Volume CVII, Issue 1
Walnut Hills High School
September 7, 2012
Walnut Hills’ renovation road
Welcome back, Walnut! A letter from the editors
Dear Walnut,
CHARILIE HATCH/CHATTERBOX
Garretson Oester, ‘14 On August 22, students arrived to the newly renovated Walnut Hills High School with excitement and anticipation as the North Wing of the school was opened for the first time in over a year. But it was a long road to get to the ‘new Walnut,’ which is now full of wireless internet access, school-wide air conditioning and completely remodeled classrooms. Perhaps the most noticeable change is in the aesthetic of the space. Rather than keeping the old blue walls and green trim, it was decided they would be replaced with white and yellow. The design has been redone to keep it “classically influenced,” according to Alumni Foundation Director Debbie Heldman, who is spearheading the process. Opinions about the design have been mixed; some students disapprove, like Frannie Comstock, ‘15, who simply said, “It’s gross.” Some students are indifferent, like SENIOR Zach Nicholas, “It’s very neutral.” And still others like the yellow color. Tangible improvements were also made over the summer, including the repaving of Blair Circle, the senior parking lot and the temporary staff lot behind the mods. This paving also included
the construction of an access road off Gilbert Avenue on the south side of campus, and the creation of another turn-around-circle south of the gym, where Ruth Ave runs into the SENIOR parking lot. The bell system has been the subject of discussion; its ring, which has been compared to a fog horn by AP Art History teacher Sarah Wilkinson, now sounds more like a train whistle varying in volume. In some rooms, like 2301, it is nonexistent, but in others, like art teacher Don Stocker’s, it is, according to Rachel Knobloch, ‘14, “obnoxiously loud.” AP Statistics teacher Mr. Wathen recorded the bell himself, finding the ring in his classroom to be 105 decibels. An unexpected glitch that occurred was the discovery of mold growing in rooms 8400 and 8402, Mod D, which were vandalized over the summer. Their windows were broken. The mold was still visible on August 15th when the English help sessions were occurring. Due to construction schedule changes, the teachers have had their timeline shifted around. Teachers expected to get access to the building sometime in July. The first day teachers were able to come in and set up their rooms
was August 15. On August 16th, a dump truck left the work site and hit a power line that transversed Blair Avenue, snapping a power pole and bringing the wires down. This shut down much of the neighborhood and the Walnut Hills High School campus. Construction ground to a halt.Two days later the final push to prepare the campus for occupancy was underway. A clean-up day was held from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM by the Parent Board, and it was attended by around 60 people. Students, parents and even grandparents worked mulching and trimming in Blair Circle, weeding, cutting back brush and mulching on the Sulsar Ave hillside and cleaning the interior of the Arts and Science Building, so “we don’t inhale dust for the first two weeks,” according to Gabbie Brokamp, ‘14, a Student Coordinator of the event. Parent Alex Stillpass was busy too, grilling hot dogs and hamburgers for the volunteers. At the end of the event, it was deemed a success by Parent Board President Susan Shelton. The first phase is complete after almost a year. Next up, the new music wing and gym which are slated to open in October.
Walnut24: back and better than ever Jaylen Hill, ‘13
Walnut Hills’ annual fundraiser is back with more events than ever this year. On September 29, Walnut24 will be held for the third time at the Marx Stadium from 9 AM to 9 PM. This year, the “24” no longer stands for twenty-four hours, but for the twenty-four activities to be held during the event. These include board games,
athletic competitions and the main event: a 2.5 K walk/run around the entire school. Each competition has a prize for the winner, and the top prize this year is a brand new iPad. If anyone gets hungry amidst the excitement, there will be food trucks prepared to serve throughout the day. The goal is to raise $100,000 to support Walnut’s clubs, sports, music and drama programs and
http://my.hsj.org/chatterbox
all other art/music/sport related activities. If every student raises at least $50, the school will be very close to reaching the goal. There will also be an after-party held on the field until 11 PM with live entertainment. And no worries, the inflatable bouncy houses will be making a return. For more information, visit www.walnut24.com. Come and support the school!
While it’s welcome back for most of us, because of this ongoing renovation, even SENIORS are going to have trouble getting to classes (It’s not just the Effies this time). To help you, this issue contains articles that address all unfamiliar, as well as familiar, aspects of Walnut that you’ll need to know to get you through the next few months. As the year continues and everyone adjusts to the changes coming to the school, the Chatterbox will continue to be committed to writing the most interesting and newsworthy articles. For the second year in a row, the Chatterbox is a student-run newspaper, entirely written, edited and designed by members of the News Production class and the Chatterbox club. While anyone may contribute to the
Chatterbox, it is intended to be the voice of the students, and as such has protection under the first amendment and is not subject to prior review by school officials. If you’re interested in contributing to the Chatterbox this year, feel free to visit us during any lunch in room 2307 (Mrs. Gerwe-Perkins’ room), or email us at <cboxwalnut@gmail.com>. We look forward to covering topics such as the renovation, the upcoming election, and everything else that’s happening this year—including, of course, the imminent end of the world. Jonah Roth and Charlie Hatch Editors-in-Chief Emily Friedman Senior Managing Editor Garretson Oester Junior Managing Editor
Back-to-School Features Tips for 7th and 8th graders Getting used to being an Eagle
2
Frequently Asked Questions of 2012-13 Even the SENIORS need help getting to class this year
2
Walnut Hills Calendar Days off, dances, and more
2
Back-to-School Style Outfits and trends to start the year
3
Eagle Tips You Need to Know Making the most of life at Walnut Hills
3
Fine Arts Calendar What’s playing this year
3
Fall Sports Review New year, new conference
4
Cartoon Corner What’s next for the renovation
4
From Broadway to Walnut Godspell rehearsals begin
4
Jonah Roth and Charlie Hatch, Editors-in-Chief
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