WALNUT HILLS HIGH SCHOOL
Page Editors: Sam Dubin and David Lerner
The Skinny
Vol CIV, No. 1 Sept. 29, 2009 Priceless
Would-be robbery rattles Walnut Rachel Horn Chatterbox staff writer
Oct. 8 Jazz Lab and Ensemble Concert 7:30 Small Theater
Walnut Hills students were put on edge last Monday morning when a young gunman tried – but failed – to rob two juniors in the senior parking lot before school. Neither girl was harmed, aside from a minor cut on one’s forehead, and both finished the day at school. But the incident shook students and prompted Principal Jeff Brokamp to review security measures. The two students – Chatterbox does not name minors involved in crimes – arrived on campus at 6:45 a.m. Monday and parked in the senior parking lot at the end of Ruth Avenue. One of the girls said a boy approached her in the darkness from behind. The boy held what appeared to be a gun against her neck and demanded her money. The second girl saw what was happening and came to the aid of her friend. “In these kinds of situations, my friend gets shocked, and I thought he might try to take advantage of that,” she said. She also said the boy seemed inexperienced and did not appear to know what he was doing. Springing into action, she said she tackled the attacker and
Oct. 9 Homecoming Carnival 2:45 Commons Homecoming Game vs. Little Miami 7:30 Oct. 10 Homecoming Dance 9 p.m.-midnight Greek Orthodox Church Oct. 12 No School Records Day Columbus Day Oct. 14 PSAT for 9th, 10th, and 11th graders 7:30 a.m. Homeroom
threw him to the ground by his hood, receiving a small scratch above her right eye in the process. The boy, described in a police report as 12 to 14 years old, ran up Ruth Avenue carrying the gun, police said. Both of the students said the assailant was wearing a red hoodie and gray-and-white pajama pants. Cincinnati Police spokesman Mark Briede told Chatterbox that investi gat ors interviewe d a neighborhood boy who matched the description, but as of press time, no arrest had been made and no gun recovered. He said the investigation was continuing. “It’s still an open case at this point,” Lt. Briede said. “The boy who matched the description and was identified as a possible suspect was not arrested or charged. At this point, we’re still collecting information.” Some students were undaunted by the mugging, feeling it was simply an isolated incident and not to be overestimated. “It was almost sensationalized…just something for the suburban schools to make a big deal out of,” said senior Momitul Talukdar. But others, like senior Claire Janke, expressed concern. “Maybe there should be more awareness
about what to do in that type of situation,” she said. Mr. Brokamp reiterates basic advice for all students about staying safe on campus. “First of all, be on campus only at times when there is supervision,” he said. “Be aware if you are in a secluded area. Scan the area before getting out of your car. Park in well-lit areas only. The Sulsar side of the building is better lit than some other areas.” He stressed that if a weapon is involved, it’s not a good idea to challenge an attacker. Mr. Brokamp defended Walnut security, a force consisting of eight full-time security guards. “Our campus security is as comprehensive as it has ever been. Crime rates in immediate areas around the campus have declined dramatically in the past seven months. We have worked to be very creative about how we secure our campus, and we will be reviewing other possibilities over the next couple weeks.” Senior Taylor Hunt had a rather offb e at su gge sti on for an improvement in students’ safety. With a wry smile, he proposed, “Failing firearms, we should at least be allowed to carry stun batons or something.”
Swine Flu It’s Here, Now What? Courtney Chase Chatterbox contributor Since April, swine influenza has been one of the most talked about topics in the news. Health agencies and school officials are telling people to wash their hands, sneeze in their elbows and stay home if they have any flu-like symptoms. The warnings have grown even direr now that the virus has landed in Cincinnati. It was even announced in a phone call from Principal Brokamp that two students were tested and had positive results of probable swine flu. No more cases within Walnut have been declared. But what is swine flu? Is it always fatal? How can it be prevented, and what do people do once they have been diagnosed with it? Usually found in pigs, swine flu is caused by the influenza type A virus that causes respiratory illness and the flu in pigs. According to the Center for Disease Control, viruses such as influenza usually affect only one species. (continued on page 2)
Enrollment spike fills school halls and classrooms By Rachel Horn Chatterbox Staff Writer
If the packed hallways and overpopulated classrooms have students feeling unusually sardine-like lately, chalk it up to a substantial increase in enrollment at Walnut Hills this year. As of a preliminary count, 2,204 students are walking the hallowed halls of Walnut in the 2009-10 school year, an increase of nearly 10 percent from last year’s 2,015. Principal Jeff Brokamp said the trend is not necessarily unique to Walnut Hills. “I think the district is feeling that maybe this is the first year in a long time that enrollment has actually grown,”
he said. As it happens, 2009 marks the first Cincinnati Public Schools enrollment gain in 15 years. CPS’ newfound popularity reflect a significant number of students migrating from private and parochial schools, driven in part by the economic recession that began in late 2007, administrators say. Despite this good news for the district, students and teachers alike are feeling the effects of the headcount growth at Walnut Hills. Among those effects are packed hallways between bells, oversized classes and the addition of teaching reinforcements, including teachers who don’t have a home classroom. The extra teachers are coming
in handy. One part-time teacher was taken on as late as the first week of school, and there are still plans to hire at least one more science teacher. But with a finite number of classrooms available, eight so-called “traveling teachers” move nomad-like during the course of the day from one classroom to another. Some of those are full-time teachers. Even those teachers who are fortunate enough to have their own rooms are noticing changes. Latin teacher Tara Ligon notes that a few of the junior high classes she teaches have as many as 30 students. Fellow classics teacher Matthew Henstridge has one bell with 34 students. “It’s harder for the kids than it
is for me … they just don’t have room to breathe,” Ligon said. Senior Alexis Nelson agrees. “It’s kind of irritating. You never get time to talk to the teacher when there’s 15 other people [trying to do the same],” she said. Students also complain about the unrelenting crowding in the hallways throughout the school day. More often than not, short commutes between bells become nightmarish traffic jams as students attempt to push past each other in search of nonexistent open lanes enroute to class. Indeed, for a facility that was intended to hold a student body of 1,900, the current enrollment of around 2,200 makes for a rockconcert feel once an hour.
Mr. Brokamp insists that things will get better. “This year is the toughest year we’re going to have in terms of congestion for a long time,” he said. Though enrollment is projected to peak at 2,300 to 2,400 students, he said, construction of building additions by 2010 is expected to remedy the overcrowding by adding at least 10 new classrooms and more hallway space. As it stands now, though, Walnut students will have to deal with the aftermath of this year’s enrollment surge. Junior David Gordon-Johnson put the dilemma succinctly. “There are just too many people.”
Walnut Hills Average Enrollment
Num ber of students
2300 2200 2100 2000 1900 1800 1700 200102
200203
200304
200405
200506
200607
200708
200809
200910
School year (2001-2008 data: Ohio Department of Education. 2008-2010 data: WHHS registrar’s office.)
Students crowd the hallway on a bell transition outside of the lunchroom. Joe Walsh / Chatterbox Photo Editor