 

Coming to us from Tunisia, 

multilingual Amel Miladi can 

speak Arabic, French, English, 

and is in the process of learning 

Italian. She loves Cincinnati, 

but misses her favorite beach on 

the Mediterranean Sea, near her 

country. While in Tunisia she 

went to boarding school, so attending 

a school like Walnut is a big 

change. At her old school, students 

had to study long hours with only 

Sundays off. Amel commented on 

the fashion differences between 

Tunisia and Cincinnati. In her 

5 


own country, French clothing is common, 

but the majority of the styles are 

the same. I asked for any other differences. 

In Tunisia, “kids and teenagers 

have cars. But I don’t get my driver’s 

license until I’m 18.” 

Unlike America, anyone in Tunisia 

can use hookah, a form of smoking 

tobacco, though drinking alcohol in 

Tunisia is not as normal as it is here. 

Tunisian teens are allowed to date, 

but Amel adds that “guys aren’t as disrespectful 

of girls here and that isn’t 

allowed in my country.” 

Embracing Cincinnati’s culture, 

Amel Miladi went to Findlay Market 

and was excited to find sausages, 

pastas, and spices from her country. 

“I miss my country’s foods, but I like a 

lot of foods here! You’d think mayonnaise 

with French fries is disgusting 

but it’s really good!” 

So America isn’t that different 

than Tunisia or Norway. Still, so much 

can be learned through a simple conversation 

with someone from another 

country and culture. Monica Haugen 

says, “It is good to go to another country 

and become stronger as a person. 

Not only that but to understand and 

learn one another’s culture.” But for 

those of us who can’t, we have the 

amazing opportunity of learning from 

our foreign exchange students who 

have joined our school. 

All Star Weekend Plays 

the Mad Hatter 

Dana Roth 

Chatterbox Contributor/Photographer 

It’s thirty degrees on a Thursday 

night at the Mad Hatter in Covington, 

Kentucky. From the street over a hundred 

teenage girls can be seen eagerly 

waiting outside. Some have been there 

since 10:30 a.m., waiting for Allstar 

Weekend, the latest band, who got 

their start from Hollywood Records 

and Radio Disney’s N.B.T. Devoted 

fans have spent hours shivering in line 

for their favorite boys, Zach, Nathan, 


Cameron, and Michael, to take the 

stage and let the records play. 

The doors opened late, and everyone 

ran inside, half to get out of the 

cold, half to dash for a front row spot. 

As if everyone wasn’t tired enough 

from school and waiting outside, three 

opening acts opened before Allstar 

Weekend even got on stage. 

The Scene Aesthetic opened, but 

wasn’t received with much enthusiasm. 

The crowd was growing impatient. 

But everyone became ecstatic 

during the band’s mash up of “Down” 

by Jay Sean and “Mine” by Taylor 

Swift. 

Waiting for Stephen Jerzak to come 

on, the audience was either ready to 

fall asleep or break out into expletives 

because Allstar Weekend was 

still not on stage. But Stephen and his 

band were anything but boring. Girls 

pushed closer to the stage as he sang 

the songs “Cute” and “King.” 

And then, Allstar Weekend hit the 

stage. The crowd blew up into high 

pitched screaming. Girls rushed forward, 

leaving the people in the front 

row crushed against the stage. 

The band rocked out to their hit 

songs “A Different Side of Me,” “Come 

Down With Love,” and “Dance Forever.” 

They even did covers, including 

“Magic” by B.o.B. and a rock twist on 

Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One.” 

The band members even brought a 

special girl on stage and serenaded her 

with the love ballad, “Amy.” Although 

it was ten on a school night, the concert 

was filled with high-energy, and 

everyone left with huge smiles on their 

faces. 


News & Features January 26, 2011 

Bullying at Walnut 

Hills 

Mia Manavalan 

Senior Managing Editor 

On December 1st, 2010, Principal 

Brokamp called an assembly 

for all seventh and eighth grade 

students regarding the topic of 

bullying. As soon as the students 

sat down, Mr. Brokamp began to 

give examples of types of bullying 

he has observed at Walnut Hills; 

he stated that the most common 

type of bullying is using the word 

“gay” to mean “stupid” or “absurd.” 

He encouraged students to think 

before they speak in order to realize 

what they might be implying. 

He then introduced Ms. Tucker, 

the seventh grade guidance counselor, 

who gave the presentation. 

She began with a “True or False 

Survey” and read several statements 

aloud; students responded 

to the statements with either 

“true” or “false” and an explanation 

of their reasoning. These 

were some of the testimonies: 

one in twelve students stay home 

because they are afraid of being 

bullied; bullying is most severe 

in grades seventh to ninth, but 

begins in grades fourth to sixth; 



sixty percent of teenage bullies have 

at least one adult criminal violation; 

nine out of ten lesbians, gays, 

bisexuals, and transgender have been 

victims of bullying; and nearly one 

third of American teens are involved 

in bullying. All of the statements are 

in fact true. The most alarming fact 

might be that one third of teenagers 

are involved in bullying. However, less 

than 10% of teenagers even admit to 

bullying others. 

After the survey was over, Ms. 

Tucker enumerated more chilling 

details. She began with a fact that is 

extremely well-known, yet, often ignored: 

“Bullying has led to huge numbers 

of suicides and homicides. One 

girl was even set on fire for being gay.” 

She explained that victims often have 

low self-esteem and feel angry, lonely, 

depressed, friendless, and helpless. 

Ms. Tucker next had students come 

to the stage and perform skits demonstrating 

both bullying among girls 

and bullying among boys. The girls 

acted out a situation in which three 

girls crowded around one and began 

to taunt her about the way she looked. 

The boys’ skit included physical assault 

of a boy because of the way he 

acted. The main difference between 

these recurring situations, according 

to Ms. Tucker, is that girls most often 

abuse each other verbally while boys 

are more 

prone to 

abuse each 

other physically. 

Ms. Tucker’s 

examples 

and statistics 

reiterated 

that bullying 

is a big 

problem 

in schools 

today. It 

includes 

both verbal 

and physical 


abuse that has extreme effects on students 

that can ruin their self- esteem. 

Many have felt the repercussions of 

bullying and seek no help. At Walnut 

Hills, we can prevent it by notifying 

parents, teachers, counselors, or the 

school psychologist, Mrs. Kombrinck. 

After all, assault is against the law, 

and students have the right to report 

it. 

Announcements 

Jewish Student Union 

The Jewish Student Union at Walnut 

Hills is more than it seems. For 

one, members don’t have to be Jewish 

or join a union in order to participate. 

Despite exposure to the student body 

over the morning announcements, 

the Jewish Student Union is a club 

that rarely garners true attention. 

It and many other hidden clubs at 

Walnut Hills will be revealed for their 

true greatness in a monthly feature, 

coming soon to the ‘Chatterbox’, both 

in print and online. To tap into these 

wonderful, obscure clubs or to suggest 

a subject for the limelight, go to www. 

walnuthillseagles.com. 

Yearbooks 

Wow! The end of school is rapidly 

approaching! There are so many 

things we will remember: friends, 

teachers, dances, student activities, 

and even the beginning stages of the 

school’s renovation. All these events 

and more are a part of the 2010- 

2011 REMEMBRANCER Yearbook! 

There is still time to purchase your 

yearbook for $75! Go to WWW.YEAR- 

BOOKFOREVER.COM to make your 

purchase or visit room 215 for more 

information! 

Spelling Bee Champ 

Walnut Hills has a new spelling 

bee champion - Shwaib Siddiqui, 8th 

grade. Congratulations to Shwaib on 

his spelling prowess. 

6

News & Features January 26, 2011 

Overture Awards 

Emily Friedman 

Style & Culture Page Editor 



Have you ever spent hours 

writing the dialogue to a script or 

screenplay? Do you spend days 

practicing hard sheet music for 

your musical instrument? Have 

you danced to Tchaikovsky’s ballets 

or recited Shakespeare in a 

play? All competitors in the Overture 

Awards competitions have 

done one or more of the above and 

come together every year to compete 

and perform for judges and 

an audience. 

The Overture Awards have 

been in Cincinnati for over ten 

years. Thousands of students 

from all over the city enter their 

creative works in hope of being 

chosen for one of six $2,500 scholarships. 

The program was created 

as a way to honor and appreciate 

the arts. Teens enter works rang- 

Overture Winner Hugh Smith 

Photo Credit: Mac Calvert 

7 


ing from screenplays to poetry, and 

are judged by professionals in creativity, 

artistry, form, structure, plot, 

grammar, spelling, use of language, 

and the overall strength of the submission. 

Other competitors in dance, 

theatre, music, and voice, prepare a 

song, monologue, or solo to perform at 

the competition. Although no one from 

Walnut won last year, many were 

semi-finalists and finalists. This year, 

Walnut will be represented by 14 students 

(2 or 3 in each category) at the 

Overtures. They will compete against 

students from other high schools and 

music studios. The regional competition 

took place on January 8. At 

that time, all of the competitors will 

present their works. The semi-finals 

took place on January 15, with the 

finals being held on February 26 at the 

Aronoff Center. 

The Chatterbox Staff would like to 

congratulate the following students 

who will be representing Walnut at 

the 2011 Overture Awards, Cincinnati: 

Eric Krohn (Creative Writing), Emily 

Windle (Creative Writing), Stephanie 

Gerard (Dance), Molly Johnson 


(Dance), Sam Dubin (Instrumental 

Music), Jacqueline Kitzmiller (Instrumental 

Music), Vivian Mao (Instrumental 

Music), Claire Beauchamp 

(Theatre), David Gordon-Johnson 

(Theatre), Madeleine Becker (Visual 

Arts), Savannah Cuff (Visual Arts), 

Sydney Lister (Visual Arts), Rachel 

Chung (Vocal Music), and Hugh Smith 

(Vocal Music). 

Congratulations and good luck to all of 

the competitors! 

Wasteland Jazz Unit 

Interview Preview 

Bridget Battle 


Wasteland Jazz Unit is a free jazz 

duo that has shaped Cincinnati’s 

experimental music scene. I sat down 

with WJU members (and Art Damage 

Lodge founders) John Rich (clarinet) 

and Jon Lorenz (sax) and talked about 

what it’s like to melt people’s faces off 

with their raw noise. We discussed not 

only their music but also the closing 

of the Art Damage Lodge and what 

the future holds for live experimental 

music in Cincinnati. 

Why should Walnut kids go online 

to read about Wasteland Jazz Unit? 

JL: Well, hmmmm, that’s a tough one. 

I don’t think many Walnut students 

would like our music at all, but in general 

I think it’s more important that 

the younger kids realize that there 

is more to music than just what is on 

the radio.... I think there are a lot of 

people locally that are making interesting 

music and maybe this will help 

spark their interest. Also, there might 

be kids in high school who are interested 

in weirder music, but just don’t 

know that it actually exists in their 

own town. It’s not something that only 

happens in New York or something. 

JR: Explosions. 

The complete interview can be found at 

www.walnuthillseagles.com 


News and Features January 26, 2011 

The Renovation: 

Appearance 

Garret Oester 

Part of a series of articles 

Walnut Hills High School’s campus 

is scheduled to receive many 

improvements during the renovation. 

One of the areas receiving 

much of the attention is the interior 

decor of the 1932 Building. 

Many of the new design elements 

will enhance the classical theme of 

the building. 

In the lobby, the first noticeable 

difference will be the classical 

lighting. The paint colors here 

will lighten the museum hallway 

leading to the Sulsur Avenue entrance. 

The hallways throughout 

the building will be painted cream, 

white, and black. Alumni Foundation 

Director Debbie Heldman 

also says that hallways will also 

feature new lighting, lockers, and 

solid-surface flooring. The main 

office and other administration areas 

will also reflect this color palate. 

All doors in the school will be 

widened to make them compliant 

with the Americans with Disabilities 

Act (ADA), and replaced with 

real wood in a cherry hue. 

Wood trim will also exist in 

the classrooms while built-in 

bookcases and storage closets will 

be installed. Each room will get 

new furniture and have a unique 

quote stenciled on the wall. Some 

ceilings will be lowered to place 

air conditioning ducts. However, 

this will be minimized as much as 

possible to allow the windows to 

be exposed. All rooms will feature 

new technology, including overhead 

projectors. 

The restrooms will be completely 

gutted during the renovation. 

They will be tiled in warm 

colors with all new plumbing 

and lighting. The fixtures will all 

be replaced with low water us- 



Museum Hall is the inspiration for the design elements of the remodel, but it too will 

be recieving a facelift. 

Photo Credits: Gerwe-Perkins 

age versions. The bathrooms will of 

course be ADA accessible. However, 

one shortfall in the planning for the 

renovation is the lack of an elevator 

during the North Wing renovation 

phase. The existing gym renovation is 

planned to include a new floor, bleachers, 

scoreboards and other equipment. 

The locker rooms will be completely 

overhauled. The weight room will 

move from the “Old Colonies” to below 

the gym. The color scheme for the 

renovation of the existing gym will 

include school colors in neutral tones. 

The current pool area will be turned 

into a multi-purpose room. 

The main auditorium renovation 

will include new carpeting and a new 

stage floor. The newest in sound and 

lighting equipment will also be installed. 

New lighting and flooring will 

be added in the lobby area of the auditorium. 

The small theater will receive 

a lobby similar to the new Main The- 


ater lobby. The lunchroom will be one 

of the most noticeable changes to the 

structure. The courtyards on either 

side will be expanded for outdoor dining, 

and new furniture will be added. 

Heldman says, “The lunchroom will 

take on the feel and appearance of 

a college student union.” A kiosk for 

distribution of Walnut publications 

and Spirit Shop merchandise will also 

be installed. 

The next article will focus on how 

the administration is preserving the 

heritage of the building. Questions 

about the renovation can be emailed to 

whhsrenovation@gmail.com. 

8

Features January 26, 2011 

Senior Ensemble Puts 

Walnut on Map 



Google it: The Walnut Hills Senior 

Ensemble. The search should 

take no longer than thirty seconds 

(unless you have a slow computer), 

and you will find recent articles 

and reviews that praise the Walnut 

Hills Senior Ensemble for its 

wonderful music and hard work. 

December was a long month 

for the Ensemble, who sang 

in five spectacular concerts in 

twelve days. Considering that 

exams were two days after the 

final concert, these concerts put 

quite a strain on the Ensemble’s 

members. However, the Senior 

Ensemble still thrilled its audiences 

at each performance. After 

the Ensemble’s performance with 

the Cincinnati Pops, Janelle Gelfand 

of the Cincinnati Enquirer 

said: “The choruses sang well 

all evening, and were especially 

impressive in Handel’s ‘See the 

Conquering Hero’ from ‘Judas 

Maccabaeus.’” 

Senior Ensemble gave its second 

of two performances during 

school hours with the Cincinnati 

Symphony at Music Hall. Three 

days later, it gave a stunning 

performance of 19th-century folk 

tunes at the Mercantile Library in 

Downtown Cincinnati. The following 

week, it performed in two 

school concerts with the Walnut 

Hills Men’s Ensemble, Women’s 

Ensemble, and Senior Choir. For 

the next three days, the Senior 

Ensemble performed a weekend 

holiday series with the Cincinnati 

Pops Orchestra, which featured 

Grammy-award winner Debby 

Boone. 

Performing with the Pops was 

an exciting time for many En- 

9 


semble members. “It was amazing to 

perform with the Cincinnati Pops. The 

energy they gave us with the music 

was exhilarating,” says junior Abby 

Gilster. SENIOR Michelle Glazer 

also gave her opinion. “It was a great 

experience working with John Morris 

Russell and it’s exciting to say that I 

have sung with Debby Boone.” 

“Happy Holidays with the Pops” was 

not only the Pops debut of the Senior 

Ensemble but also John Morris Russell’s 

first series since he was named 

the new Cincinnati Pops Conductor. 

“It felt like being a part of local history 

with John Morris Russell there; it was 

great working with someone who was 

that enthusiastic about what he was 

doing,” said junior Joe Neidhard. 

Congratulations to the entire Walnut 

Hills Senior Ensemble and Mrs. 

Peters for their amazing performances 

throughout December. The next concert 

for the Senior Ensemble will be 

the choir SENIOR night on Wednesday, 

April 27th, 2011 at 7:00 P.M. in 

the auditorium. They will also perform 

on January 22nd during “Nuts About 

Fine Arts Day.” Please come out and 

support the Senior Ensemble as well 

as all of Walnut’s other music groups 

throughout this next semester. 

To view Clayton Castle’s interview 

with Pops Conductor John Morris Russell, 

visit the Chatterbox site at www. 

walnuthillseagles.com . The Chatterbox 

can be found under “Clubs and 

Orgs.” 


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News January 26, 2011 

Waiting for 

“Superman” 

Jade K. Clark 


As Americans, we always hear 

about how other countries like 

South Korea and Finland rank 

higher in education than the U.S. 

We are also aware of impoverished 

countries where children are 

poorly educated or not educated at 

all. However, have any of us ever 

even taken into consideration the 

fact that some American students 

are being barred from a chance 

at a great American education? 

Some students are only getting 

the chance to go to college if their 

assigned number is called out 

of a hat. To foreigners, America 

is seen as the “golden country”, 

where anything is possible. If any 

of them knew about this concealed 

disaster spreading ever so quietly, 

but ever so swiftly throughout the 

nation, they would be surprised. 

The riveting documentary 

Waiting For “Superman” from 

Academy Award-winning director, 

Davis Guggenheim, reveals this 

hidden truth. Waiting For “Superman” 

is an intense personal and 

emotional account of the current 

conditions of public education in 

the United States. Guggenheim, 

ignited by his inner voice and the 

need for major change, journeys 

into the lives of five American 

children whose chance at a great 

education, and even more, their 

dreams are at stake. Five students 

were chosen from various parts of 

the country, giving the audience 

a chance to see this American disaster 

from different perspectives. 

Eighth grader, Emily, from Silicon 

Valley, California is afraid of not 

being fit for college. Daisy, a fifth 

grader from Los Angeles, is so determined 

to reach a bright future, 



even if it means switching schools to 

get a better education. Another fifth 

grader, Anthony, from Washington 

D.C., is trying to live a different life 

than his father who died from a drug 

addiction. A first grader from the 

Bronx, named Francisco, has a determined 

mother who will do anything 

to give him a better life. And finally, 

Bianca, a kindergartner from Harlem, 

is trying to defy the odds with the help 

of her brave single mother. 

Waiting For “Superman” is not a 

movie to be just watched and done 

away with. The whole purpose of the 

documentary is to show people that 

there is no such “Superman” who 

will come to save America from this 

disaster; there is something that we 

as Americans, we as teachers, we as 

parents, and yes, we as students have 

to do. Because Walnut Hills gives 

students such a quality education (and 

our school was ranked number 65 in 

the top 100 schools in America), we 

sometimes take American education 

for granted. The reality of this subject 

is shocking. Critics and audiences 

alike agree that viewing this movie 

will encourage you to appreciate your 

education. 

Quiz Team Rocks! 

Walnut’s quiz team has nothing 

but good news. The team travelled 

to Northmont (west of Dayton) on 

Saturday, January 15, and entered 

two varsity teams into a field of 32 

teams. Team A won their division, and 

Team B went 6-1, being edged out for 

their division. Both teams qualified 

for the playoffs, an unusual feat for 

any school. Team A won the overall 

tournament! 

The team had its first Fort Ancient 

Valley Conference home event of the 

year Wednesday, January 19, 2011 

in Mr. Caliguri’s room. They played 

Glen Este in two Varsity matches and 


one JV match. The team is currently 

undefeated in FAVC play. 

Five members of the team will 

travel to Columbus to participate in 

the Brain Game taping on January 29: 

Joe Nutter, Ashwin Kumar, Joshua 

Mansfield, Stuart Johnson, and Will 

Schweller. The Quiz Team has won 

$17,000 for Walnut Hills over the past 

three years, and they hope to qualify 

for a cash award again this year. 

Congratulations go out to Team A: 

Joe Nutter, Will Schweller, Sarah Adams, 

and Sarah Berman; and Team B: 

Ashwin Kumar, Matt Verbryke, James 

Avant, Anna Mendlein, Olivia Kappers, 

Matt Roth, and Stuart Johnson. 

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The Wally Hill January 26, 2011 

Is it Me, or is the 

Pitcher’s Mound 

Sinking? 

Wally Hill 


January. Deadlines for college 

applications are quickly approaching, 

if not long past. In the coming 

months, SENIORS will make 

the decision of a lifetime or so it 

seems. But how much does the 

college decision actually mean? In 

days of old, an Ivy League diploma 

opened countless doors; the 

skills learned and the connections 

made were well worth the price 

tag. However, times are always 

changing. As I contemplate what 

a college education means to me, I 

begin to wonder what it will mean 

in ten years. In other words, is it 

worth writing three essays, paying 

$90 to submit the application, 

going to an interview, waiting four 

months, and then paying $60,000 

a year for a “top-notch” college 

education? Of course, there are 

several schools of thought regarding 

the answer to this question. 

Some parents would pay almost 

anything to see their child at a top 

institution. It is true that some of 

the benefits of attending such an 

institution, especially a member 

of the Ivy League, still hold water. 

While some students value these 

connections and prestige, others 

are interested in the Ivy League 

and its equals simply because of 

their academic opportunities. With 

the exorbitant price of these illustrious 

schools comes an exorbitant 

endowment. The opportunities 

available become more vast as 

more money becomes available; 

the facilities of the wealthiest 

institutions closely resemble those 

of country clubs. The laboratories 

at these universities host some of 

11 


the most brilliant scientists of our age, 

while tourists from all over the world 

pour out of charter buses to view the 

campuses. 

However, every seemingly perfect 

establishment has its hidden setbacks. 

While few top institutions are lacking 

in available opportunities, every 

school has a weakness. Many universities 

ranked among the best in the 

nation are also infamous for having 

a poor quality of life. Schools like the 

University of Chicago and the Massachusetts 

Institute of Technology have 

some of the best academic programs in 

the world. Even so, the University of 

Chicago greets visitors with a banner 

that reads, “Welcome to the University 

of Chicago: where fun goes to die.” In 

addition to the academic rigor, highranking 

universities often earn reputations 

for snobbery. Often for this 

reason, many top students at Walnut 

Hills, who would easily be successful 

at this country’s top universities, 

choose schools less well-known than 

these academic giants. 

It seems that the playing field is beginning 

to level out. In the age of technology, 

attendance at an illustrious 

institution no longer guarantees success. 

While top-ranking institutions 

still offer extraordinary programs and 

culture, the names of these universities 

no longer strike awe and fear in 

the hearts of those who did not attend 

them. Therefore, college has become a 

far more personal choice. The school a 

student chooses is not only a declaration 

of one’s future plans, but of one’s 

current beliefs. 

RULES FOR KENKEN® 

Fill the grid with digits so as not to repeat 

a digit in any row or column, 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 digits 

1-4. A 5x5 grid will use 1-5. A 6x6 grid will 

use 1-6, and so on. 

1 16 2 

8 7 

24 10 

2 3 

3 

4 6 

2 5 2 

3 6 1 1 3 

72 

6 1 11 2 

2 3 3 

2 2 

7 

1 


Cartoons January 26, 2011 

The Chatterbox Caption Contest: 

Place caption suggestions in The Chatterbox mail in 

the main office, or email to cboxwalnut@gmail.com 



All Cartoons by JP Schmitz 


“I’m startin’ my own blue-grass band, 

‘Santa and the Elves.’ We’re doin’ a world 

tour -- in one night!” 

Last Month’s Winner: Jackson Luken 

“Adding to the list of graduation requirements, every student must now take one semester 

of detention.” 

12

Just Nuts January 26, 2011 

A Day In The Life... 

Of Ms. Janis Frazier 

Paige Reid 


When a student receives a 

schedule listing “Frazier, Rm: 

136B,” he or she may have trouble 

finding the hidden classroom, located 

on the first floor of the west 

wing in the old building. 

Upon first meeting Ms. Frazier, 

her cool demeanor is noticeable; 

elaborately-tailored outfits radiate 

her sense of personal style. After 

conversing with her, one will find 

that her appearance reflects her 

unique easygoing and amiable 

personality. In high school, she 

was the preppy, spirited cheerleader 

captain and performer in 

her school’s band and choir. Her 

high interest in music eventually 

led her to be the President of the 

Music Club in her high school. 

Ms. Frazier was involved in 

many musical activities during 

high school and it makes sense 

13 


that she began as a 

music major in college. 

“I had no intention 

of becoming a 

teacher,” Ms. Frazier 

says. Her parents, 

being educators 

themselves, dissuaded 

her from choosing 

such a career. However, 

after a wonderful 

first experience 

with teaching, she 

realized that education, 

not music, was 

her true calling. She 

abandoned a Fine 

Arts degree to pursue 

teaching. Nonetheless, 

Ms. Frazier still 

continues to appreciate 

the arts; she is 

now the advisor of 

the Gospel Choir at 

Walnut. 

When Ms. Frazier speaks of teaching, 

a smile appears on her face that 

expresses more than her words. I 

enjoy teaching because the students 

are funny,” she said, chuckling lightly. 

“I enjoy motivating, counseling, and 

watching them become successful.” 

Ms. Frazier has truly found a special 

talent in teaching and has shared it 

with others. 

Dance Marathon to 

come to Walnut 

Sam Dubin 


Want to dance, raise money, and 

win prizes all at once? Participate in 

Student Congress’ Dance Marathon on 

Saturday, February 19th from 6pm to 

midnight. Help raise money for Face 

AIDS by dancing through the decades! 

The student who dances for the longest 

time will win a cash prize and any 

student fundraising is eligible for vari- 


ous gift cards and prizes. Grades 9-12 

are eligible to participate. Listen to 

announcements and see DM representatives 

during lunch in the lunchroom 

and arcade for further information. 

Bad Chemistry 

Char Daston 

Gleam Member 

Chemistry. 

I knew from the start we had Chemistry, 

As you sat next to me in Chemistry 

class. 

Light shined in your eyes, 

reflected in your glasses from the 

bright fluorescent bulbs above. 

And as we lit the Bunsen burner, 

I hoped that the flame of our love 

would never go out, 

that we would be partners in lab and 

life, 

that we would form an ionic bond so 

strong 

that no solvent could break it. 

Let us live, my Lesbia, 

and let us love, 

we sang in our hearts on our way to 

Latin, 

where we would romance in a Romance 

language. 

That night we read each other 

literally-translated lines of Catullus 

between osculations. 

But the next day, 

In the more discerning eye of Pre- 

Calculus class, 

I rounded our relationship to three 

decimal places, 

And discovered that, 

alas, you failed my vertical-line test, 

and are not a function of me. 

But thanks for the ions, 

thanks for the memories, 

thanks for the Chemistry. 


Advertisement January 26, 2011 




14

Photo: AP Photo/Kristie Bull/Graylock.com 

Fine Arts Calendar 

Walnut Hills Theater Department presents 

Summertree 

February 10-12 

Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center presents 

The Odd Couple 

January 28- February 14 

Footlighters, Inc. presents 

Blithe Spirit 


Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati presents 

Next Fall 


Broadway Across America presents 

Fiddler on the Roof 

February 15-27 

For a complete list of Fine Arts events at Walnut, 

visit www.walnuthillseagles.com . 

Some critics will write “Maya Angelou 

is a natural writer”—which 

is right after being a natural heart 

surgeon. . . . Nothing will work 

unless you do. 

Maya Angelou 

The Writing Center 

Room 133 

7:30-2:30 Wednesday and Friday 

7:30-3:30 Thursday 

(closed 3rd lunch) 

Athletics Calendar 

Friday, January 28 - 

Boys and Girls Varisty Swimming @ FAVC Diving 

Championships, Anderson High School, 5 PM 

Boys Varsity Wrestling @ Milford Invitational, 5:30 

PM 

Boys JV Basketball, Glenn Este High School, 6 PM 

Boys Varisty Basketball, Glen Este High School, 7:30 

PM 

Saturday, January 29 - 

Boys and Girls Junior Varsity Bowling @ Crusader 

Challenge, 9:30 AM 

Girls JV Basketball, Loveland Junior / Senior High 

School , 11:30 AM 

Girls Varsity Basketball, Loveland Junior / Senior 

High School, 1 PM 

For a complete list of sporting events at Walnut, visit 

www.walnuthillseagles.com.

CV, No. 3 - My High School Journalism

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