CVI.8 - May 2012

May 22, 2012

Walnut Hills High School

Volume CVI, Issue 8

Page 2

One down, more to go

News & Features

Josh Medrano, ‘13 News & Features Print Editor

An interior view of a North Wing classroom under construction, the walls are a light yellow with a white top border.

Across the city, almost forty new and renovated schools have opened since the Cincinnati Public Schools Facilities Master Plan began in 2003. In August, the first phase of the $67 million renovation to the Walnut Hills High School campus is slated to open.

This includes the North Wing of the 1931 building and the new academic wing, which will eventually house the Honors Program and the Modern Foreign Language department.

Beginning this summer, all math and English teachers will relocate to their newly renovated classrooms in the North Wing.

The Social Studies and Classics departments, on the other hand, will transition to the mods as the South Wing is closed for renovation. Some students are concerned that this will further isolate the mods, but others, like Julian Vanasse, ‘15, are unconcerned: “The distance is unavoidable... the renovations are going to be completed

Letter from the editors It’s been a big year for us at the Chatterbox. We’ve undergone new changes, from switching back to a newspaper format to finally having a class after a ten-year hiatus. With the opportunities and the resources that have been given to us, we are excited for the future of the publication. As one of the most unique high schools in Cincinnati, we have the potential to do extraordinary things. We thank the administration for allowing us the rare privilege of a free press without prior review. We hope that all Eagles, as well as future Eagles, value this freedom and we urge them to not take this for granted.

We’ve seen the improvements of the Chatterbox over the years and hope to see many more.

Though the class of 2012 is departing, we know we are leaving the Chatterbox in good hands.

We lean on our familiar school motto, “sursum ad sumum.”

Sincerely, Mia Manavalan & Tanner Walters

Walnut Hills High School

and this is the only viable option.”

In July, the center section of the building, including the main office, counselors’ office, lunchroom, Alumni Foundation, College Information Center and library will close. The offices in the center section will move to the new Academic Wing; in that space, which consists of 14 classrooms, the library will take five rooms on the first floor while the administration, counselors, four teachers. the Alumni Foundation and the CIC will take up temporary residence on the second level. These classrooms will not be completely finished since the administration needs cubicles and extra phone and electric lines run. The final cabinets and paint will be added after teachers arrive in the new Academic Wing.

As for the other departments, Science and Art will stay in the Arts and Sciences Building which will be renovated to include new paint, flooring and a reliable, efficient heating and cooling system.

The first phase of this project will take place over this summer,

Online Features

Bringing on activism

Gay marriage, though stronger, faces challenge in Ohio

Renovation continues after its first phase opens next year

Garretson Oester, ‘14 Business Manager

The Chatterbox

JONAH ROTH/CHATTERBOX

in rooms 256 to 375. The other rooms will be renovated in the summer of 2013.

Students returning to school will begin to experience the building’s different feel, including the new department-grouping system.

All rooms will be renumbered to comply with fire code and make a cohesive campus that is easier to navigate. This will take place gradually throughout the course of the renovation.

The North Wing will include integrated heating and air conditioning, new lighting and furniture. In addition, each department will have a departmental meeting room with tables, computers and a galley-style kitchenette.

Between October and January, the other new area will open, and music classes will move to the five new classrooms and a performance hall in the segment of the new construction closest to the current buildings. Also included are instrument storage, private lesson spaces and a digital music lab.

Once the music wing moves, their current location will be converted to the temporary cafeteria.

“I believe that marriage is a human right that should be between two consenting adults who love each other, whether it be an opposite-sex couple or a same-sex couple,” Nick Wymer, ‘13, tells the Chatterbox.

Wymer is an LGBT rights advocate; his Facebook page, called “Support Gay Marriage in OHIO,” has over 200,000 “likes,” with members not only from Ohio but also from different states and nations around the world. For over two years, the page has performed a critical role in drawing more supporters and helping gay marriage organizations like Equality Ohio and Freedom to Marry. Moreover, Wymer and fellow activist Adam Hoover, a SENIOR at William Henry Harrison High School, have organized three rallies across the state, including the Cincinnati Equality Marriage Protest in November, which drew almost 400 people.

Wymer, who came out during his freshman year, says that he “could not have asked for a better school to do this at because [it] is so friendly and accepting of so many diverse people that hardly any negativity results.” Indeed, as one of the first local high schools to establish a gay-straight alliance, Walnut Hills has supported events such as the Day of Silence, an annual day of action to protest bullying and harassment of LGBT student. Additionally, it is one of the first high schools to adapt the Broadway show RENT, a musical about young artists and musicians with HIV and AIDS, and has inspired one its original actors, Anthony Rapp, to encourage the expansion of gay rights groups.

Though only recently an omnipresent topic, gay marriage has become an important issue, especially in politics. Last year New

JOSH MEDRANO/CHATTERBOX

Yorkers rejoiced as a bill legalizing same-sex marriage was approved and signed into law, as did the people in the states of Washington and Maryland earlier this year; California saw the overturning of the Proposition 8, which stopped new same-sex marriage licenses from being issued since 2008; and most recently, Barack Obama declared his support for the legalization of gay marriage.

Amidst these states lies Ohio, which has constitutionally banned same-sex marriage since 2004.

Whether by petition or by court, proposals of the amendment’s repeal have either been historically outlawed by the Legislature or lacked support from Ohio voters.

In a poll conducted last year, 32% of Ohio voters thought that the same-sex marriage should be legal, 55% thought it should be illegal and 13% were not sure.

Another factor would be the flawed unity of gay rights groups across the state. Even the executive director of Equality Ohio is uncertain of the success of a proposal written just last month. He told The Columbus Dispatch that sufficient “research and analysis has not been done that would make this a successful effort.”

Wymer admits that some people give him “funny looks” when they see him holding hands with another male. But he says that even if it takes ten years to repeal Ohio’s constitutional ban on gay marriages licenses, he still holds to his belief that love between two people of the same sex is no different than that between a man and a woman.

The Renovation So Far View a gallery of photos of the new wing, north wing, gym, pool, and more.

School Lunch Changes The USDA introduced new standards which Walnut’s lunches will conform to beginning next year.

Links to all this and more are available online at <http://my.hsj.org/chatterbox>

Calendar

Summer 2012 May 24, 25, 29, 30 Second Semester Exams May 28 Memorial Day - No School May 30 Graduation May 31 - August 20 Summer Vacation August 21 First Day of School

The Chatterbox Editorial Staff Mia Manavalan, Editor-in-Chief Tanner Walters, Senior Managing Editor Emily Friedman, Junior Managing Editor Ayana Rowe, Copy Editor Jonah Roth, Design Editor Kemarca Wade, Web Designer John Butler, Assistant Web Designer Luke Kloth, Print Photo Editor Signe Schloss, Online Photo Editor Garretson Oester, Business Manager Akilah Phillips, Subscription Manager Dominick Clark, Parent Liaison Cody Stayden, Chatterbox Archivist Page Editors: Josh Medrano, News & Features Print Editor Sean Wood, News & Features Online Editor Jessie Heines, Viewpoints Print Editor Sierra Kingston, Viewpoints Online Editor Jenna Weber, Fine Arts Print Editor Amanda Dias, Fine Arts Online Editor Joe Neidhard, Style & Culture Print Editor Hannah Shaw, Style & Culture Online Editor Charlie Hatch, Sports Editor JP Schmitz, Arcade Editor Jaylen Hill, Just Nuts Print Editor Jessica Fan, Just Nuts Online Editor Advisors: Samantha Gerwe-Perkins and Dawn Wolfe Front page masthead by Luke Kloth.

Illustration by Sarah Davidoff.

Special Thanks to Scott and Catherine Heiser for their generous donation

Josh Medrano and Sean Wood, Editors

Volume CVI.8

Viewpoints

The Chatterbox

Page 3

What defines Walnut Hills High School?

KeMarca Wade, ‘13 Web Designer

In Cincinnati, Walnut is widely known for its prestigious reputation and high test scores.

On top of that, our school also features many talented kids and young adults. It is also a place where students express themselves through fashion, various talents, clubs, and gives them the wiggle room to interact with many different students, regardless of their background and social standing.

It’s a place of togetherness.

From the more well-known clubs such as Chatterbox and Gleam to lesser known ones like Quidditch and Antiquitas, people have a reason to feel like they belong, which is a vital part of be-

ing a growing child. The students at our fine establishment can exercise their talents (regardless if it’s athletic, musical, artistic or any other interest) without worrying if they’ll be ridiculed. Teens play ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ during lunch, for goodness sake! I’ve been to twenty-one schools and I’ve never seen that before.

Besides the many talents here, we also have a good diversity of ethnic and religious backgrounds.

There’s also the opportunity to get to know each other’s cultures

JONAH ROTH/CHATTERBOX

(with help of organizations like the Black Culture Club and the Jewish Culture Club). We are a school bursting with traditions (such as formal wear before a game) and different beliefs. This is only my first year here and I feel more at home than I’ve ever felt at any school. I’m not saying that other schools don’t give the same opportunities, or that ours is better than anyone else’s; just that there’s more to our school than people would like to believe.

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!

BEN BRANDICOURT

Wally Hill, ‘12 Staff Writer Hey Walnut, I’m JP Schmitz and for the past year I have been Wally Hill.

I wasn’t entirely sure what I should write for this one. The fun of being Wally is the ability to write about stuff, and to be anonymous. It’s a really strange experience writing something, but not being able to tell anyone that you wrote it. But then again, that really was the fun of the position.

The most interesting part was hearing people say that an article was good, or that it was horrible, and being unable to take credit for it either way. It was even more strange being friends with the page

Volume CVI.8

editor, who asked me to help edit the piece, having no idea that it was really me. Being in the Chatterbox class definitely put a spin on the pseudonym.

It has been an interesting year, though. My path to donning the pen-name was exactly clear-cut. In fact, originally, I didn’t even know I was in the running. Figured out I was the “chosen one” from an email that kind of went like this: “We want you to be Wally. Are you okay with that?” But as the dust of the new school year Chatterbox blitz settled, I was the one that saw my article hit the press.

And I guess the rest is history.

It hasn’t been a fantastic year. I certainly never churned out any Pulitzer-worthy masterpieces, but

a good few of my articles were funny. Many were also terrible, but that’s life. There were many newsworthy stories, but I wasn’t always able to write them, so I often found myself strapped to find a topic to complain about (or comment on). And I certainly can’t say this year wasn’t without stress for all those involved in editing my articles. I’m not exactly proactive, so I would often find myself up the night before a deadline, hoping that I could churn out something half-decent in 400 words to get it in on time, and work from there to polish it.

I don’t recommend that.

So thank you Jessie, Mia, Tanner, Mrs. G-P and anyone else I stressed out along the way. It was a long year, but a fun one. Honestly, there really wasn’t a better way to close out my Chatterbox experience. So yeah, this is the outro. I, JP Schmitz, was this year’s Wally Hill. I wrote some articles, and hopefully you read them. I’ll close with a farewell to Walnut, and its many, many students, and a “good luck!” as well. As I’ve heard many times in situations like this (things ending and such), “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Wally Hill, We’re done here.

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 gather-

Jessie Heines and Sierra Kingston, Editors

ing is prohibited. Articles found to be discriminatory, libelous, or unnecessarily obscene (as determined by the editors or the advisor) will not be published.

Finally, journalists are granted the right to keep private the name of a source from whom they received information with the understanding that the source was to remain anonymous. The role of the newspaper advisor will be to provide counsel and criticism pertaining to the newspaper’s content and production. Although both the advisor and the administration hold certain powers regarding the Chatterbox, both must respect the paper’s autonomy. No student shall be prevented from joining the staff on the basis of sex, race, creed, or national origin.

Walnut Hills High School

Sports

Page 4

Walnut Hills teams have seasons to remember

The Chatterbox

LUKE KLOTH/ CHATTERBOX For the first time in school history, the football team got into the state playoffs with an impressive 8-2 record, including big wins over Wyoming and Winton Woods. This picture was taken just moments before the start of the historic season.

Charlie Hatch, ‘13 Sports Editor The past nine months have arguably been the best in the history of Walnut Hills athletics.

For the first time in the school’s history, the football team advanced into the state playoffs with an 8-2 record, including wins in the Skyline Crosstown Showdown and against two years removed state champions, Winton Woods.

The Eagles’ football program also started the season with an undefeated 6-0 record, another first in school history.

Led by Cincinnati player of the year and 1st team all-state forward SENIOR Max Pescovitz, the boy’s soccer team won the Fort Ancient Valley Conference and at one point during the season held the ranking of third in the city, only to trail Moeller and Turpin.

The Lady Eagles soccer team also made a top ten appearance, and had a successful season led by SENIORS Olivia Logan-Wood and Laura Rose. The team made it into the second round of the state

playoffs before falling to Ursula.

When basketball rolled around in December, the boy’s basketball team got off with a mediocre 1-2 start. Through team chemistry, the Eagles went on to finish the rest of the regular season with a 17 game winning-streak, the longest in Walnut Hills history.

Walnut went undefeated at home, another school first, and went three rounds into the postseason playoffs before losing to Princeton at the University of Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena.

Although the past year has been full of athletic accomplishments, next year appears to have even more opportunities for the Eagles to have success.

For the 2012-2013 school year, Walnut Hills will transfer into a new conference, the Eastern Cincinnati Conference, which will also include Anderson, Glen Este, Kings, Loveland, Milford and Turpin.

The first game of the year for the football team will be played at Nippert Stadium, UC’s home field. The Eagles will look to start

CHARLIE HATCH/CHATTERBOX Junior Kodey Jackson puts up a ‘teardrop’ shot against Loveland early into the season. With the majority of the team SENIORS next year, the Eagles will have a great opportunity to have a season to remember.

their campaign for the post-season with a win over their opponent, Oak Hills.

The boy’s soccer team looks to build on last season’s success, but it will be difficult due the Eagles having the hardest schedule in the

state of Ohio.

The basketball team will return with almost all of the 20112012 team, and will have Isaiah Johnson, who recently received a scholarship to play for Xavier University in a couple years.

This past year has put Walnut Hills on the map for athletics, and has paved the wave for success down the road, making the Eagles a consistent competitor.

Girls’ track sprints towards success Alina Tashjian, ‘14 Staff Writer

The girls’ track and field team this year is coached by Amanda Robinson, who has been coaching at Walnut for two years now.

With her help, the girls are ranked in the top five in the FAVC in 15 events, including being ranked first in nine of them. They are currently not participating in one event; the pole vault. According to Coach Robinson, both she and Coach Stocker are pole vault certified but are looking for a coach that would just be coaching that specific event. Robinson says, “I’d like to score in all 17 events.”

The girl’s varsity team has a

Walnut Hills High School

prestigious title to live up to. The chance to become Conference Champions three years in a row has definitely given them something to work for. Robinson says, “Although track & field has the reputation as an individual sport, we have a culture of unity and team camaraderie. This has been great for competition within the team during practice and competition. It’s a great motivator.”

Coach Robinson is extremely optimistic about Taylor Darks, ‘15, who runs sub-60 in the 400m. Arissa Freeman, ‘15, is a “great short sprinter who will be a huge asset to our relays” says Robinson.

This season holds promise for

Coach Robinson. When asked about her goals for this season she says, “I’d like for our athletes to have a strong tournament presence. Last year, we had several athletes that competed through Regionals and narrowly miss going to State. This year, we need to get more athletes to State and many of our athletes will have that opportunity.”

Looking ahead to next season Coach Robinson is very excited to have the classes of 2013 and 2015 together for the next two years because of the talent that exists in both classes.

The girls track team is out to make a name for the school, and bring home some hardware.

Charlie Hatch, Editor

BOB McAULIFFE/CONTRIBUTOR Maryn Lowry, ‘13 and Heather Luken, ‘14 consistently placed in point positions at every meet.

Volume CVI.8

Style & Culture

Page 5

Music is in the Air: Summer Concerts May 25th: Cirque du Soleil (US Bank Arena) May 29th: Dave Matthews Band (Riverbend) May 30th: Brad Paisley and The Band Perry (Riverbend) May 31th: The Used (Bogarts) June 5th: Radiohead (Riverbend) June 6th: Red Hot Chili Peppers (Riverbend) June 7th: Zoso (Bogarts)

The Chatterbox

I wonder how I should spend my summer...

Maybe you could go to a park...

Style & Culture Staff Say what you want about Cincinnati: it needs streetcars, there aren’t enough movie theaters, the weather is sporadic, the streets have potholes, but never say it isn’t beautiful. We are surrounded by rolling hills, shady trees, and well preserved Victorian-era buildings, and nothing embodies this more than the treasures that are the Cincinnati parks.

Packed throughout the city and ranging in size from hundreds of acres to a single plot of land, Cincinnati’s parks give you ample ways to spend your summer days.

Eden Park Located between Walnut Hills and Mt. Adams, Eden Park is filled with monuments and museums. A stone’s throw from the Ohio River, the park has several great views, particularly from the Twin Lakes.

Taking a short walk down Eden Park Dr. brings you to the Krohn Conservatory, a free destination that showcases exotic plants and features the annual Butterfly Show.

Further down, past a magnolia garden and through a trail, you will

find Mirror Lake, a great place to rest on an afternoon or play frisbee with friends.

One of Eden’s most prominent features is The Cincinnati Art Museum. Admission is free and has a wide array of works by legendary artists like Van Gogh, Matisse, and Warhol, as well as famed local artists like Frank Duveneck, Hiram Powers and Jim Dine (a Walnut alumnus).

Besides all the free venues, Playhouse in the Park is a twotime Tony Award winning regional theater that provides the city with Broadway quality plays yearround.

When you are done in Eden you can walk down the Mt. Adam steps and go to...

Sawyer Point Rolling along the Ohio River, Sawyer Point acts in many ways as an outdoor Cincinnati history museum. A pathway along the river gives a paleontological timeline of the creatures living in the area millions of years before the city was ever founded.

Plaques throughout tell the story of various ethnic groups’ arriv-

als to Ohio. Besides getting a history lesson, the park also has a performance pavillion, large green-spaces and the Serpentine Wall, a terraced expanse along the river. Sawyer Point also holds close proximity to Downtown and Newport on the Levee.

Winton Woods For those who want to get farther away from the city, this 2,555-acre park can offer a brief refuge. Located on the West side, Winton Woods offers several walking trails throughout the forest as well as a 1.7-mile paved trail for cyclists and rollerbladers.

If walking isn’t your thing, the 156-acre Winton Lake is available for fishers as well as kayaks and canoes, which can be rented from the boathouse. The park also offers horse trails and an 18-hole golf course.

Ault Park Ault Park is a little slice of 223 acres of nature conveniently close to civilization located in Mt. Lookout. The features of this park are different and diverse. It varies from gardens and pavilion grounds to forest and nature trails.

The pavilion grounds offer a view of the horizon for photo oppor-

Youtube comments are the worst things in the world Joe Neidhard, ‘12 Style & Culture Print Editor

The view from the fountain at Ault Park.

JENNA WEBER/CHATTERBOX

TANNER WALTERS/CHATTERBOX

The lakeside path along Mitchell Memorial Forest.

Perhaps I am venturing into hyperbole when I use words like those, but there are moments when I really feel so.

The Youtube comments section is a beacon for glib, racist, homophobic and otherwise worthless arguing. A standard Youtube argument goes as such:

1. A hard-nosed commentator, likely under an alias like swagmaster38 or caucasian_persuasion, will make a profound, insightful generalization like, “All white people can’t read.” This person is more than likely a comment troll, or, someone who makes deliberately offensive comments so to garner attention to themselves and get the arguments a’flowin’. (He is also probably an 11-year-old.)

2. One righteous viewer notices this statement and decides to call swagmaster38 out. “Hey, that’s ignorant. I’m white and I know how to read,” (she is probably either 11 or 48).

3. Other beacons of tolerance realize that this is a worthwhile cause and try to squash racism with their own two cents. “Man, why are people always hatin’ on white people…”

Swagmaster38 may choose to rekindle every now and then, but the effect is made. As many as ten people have wasted their time trying to put down the fire he has created.

But it is not just situations like these that make me hate this part

Walnut Hills High School

of Youtube. There are all sorts of people who either think their comments are worth more than they are, who don’t know what they’re talking about; or do know what they’re talking about and are so caught up in it that they let their smugness shine through.

What’s worse is that since people are essentially anonymous, they feel free to say whatever they want without consequences.

I’ve seen people refer to Hitler’s regime as “the Third Rank.”

From a personal situation, I once left a comment on a video of opera singer Richard Tucker performing an aria saying that, “He cracked at 1:36, but it was at a point where it worked in the song.” It’s pretty easy to hear, not a big deal, and it still essentially complimented the performance.

Yet, the next day, I get a response saying, “Anyone who thinks that is a crack is simply musically ignorant. You’d be better off listening to Britney Spears I think.”

Not only is that rude, it exemplifies the stereotype that opera fans are snooty and narrow-minded.

Rather than giving their own apparently expert opinion on the matter, the viewer instead went straight toward personal attacks, all while alienating opera fans into a realm of esoteric musical-taste superiority.

Comments sections and stupid people on the internet are two things that won’t likely go away.

So, all that I can ask is that people, please, don’t scroll down. Watch your video and move onto another recommended clip. Just don’t choose to kindle the fire of awful that is the Youtube comments section.

Joe Neidhard and Hannah Shaw, Editors

tunities, as well as an overlook of the Lunken Airport. Whether you are looking to just sit and enjoy nature, go for a walk, or hike the nature trails, Ault Park will have something to help you get your nature fix right in the middle of Cincinnati’s East Side.

French Park Located in Amberley Village, French Park offers miles of nature trails and its abundance of open space makes it ideal for holding events. Originally located by Herbert Greer French in 1943, the park still contains his original hundred-year-old mansion. If you like climbing trees, they are copious. Being at the top of a hill, you are able to view the rest of the city before you.

Mitchell Memorial Located in Cleves, Mitchell Memorial offers light walking trails for those who just want a brief escape, as well as a “catchand-release” fishing pond with a walk-around path. The park also hosts a 3.9 mile biking trail (with an addition planned) and a playground for children.

For more information, visit greatparks.org.

Summer Style Tips FOR HER: #688 Turquoise accessories complement just about anything and work great for the summer season. #421 Let your skirt hang a little lower to your knees.

FOR HIM: #639: You still need some modesty, but ignore the women’s trend and let your shorts rise a little higher than in years past. #223: Linen (LINen): n. a magical solution for when you have to wear pants in the heat.

Volume CVI.8

Arcade / Just Nuts

The Chatterbox

Page 6

Leaving the nest

Horoscopes JP Schmitz, ‘12 Arcade Editor

Murr: Burgle of the Heart

JP Schmitz, ‘12 Arcade Editor

Featured: Taurus If you happen to be a Taurus, you may or may not be a member of an elite breed of super humans who can trace their ancestry back to benevolent aliens. Far out! If only Waffle House had a fleet of interstellar warships with which you could return to Planet X. However, since they do not, you must now allocate all of your resources learning to manipulate the elements with various forms of Asiatic martial arts. Have fun kids.

“I don’t know about this. I slept throught most of flying class.“

Gemini: Four score and seven years ago, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece was founded. That’s pretty rad if you think about it.

Scorpio: “Oh, oh, oh, get in the action, feel the attraction Color my hair, do what I dare. Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel Man, I feel like a woman”

Cancer: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sagittarius: Hey remember that time you were walking down the river and you saw that dude? He’s coming for you, but forget about that and eat a muffin!

Leo: Keep your eye out. A song on your last mixtape errupted an east coast west coast feud, and they’re out to get you.

Capricorn: It is recommended that you quickly attempt to kick pigeons.

Contrary to what PETA might tell you, this should not compromise your moral values. Pigeons stink.

Virgo: If you can compose a symphony using no instruments other than the hair on your uncle’s back, then Beethoven will rise from the dead and kiss your toes.

Pisces: I just had a sandwich, no ordinary sandwich, a sandwich made with jellyfish jelly!

Libra: Hey all you people! Hey all you people! Hey all you people wont you listen to me?!

Aries: It is advised that you avoid all amphibians. These include but are not limited to frogs, salamanders, toads, and newts. Turtles are not amphibians but err on the safe side.

My memory is stuck.

The frozen doorway between closet and house.

The haunting footsteps that follow tumbling out Pulled from our cluttered cave into dull lamplight.

His home wasn’t his the way that the fire hydrant a dog he didn’t own pisses on doesn’t belong to it.

But still, the closet was ours Bats at play in the dark, whispers echoing through the doorcrack, A secret carved and faded into limestone shelves and coathanger stalactites.

The winter forced us out.

Hibernation became an afterthought We tumbled, again, into the blinding white snowcaps of the work clothes in his room…

His bedsheets.

Only contrasted by the dark shadows of the constant company he held in that hovel And the dark skin of Marley, watching us from a poster on the wall, Our secrets exposed.

Winter has killed everything.

The frozen doorway between love and hate My mind is one last little place The cave where we thought we were capable of love Instead of bats, blind eyes swollen from a glance at the sun.

Jennie Waits

Aquarius: Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, get your adverbs here. Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, got some adverbs here. Come on down to Lolly’s, get the adverbs here!

Seriously, you need them.

In Character: The Chatterbox 2011-2012 Staff

SAMANTHA GERWE-PERKINS/CHATTERBOX

How the Chatterbox staff would like to think the class works.

SAMANTHA GERWE-PERKINS/CHATTERBOX

How the Chatterbox staff actually works.

Volume CVI.8

JP Schmitz / Jaylen Hill and Jessica Fan, Editors

Walnut Hills High School

The Chatterbox

Walnut Hills High School

SENIOR Photo Essay

Dominick Clark

Page 7

Volume CVI.8

College SENIOR College Map

Page 8

The Chatterbox

C a n a d a D e n m a r k University of Toronto (Canada) Benjamin Kovarsky Commedia School (Denmark) Ruby Bachemin Tuskeegee University (AL) Martyse Price-Williams University of Alabama (AL) Mikaela Smith Arizona State University (AZ) Andre Lewis Arizona Western College (AZ) Daniel Howard Prescott College (AZ) Kimberly Dabe Cabrillo College (CA) Gabrielle Rudd University of California – Berkeley (CA) Jeremy Siegel Colorado State University (CO) Katarina Warnick University of Colorado at Boulder (CO) Henry White American University (D.C.) Katherine Deutsch Howard University (D.C.) Micah Collier Nadalee Koth The George Washington University (D.C.) Cody Blatt Florida Southern College (FL) Eleanor Demaree Emory University (GA) Lindsay Dennis Georgia Institute of Technology (GA) Neha Sinha

=

Walnut Hills High School

Savannah College of Art and Design (GA) Jennie Waits Spelman College (GA) Faythe Edmunds Columbia College Chicago (IL) Julia Bond Tommy Borders DePaul University (IL) Benjamin Goldman Taylor Walters Loyola University of Chicago (IL) Emma Currens Aaron Kinskey Kathryn Sprengard Tanner Walters Northwestern University (IL) Mia Manavalan University of Illinois (IL) Erin Heiser Katie Williams Wheaton College (IL) Madison Young Butler University (IN) Abigail Gilster Kimberly Janitz Goshen College (IN) Emma Patty Indiana University (IN) Max Pescovit Elias Wilz Indiana-Purdue University of Indianapolis (IN) Kayla Wade Marietta College (IN) Joseph Pieper Purdue University (IN) Alexander Moore Alexander Witte Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (IN) Joseph Arthur University of Notre Dame (IN) Micaiah Copeland Kansas State University (KS) Andrew Hill Centre College (KY) Nathan Record Eastern Kentucky University (KY) Blair Vonderchek

Kentucky State University (KY) Marcus Jackson Northern Kentucky University (KY) Shanice Jackson Jason Linger Stephanie Olson Mallory Screws Victoria Thompson Raechel Tracy Union College Kentucky (KY) Veashawn Springs University of Louisville (KY) Jonathan Webb Tulane University (LA) Claire Beauchamp Joshua Mansfield United States Naval Academy (MD) Karah Brown Emerson College (MA) Lea Phillips Samuel Terry Tufts University (MA) Ryan Youkilis Eastern Michigan University (MI) Sandra Aufermann Brandi Cox Aaqila Glynn Michigan State University (MI) Benjamin Brandicourt Wayne State University (MI) Ameerah Edinburg James River Leadership College (MO) Cassandra Sherwood St. Louis University (MO) Olivia Logan-Wood University of Missouri (MO) Adrienne Donica Washington University of St. Louis (MO) Grace Counts Barnard College (NY) Vivian Mao Signe Schloss Columbia University (NY) Jessica Fan Cornell University (NY) Elizabeth Sukin New York University (NY) Maya Sekhar Parsons School for Design (NY)

Signe Schloss

Logan Reidel Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) Amy Mays St. John’s University (NY) Ayinde White Elon University (NC) Andrew Mitchell North Carolina A&T University (NC) Bomani Diop-west University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill (NC) Alexander Burte Warren Wilson College (NC) Gabriela Burkey Art Academy of Cincinnati (OH) Wesley Davis Bowling Green State University (OH) Virneshia Lackey Eric Lane Hannah Prasse Case Western Reserve University (OH) Riki Drout Cincinnati State Technical & Community College (OH) Dominick Clark Na’Amiyah Gooden Danielle Haskins Antionette Haynes Emma Wilson College of Wooster (OH) Andrew Greene Denison University (OH) Lucille Itzkoff Kent State University (OH) Alexis Hampton Lake Erie College (OH) James Smith Miami University (OH) Olivia Hacker Joseph Neidhard Audrey Borgert Aaron Cooper Kavan Eghbalnia Jillian Hassel Sharon Kootin-Sanwu Mount Saint Joseph College (OH) Adam Green Ohio University (OH) Anna Mendlein

Courtney Monger Morolayo Oyadiran Malindi Robinson Daniel Siegler Austin Singley Zachary Trimm Connor Shafer Otterbein University (OH) Laura Clifford Shawnee State University (OH) Collyn Downing The Ohio State University (OH) Mackenzie Baird Emmi Banner Maxfield Barach David Brower Carlos Burke-Garcia Emily Cavellier Kelsey Collins Jane Corwin Taj Crooms Kiandre Davenport Amanda Dias Dorienne Ector Benjamin Ghosh Briaona Griffin Julianna Hofmann Bailyn Hogue Amrian Johnson Jacob Kroth Emily Law Aysia Loveless Alexis McGinnis Aaron Morehart Arienne Oglesby Charlotte Petera Sean Platte Hannah Podratz Warren Sheets Nathaniel Simon Micah Slaton John Tanner Monroe Trombly Chaz Turnbow Abigail Warren Queen-erin Watson Darren Wethington David Wiers

Volume CVI.8

The Chatterbox

Numbers A Quick Look SENIOR College Map

b y the

2

60%

Page 9

are moving abroad

are staying in Ohio Of these people, half are going to UC

6

are serving in the United States Army, Air Force, and more

Class of 2012 are teachers future... doctors industrial designers

journalists engineers actors chemistsdiplomats entrepreneurs mathematicians lawyers directors

The Ohio State University cont’d...(OH) Kaelyn Willingham Evi Zhang University of Akron (OH) Antwan Owens Mya Reed Jason Stargel University of Cincinnati (OH) Evan Addison Donzel Bailey Michelle Baverman Cara Berding Christian Betts Taylor Black Christopher Brown Carson Browne Juwan Buckner Raven Carpenter Sofia Castagna Alyssa Clauss India Crum Caitlin Davis Isabella DeLuca Charles DeVoe Nathan Donnelly

Anell Douglas Danielle Dudley Martin Ennis Hanna Firestone Micah Garcia Stephanie Gerard Emily Gilpin Sarah Gordon Michael Grabel Demetrius Graham Kristie Harris Bryn Hastings Fenna Henderson Kelsea Henderson Paige Hoff Rachel Hoff Lauren Holt Benjamin Hunt Brandy Hyde Arion Johnson Blair Jones Erika Jones Savannah Kelley

Walnut Hills High School

Joshua Khayo Sierra Kingston Madeleine Kissling Luke Kloth Paul Kohls Amanda Krebs Correna Kuhl Nicholas Lecture Paul Linser Brendan Luckett Kendall Mathis Sierra McKenzie Akiah Muhammad Paul Neidhard Frances Newberry Daniel Nolan Sara Patt Diamond Penn Akilah Phillips Sarah Poppe Kali Randall Maurie Reinke Charles Rickett

Jauna Robinson Laura Rose William Ross Thomas Sand Samuel Sangodele Ariel Schmid Jonathan Schmitz Tegan Siereveld Christopher Smith Trinity Smith Cody Stayden Lindsey Steffe Kaylie Suttles Ta-nehisi Tafari Gregory Tewksbury Valencia Todd Jacob Turner Lilith Wiest Michael Williams Kara Willis Morgan Woodson Kahvah Yisrael Anthony Foster Eric Lockett University of Dayton (OH) Mitchell Fosco University of Findlay (OH) Jared Erkins Max Ziemba University of Toledo (OH) Mariah Ellison

Signe Schloss

Lucy Rahner Ellen Risemberg Austin Community College (TX) Mykia Kidd Marlee Schutte D’Allo Thompson United States Air Force (TX) Wilmington College (OH) Carly Thompson Kassandra Cottrell University of Vermont (VT) Wittenberg University (OH) Henry Curell Jalen Harris Sydney Lister Sophia Melnyk Marshall University (WV) Wright State University (OH) Morgan Bowman Shelby Fears University of Wisconsin – Madison (WI) Cierra Gholston Jessie Heines Kelsey Hill Ameri Corps Kristofer Whittaker Anna Goose Xavier University (OH) Sophie Revis Lauren Anderson Employment Lucas Bertaux-Skeirik Seth Conroy Stacia Chapman Gap Year Samiel Engle Chris Alfieri Ayana Rowe Jonathan Kettier Haverford College (PA) Lorenzo Morgan Mariya Krutkova Travel Muhlenberg College (PA) Kyle Ferguson Patrick Moren Randy Ziadeh Robert Morris University (PA) Undecided Kenneth Davis Raymond Cook University of Pittsburgh (PA) Samiel Hatfield Katherine Rhame Kelsey Jones Brown University (RI) Miracle McClain Abigail Janke Donnique Sherman University of South Carolina (SC) United States Marine Corps William Hellmich George Ross Tennessee State University (TN) United States Army Tajee Childers-Whitfield Ella Micheli Vanderbilt University (TN)

Volume CVI.8

SENIOR Staff Highlights

Page 10

The Chatterbox

Chatterbox SENIOR Staff

This graphic is representative of the words in SENIOR staff’s articles in the Chatterbox this year. The larger the word, the more commonly it appeared in print.

Mia Manavalan Editor In Chief

Tanner Walters Managing Editor

Northwestern University, International Affairs and Journalism

Loyola University Chicago, Theatre and Journalism

Mia in 3 words: “Do not panic.”

Tanner in 3 words: “I am panicking.”

Cody Stayden

Amanda Dias

Archivist University of Cincinnati, Nursing

Walnut in 3 words: “I got smart.”

Volume CVI.8

Online Fine Arts Editor

Ohio State University, Political Science

Favorite teacher quote: “Kill two stones with one bird.”

-Mr. Lazar

Jenna Weber and Hannah Shaw

Jessie Heines Viewpoints Editor University of WisconsinMadison, Psychology

Walnut in 3 words: “Flaming Hot Cheetos?”

JP Schmitz Arcade Editor University of Cincinnati, DAAP, Industrial Design

Walnut in 3 words: “Hordes of children.”

Walnut Hills High School

The Chatterbox

Kahvah Yisrael

Fundraising Manager University of Cincinnati, Social Work

Walnut in 3 words: “It’s due when?”

Akilah Phillips Subscription Manager Miami University, Psychology

Akilah in 3 words: “Intelligent, chill, mellow.”

Dominick Clark Parent Liaison Cincinnati State, Fire Service Technology

Walnut in 3 words: “I was lazy.”

Senior Staff Highlights

Page 11

Joe Neidhard

Sierra Kingston

Style & Culture Editor

Online Viewpoints Editor

Miami University, English

University of Cincinnati, Business

Joe in 3 words: “Justa little condescending”

Jessica Fan Just Nuts Editor Columbia University, Business

Jessica in 3 words: “Secret Asian man.”

Luke Kloth Photo Editor University of Cincinnati, Business

“Join the Chatterbox, because there is a sports page.”

Sierra in 3 words: “Fun, fantastic, mysterious”

Signe Schloss Photo Editor Barnard College, International Relations

Walnut in 3 words: “It gets better.”

Ayana Rowe Copy Editor Xavier University, English

Walnut in 3 words: “Long, interesting, over.”

ALL PHOTOS TAKEN BY JENNA WEBER

Volume CVI.8

Jenna Weber and Hannah Shaw

Walnut Hills High School

Page 12

SENIOR Photo Essay

SENIORS 2012

Walnut Hills High School

Dominick Clark, Editor

The Chatterbox

WANT TO MAKE MUSIC? ...Join the Music

Resource Center

MRC Cinci is a music recording & lesson studio for teens, giving you access to: • Professional quality RECORDING STUDIOS • Private MUSIC LESSONS • PRACTICE SPACES for you or your band • Instruction in MUSIC PRODUCTION & RECORDING

Music Resource Center

513-834-8304 www.mrccinci.org 3032 Woodburn Ave (Just blocks from Walnut Hills High School!)

*ALL OF THIS FOR ONLY $24/YEAR!* OPEN SCHOOL YEAR & SUMMER!

Summer Hours: Mon-Thurs, 1pm-6pm WHO CAN JOIN?

Teens in grades 7-12 (graduated seniors & rising 7th graders can join too) STOP IN TO TOUR THE STUDIOS!

acebook.com/mrccinci

Volume CVI.8

The Chatterbox “Shoutout to Nathan, Audrey, Julianna, Sofia, Madison, Ray, Kaylie, Cody, Pat, Hannah Po, Chaz, Goose, Cassie, Rachel, BEN HUNT and anyone else I’ve forgotten I’ll miss you next year.”

-Christian Betts

“I thought hurricane season was over!”

-Anonymous

“George and Will Ross, I am so proud of you guys! (and can’t wait to get rid of you.) I love you two!”

-Margaret Ross

“Yo my spicy fiesta SENIOR class, go get ‘em out there like a pack of wild hogs.”

-Darren Wethington and Jessica Fan

“SHOUTOUT TO THE WINNERS AND LOSERS OF THE CLASS OF 2012” -Josh Medrano

“Mad Shouts to Aaron Kinskey and the whole spaghetti krew!’

-Carson Neff

“Luke Kloth, I’m going to miss doing absolutely nothing with you in class. Good luck with your college adventure.”

-Brittany Barrera

“To my best friend, Sam Terry.The past couple of years have been great and I’m going to miss your effervescent personality. Have fun at Emerson!”

-Kyle Chase “Thank you Jessica Fan and Signe Schloss for being my RUTABAGAE...Seriously though.”

-Jeremy Siegel

“Ayana and Jason, I will miss you two soooooo much! Love you guys!”

-Abrena Rowe

“Kim! I’m going to miss you so much! You are the best, you always cheered and supported me regardless of not being able to play sophomore year! Thanks so much. Love you!”

-Ariana Tashjian

“Goodbye SENIORS!” -Sean Wood “What up Tim Booth! Thanks for taking one for the team.”

-Taylor Walters

“Don’t wake up in any random hotels while I’m gone Alex.”

-Cody Blatt “To my first group of 7th Grade students who are now graduating—you made it! Congratulations!”

-Dawn Wolfe “Amanda Dias you are beautiful, talented and caring. Go forth and be scholarly!”

-Hannah Shaw

Walnut Hills High School

SENIOR Shout Outs

Page 13

“Have fun Sierra, I’m gonna miss you. Don’t forget Kidd Jetty!”

-Monique Walker

“Shout out to our best friend Tom ‘the Bomb’ Rivers. Keepin’ it fresh all year round.”

- Kyle Chase and Henry Severding

“Thanks for all the work on Chatterbox Mia and Tanner. I promised you a shout out and here it is!”

-Garretson Oester

“Kendall Mathis---Good luck with college and keep Fastlife Photography going Bud.” -Brittany Barrera

“Steph and Maurie, have an awesome time at UC! UC! UC! UC!” -Lincoln Smith

“Fuffer and Ella I thought this might be the only one in here, that’d be hilar. Tanks for letting me tag along everywhere. Love you guys.”

-Madeleine Kissling

“Michelle, Mia, Tanner, Grace, Erin, Brandi, Eli, Emily, Sophia, Nate and Amrian, I am going to miss you guys so much next year!

Remember Long Hair, Don’t care!”

-Margaret Ross “Claire Beauchamp, I can’t believe it’s been this long since Willy Wonka. Have fun next year.”

-Garretson Oester “SENIORS you only live once that’s the motto...YOLO.” -Dominick Clark

“Look up the first four lines of the second verse of ‘Stand Together’ by the Beastie Boys.

Deep stuff.”

- Joe Neidhard “Hey Luke, at least we weren’t Fine Arts.”

-Charlie Hatch

“Shoutout to Gaby Rudd for being a great friend and and all around good person! I love you! You will do great things in life. YOLO.” -Jenna Weber “Make sure to fully represent Walnut Hills everywhere you go! ...okay, just the good parts that we put in magazine!”

-Jaylen Hill “This goes out to all my awesome SENIOR friends and my cousin, Kayla Wade.”

-KeMarca Wade “Ruby, your are the magical cupcake hula hoop fairy. I look up to you and will miss you!”

-Love, sissy, Adrienne Tong

“Thank you, Darren Wethington for being a great Student Congress President. And thank you for brightening our days.”

-Josh Medrano

“Dearest Joe, you are so cool. I wish I could be you. Love always, still admiring you from afar.”

-Adrienne Tong “Hey Kahvah, you da best!”

-Cody Stayden “Emily Law, aewrjgkbroulelfnjfnrogwnarboehfgkdlja;hsf nojnwa’lajgeosertihpytruerihalk,jhmstsirht re=kfoertwsdffadghariugho9ha0rr0ye” -Love, Alice Hospitel

Garretson Oester

“Shout out to my gansta lunch table: Killa K, L-Don the D-L, Tony, Lame, Mal-Pal, the unknown and Tanner.”

-Bre Jeffery “WE MISS BEN FRICKE AND ALEX AUTRAN” -Noah Fetters and Andrew Schmalz

“And, to the entire class of 2012, best wishes for everything wonderful!”

-Dawn Wolfe “Dueces.”

-Stephanie Gerard, Lucy Itzkoff, Maurie Reinke, Adrienne Donica, Kimberly Janitz

“Shout out to my big brother Nathan! Despite the ocassional argument, I’m going to miss having you around...”

-David Donnelly

“Hey Luke, is that your dad outside?”

-Joe Schmidlapp

“Rachel, I will always remember when you adopted me in 8th grade. I love you so so much and wish you a future full of success.”

Love, sissy, Adrienne Tong “Shout out to Cody Stayden for having a cute chin! And Kris Kravah Whittaker I love you... as it were.”

-Kahvah Yisrael

“Emily, from the first day we walked into

Kilgour until now, the day you leave Walnut, you have been and will always be a tremendous role model. Love you, have fun at OSU!” -Audrey Law

“Shoutout to the best looking SENIOR superlative winner, Mia Manavalan.”

-Nick Rahaim

“Thank you Colin for being a great president.”

-Animation Club

“We can’t wait to never see you again Taylor!

We hate you!”

-David Miller , Ben Goldman , Sean Platte

“I made stuff up. The horoscopes are lies. Get over it. We’re done here.”

-JP Schmitz

Volume CVI.8

Timeline

Page 14

The Chatterbox

T I M E • Crocs!!!!

7th Grade

9th grade

• The football team ends its 36-game losing streak with a win against Purcell-Marion in their first game under new head coach George Kontsis.

• Robert S. Marx Stadium opens.

• After 15 years, Mr. Koenig retires as principal of Walnut.

• Barack Obama is elected the 44th president of the United States.

• The trend emerges amongst junior high students to give themselves hickies by rubbing erasers against their skin. No one has been able to discover how this started or why people thought this was cool.

• Walnut becomes just the second school in the nation to put on a production of Rent. Original cast member Anthony Rapp joins the cast on the closing night to sing the “Seasons of Love” finale.

• The SENIOR class leaves a 30-foot puma statue in Blair Circle on the last day of exams. SENIOR classes since then have yet to top this.

• The remnants of Hurricane Ike sweep through Cincinnati, causing widespread power outages and three straight “calamity days.”

• Ms. Shepherd marries and becomes Mrs. Wolfe, giving all of us a lesson about irony.

• The economy tanks. Good luck paying for college, kids.

• Mr. McCormick grows a beard.

• Uggs!!!!

8th grade

• Students come back from summer break with the solace of knowing how Harry Potter ends.

• Jeff Brokamp takes the reins as Walnut’s first alumnus to become its principal.

• Democratic and Republican primaries rag on, eventually leaving Barack Obama and John McCain to square off for the presidency.

• The first ever African Drum Ensemble performs.

• Girls 4x200 relay team wins the national championship.

Walnut Hills High School

Written by Joe Neidhard

Volume CVI.8

Timeline

The Chatterbox

Page 15

L I N E 11th grade

• Internet celebrity Darren Criss joins Glee and students remain enamored.

• ”The Mods” replaces “The Commons” in the Walnut lexicon.

• First ever 24-Hour Walkathon is held and raises $53,000.

• Chamber and Wind Ensembles perform at Carnegie hall.

• The Chatterbox makes an ill-fated switch to magazine format.

• The Reds make the playoffs for the first time since 1995.

• Finally caving to state requirements, economics is added to all underclassmen’s graduation requirements at the last minute. The class of 2012 is forced to scramble frantically to reconfigure their schedules.

• Dorinda “Adels” Adelman retires.

10th grade

12th Grade

• Glee premieres on Fox and enamors the student body.

• Season 3 of Glee is less funny; bored, students start reading The Hunger Games instead.

• The football team has its first .500 season in over a decade, finishing 5-5.

• Walnut suddenly becomes really good at sports: the football team goes 8-2 and appears in their first ever state playoff game, the men’s basketball team takes an 18-game winning streak into the city tournament.

• The marching band goes to London to perform in their annual New Years Day Parade.

• Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah. Roma-Roma-ma-ah. Ga-gaooh-la-la. Watch out, bad roh-oh-mance.

• The Universal Health Care Law is passed.

• Mr. Rucker brings another Rucker into the world.

Walnut Hills High School

• The Chatterbox becomes a class for the first time in ten years, and switches back to a newspaper layout.

• Random searches interrupt classes.

• NERF Wars heat up and distract half the SENIOR class from actual work.

• Yosh announces official retirement.

Illustrations by Jessica Fan

Volume CVI.8

Faculty Retirees

Page 16

Retirees of 2012

JENNA WEBER/CHATTERBOX

ROSANNE GULINO From a family of educators, Rosanne Gulino always thought that her mother’s work as a teacher was very important and therefore became one of the Walnut Hills alumni who became a teacher at her high school. Throughout the years of her experience as a student and an educator, she accrued degrees in Classics, Spanish and Classical Archaeology, and even lived in Rome! As a teacher she learned to expect the unexpected—such as learning from her students just as they have learned from her.

Fun Fact: Even after 24 years at Walnut and the technological advancements, Gulino still writes on her typewriter.

JENNA WEBER/CHATTERBOX

JOSH MEDRANO/CHATTERBOX

LINDA KIEFER A Walnut Hills alumna, Linda Kiefer returned to teach at her alma mater for 30 years after graduating from University of Cincinnati. Everyone told her that her patience would make her a great teacher, not to mention that she was raised by two herself. If she was not teaching now, you will probably find her searching for camps and murals from the 1930s, riding AMTRAK trains all over America, rollerblading, biking and/or swing dancing.

Quotable: “No matter where I end up, Walnut (and WHHS students) will always be #1 in my heart!”

JOSH MEDRANO/CHATTERBOX

KATHY SHOEMAKER Her father a renowned lieutenant governor, and her siblings consisting of educators, attorneys and lobbyists, Kathy Shoemaker became an English teacher to “give back.” Throughout her career she learned to respect all students, teachers, and everyone else that she meets. In addition, she embeds to the definition of a teacher a character similar to that of a mother, priest and nurse, and of a Walnut Hills High School student, “bright, ambitious...with a lot of potential.”

THOMAS WILGER Having taught for 25 years, Thomas Wilger considers teaching as the job he was destined for. Throughout his lifetime, he has held several jobs, from being a retailer to a greens keeper. After his retirement, he will be seen tutoring, backpacking, golfing, gardening, reading and/or baby-sitting ten grandchildren. His teaching career has also procured a lesson for him: “A man who finds something that he likes to do, that he is good at, and someone that will pay him for, is truly blessed.”

Trivia: In addition to her long career as a teacher, she also worked in her own company, for the Ohio Attorney-General and as a professional wedding photographer.

Quotable: “Gnothi s’auton. If you only listen to people you agree with, you are already as smart as you will ever be.”

Walnut Hills High School

Josh Medrano

The Chatterbox

DOMINICK CLARK/CHATTERBOX

JOAN PENNELL Joan Pennell will be reading, riding her bike and spending more time with her family after 25 years of teaching. A Michigan native, Pennell graduated from Michigan State University with a business major and Northern Kentucky with a Masters in Mathematics. Before moving to Walnut, she was concerned of “getting shot because I started in Detroit.” She defines a Walnut Hills High School student as someone who is “exceptional, comes to class, does homework and works really hard.”

Inspiration: “Look out for number 1, but don’t step in number 2.” - from Back to School

JENNA WEBER/CHATTERBOX

JOSEPH YOSHIMURA A Chicago native and Walnut teacher of 27 years, Joseph Yoshimura is regarded as a teacher of versatility: he teaches ethnic studies, officiates basketball tournaments, and umpires softball games. But frankly, most students will probably associate him with his Japanese ethnicity, short stature, and rambunctious personality. Throughout his years at Walnut, Yoshimura has come to define a teacher as someone who has these four things: “(1) knowledge of what you are teaching, (2) control of the class environment, (3) creativity and (4) you have to be a tad crazy!”

Plans after retirement: Drink large quantities of ice cold lemonade.

Volume CVI.8