The Chatterbox - Mar. 11, 2016 - CX.10

Volume CX, Issue 10

The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School

Friday March 11, 2016

Issue by issue 2016 Presidential Candidate frontrunners’ stance on controversial issues Katie Chase, ‘16 Avery Samuels, ‘16

Thus far, Hillary Clinton (D), Ted Cruz (R), Bernie Sanders (D) and Donald Trump (R) have emerged as the frontrunners of the 2016 presidential race.

GUN: RICHARD PARQUA/THENOUNPROJECT. COM TREE: SASHA WILLINS/THENOUNPROJECT. COM SUITCASE: ANUAR ZHUMAEV/THENOUNPROJECT.COM GRADUATION CAP: REDIFFUSION/THENOUNPROJECT.COM GRADUATION CAP: VICONS DESIGN/THENOUNPROJECT.COM TAXES: LUIS PRADO/THENOUNPROJECT. COM MARIJUANA: EDWARD BOATMAN/THENOUNPROJECT.COM

INFOGRAPHIC BY AUGUSTA BATTOCLETTE/CHATTERBOX

17-year-olds at the center of Ohio Primary Maddy Fixler, ‘16 “At a primary election every qualified elector who is or will be on the day of the next general election eighteen or more years of age, and who is a member of or is affiliated with the political party whose primary election ballot he desires to vote, shall be entitled to vote such ballot at the primary election” – Former Ohio Revised Code Title 35.

Since 1981, 17 year olds who will be eighteen by the time of the general election have been allowed to vote in the state of Ohio. Before this weekend, Ohio was one of 22 states that had this practice.

However, on March 5 Ohio Secretary of

State Jon Husted reversed a decision made in the 2008 presidential election by his predecessor Jennifer Brunner.

The reason many young people are protesting the change in Ohio policy is the potential that the primaries hold to affect the general election. The presidential candidates that will be on the ballot in November are nominated in their respective parties in part based on the results of the primary elections.

By voting in the primaries, people elect delegates to vote for candidates at the various (political) party conventions.

Therefore, the 17 year olds that will be voting in November will not have the chance to influence the ballot they will vote

on. However, Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has filed a lawsuit against the state of Ohio in an attempt to force the Secretary of State to count the contested votes.

SENIOR Spencer Pantoja is 18 and will be voting in the Ohio presidential primary on March 15. Even though Pantoja considers himself to be informed on political matters and the democratic process, he was surprised by the announcement.

“Last month I actually registered a couple of my 17 year old friends, so obviously I was expecting them to be able to vote.” Like many young adults, Pantoja does not agree with the ruling.

“They’re using a technicality to not let 17

year olds nominate the people they are going to elect in the future,” Pantoja said.

SENIOR Dani Bresnahan, who is 17, is now unable to vote in the presidential primary, even though she is registered. “It’s not going to get an accurate report for what will be in the final elections, because we [17 year olds] are going to be voting,” Bresnahan said, “So why can’t we vote in this one?”

This change is currently in the center of a hot debate over voting rights. Will the votes of 17 year olds be counted in the presidential primary? With even the policies of previous years being murky, it is unclear to many what the outcome will be.

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SECTION EDITORS: JOSEPH GLANDORF & VANESSA MOORE

CINCINNATI, OHIO

It’s (not) black and white Tackling cultural appropriation Vanessa Moore, ‘16 The term “cultural appropriation” has entered the everyday vernacular of Generation Z. Seldom a day goes by without the appearance of the phrase in some capacity on some social media platform.

But is the term, in all its popularity, being used correctly? When exactly does cultural appreciation become cultural appropriation? Is cultural identity getting lost in the American melting pot?

According to the Oxford Reference Dictionary, cultural appropriation is defined as: “a term used to describe the taking over of creative or artistic forms, themes, or practices by one cultural group from another. It is in general used to describe Western appropriations of non‐Western or non‐white forms, and carries connotations of exploitation and dominance.”

Urban Dictionary, on the other hand, defines the term as “the ridiculous notion that being of a different culture or race (especially white) means that you are not allowed to adopt things from other cultures. This does nothing but support segregation and hinder progress in the world. All it serves to do is to promote segregation and racism.”

While Urban Dictionary’s definition seems to be disregarding (or satirizing) the cultural-sensitivity movement, it raises a very important question: Where is the line

drawn?

Let’s take yoga, for example. It is an ancient Indian discipline with roots in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and yet, yoga has become categorized as a type of exercise that can be found in the average American gym.

When googling the term “yoga,” one of the first things that pops up is an advertisement for the ubiquitous Lululemon clothing store, specializing in attire for “yoga, running, and life.” And while everyone loves a good pair of yoga pants, there is irony in the fact that Lululemon products are largely made in Sri Lanka, a country that had been practicing yoga thousands of years before America was even established. This is not a crusade against the evils of modern exercise and functional activewear, but merely a look into just one ethnic practice that has become assimilated into American popular culture.

Appreciation comes from the act of participating and admiring a cultural practice with the acceptance that it is not necessarily yours to own and manipulate.

Therefore, practicing yoga, while cognizant of its history and roots in ancient spiritual disciplines, is an example of appreciation.

But what becomes of the “Native American” Halloween costume?

Are we allowed to box up centuries of stereotypes and misrepresentations for a $24.99 costume that is to be worn and photographed and

then stowed away until next year?

Historically, Native Americans were tormented, driven away, and even murdered for wearing traditional garments. European Americans described feather headpieces as “uncouth”, warrior hatchets were “barbaric”, and long, braided hair was “unkempt”.

Centuries of oppression and marginalization does not disappear when “Indian” becomes one of the most popular trends at Coachella.

“Appropriate” is defined by Merriam-Webster as the taking or using “of (something) especially in a way that is illegal, unfair, etc.” And so, in a way, appropriating is kind of like cultural theft.

The fashion industry is one of the biggest perpetrators of appropriation in the Western world. Givenchy did not “discover” baby hairs in its fall 2015 runway show––it is a style that has been worn by Mexican and African American women for years. Kim Kardashian isn’t

P R I V I L E G E wearing “boxer braids”––those are cornrows. And Urban Outfitters, the self-appointed Mecca (pun intended) of all things trendy and millennial is not respecting Muslim culture by selling “fashion” turbans.

Calling out cultural appropriation is not policing what people can or cannot wear. It is creating an awareness for trends that have only become socially acceptable or trendy when adopted by a more dominant culture.

So what exactly is the difference between appreciation and appropriation?

Appropriation is picking and choosing elements of a culture and deciding what is “trendy” or “fashionable” without having to worry about the microaggressions and stereotypes that come with being part of that culture––it’s using your position as a member of the major-

JOSEPH GLANDORF/CHATTERBOX

ity to simplify elements of the minority. Appreciation is adopting elements of a minority culture, while being aware and respectful of all of the traditions and practices that come with it.

How does one walk this fine line without taking a misstep and becoming a colonizer of culture? Is it worthless to even try and to navigate through the grey area between appropriation and appreciation because, hey, someone is always going to be offended? I guess it depends on how much you care about the issue.

No matter how many articles on cultural appropriation are shared on Facebook, in the end, not everyone is going to see it as a big deal.

But with the evolution of this debate comes the evolution of public opinion.

Despite all of the definitions, arguments, and controversy surrounding the cultural-sensitivity movement, it is creating a pause in the American intellect, causing people to think more about the elements of society that we are all a part of.

Why is feminism the new “f” word?

Alexandra Berding, ‘16 It’s controversial, it’s hot, it’s sexy. It’s feminism. According to Beyoncé’s song “Flawless”, feminism is defined as “the person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes.”

Many people are uneducated about the true implications of feminism and being a feminist.

There is a stereotype that all feminists are lesbians, strictly female, haters of men and/or stay at home moms. In reality, feminism is a far more diverse issue than these stereotypes suggest.

The misconception about feminism is that feminists want for women to be better than, or superior to men. Like the definition states above, feminists advocate for equality. Women want to be treated and paid in the same way as men.

That’s all.

On a weekly basis, I, a girl, am asked “Are you a feminist?” (Side note: don’t ask a girl this. Any girl.

Assume the answer is yes). This question is ridiculous. Why would I (or any other girl) think I am less than any of my peers just because I am a girl and not a boy?

It shouldn’t be a big deal that Hillary Clinton is running for President, because there should have already been female presidents. I hate that Kesha cannot record mu-

sic, while Zayn Malik was able to get out of his One Direction contract easily. I hate that feminism, as a movement, needs to exist for women to have the same rights as men.

There should be no job, hobby or activity that belongs to just one gender. Each person should have the opportunity to excel at what they want to do, and their setbacks should not lie in their gender.

It should not matter that there are girls who want to study computer science, a male-dominated field, because they should be able enter the field freely without judgement. Marissa Ann Meyer is a renowned computer scientist, and is currently serving as CEO of Yahoo, Inc. Feminism is an umbrella term for equality of all genders. If a man wants to enter the world of fashion, which is a female-dominated field, it should be culturally accepted and appreciated. Karl Lagerfeld, Olivier Roustieng and Kanye West are in charge of some of today’s most sought after labels, and they are all men.

There is good news and bad news when it comes to gender equality. The bad news is that there is still a wage gap. Women still earn 79 cents for every dollar men earn. This may not seem like a lot, but imagine if you and your

PHOTO BY LUKE WARREN/CHATTERBOX EDITED BY IBRAHIM MUNIR AND NICHOLAI LEKSON/CHATTERBOX

Rosie the Riveter was a critical cultural icon for women during World War II created to incentivize females to unite in an effort to help the war working factory jobs while men were fighting. Pictured above is an interpretation of Rosie and her iconic pose. friend worked the same job for the women can be comfortable enough same amount of time, and your to become engineers and that men For more information about genfriend walks away with $100, while are leaders in the world of fashion der equality, please visit you only get $79. Not cool, right? is exciting. Less than 100 years <http://now.org/>.

The good news is, gender equal- ago, we couldn’t even vote––and ity is improving. The fact that now we’re running for president.

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SECTION EDITOR: VERONICA VICTA

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Sing For a Cause Symphony N o. 9

Emily Glazer, ‘17

ISABELLA PITTMAN/CHATTERBOX

Senior Ensemble practices for an upcoming concert with Choir Director Anthony Nims. Sing for a Cause will be performed with Taylor High School’s Senior Choir and selected members of both Walnut Hills’ Wind Ensemble and Orchestra on March 19 in the Walnut Hills auditorium.

Emily Glazer, ‘17 “O friends! Not these sounds! But let us strike up more pleasant and more joyful sounds!” This is the translation of the first words of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Senior Ensemble, Taylor High School’s Senior Choir, and selected members from both Walnut’s Chamber Orchestra and Wind Ensemble will join together for the annual Sing For a Cause concert.

Sing for a Cause was started in 2011 by longtime friends Walnut Hills Choir Director Anthony Nims and Taylor High School’s Choir Director Bret Albright. At the time, Nims taught at Lakota West High School where he said, “students were performing at a very high level, but were losing a bit of their motivation to achieve even greater things” while Albright’s “students were extremely motivated.” Because of this, they decided to try to combine their choirs with a performance of a multi-movement chorale.

Since then, it has become an annual event with the added change of donating all profits to benefit research and funding for Alzheimer’s Disease. Nims said, “I just think it is an incredibly good lesson for our students to learn. Life is about helping people and doing something just because it’s good.

Being able to make art together, and being able to share something they love with the community while being able to make a difference.”

Before last years Sing For a Cause performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, Nims showed Senior Ensemble a movie about the healing power of music. Senior Ensemble member SENIOR Melissa Holland said,

“People that had Alzheimer’s diseases would, for a moment, remember something about their past when listening to music they love or haven’t listened to in a while. I just find it amazing that music can invoke something emotional in every person and I am so happy to be a part of that.”

Senior Ensemble member SENIOR Austin Lamewona also feels that Symphony No. 9 is a good song selection for a charity for a disease like Alzheimer’s: “Curing a disease like Alzheimer’s takes a certain level of optimism and this song perfectly communicates that.”

Both schools have been working on Symphony No. 9 for a few months. This is as described by Nims, “one of the most vocally taxing works out there, but our students have really been rising to the challenge.”

Senior Ensemble’s process of learning this difficult music follows the same process that all Walnut’s choirs use: learning the song in solfege syllables (the do-re-mi syllables), working on the rhythms and subtleties like dynamics (the volume) on the neutral syllable “dee” and then adding the lyrics and perfecting everything else. Chamber Orchestra and Wind Ensemble’s process of learning the work is largely independent. The selected members learned the music largely on their own and have been convening for after school rehearsals to practice. Violinist Celeste Langrée, ‘17 says that they are “counting on the orchestra to work alone, and we invited musicians from the CSO (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra). We practice an hour with them, and work in little groups, first violin, second violin, and then we practice with the rest.”

A professional conductor, William White, will be flying in from Oregon to work with performers and conduct the concert. White is an accomplished musician and conductor and the Interim Music Director of the Youth Symphony in Oregon who previously worked closely with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. In addition, professional soloists will be brought in to sing the solos in the work.

Sing for a Cause will take place on March 19th at 7:30 PM, in the Walnut Hills auditorium. Trombone player SENIOR Gus Kohls said, ”This is a beautiful event. There is nothing better than people, let alone students, coming together for a common cause.” Holland added, “this song is very emotional, the piece as a whole represents struggling together as a human race and loving each other and we are in fact singing side by side for a greater cause that will help other humans in their life struggles.” “If we raise $13,000 this year, Sing for a Cause will have raised a total of over $50,000, over the years we have been doing this,” Senior Ensemble member McKenna Johnson, ‘17 explained.

To donate to the cause, students, teachers and parents can purchase tickets online at <seatyourself.biz> or send checks payable to the Alzheimer’s Association of Cincinnati to Choir Director Anthony Nims in room 2840.

DISCLAIMER: SENIOR Veronica Victa and SENIOR Editor Elise Fritts are both participating in Sing For a Cause.

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is one of the most famous, most performed and arguably best works of music in western musical canon. Senior Ensemble member SENIOR Melissa Holland says it “is about love, brotherhood and like Mr. Nims describes it: Beethoven is just giving the world a big hug.”

Beethoven did not have an easy life.

His father was abusive and an alcoholic, his mother died when he was 17, and he was socially inept and had few friends Still, his musical talent, even then, was arguably unparalleled. When Beethoven wrote Symphony No. 9 in 1817, he deaf— he wrote the entire, hour long symphony by transcribing the notes he heard in his head to paper.

The work is one that has endured throughout the years because people relate to the theme of the work: triumph over struggles. “It’s for everyone to feel happy,” says Senior Ensemble member McKenna Johnson ‘17. Writer for The Guardian Tom Service defines this work as “a national anthem of humanity itself, something much bigger in its impact.”

Symphony No. 9 is an ambitious choice to perform, especially for a high school: professionals have difficulties learning and performing it well. One reason why is the high range required of all the musicians, vocalists and instrumentalists alike. Trombone player SENIOR Gus Kohls said,“ I have notes that range between almost 4 octaves.”

Another challenge that the vocalists specifically face is the German itself. To learn it, Senior Ensemble learned all the words in IPA, the International Phonetic Alphabet. “There’s a lot of different pronunciation and diction required,” Johnson said. Despite the challenge, she feels confident: “Mr. Nims has really prepared us.”

All the students have had to work hard to overcome the struggle of this difficult score—in a way, similar to how Beethoven did to write Symphony No. 9 itself.

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

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Managing Editor of News and Features

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Engraving our gold: A look SECTION EDITOR: HALI LANIER

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Ibrahim Munir, ‘19 Isaac Stephani, ‘16 Matthew Youkilis, ‘19

JETS Over the summer, the JETS (Junior Engineering Technical Society) Team competed at the National TSA TEAMS competition in Dallas, Texas. JETS is Walnut’s Engineering Team focusing on solving problems through the lens of engineering. They won fifth place in the country for their prepared presentation on an energy efficient city rebuild following a natural disaster.

SENIORS Dalton Stichtenoth, Dimple Dhawan, Sean Moore, JD Kurtzman and Emma Faist all attended the event, as well as several alums from the class of 2015.

Wednesday, March 2, the JETS Team competed in the regional and state TSA TEAMS competi-

tion at the University of Cincinnati.

They won third place overall, and swept first, second and third place in their division, earning a $5,000 scholarship to UC CEAS (UC College of Engineering and Applied Science). The team’s captains are Stichtenoth, Dhawan and Moore.

The team is awaiting results from the State level of competition, and they hope to qualify once again to compete at Nationals this summer.

Also on March 2, Lea Cantor, ‘17 and Nicholas Hagerty, ‘17 won the Leonardo DaVinci award for their Egg Drop entry. The DaVinci award recognizes design originality, creativity and design philosophy based on engineering principles.

Nelson Vincent Award Rory Tekulve Robotics

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SUSTAINABILITY ROBOTICS Walnut Hills High School was recognized in two categories at the annual Keep Cincinnati Beautiful (KCB) Just Desserts Clean & Beautiful Community awards and reception, held Nov. 12, 2015. Walnut Hills won first place in The Sustainable Community Award Category for the Walnut Hills Bettering Environmental Sustainability Program.

The Five Star Volunteer Awards, given to individual volunteers who go above and beyond to create and sustain positive change in their communities, were presented to two Walnut Hills parent volunteers, Rama Kasturi and David Doepke.

Robotics is a club that combines aspects of programming, building and advanced technical and theoretical thought. Simultaneously, participants conceptualize a robot that achieves each year’s tasks, and one that also performs efficiently and effectively. Club members have to not only think of this design, but have to attain the necessary materials, and physically construct the robot themselves. Once this is completed, a deep understanding of how electronics and programming works is necessary to properly program the robot so that it will perform the preferred task. This year, the Robotics team is captained by SENIOR Richard Fu and Rory Tekulve, ‘17. Fu is a four-year member of Robotics and

Tekulve is a three-year member. Last year, the Walnut Robotics team, 6133, The Nuts, won both the State Championship and the Super Regional Championship and made it to the knockout stages in the World Championship, where they finished in the top ten. This year, The Nuts advanced from State Contest and look forward to their competition at Super Regionals in Iowa next weekend. Additionally, Tekulve received the Nelson Vincent Award from iSpace, which distinguishes a single student each year for exemplary volunteer service. Tekulve has donated over 120 hours of his time volunteering at summer camps among other things.

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k into Walnut’s trophy case PAGE 5

CINCINNATI, OHIO

JCL

rd e c a pl S JET

Junior Classical League (JCL) won many awards this year at the state tournament, the weekend of Feb. 20. The club finished third academic per capita, with five of their thirteen students not currently taking Latin.

They also placed fourth in total points per capita. The JCL members who attended the tournament are Katie Hallinan, ‘18, Peter Hattemer, ‘19, Molly Katkin, ‘17, Nawame Kitil, ‘20, David Ligon, ‘18, Hannah Machenheimer, ‘18, SENIORS Grace Maurer and Swede Moorman, Maddi Raisch, ‘20,

WINNER Melan White

Rotary 4 Way Speech Contest

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3rd place Academic per

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Patsy Schomaeker, ‘18, Perri Wedlock, ‘19, Alan Zhang, ‘20 and Zoe Zorn, ‘18. Many students finished in the top ten in their categories, and some even placed first. Hattemer finished first in six categories: derivatives, grammar, mythology, reading comprehension, pentathlon and Latin sight reading.

Schomaeker placed first in costume, Wedlock finished first in certamen, Zhang was first in history and Zorn finished first in costume.

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ROTARY Rotary is an international network of clubs dedicated to service.

Among other goals, the Cincinnati Rotary Club focuses on the needs of handicapped children. Globally, Rotary works toward the eradication of polio and providing safe drinking water in underdeveloped countries. Rashaan Boyd, ‘18 and Adam Sella, ‘17 were recently selected for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award.

This is a competitive Rotary Club of Cincinnati award for select promising high school leaders. Adam started STAR (Students Together Assisting Refugees). Rashaan, a two year member of the Interact Club,

developed the club’s media. Adam and Rashaan will join other students from all over southwest Ohio for a weekend of leadership training and collaboration at Camp Kern in April. SENIOR Melan White, president of Walnut’s Rotary Interact club, is the local winner of the Rotary 4 Way Speech Contest and will compete this spring at the district level. On February 18, she presented her speech in a contest before over 300 people at the Rotary Club of Cincinnati. Melan gave a very persuasive speech focused on the need for awareness of suicide prevention.

Math counts, the seventh and eighth grade math competition program, placed fourth in the Cincinnati area competition and advanced to the state competition which will be held on March 12th. Andrew Ying, ‘21 was the top scoring student for Walnut. The team consisted of Suvan Adhikari, ‘20, Mohit Pinninti, ‘20 Ying, and Alan Zhang, ‘20. At Walnut, math counts is advised by Algebra 1 teacher Debbie Burris. The club meets in her room, 2308, on Wednesdays and Thursdays after school.

DISCLAIMER: Shiv Malhotra, ‘20 is a member of JCL, Allison Meier, ‘19 is a member of Sustainability, SENIOR Swede Moorman is a member of JCL and SENIOR Isaac Stephani is a member of JETS and Robotics.

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SPORTS

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SECTION EDITOR: KRIJN SCHWARTZ

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Can Kuzniczci make a difference?

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Coach Kuzniczci is shown hitting ground balls to the infield. SENIOR Chase Carpenter is ready to receive a ball at 3rd base while SENIOR Eli Moore is waiting for the throw at home.

Krijn Schwartz, ‘16 With tryouts ending last week, the Walnut Hills High School baseball team is getting prepared for the upcoming season.

After a record of 17-12 last year, the team is motivated to improve. “I want to win at least 10 games over .500, win the ECC, and win a sectional tournament,” SENIOR Bobby Brokamp said.

The team will be starting off the season with already three verbal commitments to play baseball in college. Brokamp has verbally committed to Bellarmine, SENIOR Eli Moore to John Carroll University and SENIOR Mikey Trimble to Miami-Hamilton.

Not only do they have committed players, but they also have a new head coach, Jack Kuzniczci. Kuzniczci went to Anderson High School, played baseball at the Univer-

sity of Cincinnati and then went on to play in the minor leagues for the Montreal Expos.

Before coming to coach at Walnut Hills High School he was the coach for Madeira High School for twenty years. Some of the players already knew Kuzniczci before he came here because he also just finished his first year of coaching for the Cincinnati Baseball Club, a summer team that many of high school players are affiliated with.

“I really like Coach Kuzniczci. He’s a really good coach. He knows his stuff and he’s able to relate to the players in a way where it allows us to become better from mistakes he points out,” Brokamp said. Kuzniczci seems to have already made a good impression on the team.

“He’s very straight forward and a lot more relaxed and let’s us play the game. A very good coach with high baseball intelligence.

He has set the bar high and expects a lot of improvement out of us from last season,” Trimble said.

Many changes have been made for this season, along with the addition of a new spring break trip for the team. Kuzniczci always took his Madeira team to Florida during spring break and is now bringing the tradition to Walnut Hills. They will head to Cocoa Beach, Florida where they will play five games. This will give the team more time and practice to get ready for their big conference games; being in Florida will give them a better chance at getting all their games in instead of playing in Cincinnati when there is always the chance of a rain out.

Last year’s performance by the team led to a huge turnout for tryouts this year. After having to cut some athletes they still had enough players to make a Varsity, Junior Varsity A, and Junior Varsity B team. They will have a brand new coaching staff other than their pitching coach Brian Farrell. The team has been practicing since October and is extremely excited for the season to start.

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Player Profile: Maggie Fricker

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOM DONNELLY

Pictured above is Maggie Fricker, ‘19 during her uneven bar routine at a competition.

Michael Sweeney, ‘17 basic tumbling skills in case she wanted to someday become a cheerleader. When she Maggie Fricker, ‘19 started gymnastics started, she didn’t expect to do it for long bewhen she was four years old, starting with cause her brother and sister had tried it years

before and did not pursue it for more than a few years.

When she was seven years old, her family moved across town and she no longer lived close to a gym forcing her to take a year off from gymnastics. “This was when I realized how important the sport had become in my life,” Fricker said. She found a new gym that was on her new side of town and has been training there for seven years now. This year while competing on both club and high school teams, Fricker is in the gym five days a week for a total of 22 hours of practice in addition to having meets on the weekends.

“As a freshman, I was not expecting to place well because the high school competes at a modified level eight and in club meets I compete level seven skills. My goal has always been to just compete against myself and improve my scores with each meet. This year I has surprised myself, placing second on uneven bars and fifth all-around at my most recent meet,” Fricker said.

In the seventh grade coming to Walnut Hills she was very curious about the chances of creating a high school gymnastics team for the school. One of her club coaches coached the Walnut Hills gymnastics team 25 years ago and the both of them were extremely excited to bring the sport back and represent the eagles. “Gymnastics, being a hard impact sport, is best to take one year at time. While I have never explicitly thought about competing in college, it would be an amazing opportunity,” Fricker said.

Player Profile: Audrey Capannari

CREATIVE STALL/THENOUNPROJECT.COM

Shiv Malhotra, ‘20 Audrey Capannari, ‘17 is currently on the Walnut Hills High School Girls Swimming Team, and is in her junior year. Audrey has advanced to the state diving meet in Canton, Ohio on February 27th. In the OHSAA District Diving Championships, she ranked 4th overall and got a score of 406.45. The Swimming Team overall placed third at the Division Championships, and got a score of 254 points overall. “I was very happy with my finish, as I moved up four places since my eighth place finish at sectionals,” Capannari said. As a member of the Walnut Hills Swimming and Diving Team, “I was really happy for the Walnut Hills team to place as well as the did. It shows how hard work and dedication pays off,” Capannari said.

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PAGE 7

SECTION EDITOR: ALLISON MEIER

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Unified for uniforms Maham Usmani,‘ 19

JULIA DUELL/ CHATTERBOX

Walnut Hills High School is not only known as Ohio’s most prestigious public high school, but it is also very ethnically diverse. Students from various backgrounds, homes, cultures and incomes are welcomed into the school, and over 97 percent of the graduates attend four- and two-year colleges or universities.

Another key element of the school is self-expression. The decision of carrying out a no-uniform policy allows each student to wear what they are able to afford and what they please, while remaining within the school dress code restrictions.

“I think choosing what you wear is a way to express yourself, and I think Walnut knows that,” Iris Lecates, ‘20 said. Although expressing oneself may be important to Lecates, she also states that a benefit of a school with uniform is “not having to pick out your clothes every morning.”

Other pros of uniform could be: eliminating economic barriers among schools as some might be able to afford certain clothes that others cannot. It may even in-

crease a sense of “belonging” to the school, encourage discipline, and aid students in resisting peer pressure to buy “trendy” attire.

Some students see the good and bad points to having a uniform. Piper Johnson, ‘20 said that with a uniform “you don’t have to pick clothes out in the morning, and [that] takes a lot less time,

“I think choosing what you wear is a way to express yourself; and I think Walnut knows that.”

Piper Johnson, ‘20 and you’re not judging [anyone].”

She said some of the negatives to having uniform: “You don’t have any freedom in what you wear,” Johnson also felt that, financially, a non-uniform policy would be preferable.

Although Johnson prefers no uniform, she analyzes a benefit to wearing uniform. “Educationally, [however], uniform[s are better] because you’re less focused on what you wear and what people think of you, and more [focused] on your

studies,” Johnson said.

Greta Tebbe, ‘20 previously attended a school that enforced a uniform requirement. Tebbe “didn’t like it because [she] feels that you can’t really express yourself that much without wearing clothing [of your choice], and feels like that’s a big part of it.”

But, through an educational perspective, Tebbe feels “uniform [is better] because sometimes clothes can be distracting.” Even with a financial point of view Tebbe prefers uniforms; but she realized that they can be costly, too.

Johnson enjoys wearing what she wants. “You can express yourself. And I really like fashion, so I like to be able to pick out what I wear and be myself,” she said.

Uniform may restrain selfexpression, but it may enforce a stricter learning environment. No uniform may permit students to freely be themselves, but it may create economic boundaries. However, whether it requires one to wear a uniform or not, Walnut Hills continues to strive as a very successful high school, and makes sure that its environment allows its students to feel the same way.

JULIA DUELL/CHATTERBOX

Springing into a new season of Junior High Sports Emma Farrell, ‘18 Hannah Bundschuh, ‘18

Many students struggle each year to participate in school activities and by the time they reach fourth quarter, they believe its too late. However, sports are a great way to get involved before the end of the year. Junior High students have the option of doing baseball, softball, track, tennis and lacrosse, which are just as competitive as High School. It may be too late to try out depending on the sport.

However, you can still use this information to prepare for tryouts for the following season. Contact the coaches using the emails provided to ensure that there are spots left on the team.

If you have questions or for more information contact Tom Donnelly at 513-363-8602 or donnelt@cps-k12.org.

H. BUNDSCHUH/CHATTERBOX

For junior high softball, see Coach George in room 3704 to get pre-season information and to give your contact information.

You will need a glove (12” to 13”) for tryouts and if you make the team you will need cleats and navy blue socks. Tryouts are March 21 and 24, place and time to be determined. No prior experience is necessary, although it may help to make the team. For additional information, please visit room 3704.

HANNAH BUNDSCHUH/ CHATTERBOX

EMMA FARRELL/CHATTERBOX

For baseball contact Bob Moliterno at moliterno58@gmail.com.

You will need basic knowledge of the game. Some skills that would be helpful are throwing, hitting, and fielding a baseball. It may be useful to train by sprinting to get the feel of the short distance running if you are not used to that exercise and can get into shape for running a base run. Some equipment that is needed are gloves and cleats. It would be ideal for players to bring their own bats and helmets.

EMMA FARRELL/CHATTERBOX

For junior high girl’s lacrosse contact cornesm14@gmail. com. There are online forms on the Walnut Hills website. There are no tryouts. The coaches will simply judge based on skill and will place you in the A team or B team. You will need a lacrosse stick, mouth guard and cleats. If you are a boy and are interested in playing lacrosse contact jfrenhiv@host.com.

H. BUNDSCHUH/CHATTERBOX

H. BUNDSCHUH/CHATTERBOX

For junior high track and field, there are no tryouts and no prior experience is necessary. Preseason conditioning should be completed prior to the start of the season and since its track, be prepared to run.

Cross country spikes are recommended but not required; these simply give you more traction on muddy and uneven environments.

Please email Coach Sweeney at sweeneypm@yahoo.com for additional information and how to register.

For junior high tennis, there are no tryouts and no prior experience necessary. You should be in shape prior to the start of the season. You can register through online forms at walnuthillseagles.com. You are required to have your own tennis racket. Other basic information can be explained during practices.

For more information on how you can join the junior high tennis team please contact Coach Mark Honschopp at mhonschopp@ gmail.com.

ARCADE

MARCH 11, 2016

PAGE 8

SECTION EDITOR: TARA SALES

WHHSCBOX.COM

CINCINNATI, OHIO

IF YOU COULD, WHO WOULD YOU ADD TO THE PRESIDENTIAL BALLOT?

“Roger Perdrix” Social Studies Teacher Mitchell Perdrix

“Joseph Stalin” Dominic Bley, ‘19

“Colin Powell” Principal Jeffrey Brokamp

WHAT FACE WOULD YOU MAKE IF DONALD TRUMP BECAME OUR PRESIDENT?

SENIOR Eldred Demaree

Substitute Teacher Conrad Wiener ( “I would move back to Romania” )

Crossword Puzzle Sarah Hansen, ‘17

ACROSS: 2. First name Jill, currently the front running candidate of the Green Party.

3. You must be this age to vote in America.

4. Another name for a shrub, former presidential candidate.

5. A neurosurgeon and former Republican presidential candidate.

9. The positions that a party or candidate develop on an issue.

11. A formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or options.

12. Used to gauge public opinions surrounding issues or candidates.

13. Describes voting districts that can go either Democratic or Republican.

14. The governor of this state is a Republican candidate 16. Won Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska during Super Tuesday.

20. The reorganization of voting districts to favor a certain party.

21. A name for someone who makes political commentary.

22. Business mogul, front-running Republican candidate.

DOWN: 1. This wife of Bill is currently leading the Democratic race.

2. Young people seem drawn to this Democratic candidate.

4. A cooperative effort between two parties that usually oppose each other’s policies.

6. Each candidate wants to win this from their party.

7. An organized effort to win an election.

8. Donald Trump wants to build one of these.

10. Our own student congress president.

15. This former KKK Grand Wizard recently endorsed Trump.

17. The nickname of the Republican Party.

18. A process of voting, typically a confidential, written vote.

19. To campaign in person at a local level; you can’t _____ the Trump

Jack Doyle, ‘17 TARA SALES/CHATTERBOX LOGAN WALTERS/CHATTERBOX