The Chatterbox - Dec. 11, 2015 - CX.06

Volume CX, Issue 6

The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School

Friday, December 11, 2015

Walnut’s greatest: a season of perfection

LUKE WARREN/CHATTERBOX

Pictured abovr, Academic Quiz Team Captain SENIOR J.D. Kurtzman leads practice in Coach Joseph Gerth’s classroom, by asking the team questions to prepare them for competition. The team consistently wins Eastern Cincinnati Conference titles, and has won more matches than any other team in Walnut Hills history.

Trigger warnings stimulate debate

LOGAN WALTERS/CHATTERBOX

A Walnut Hills High School student looks at a trigger warning before watching a video. Trigger warnings have become very common before people view distressing material.

Matthew Youkilis, ‘19 This article may include information that could be considered offensive to some readers.

According to Oxford Dictionaries, a trigger warning is “a statement at the start of a piece of writing, video, etc., alerting the reader or viewer to the fact that it contains potentially distressing material.”

Recently, there has been increasing fervor for more people to use trigger warnings, especially on college campuses.

According to a recent poll done

by Yale University, 63% of college students would like professors to use trigger warnings when discussing possibly offensive material.

Originally, trigger warnings were given on Internet forums to help readers avoid areas that could

remind them of traumatic experiences. The term became more common over time.

With the rise of social media, the term has spread. Initially, some suggested that rappers, television shows and news websites should use them. Today, they have become common remarks that people use when they feel it is necessary.

As with any new phenomenon, debate has surrounded it. Even some Walnut Hills High School students have strong opinions on the issue.

“I think that they’re dumb because in my opinion, most of the triggers that are warned about aren’t actually that important,” Brendan Pulte, ‘19, said.

“Some may actually give people issues and remind them of bad things, so I think that might be im-

portant. But a lot of times they’re misused.”

Julian Smith, ‘20, said, “I think people should do it because there’s a lot of different people from different backgrounds, and you [can’t be] really sure what somebody has experienced.”

There has been concern from college students about whether campuses would remain emotionally safe for students without trigger warnings. Disputes involving race, sexuality, rape and other issues have led to this unease.

Recent racial conflicts at the University of Missouri and Yale University have stimulated the debate over whether students feel emotionally safe.

Some students have argued that trigger warnings help keep people happy and secure. They

have claimed that colleges could improve emotional safety with the use of statements like trigger warnings.

At Missouri, conflict has grown gradually through the fall. Several individuals, including the head of the Missouri Students Association, have said that they heard racial slurs directed at them.

On Oct. 24, tension escalated further when a swastika made with human feces was found on campus.

Many students have been very disappointed with how University officials have dealt with the issue.

This has resulted in the resignation of both the President and Chancellor of the University.

At Yale, a dispute occurred when some students felt that the University was not sensitive enough to potentially offensive Halloween costumes.

Advocates for both sides of the issue have debated for weeks.

Some proponents of authorizing the costumes have argued that not allowing students to wear certain costumes infringes on freedom of speech and the first amendment.

Others have maintained that there needs to be restrictions on potentially offensive costumes.

According to their website, the University of Cincinnati has a program, Think About It, that focuses on educating new students about types of discrimination on college campuses. All incoming freshman are expected to complete it.

Before beginning the program, there is a trigger warning that lays out the potentially upsetting material in it.

Quiz Team Triumphs Aaron Espelage, ‘19 “The term durable is applied to objects that are expected to last for how many years?” the moderator asks. SENIOR J.D. Kurtzman, captain of the Walnut Hills Quiz team, has an answer. “Ten,” Kurtzman said, which is incorrect. Then the players from Kings High School have a chance to steal the point. A player on Kings Quiz team buzzes in with “Twenty.” The answer is three, and neither team receives the point.

The Walnut Hills Academic Quiz Team is the most successful sport in school history. “Quiz team doesn’t get the respect it deserves,” Kurtzman said. “We pay to play and the ECC [Eastern Cincinnati Conference] lists us as a sport, therefore we’re a sport,” SENIOR Captain Nick Fixler said.

“The reason quiz team is held under the umbrella of athletics is because quiz team counts towards the League’s All Sports Award. The award goes to the team with the best athletic department each year.

We’ve never won the award but Quiz Team always gets us close,” Athletic Director Tom Donnelly said. The Quiz Team means more to Walnut than just winning. ““Quiz team is our bright light, full of competitive kids who represent our school” Donnelly said.

In a quiz team tournament, a moderator asks questions to either individuals or to the whole team, depending on the type of round.

The subject of the questions can be anything - from literature, to sports, to pop culture - it is all fair game.

Continued on page 4...

2

Features

continued from page 1...

Before beginning the program, there is a trigger warning that lays out the potentially upsetting material in it.

This alerts students that the program is not meant to offend anybody, and that they should be prepared to see distressing information.

The program itself also discusses emotional safety on campus for students. In many cases, a trigger warning or something similar is necessary for this safety.

Students at Walnut also have viewpoints for which topics trigger warnings should be used.

“If it’s something that might be touchy but you’re not really sure, I think it’s okay to [use them],” Lilli Krueger, ‘20, said.

“You only should use it if it’s actually necessary.” “[They should be used for] anything that’s related to race; anything that could have been affected by how somebody was raised.”

Smith said, While seventh graders are not as close to experiencing these ideas on college campuses, juniors and senior are. Chance Roberts, ‘17, said, “I don’t try to be offensive, so I don’t think I’ll be affected [by trigger warnings].”

SENIOR Ray Garry said, “[It’s a bigger deal in college] because college campuses get a lot more media attention. You get a lot more attention in college.”

While Walnut students have different viewpoints on this issue, it does not directly affect high schools as much as colleges, where it is an extremely popular debate.

“I think when you use trigger words in a hateful way, it’s not very mature...you expect more from college people than you do from high schoolers.” Garry said.

Helping out during the holidays, Walnut clubs reach out to the community Ibrahim Munir, ‘19 Not only do Walnut Hills clubs support their school, but they also help those outside of school. Every year, multiple non-profit organizations do various things during the holiday season to provide for those in need. However, these organizations are not alone. Many clubs and students at Walnut Hills High School aid them in their efforts to help those in need this holiday and winter season.

Clubs such as the Community Action Team (CAT), Christian Connections, Jewish Culture Club and Unified for Uganda are a few of those clubs that commit various selfless acts to lend a hand during the holiday season.

Community Action Team, also known as CAT, has already completed a number of group projects for the 2015 Halloween and Thanksgiving period.

Now, they are preparing to work with Caracole, an organization that helps those affected by HIV and AIDS, and also provides housing and medical needs, during the upcoming holiday season. They will also attend a tree sale where they will be helping to pack, sell and de-

liver trees in order to raise money for housing and medical needs.

Later on this Winter, they are going to work with a Freestore Foodbank. Giving food is not the only thing CAT will be doing. SENIOR Maya Borrero, the new and current senior co-president of CAT, said that they will not only be giving food to those in need but “teaching people life skills, such as managing their budget and learnimg how to go grocery shopping, so not only giving people what they need, but teaching them what they need as well.”

Christian Connections is another club at Walnut Hills that will be helping out this holiday season. They are hosting a charity event where, instead of going through an organization to donate, they will be heading downtown themselves and giving mittens, jackets, scarves and other winter clothing items to those who could benefit from them. The idea of this charity event was brought to them by Elisa Fay. Fay had gotten the idea from a news article, in which it talked about a woman who was putting out coats with a sign on them that read “free.” After seeing how many people there were in Cincinnati that were in need of winter cloth-

“Not only giving people what they need, but teaching them what they need as well” Maya Borrero, ‘16

LOGAN WALTERS/CHATTERBOX

Community Action Team working at Caracole, a non-profit otganziation.

They will be working with Caracole again this holiday season to help with the tree sales. ing, she brought the idea to the Christian Connection club.

In addition to the Community Action Team and the Christian Connections club, the Jewish Culture Club is another club that is contributing to the work being done around the city. Similar to Christian Connections, they have been collecting winter clothing for the past week to pass out to locals.

The club is planning on beginning a food drive soon as well. For the food drive, three bins will be set up around the school. In each bin students, can donate food that will be delivered to struggling families around the greater cincinnati area.

In doing this, all students at Walnut, whether or not they are in a club, have the opportunity to give more back to those in need for the holiday’s.

Unified for Uganda is another club that works with the Unified for Uganda organization to help

sponsor a kid financially and emotionally. Unified for Uganda helps children who have been affected by the violence there. They hold multiple fundraisers to raise money that goes to providing for these children. The week of Dec. 6, they are holding a merchandise sale of various jewelery, clothing and other items handcrafted by Ugandan women. The money raised from this sale will go towards children in Uganda and help towards sponsoring a middle school and/or high school student.

These clubs, along with the numerous organizations here in Cincinnati, are not only helping to give back to the community, but also outside the country. These clubs do true to Walnuts motto, “sursum ad summum,” by how they rise to the highest in volunteerism and kindness.

LOGAN WALTERS/CHATTERBOX

Unifed for Uganda is selling handmade jewelry and clothing made by women from Uganda. This will make a perfect holiday gift and the proceeds will go to children in need.

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 informa-

tion 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.

SARAH DAVIDOFF, ‘13

The Chatterbox Editorial Staff Alexandra Berding, Editor-in-Chief

Isaac Stephani,

Managing Editor of News and Features

Maddy Fixler, Managing Editor of Student Life

Avery Samuels, Managing Editor of Opinions

Augusta Battoclette, Managing Editor of Design

Luke Warren, Managing Editor of Photography

Swede Moorman, Business Manager

Lela Robinson, Video Content Manager

Pavan Yaddanapudi, Online Content Manager

Samantha Gerwe-Perkins, Adviser

Dawn Wolfe, Adviser

Viewpoints

3

The flags we fly

Looking back on the Paris attacks

Isaac Stephani, ‘16

As I sit here and scroll through Facebook, I am unsure of what to think. Part of me is disgusted. Part of me is irritated. But by far, the largest part of me is disappointed.

Not disappointed in the way you might think, but nonetheless, disappointed.

I will not squander my words writing about those individuals who engendered the events of the past few weeks, whether it be murders in Paris, bombings in Raqqa, shootings in San Bernardino, or any other tragic event that has occurred. But I will say this: evil will always exist in the world. No matter the precautions we take, or decisions we make, there will always be evil. We cannot fix this, we cannot stop this. What we can stop is the overreacting: the childish retorts and comments we make to one another, the insensitive posts and tweets, all of which contribute to the desensitization to the subject at hand.

What we have in front of us should not be trivialized to a mere outbreak of extremism. It should be delicately handled, and spoken about only with the highest regard for morality. The subject of people’s lives, whether they be in Paris, Beirut, Iraq or any other place on this earth, is a serious matter. What we have in front of us is a part of our lives, now more than ever, and it should not be swept aside.

Joseph Glandorf, my fellow Chatterbox writer, recently authored an article published online expressing his opinion of many of these situations. In one particular instance, he states: “It has been less than a week. Over 120 people have died. And we are drowning the silence of mourning in a cacophonous argument over whether we are paying too much attention.

Some have voiced their sentiment more tastefully than others, humbly appealing for a greater voice for the victims of forgotten tragedies. Others have outrightly complained that the

lives lost in Paris matter very little in the face of all the other tragedies in the world every year, and accompany their complaints with a reference to their favored tragedy or tragedies of choice.

This is not genuine concern. It is flinging deaths against other deaths.

It reflects a pathetically shallow understanding of the meaning of human life. It is the exploitation of a tragedy in an attempt to achieve a moral high ground, to seem more righteous than those who mourn for Paris just because it has received more attention from the media and the world.

It is sickening how quickly we have decided to prioritize tragedies. It is appalling how easily we have turned to this sort of one-upmanship, how swiftly the situation has devolved into a fight over who should get the most attention. It is not a contest. It is the world, and it is human life.”

I can do nothing but support Glandorf ’s perspective. The very common red, white and blue stripes of the French flag run rampant through Facebook, standing for support for France in their times of struggle. And while I will not deprecate those individuals who choose to show their support in this manner, I simply offer a reminder: that while France is certainly a very well known area in which recent events have brought catastrophe, I urge and beg you to not forget those individuals whom the media does not cover, those whose stories go unnoticed and unappreciated, or those peoples who are living so fearfully that they dare not come out of their homes except when necessity knocks upon their door and opens their home up to the threats and dangers that are ever so prevalent.

And while everyone else is flying the flag of Paris, I advise that we all consider flying the flag of Syria as well. I implore we stand for those individuals who have no choice but to remain in their country, and who have done nothing wrong except happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I urge we

support the Islamic faith, the faith of millions worldwide who sit in front of their computer, just like you or I, and receive the blame for the events that are unfolding.

I support those citizens who were injured in the bombings of Raqqa; for many of those people share the same guilt that I bear on my shoulders when I wake up each and every day.

To all those people, who by some misguided idea of what is going on the world, manage to find it within themselves to joke about this matter, you should be ashamed. And to all those people who spend their time focusing on petty and trivial issues, I propose some food for thought: When citizens of Syria walk outside, they are not going to Starbucks, they are not complaining about the color of a cup of coffee; instead, they walk outside fearful of their lives.

Worried that if they say even one wrong word, everything they have believed in, everything they have lived for, can be instantly annihilated. How quickly we can take something so small and inflate the issue, while the real issue, the one that is killing hundreds of people and striking fear into the hearts of millions of others, is being belittled to little more than a joke on a bumper sticker.

The contempt I have for the derision people have the audacity to declare cannot be expressed by words. Nor can the anger I have towards those persons who feel it is necessary to remain ignorant of this issue, nor the disappointment I retain for those who partake in such frivolous discussions.

The world we live in is constantly changing; it is our duty, both as citizens and neighbors, to adapt to it, and to learn to live in whatever kind of world we have created.

I maintain that this is bigger than anyone one person, any one group of people. This is about survival. Look beyond the intangible borders of our country, look beyond what religion separates you

JULIA DUELL/CHATTERBOX

from your neighbor, and look at each other. To your left, and to your right. The lives of all the people you see carry the same weight, and are just as important as your life or anyone else’s you can dream of.

Many people don’t realize how sheltered we are. We are fortunate enough to not be in direct danger of the threats, although even that is being challenged by current events.

With this being said, it cannot be ignored. I encourage us all to stand up for those certain individuals who have had the unfortunate experience of being involved in these tragedies.

Glandorf mentions something else in his article: “In an ideal world, everyone’s story would be equal, and every tragedy would be given equal weight because each life would matter as much as any other.

But people have died. They have died in attacks which, although differing in location, are all fundamentally the same in that they show humankind’s boundless capacity for malice.”

“Humankind’s boundless capacity for malice” is a very strong sen-

timent. However, I would like to focus on the opposite: that humankind also has a boundless capacity for benevolence. And that with each and every act of malice we are capable of, we are also capable of an equal act of benevolence. There is so much good in the world that is overshadowed by the evil, we are quick to forget how it is appropriate to act in times of duress. We become so focused on the evil, on the tyranny that evil occupies over us, that we forget what it is like to be good. To DO good.

So as you go about in your day, look for those acts of benevolence.

Remind yourself and others that while evil is tramping around, the best way to fight it is not with guns or bombs, but with faith, hope, trust and knowing that for every person who opposes you, there are 10 million people who stand behind you.

Joseph Glandorf ’s article is available on the Chatterbox website, <www.whhscbox.com>.

Semester exams are comin’ to town Wally Hill

From the Walnut Hills grade matrix, you can determine your semester grade from your two quarter grades and exam grade. If you do not already have a copy, feel free to cut this one out of The Chatterbox and tape it to your wall.

SNOWFLAKE: RETINAICON/THENOUN PROJECT.COM

The temperature is dropping, Target’s aisles are lined with ornaments and peppermint-flavored everything, Starbuck’s (controversial) red cups have been available for weeks now and Winter Break is within arm’s reach. But wait! A faster approaching phenomenon is coming to a student near you: Exam Week. For those of us who have been around the block a few times now, exams are a relatively manageable process; we know which tests to study up on and which to simply show up to. But for those of us unfamiliar with Walnut’s exam process, here are a few tips to help you survive and make it to the glorious end of December: Learn the matrix and learn your weaknesses. In an ideal world, Walnut students would give equal time and preparation for all of their exams. But a close look at the grading

matrix will show that that might not be the most productive use of your time.

Let’s say you have two C’s for your Latin quarter grades. You can spend all of your time studying up for that exam and get an A, but that would do no good, because no matter how well you perform on the exam, your C in that class will not change. Now, let’s say your English quarter grades consist of a B and an A – it would behoove you to spend a greater amount of time studying for the test, in the hopes of scoring an A on the exam, so you can achieve an A for the semester.

Basically, knowing what grades you can improve and what grades will remain stagnant is crucial to managing your studying time wisely.

Figure out your studying style.

Are you someone who learns from reviewing material with other people, or will you get distracted in a study group? If the former, set up a few study dates with some of your

friends who are in the same class as you and go over the material you need for the exam; studying with other people can expose you to information you didn’t know and motivate you to study harder with your friends. If the latter, you’re probably a more independent learner; try making outlines of the subjects you need to study for, starting from the beginning of this semester and including material up until your teacher’s last lecture. You never know what material you will see on your exam, so it is important to review the entire semester.

Studying for exams can be very overwhelming. But if you eliminate distractions (turn the phone off), come up with a study plan, and manage your time wisely (a.k.a. start studying now), exam season will come and go and you will be cruising out of Blair Circle for the holidays in no time.

4

Sports

Hometown teams: The loyal fans and the bandwagoners

KELLI STEWART/CHATTERBOX Pictured above are Jayce Thompson and John Owens, ‘20. Thompson is sporting an Ohio State Buckeyes sweatshirt, one of the biggest college football teams in Ohio.

Krijn Schwartz, ‘16 What kind of fan are you? Are you the die-hard hometown team lover who doesn’t waver from one team whether they win or lose? Or are you the bandwagoner who hops from team to team depending on who has the best record at the time? For some people it can be hard to cheer on a hometown team because their town doesn’t have many teams to follow. Others try to stay unbiased by not showing full support for their team, and

rooting for a couple others. In a survey taken from 31 students from all grades, 80.6% said that they support teams from other cities, while 77.4% said that they do not consider themselves bandwagoners.

Mitch Perdrix, a history teacher at Walnut Hills, does not agree with fans who are

bandwagoners. “I think they take the fun out of sports,” Perdrix said. Everyone loves to be a part of a winning team, but we all know that can’t always be the case.

“People like being associated with winners, it makes them feel better about themselves, it’s an escape from reality,” Perdrix

said. As a child, his father played for UC so he would go and support the teams. He also grew up living 5 minutes away from the UC campus, showing how he is a true hometown team supporter. Perdrix roots for all hometown teams except for the Cyclones hockey team since it is not an National Hockey League, or professional, team.

ing for the school” Donnelly said. Walnut’s Athletic Director is not the only advocate for the Quiz team. Principal Jeffrey Brokamp said, “I have a lot of respect for the quiz team, those students have the competitive fire and academic skills that embody Walnut.” Walnut Hills is renowned for our students academic achievements in the classroom and the Quiz Team uses those skills in competition outside the classroom.

Whether people are fans of quiz team or not, they can’t discredit the success that the team has achieved.Walnut’s Quiz Team has won the league championship 10 straight years. “It’s so infrequent that they lose a match, I mean they’ve gone through 3 coaches and are still successful” Donnelly said. Kurtzman said, ““I expect to go undefeated and go to state tournament.” What else could he expect? Possibly a state champi-

onship? Fixler thinks this could be their year, “We have a good team and we’re going to give it our all to win it.” Fixler said. The Quiz team is already off to a good start with a 3-0 record from a sweep at Kings High School.

Walnut won all three matches at Kings with a combined score of 214-175. “We did reasonably well but could’ve performed better as a team,” Fixler said. Expectations are high for Walnut, even with a sweep there are ways to improve. “We could’ve been faster at the buzzers but it was still a nice win to start the season” Kurtzman said. Walnut’s quiz team may have won all three matches but they still weren’t perfect. “It was closer than it should’ve been and we have some ways to go before the state tournament” Kurtzman said. Even when they’re not quick to the buzzers a sweep of Kings proves they’re still a force to be reckoned with.

“I think they take the fun out of sports,” – Mitch Perdrix

Quiz Team Triumph (Continued from page 1...)

In a Quiz Team tournament, teams are asked questions and whoever buzzes in first with the correct answer receives a set number of points based off of what round the competitor is in. The questions can be asked to either individuals or to the whole team, depending on the type of round. The questions can be asked about many subjects, such as literature, science, history and pop culture.

A tournament typically begins with the moderator randomly selecting one team as ‘Team A’ and the other team as ‘Team B’.

Team A will be asked a question first, and if the question is answered wrong, Team B has the opportunity to steal the point, and vice-versa.

After this, a toss up round will take place, when they compete using speed as well as ac-

curacy from one category.

There are three different types of rounds in a quiz team tournament. The alphabet round, the lightning round, and the toss up round.

The alphabet round consists of each team of four members receiving papers with 20 questions on them, with all twenty answers starting with the same letter. They are given four minutes to answer all the questions correctly on one answer sheet, making this extremely difficult.

The lightning round, similar to the toss up round, consists of the moderator asking 20 questions from any category and the members, again compete using speed and correctness.

“The Academic Quiz team personifies Walnut Hills, if you want to know Walnut Hills, it’s about students of all genders and races coming together as a team and compet-

DISCLAIMER: Quiz Team members Pavan Yaddanapudi, ‘17 and Matthew Youkilis, ‘19 are members of The Chatterbox

If you want to put your writing, photography, design, communications, business and leadership skills to good use, come to The Chatterbox, room 2306 during your lunch!

Waxing your skis and snowboards since 2009 Contact Luke Warren at 513-212-8884 for more information

Warren’s Wax warrenswax.com

5 Style and Culture Walking in a winter wonderland

ALEXANDRA BERDING/CHATTERBOX

The Fountain Square ice rink is a well-known attraction of the city. Every year, people go downtown to skate with their friends and family while enjoying restaurants around the square.

Elise Fritts, ‘16 Festival of Lights: Enjoy a beautiful lights display at the Cincinnati Zoo for just $15. Nominated for USA Today’s 2015 10 Best Readers’ Choice Award for Best Zoo Lights, Festival of Lights is a great event for family or friends. For

even more fun, Cincinnati Zoo has a new scavenger hunt to go along with the dazzling lights.

Luminaria: This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Cincinnati Observatory’s Luminaria. On Sunday, Dec. 13, the observatory will be opening its doors to the public for free to enjoy stargazing, warm

drinks and shopping for gifts.

Krohn by Candlelight: For just $7 you can visit Krohn Conservatory for some holiday fun. With lights, arts and crafts for children and photography, it’s sure to be a fun time for the family.

Free Weekend Carriage Rides: From noon to five, you can enjoy

Family feud holiday edition

a free carriage ride throughout downtown starting at the corner of Fifth and Race. Make sure to check the Downtown Cincinnati website for specific dates for this fun, free activity.

Ice Rink at Fountain Square: A well-known attraction to Cincinnatians, the Ice Rink at Fountain

Square is a great place to hang with friends or go on a date. It’s relatively inexpensive at a $6 entrance fee and $4 skate rental. The location provides for great access to places like Chipotle, Starbucks and Graeter’s to grab a bite afterwards.

Holly jolly music Katie Chase, ‘16

HANNAH BUNDSCHUH/CHATTERBOX

Questions from family members can be very srtessful. Around the holidays it can be overwhelming during a time of joy.

Keegan Sullivan, ‘18 Around this season, many people have to attend family get-togethers. While some lucky people have families who will not interrogate them about their personal lives, many others do not. A lot of people have to spend time with, curious family members. Surviving these encounters is tough. At least there is food at these events.

There tend to be a lot of questions posed by family at holiday parties, especially if the whole extended family doesn’t get together very often. Questions are really hard to avoid, especially with big families. Just keep smiling and stay positive. If there are a bunch of little kids, play with them. It will make for a good image in front of family and the worst questions the kids will ask is for help in the restroom. When one has to interact with the adults, try to turn the questions on them! Ask how their lives are. Just smile and nod.

Another problem is accidentally piling your plate with something

gross. This is always awkward. Everyone wants to avoid offending any cooks, but the liquid mashed potatoes are puke-inducing. It’s always a good idea to try to take a little bit of everything, but this runs the risk of something delicious being entirely gone when it’s time for seconds. Something that helps is to ask the cook of the dish for the recipe. If it still sounds amazing, get a lot before it’s gone. You can try to subtly feed it to the dog or eat everything else first, pretend all the food made you feel sick, and wrap it up to “take it home and enjoy it later.” No harm, no foul.

If someone brings up religion, politics or tough social issues and Uncle Mike won’t shut up about them, it can get difficult. Try to avoid hard topics. Especially ones where people definitely have different, strong opinions on, such as who they plan to vote for or whether or not global warming is real. When these topics do get brought up, try to stay out of it or change the subject to something similar but more lighthearted such

as toupees or a video of cute penguins.

With the pressure of exams, family, jobs, and college, staying in the holiday spirit can be tough, but Camille Williams, ‘18 knows how to keep up the spirit. “My family doesn’t really decorate the house, but I like to decorate my room so what I’ve been doing is making snowflakes and angels out of paper.

I learned in math class! It gets me in the Christmas spirit. I’ve been trying to do something nice every day until Christmas. And I like to sing Christmas songs in German.”

Williams said.

The holidays can be a struggle, especially with all sorts of things weighing on an Eagle’s mind. Remember the holidays are a happy time. Stay calm, take a breath and smile.

Ahhhh...The holiday season is upon us. Whether you like to curl up by the fire with a hot cup of cocoa with your bae, or go outside for a hike in the brisk winter air, there is one thing we can all enjoy –– holiday music.

Holiday music has been a tradition of many winter holidays including Christmas and Hanukkah for decades.

Christmas music has been an early feature of the holiday and its celebrations. During the 13th century, it was used for liturgical use in the observance of both the Feast at the Nativity and Theophany. Later, the British combined singing with circle dances and called them carols, which is where we get our traditional door-to-door carols such as “Silent Night,” “Away in a Manger” and “Angels We Have Heard on High.”

Christmas has changed throughout the years. While some of us still enjoy listening to these tunes by the original and/or oldest artists, many of us enjoy listening to our fa-

vorite artists’ renditions of the songs. Some popular Christmas albums by contemporary artists include Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas,” Justin Bieber’s “Under the Mistletoe” and of course Mariah Carey’s “Merry Christmas” featuring her most famous Christmas hit, “All I Want for Christmas”.

Christmas music has been mainstreamed into today’s society that some us might not know any other Hanukkah songs other than Adam Sandler’s “Chanukah Song.” Hanukkah songs are just another tradition of the holiday and the songs are sung each night when a new candle on the menorah is lit. Some of these songs include “The Dreidel Song,” “Maoz Tzur” and “Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah.”

Snuggle up on the couch with that cocoa and your bae and turn on your favorite holiday jams this year before the season ends.

Maybe even try to branch out and listen to tunes from other holidays!

AUGUSTA BATTOCLETTE/CHATTERBOX

There’s many different types of holiday music out there. Whether sticking with the classics or taking the rock route, all holiday music is festive.

Fine Arts

6

A Feast of Carols

ISABELLA PITTMAN/CHATTERBOX

Senior Ensemble rehearses in class for their Dec. 6 Feast of Carols performance at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. Walnut Hill’s Senior Ensemble was one of three high schools in Greater Cincinnati invited to sing at one of the performances, the others being Elder High School’s Glee Club and Sycamore High School’s Vocal Boosters.

Maddy Fixler, ‘16 For the first time in over a decade, the Walnut Hills Senior Ensemble was invited to perform in the Feast of Carols, a choral event hosted by the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, on Dec. 6.

Senior Ensemble was one of three high school choirs invited to the traditional annual CCM event regularly comprised of CCM Chamber Choir, the Chorale and Concert Orchestra, the UC Men’s and Women’s Choruses and the Cincinnati Children’s Choir. Each choir performed their own set separately and then joined together for two classic Christmas carols to end the concert: “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

For their individual performance, the Walnut Hills Senior Ensemble has learned three pieces: Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen,” Felix Mendelssohn’s “Vom Himmel Hoch,” and “In

the Bleak Midwinter,” a song arranged by Choir Director Anthony Nims himself.

The vocalists in Senior Ensemble have worked since late October to prepare their music for this concert. “It’s not a lot of time for a choir,” Nims said, “especially for music of this difficulty, because it’s tough music.

We’ve prepared the whole thing in about a month and a week.”

SENIOR Melissa Holland, a member of the Walnut Hills choral program for six years, who had never participated in any similar event, had high expectations for the experience. “I think it’s … much more professional than any choir concert we have done before… We [were able to sing] next to students at UC who are majoring in vocal music. We [were able to] hear highly skilled opera singers singing the same music as us. I [expected] it to be a learning experience and an influential one because we can see what we, high schoolers, can achieve in college.

I’m excited.”

In 2003, Nims’ third year as a teacher, he wrote an arrangement of Christmas carol “In the Bleak Midwinter,” for a women’s chorus.

“Then five years ago I decided it would be more useful if I wrote it for a mixed chorus (for sopranos, altos, tenors and basses) so I rearranged it for everybody,” Nims said. This is the first time Walnut Hills has performed this version— the women’s chorus version was performed by Women’s Ensemble two years ago. Holland enjoys the experience of learning a song from the person who arranged it: “It’s really cool to sing a song with the person who arranged it teaching it to you. [Nims] put a lot of thought into the song. He explains why he arranged parts of the song in a certain way and tells us how to sing it exactly the way he imagines it. He doesn’t have to interpret it because he arranged it.”

SENIOR C.J. Hughes, also a member of the choral program for six years, is another fan of the set Senior Ensemble prepared. He

notes that the Bach and Mendelssohn pieces that they are performing are related: “First we are singing a beautiful movement from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio immediately followed by a Chorale, [with the melody of a hymn written by famous Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, himself ], of his that fits well text-wise and musically. Then we are singing a piece by Mendelssohn, a composer who revived all of Bach’s music after Bach had died, where he incorporates the main [musical] theme of one of Bach’s works into his own composition and ends the whole thing with one of Bach’s own Chorales. It’s really amazing to sing,” Hughes said.

Senior Ensemble’s repertoire is one new to even Nims— this will be his first time conducting “Vom Himmel Hoch.” The moment at the end of the work, when Senior Ensemble sings Mendelssohn’s Bach-inspired chorale sung at the beginning of their set is one of his favorite choral moments: “It transcends time,” Nims said.

Winter Events in Cincinnati Emily Glazer, ‘16

SHOWS

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) Dec. 16 to 27. The tenth anniversary of an production described as an “irreverent look” on American’s favorite holiday classics. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, 719 Race St. <cincyshakes.com>.

Holiday Pops Dec. 11 to 14 Listen to Grammy-winning vocal quartet New York Voices join Cincinnati’s own orchestra sing your favorite holiday tunes. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St. <cincinnatisymphony.org>.

The Nutcracker Dec. 18 to 27 The annual holiday ballet tells the story of a young girl who receives a Nutcracker doll as a gift that comes to life. Cincinnati Ballet, 650 Walnut St. <cincinnatiarts.org/>.

OTHER HOLIDAY EVENTS

Art on Vine Dec. 13. Need to buy your holiday gifts? Local artists will be displaying and selling their art in Cincinnati’s OTR. 1910 Elm Street. <artonvinecincy.com>.

Gingerbread House Making Dec. 12. Gingerbread houses are a favorite holiday treat for most, come and make your own with other teens. Madisonville Branch Library, 4830 Whetsel Ave. <bit.ly/21HX4b6>.

RIBBON GRAPHIC: NICHOLAI LEKSON/CHATTERBOX BELLS GRAPHIC: MELVIN SALAS/THENOUNPROJECT.COM

Peanuts

7

La Mort Ni Est Pas Le Seul Résultat á Paris: Death Wasn’t the Only Aftermath in Paris Maham Usmani, ‘19

Friday nights are often spent in relaxation and enjoyment; but one Friday, they were spent in fear in France. On Nov. 13, Paris was struck by six attacks that killed 129 people, injured over 200 civilians, and frightened thousands more.

Antoine Langrée, ‘19, who lived in France for the majority of his life, described the drastic event: “One night I was looking at the French newspapers...and there was a soccer game happening between France and Germany...and there were three [bombers] with bombs and explosive jackets with switches on them, and they made themselves self-explode at the gate[s] of [the stadium]. They were trying to get inside it and explode there, but the guards didn’t let them.”

“It was actually a Muslim guard,” Langrée continued “that did [so and] nobody talks about that, and it’s very sad but he died stopping them....seeing that a

Muslim person blocked one of the three bombers is just very strong because it shows that they are just not the same thing.”

Langrée also recalled the following attacks: “A few minutes later, there was a car with three people in it with automatic rifles, and they went from different cafés and terraces to shoot people…. About half an hour later, there was an attack of three people with explosive jackets and automatic weapons [who] came into a music hall...it was a place with a lot of religion based meetings for Jewish people; and obviously Daish or ISIS... is strongly anti-semitist. They targeted that place because of that.”

After these incursions took place, Mia Huber, ‘21 recollected how they affected Paris:“[The] people that lived in Paris, they got hurt and family got killed,” she said.

Although many deaths may have struck Paris during this time, ideas and spirits nevertheless rose.

“It really raises the nationalism...I

just think that everyone in those attacks are just coming together and being stronger as a nation,” Langrée said. “And all the nations coming together...this is causing, all over the world, millions of people [to] come together and support the French.”

In similar situations, Huber thinks that “they’ll get help from other countries…[and] they’ll be more protected.” Langrée feels that “everything is sort of lockeddown…[In the future] security is going to be more prepared to face that kind of attack.”

While France was affected in many ways, the Paris assaults managed to impact people who were not directly involved as well.

“I’m sort of worried they might bomb my area,” Huber, who lives in Cincinnati, said.

Opinions about certain ideals were also influenced. “People here think ‘Oh, Muslim religion is a religion of hate and destruction,’ and it’s not. It’s just that this group

of extremist terrorists are going nuts,” Langrée said. “The thing is [that] they are targeting other more specific Muslims just as much as Christians and Jewish people.”

Langrée also refers to the Charlie Hebdo attack in 2014, which killed 12 workers at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. “[In] the Charlie Hebdo shooting; the person that got hurt the most in the head...he didn’t even have a weapon or anything. [He] got shot down; [and] he was Muslim...So people who say that the people who do those attacks represent Islamic religion, that really shocks me; it’s just not true.”

Although death was an obvious result of the Paris strikes, other, just as important issues also have emerged. It is important to come together during times of chaos. Remembering to distinguish religion from extremism regardless of faith, race and ethnicity, is key in the aftermath of the Paris attacks.

MAHAM USMANI/CHATTERBOX

Student Spotlight: Zachary Casey

Piper Peanut Dear Piper Peanut, I recently converted to a vegetarian lifestyle, but I’m having trouble finding ways to get the most protein out of what little I can eat. Is there any healthy alternatives for what I would normally eat everyday?

Sincerely, Vegetarian Vanessa Dear Vegetarian Vanessa,

LUKE WARREN/CHATTERBOX

Casey plays football, among several other sports. He loves to hang out with his teammates, and has a lot of leadership on the football team.

Emma Farrell, ‘18 With so many students at Walnut, it can be hard to know about everyone here. Zachary Casey, is a seventh grader who has recently begun his high school career. He has played many sports, such as baseball, basketball, football and soccer. In his free time, he drives his go-kart with his little brother, and cooks in hope of becoming a chef.

Casey is a team player who loves to play with his friends, whether it is on the field or during a card game. He has a lot of leadership qualities and tries to encourage his teammates to do better. He always is there to help others in any way he can. He has great leadership in school and on the various teams he’s been on.

At a young age he began playing baseball when he went to his older brother’s games and play

around. The coach of the team saw him and gave him a baseball for being a sort of “mascot” for the team and, beginning his career in baseball. Since then, he has played on a baseball team and wants to continue his career on the baseball team at Walnut Hills.

Not only does Casey love to be involved in team sports, but he also loves to experiment with food.

When he was younger, Casey used to watch his parents cook.

Then, he became fascinated watching the cooking network on the television. He loved watching chef Bobby Flay, who makes his own version of classic dishes. Influenced by these things, Casey became inspired to become a chef himself.

He even wants to go to an art institute for college and become open a restaurant. He loves to make the classic dish, mac’ and cheese, and goes so far to say that people will be filled after just a few bites of

it. The creaminess of his mac and cheese is his favorite part.

Casey also loves to be with his family and do fun activities together. They all go to a camp where there are tracks for them to drive go-karts. They used to go to a family friend’s home, who owned a gokart, to do this. About three years ago, they bought one for themselves and they have since used them. Now, he and his brother go to a camp where there are tracks that are made to drive go-karts.

This is just one of the family activities that they do together.

Zachary Casey is a young student with a variety of interests. He dreams of being chef, loves hanging out with his friends at school and on teams, and is a leader and role model.

There are many advantages to living a vegetarian lifestyle, including a healthier body and cruelty free life choices. However, the biggest problem most new vegetarians come across is finding ways to make up for loss of nutrients and food choices, and sometimes this can scare them off. Failing to find nutrient-filled alternatives can lead to sickness, so it’s important to find protein rich food options that also fit your specific limits.

One great option is to stock up on nuts. Nuts are a good choice because they come in a variety of different flavors and texture, and provide a good amount of protein for how small they are. Whether you prefer peanuts or cashews, you can get your preferred taste in multiple ways including raw, in a mix of different types, candied, salted or even chocolate covered.

If you don’t like nuts, eggs are another great source of protein. Most people shy away from them because they are typically served as breakfast

foods. However, breakfast for dinner seems to be making a comeback. Keep in mind, if you’re vegan this option will not apply to you.

Rice and quinoa are another good option. Quinoa is similar to rice but is more of a seed texture and it is pretty rich in protein. These can be served in a multiple of ways including by themselves, or with traditional dishes alongside.

As unappetizing as it may sound, tofu is one of the most popular alternatives to meat.

People may stick their nose up at it and claim it as disgusting, but in this day and age, there are so many new tofu based products out there that you won’t even notice you’re eating it. A good example is tofurkey, which has all of the delicious taste of turkey, while staying meat free. It comes in many forms including hot dogs and slices perfect for sandwiches.

Soy based imitation meats such as imitation chicken can also be found. Similar foods are vegetable or bean based burgers. Morning Star has a good selection of these “veggie burgers” including chicken, pizza, chickpea, and a more traditional hamburger flavor.

And if all else fails, Chipotle has a great tofu option.

Sincerely, Piper Peanut

8

Arcade

What Is Your Life Mantra ?

“What comes around goes around. So if you’re kind to others, they will be kind to you and if you love others , they will return that love to you.”

– Nate Smith,‘16

“Live and Let Live.”

– Brandon Davis, ‘16

“Mirabilis Esto, translated ‘Be Awesome’.”

– Nick Cole, ‘21

“Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.”

– Rikki Joiner, ‘20

“Just Breathe.”

– Claire Patterson, ‘16

KELLI STEWART/CHATTERBOX OCTAVIA CARMEN-HOUSER/CHATTERBOX AMARA JOHNSON/CHATTERBOX

Option For The Chatterbox!

Optioning season is approaching, so what better way to spice up your schedule then to join the school newspaper? Select Newspaper Production on your optioning forms and for more information about the class visit Samantha Gerwe-Perkins in room 2306.

SIMON METTLER/THENOUNPROJECT.COM