The Chatterbox - Mar. 24, 2016 - CXI.11

Volume CXI, Issue 11

The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School

Friday March 24, 2017

2017-2018 Student Congress Executive Board

President: Sarvani Vemuri Vice President:

Eva Mazzola Secretary/Treasurer:

Molly Wimberg Technology Manager:

Alexis Mack

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

Isaac Smitherman

Bengy Mitchell

Yousif Munir

Julia Berman

President

President

Emmanuel Gebremeskel

President

President

Sloane Harris

Zuri Williams

President

Joseph Moliterno

Sophia Rooksberry

Vice President

Alma Russell

Vice President

Vice President

Iris Borgert

Vice President

MaKenzi Banks

Elsie Manolis

Treasurer

Esme Wright

Treasurer

Treasurer

Anna Walters

Treasurer

Katherine Fixler

Taylin Ware

Secretary

Piper Johnson

Secretary

Secretary

Vice President

Arushi Agrawal Treasurer

Kendall Young Secretary

Secretary

SPORTS

MARCH 24, 2017

PAGE 2

WHHSCBOX.COM

SECTION EDITOR: EMMA FARRELL

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Meet the new WHHS athletic director: Stephen Ellison

CAMILLE WILLIAMS/CHATTERBOX

Michael Sweeney, 17 Starting July 1, 2017, WHHS welcomes new athletic director and alumni, Stephen Ellison. Ellison, a WHHS 2005 graduate, is coming over to WHHS after spending the past four years at Woodward Technical High School. He will be replacing Athletic Director Tom Donnelly, who was able to expand the WHHS athletic program and grow the number of participants in his years in the position.

As Ellison is already familiar with the WHHS culture, he brings a different perspective on new innovations and ideas for the program.

“I would like to introduce new technology to engage fans and community, and improve the ‘game day experience’ for fans,” Ellison said, when asked what he may introduce.

As a former graduate, Ellison believes he will be able to relate to the student experience at WHHS. “The culture and dynamic at Walnut is very unique and it takes someone that has lived the ‘Walnut Experience’ to understand that dynamic. Starting at Walnut as an Effie, [or] seventh grader, and spending my most formative years walking these hallways, I feel that not only do I

know what it takes to be a student, but [I feel that I also know what it takes to be a] successful student athlete. Having first hand knowledge gives me insight on what it takes to excel in the classroom and on the field, allowing me to cater to the specific needs of a student that participates in athletics,” Ellison said.

Coming back to his former school also brings back a memorable experience, as Ellison recalls his favorite memory: “My favorite sports memory would have to be my senior year when one of our basketball playoff games fell on the same night as senior dinner dance. The senior class wanted to support the basketball team so everyone decided to skip the senior dinner dance and attend the playoff game instead,” he said.

During his tenure at Woodward High School, Ellison was able to expand a previously small Athletic Department, and create a winning culture in the school. He even recognized that WHHS’ Ath-

letic Program has grown significantly since he was a student here.

“Walnut athletics has grown tremendously within the past 5 years.

With this rapid growth, numbers and participation have increased. I feel we have a perfect opportunity to build upon what is already in place, while establishing successful and consistent winning programs for years to come,” Ellison said.

He also wants to introduce new traditions to an already culturally diverse school.

“The biggest thing that would allow our teams to take ownership and pride in being a part of Walnut, would be for all of our teams and students to know our school song and be able to sing that song at the end of each game.”

As WHHS transitions, we are seeing a new voice enter with an exceptional energy, a conscience of tradition and a strive towards excellence; I will be the first of many to welcome back Stephen Ellison to the WHHS family.

Introducing the Cincinnati Jr. Rowing Club Ryleigh Sanborn ‘21 For the past 16 years, the Cincinnati Jr. Rowing Club (CJRC) has been the regional champion of rowing, as well as one of the best in the city. CJRC is a competitive rowing team that offers an opportunity for all high-school-age students to begin rowing without any prior experience. CJRC practices three out of the four seasons, with re-

gattas in both spring and fall, during which they practice six days a week on the Licking River in Newport, KY. During the winter, rowers have the opportunity to take part in indoor conditioning, which ends with a race between rowers on machines called ergs.

There are also nationals in the summer for more advanced rowers.

“There’s an incredible team aspect and you really learn to work with others in an

effective way. [But] you don’t have much free time; balancing school and rowing can be difficult,” Zoe Noble, ‘19, said.

As well as many WHHS rowers, CJRC has students from all over the Cincinnati area, including St. Xavier, Moeller and Ursuline.

“Rowing will change your life; it will be the best decision you will ever make; it takes time but that time is spent with people who will become your family,” SE-

NIOR Haley Hauser said, on why students should think about giving rowing a shot.

Hauser, who plans on rowing at Stanford as a member of their lightweight team, is just one of the many CJRC rowers to go on to row in college, including places such as Yale, Brown and Columbia University.

The Catch

Drive

Drive

The Finish

For questions regarding CJRC and rowing in general, you can learn more at <www.CJRC.us>.

CAMILLE WILLIAMS/CHATTERBOX

Winter Sports Standings Men’s Swimming

200 Yard Individual Medley 1. Nicholas Purple/Seven Hills 2. Tindar Cyr/Seven Hills 3. Dan Cashell/Walnut Hills 4. Henry Marquardt/Seven Hills 26. Aaron Sequeira/Walnut Hills 33. Isaiah Valentine/Walnut Hills 36. Will Berlage/Walnut Hills 37. Ethan Willbrand/Walnut Hills

Time: 1:55.90 1:57.29 1:57.74 1:57.76 2:07.46 2:08.56 2:09.25 2:09.39

Women’s Swimming

ECC Conference Men’s Bowling

Avg. Score: 225.9 1. Evan Haas/Mason 222.5 2. Nic Huber/Amelia 219.9 3. Travis Boehl/Northwest 217.1 4. Adam Roberts/Ross 217.0 5. Steven Elgowsky/Cooper 110. Nicholas Wheeler/Walnut Hills 181.0 173.9 138. Jason Rigney/Walnut Hills 143. Jack Langenderfer/Walnut Hills 172.4

Women’s Bowling

Time: 100 Yard Freestyle 0:49.46 1. Ashley Volpenhein/Mason 1. Kaylee Hitt/Campbell County 0:49.53 2. Cora Dupre/Mariemont 2. Kara Strong/Boone County 0:52.46 3. Ashley Voelkerding/St. Ursula 3. Courtney Chaffin/Glen Este 0:52.49 4. Lainey Newman/Mariemont 4. Paige Weitz/Sycamore 0:52.81 5. Allison Bloebaum/Mason 5. Sophia Fisher/Northwest 0:54.63 21. Emma Reed/Walnut Hills 6. Mary Hein/Oak Hills 0:55.99 35. Shelby Ewing/Walnut Hills 7. Taylor Evans/Boone County 0:57.43 48. Esme Wright/Walnut Hills 69. Hannah Freeman/Walnut Hills Standings compiled from http://preps.cincinnati.com/ by Aaron Espelage, ‘18

Avg. Score: 201.6 199.0 197.8 197.7 193.2 189.2 189.0 157.7

Men’s Basketball 1. Walnut Hills 2. Withrow 3. Glen Este 4. Loveland 5. Anderson 6. Kings 7. Milford 8. Turpin

Overall: 18-7 16-9 12-11 10-13 10-13 10-14 8-15 6-17

Conference: 12-2 9-5 7-7 7-7 6-8 6-8 5-9 4-10

Women’s Basketball Overall: Conference: 1. Walnut Hills 2. Kings 3. Glen Este 4. Turpin 5. Loveland 6. Withrow 7. Milford 8. Anderson

17-6 19-6 17-8 17-8 9-14 12-11 8-15 1-22

11-3 11-3 10-4 10-4 6-8 4-10 4-10 0-14

VIEWPOINTS

WHHSCBOX.COM

MARCH 24, 2017

PAGE 3

SECTION EDITOR: ALLISON MEIER

CINCINNATI, OHIO

The future of free press in the era of Trump Nick Robertson, ‘19 The First Amendment in the Constitution of the United States says, “Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom ... of the press...” It could not be more plain or simple. A member of the press has the right to report on an event freely as long as the report is factually accurate. President Donald Trump and his administration have shown that they do not see it that way.

Trump and his staff have done everything in their power to discredit, control and manipulate the media ever since Trump’s presidential campaign began in June of 2015.

“You are fake news;” One of Trump’s most famous quotes, blurted out while a CNN reporter asked him a question at a press conference, summarizes his ideology perfectly. The Trump administration has declared war on the media. Trump even called them “the enemy of the people.” He has attacked nearly every news organization that has run a negative story of him, from the “failing” New York Times, to the “rigged” polls, Trump has done his best to tell people that the media’s negative stories of him are lies and should not be read. He is attempting to intentionally mislead the American people to make himself look better and to raise his approval ratings. Even Fox News’ Shepard Smith, a host on the country’s most conservative major media network, defended CNN’s journalistic practices, saying, “CNN’s reporting was not fake news.

Its journalists followed the same standards to which other news organizations, including Fox News, adhere.” At every opportunity throughout his campaign and presidency, Trump has blamed the “mainstream media” for his low polls and many of the scandals surrounding him, making the “MSM” a popular scapegoat among Trump’s supporters. Trump’s administration is the worst for free press since that of Richard Nixon, and perhaps all of American history.

Sean Spicer, Trump’s Press Secretary, has repeatedly lashed out at reporters during press conferences and has lied to the press.

The outbursts have become so common that they were even satirized on Saturday Night Live by Melissa McCarthy. He falsified a ter-

later. It’s all about making the most noise to rally the base, and then slowly controlling the fallout until a new claim can be made.

The purpose of the Trump campaign, and now the Trump Administration, is not to inform the American people, but to mislead it while discrediting all that oppose its views.

As an example, the Trump campaign hailed the unemployment reports released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as “fake news” and “completely false” when they showed figures of a booming economy under Obama, such as a low 4.7 percent unemployment rate in December, the best of Obama’s two terms.

Once Trump took office, the tables turned, and the numbers became “wonderful” and “proof of the president’s success,” despite following the same trends and under the same policies of Obama. Trump is essentially calling everything that looks bad for him “fake” or “lies,” and everything good, no matter how minor or hypocritical, “huge”, “wonderful” and “amazing.”

This again proves the unscrupulous deception of Donald Trump and his cohorts.

The freedom of the press has been assaulted by the Presidency of Donald J. Trump, and it appears that it will continue.

Trump lauded the American Health Care Act, sometimes referred to as TrumpCare or RyanCare, a bill that cannot be passed due to its many flaws and has been labeled “dead on arrival.” Trump has used his position as the center of attention in the media to turn the American people against the very body that brings them news of Trump.

This strategy has sometimes worked, causing record increases in traffic to sites such as InfoWars and Breitbart, far-right news sources that are praised by Trump. On the contrary, papers like the New York Times and Washington Post, two of Trump’s harshest critics, have also seen record subscription increases, showing that the American people will not give up their first amendment rights.

It is the responsibility of every single American, no matter their political affiliation, to look past the smoke and mirrors of the Trump media circus and see the truth: an entire administration built on lies and hysteria, with no real policy to back it up.

COURTESY OF GAGE SKIDMORE

President Donald Trump speaks at a rally during his campaign. His campaign, and now his administrtion, have been noted for multiple inaccuraies and exaggerations. rorist attack, claiming that one occurred in Atlanta, GA, though one never did. He repeatedly endorses the false statements from Trump, even if he is directly countered by journalists in the room. Spicer even held a private press conference, barring many journalists from media outlets seen as “unfriendly” to the administration. The small meeting, led by Spicer, barred CNN, The New York Times, Politico and many other sources from receiving information from Spicer.

The Trump Administration came under heavy fire from the media and the public for what has been viewed as a legal hampering of the freedom of the press.

Kellyanne Conway, Counsel to the President, was Trump’s third and final campaign manager during the 2016 election. She has been the subject of numerous scandals, mostly stemming from her numerous interviews on nearly every major cable news station, including Fox News, CNN and MSNBC. Conway is one of Trump’s staunchest defenders on television and a master of deflecting questions. She became famous after coining the term “alternative facts” during an MSNBC interview and inventing the “Bowling Green Massacre,” a terrorist attack that never

happened. After both of these blatant lies, many shows refused to book Conway, citing her shaky record. After taking a brief hiatus from television interviews, Sean Spicer commenting that she was “being counseled” by the administration, Conway went back to her old ways, seemingly making up “facts” as she went through her interviews. Following Trump’s claim that President Obama wiretapped his Trump Tower phone lines, another one of his false claims, Conway backed up her boss, saying that Obama spied on people through their microwaves.

Later that same day, during a different interview, she defended herself; “I’m not Inspector Gadget, I don’t believe people are using the microwave to spy on the Trump campaign. However, I’m not in the job of having evidence; that’s what investigations are for.” Conway’s denial of evidence only backs up many people’s claims that Conway lies on the spot during interviews. Then, she makes up evidence to manipulate viewers before cleaning up loose ends in later interviews, like the one quoted above. This is common practice for all of Trump’s advisors: a simple policy of making a claim now, and fixing the issues

“You are fake news.”

-Donald Trump

Wally Hill: Raising concerns for Brokamp’s successor Wally Hill For as long as I’ve roamed these halls, Jeffrey Brokamp has ruled from the main office. For six years, I’ve been among his “boys and girls,” and it’s with a great deal of sadness that I realize this—that my class will be the last one under the Bald Eagle’s reign. It’s truly the end of an era, a break in WHHS’s rule by the Brokamp scholastic dynasty.

But of course, with this goodbye comes new beginnings. Change is life’s only certainty, and the advent of a new principal certainly would suggest that change at WHHS

is imminent. The question must be asked, however— what sort of expectations do we, as a community, have for Brokamp’s successor?

I’m not sure about the students, but it would seem that CPS wants a literal superhuman to take Brokamp’s place. The list of required skills, knowledge and responsibilities that CPS demands of our next principal is a mile long—and most of it is just maintaining WHHS’s status quo. Promoting a multicultural environment, maintaining our visual arts program, ensuring an academically rigorous program—a tall order for school executive hopefuls, perhaps,

but it’s what we’re used to at WHHS. Also, they should have some sort of doctoral degree, a master’s at minimum—which I suppose is a reasonable request for the future top dog of Cincinnati’s best public school.

What do the students want of our new supreme leader? Like I said, I’m actually not sure yet, but the search team is probably trying to figure that out. I think I can spare them the work though—we probably want someone who’s a steadfast supporter of paper towels and freedom of expression through clothing. Just a guess. I get the sense that those issues aren’t exactly CPS’s prior-

ity, but perhaps it’s how it should be. Still, though... bring back those paper towels, new principal, whoever you are, if only to spare future generations from the empty campaign promises of student leaders. We literally care about nothing else anymore. Just those forbidden, scratchy, moisture-absorbing towels.

For dry hands everywhere, Wally Hill

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 administra-

tors are encouraged to use this publication as a forum to express any ideas or concerns, whether they be personal or of local, national, or international scope.

Journalists are required to work under established guidelines. Invasion of privacy as a means of news gathering is prohibited. Articles found to be discriminatory, libelous, or unnecessarily obscene (as determined by the editors or the advisor) will not be published. Finally, journalists are granted the right to keep private the name of a source from whom they received

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.

Augusta Battoclette Editor-in-Chief Ibrahim Munir Managing Editor of News and Features

Maham Usmani Managing Editor of Student Life

Ashwini Kamath Managing Editor of Opinions

Hannah Bundschuh Managing Editor of Visual Elements

Pavan Yaddanapudi Business Manager

Nick Robertson Online Content Manager

Samantha Gerwe-Perkins Adviser

Dawn Wolfe Adviser

NEWS

MARCH 24, 2017

PAGE 4

WHHSCBOX.COM

SECTION EDITOR: MATTHEW YOUKILIS

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Government surveillance within the CIA 2017? More like 1984

PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The website Wikileaks, created in Iceland by the organisation Sunshine Press, claims a database of 10 million documents in the 10 years since its launch. in 2006.

Pavan Yaddanapudi, ‘17 Amanda Anderson, ‘19 It’s official: the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) can hack into your TV. Within limits, “the CIA could only allegedly hack [a TV] by using a USB device, and the supposed hack could be removed by unplugging,” according to Bustle.

On Tuesday, March 7, WikiLeaks published 8,761 files of sensitive information from the CIA, according to The Guardian.

WikiLeaks is an organization that collects and publishes censored information on topics ranging from governmental corruption to spying practices through a network of anonymous sources.

The leaked files, now being called “Vault 7,” contained information on a CIA program called Weeping Angel and the location of an undercover base at the US consulate in Frankfurt, Germany.

The Weeping Angel program, exposed by the leak, highlights the intelligence agency’s ability to remotely control an electronic appliance, such as the Samsung F8000 television. They can then use the appliance to eavesdrop on a conversation, according to The Washington Post.

The released documents also revealed common CIA practices at the United States consulate in Frankfurt, Germany. CIA operatives working under the Center for Cyber

Intelligence are given diplomatic passports and State Department credentials in order to bypass security clearances at German airports and conduct surveillance operations at the CIA base, according to The Guardian.

The CIA’s current operations require more technology than ever before.

Alex Finley of Politico Magazine maintains that “the agency began to trade concealment devices and human sources for military hardware” subsequently after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In this way, Finley says that the CIA has made a drastic change from using the traditional intelligence methods of the 20th century, to using the latest intelligence technology and resources to spy on targets globally.

No longer is there just one enemy such as the Soviet Union during the Cold War and Nazi Germany during World War II. Rather, there are enemies around the world covered under the CIA’s global war on terror. Essentially, the CIA has adapted to meet the needs of the times due to the ever-changing geopolitical landscape by relying heavily on technology and cyber attack capabilities.

However, this change does not have everyone feeling comfortable, especially privacy advocates and technology companies.

In a statement to The Sun, Samsung, a technology company, said, “Protecting consumers’ privacy and the security of our devices is a top priority at Samsung.”

How many camera equipped devices do you have in your home?

Do you believe that your personal devices can be surveilled without your consent?

Samsung went on to say that it would be monitoring the situation closely.

Additionally, a privacy rights group called Privacy International, said in a statement to The Washington Post that “insufficient security protections in the growing amount of devices connected to the internet [give]... governments easier access to [individuals’] private lives.”

NSA whistleblower, Edward Snowden, responded to the “Vault 7” leaks by calling the CIA hacking practices “reckless beyond words.” Snowden is well known for leaking classified materials on surveillance programs in the U.S. before he received asylum in Russia.

In late 2015, television talk show host John Oliver hosted an entire episode dedicated to the discussion of government surveillance. In the episode, Oliver flew to Moscow to meet with Snowden and discuss the classified information he had revealed.

During the interview, Oliver showed Snowden a video in which American passers-by were asked their opinion of video surveillance and Snowden.

This was met with looks of confusion and phrases such as “I have no idea.”

Based on the video provided by the Oliver, it seems as though the American citizens are relatively uninformed about the topic of government surveillance. This trend is consistent among Walnut Hills High School students.

In a recent survey of 140 Walnut Hills stu-

dents, 68.8 percent of students said that they considered themselves somewhat informed when it came to dealings of national security.

However, 13 percent of all students polled believe that there is no possible way that their personal devices can be accessed and surveilled.

Many, including Snowden himself, think that people are unaware of surveillance because politicians simply refuse to address it as a serious issue.

In 2014, Barack Obama briefly addressed the issue of mass surveillance and condemned the NSA for the dangers that it posed on civil liberties. However, this was still seen as under-acknowledged and deliberately vague.

Many, including 89.1 percent of students polled, believe that surveillance is something that needs to be addressed more by politicians.

At this point, it is up to the American citizens to decide whether the leaks were warranted, and the type of change they would like to see in the intelligence community.

The coming generations of young individuals will determine the policy agendas and political actions to tackle issues such as government surveillance and mass intelligence leaks. That is why it is important for WHHS students to discuss the nature of government surveillance and what it means for the future of privacy rights in order to contribute to a positive, informed solution.

How informed do you consider yourself when it comes to the dealings of national security?

Do you believe that your devices SHOULD be able to be surveilled without your consent?

WHHSCBOX.COM

PEANUTS

CINCINNATI, OHIO

MARCH 24, 2017

PAGE 5

SECTION EDITORS: CAROLINE HORVATH

Bald peanuts shave the day

HANNAH REINHARDT/CHATTERBOX

Thomas Graves, ‘21, has his head shaved at the St. Baldrick’s event at WHHS. Graves was not planning on shaving his head until last minute when he started asking his friends for donations

EMMA HEINES/CHATTERBOX

Atticus Hoover, ‘21, gets his head shaved for the first time at St. Baldricks. His mother was sad to see his luscious locks go, but cancer is a very important cause to him and his family.

Caroline Horvath, ‘20 Caroline Horvath, ‘20: Why did you decide to shave your head at St. Baldricks?

Thomas Graves, ‘21: It’s a really good cause.

CH: Did you raise money? How? TG: Yes, I asked my friends [and] I raised $50.

CH: How did you feel afterwards?

TG: I felt pretty good. I know people who have been affected with cancer, so I feel like I helped them in a way.

CH: What are the pros of having your head shaved?

TG: You never get hot when wearing hats.

CH: How do your parents feel?

TG: They knew it was a good cause, so they [were] cool with it.

CH: What are the challenges of having your head shaved?

TG: There are not really any challenges.

CH: How are you going to encourage younger students to shave their heads?

TG: I will tell them that there are a bunch of kids our age out there that do not have the ability to choose whether or not they [can] shave their heads. They probably feel like outcasts, and by shaving our heads, we raise money and also have bald heads.

Camille Williams, ‘18

about $98.

Camille Williams, ‘18: Why did you decide to get your head shaved?

Atticus Hoover, ‘21: My uncle had leukemia, so my family has been touched by cancer, so I’ve always wanted to do something about it. And also, a lot of my friends were doing it, so I wanted to do it, too.

CW: How did you prepare for the head shaving, mentally and/or physically?

AH: I didn’t really care that my head was going to be shaved, but my mom was really scared. So she stayed up the night before, just playing with my hair, which was kind of creepy.

CW: How did you raise money for St. Baldricks?

AH: I asked my mom to put something on FaceBook about it and got $52 from that. Then, I went around being annoying to people, asking if they want to buy a ticket to shave my head. I raised

CW: Was she scared something would go wrong?

AH: No, she just really likes my hair.

pliments from it; I’ve gotten some people saying, ‘thank you for helping with cancer’. After the event, I did go home and actually shaved my head, because I wanted to see what it was like when it was completely smooth.

CW: With a razor? Like, the kind people use to shave their legs?

AH: Yeah, and it hurt when it was growing back.

CW:Would you get your head shaved again next year?

AH: Oh, I’m doing it next year.

CW: Have you experienced any benefits since getting your head shaved?

AH: I’ve gotten a lot of com-

Students slay at science fair

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KAYLA REIDY The eighth grade honors students pose together at the UC District Science Fait. “It was really fun at the district competition because afterwards we all got lunch together, and it was really fun to talk about our judges and everything with each other,” Aliza Campbell, ‘18, said.

Camille Williams, ‘18 Shiv Malhotra, ‘20 On March 11, 28 students with 24 projects broke away from the classroom and simulated the career of a scientist as they traveled to the University of Cincinnati’s (UC) Science Fair and Engineering Expo. The district science fair precedes students’ common goal: to reach the Ohio State Science Fair in Columbus.

In order for students to reach the state level, they must participate and receive a “superior” rating at the district level. 13 students received this honor, and are eligible to compete at the state level on May 13.

Four particularly successful students, Ajai Nelson, Aliza Campbell, Charlotte Adams and Kayla Reidy, ‘21, also have the opportunity to win a $25,000 scholarship.

“It was an awesome year for science fair. Walnut Hills was wellrepresented,” 8-Honors science teacher Dominic Lovaglio said.

All but one of the students who participated are part of 8-Honors, which requires all students to participate at the WHHS science fair on February 2. As part of the project, students design an experiment to answer a scientific question of their choice. Students then showcase their project board, complete with

graphs and data, to three expert judges from all around the tri-state area. They are ranked on a scale of good, excellent and superior.

Out of the 28 students who travelled to the state fair, Nelson, Campbell, Adams and Reidy were selected to participate in the Broadcom Masters Program. The program narrows the top 10 percent of middle school science projects to 30 finalists, who compete for various awards, the biggest being a $25,000 scholarship.

“I was honestly really excited about that, because I put so much effort into this project, and it was cool to see that it paid off,” said Kayla Reidy, ‘21.

Reidy was chosen out of 400 students to discuss her project on Fox 19 News. Reidy tested which of 7 different cleaning products is best to remove peanut residue, and if different surface materials have an effect on the outcome. Her project is inspired by her own peanut allergy.

“I found out about my allergy in third grade, because one of my classmates brought back some candy from Mexico that apparently had peanuts in it,” Reidy said.

“I wasn’t expecting [the scholarship] because I didn’t get very good scores at the first [science fair], so I’m pretty excited that I got better scores and that I

got nominated for [the scholarship],” Aliza Campbell, ‘21, said.

Campbell constructed scale models of three different types of skyscrapers to see which style could withstand the most wind. She is looking forward to the state competition.

“I’m hoping I’ll win another scholarship, because there are other schools you can win a scholarships to in the state competition if I don’t want to go to UC,” Campbell said.

Groups are not eligible for several scholarships. Still, one group from WHHS, Tamar Sella and Reilly Curp, ‘21, will continue on to the state competition.

They studied the effects of betacarotene, the vitamin that makes oranges and carrots orange, on crown gall, a type of plant cancer.

“We were really interested in cancer in the first place since it affects so many people today.

We wanted to study it in a way which we don’t actually harm animals or humans,” Sella, ‘21, said.

Students often come across barriers acquiring research and tools to conduct their experiments.

“We had to get a permit from the FDA to get the bacteria and that was a struggle. We had a tube of culture and you put a needle in it and stab the plants,” Curp, ‘21, said.

The next step after state science fair for participants is nationals in DC.

Time is running out to purchase a yearbook!

There are only a few 2016-2017 yearbooks left. Order yours online now for $75.

Remembrancer 2016-2017

To purchase a yearbook...

•Go to <www.walnuthillseagles.com>

•Scroll to the bottom of the homepage to where it says “Order your yearbook now”

OR

•Go to <www.jostens.com/yearbook> •Click the button that says “Shop yearbooks” •Search for Walnut Hills High School

MARCH 24, 2017

PAGE 6

Ohio, this is not okay.

Jessica Moteleb, ‘19

ARCADE

WHHSCBOX.COM

SECTION EDITOR: SARAH HANSEN

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Sudoku Sarah Hansen, ‘17 Answers to all puzzles and games can be found online at <whhscbox.com>.

Where are the sporks, Walnut?!

Leo Martini, ‘17

PROM 2017

FEATURES

MRCH 24, 2017

PAGE 8

WHHSCBOX.COM

SECTION EDITOR: MATTHEW YOUKILIS

CINCINNATI, OHIO

WHHS goes bald, raises money for cancer research

EMMA HEINES/CHATTERBOX

WHHS alumna Kimberly Knight, ‘96, and her son, Owen Knight, brave the shave.

Grace Berding, ‘19 Augusta Battoclette, ‘17 On Friday, March 17, 33 WHHS students supported the fight against childhood cancer by participating in an event known as St. Baldrick’s.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation was started in 2000 by three colleagues who wanted to find a way to give back to society. Originally, the goal was shaving 17 heads and raising $17,000 to fund the research of the Children’s Oncology Group, but $104,000 ended up being raised, with 19 heads turned bald. Since then, the event has grown to raise over 200 million dollars since 2005.

At WHHS, the event took place in the senior high gym during all

three lunches. Participants were seated facing the stands where students were watching, and those drawn to shave each participant’s’ head got started. While heads were being shaved, host SENIOR Julius Freeman and coordinator and chair of St. Baldrick’s at WHHS SENIOR Emily Koslovsky spoke on the mic system to onlooking students. Koslovsky also got her head shaved last year during the St. Baldrick’s event.

At one point, Koslovsky introduced her younger sister, Kate, who had stage four Neuroblastoma.

“What [is a] better way to give back because she’s now five years in remission,” Koslosky said.

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Morgan Sippel, ‘18, gets her head shavved. SENIOR Sophia Mousie’s head was shaved by SENIOR Deven Frison.

After most of their hair was shaved off, participants went to a second station where workers from Sport Clips cleaned them up.

“We are here to monitor everything, clean stuff up and make sure everything is done in a nice, safe way. After they’re done, we clean up so they don’t look completely [like] a mess,” Sport Clips stylist Missy Collins said.

Participant Mackenzie Herrlinger, ‘19, had a personal reason for shaving her head: “I decided to shave my head because of my cousin Trevor who has cancer,” she said.

Many other students had personal connections to cancer as well.

“My grandpa had cancer two years ago, but he’s in remission

now, and so I have firsthand experience with that and I can’t imagine what it would be like to have that happen [to me] as a child,” participant Maddie Schade, ‘19, said.

Whether they have been personally affected by cancer, many WHHS students came to support the cause and cheer on their friends.

“I came out to support my friends that were getting shaved, and to just enjoy the fun environment for a good cause,” Bengy Mitchell, ‘19, said.

Kimberly Knight, WHHS class of 1996 alumna brought her eight year old son, Owen Knight, from Columbus so both could participate in St. Baldrick’s.

“It’s a way to say ‘thank you’ to

the universe for allowing me to have a healthy kid, and celebrating that, and to also help the global community take care of other moms who aren’t so lucky by giving money to a cause that is going to help find cures for the cancers that kids have,” she said.

She was also amazed at the quality of the event compared to others she had been to.

Owen was enthusiastic and felt confident about getting his head shaved.

“Rock the bald!” he said.

With the help of the school community, the WHHS St. Baldrick’s event raised over $10,000 to help childhood cancer.

Breaking down barriers brings down the house

Pictured above are SENIOR Bethany Hickman and Essenam Lamewona, ‘18, performing a spoken word at the talent showcase.

Krishyra Mitchell, ‘17 Kayla Murrell, ‘17 Tensions are high as a group of performers gather around holding each other’s hands and bowing their heads in a group prayer just minutes before the start of the Breaking Down the Barriers Talent Showcase. With a bustling crowd and nervous performers, the Black Culture Club-led showcase was ready to commence.

The Fifth Annual Black Culture Club Breaking Down the Barriers Showcase occurred on Thursday, March 16. What started out as a small fundraiser to fund BCC activities while also showcasing the talent of WHHS students has quickly grown into one of the most anticipated events of the year.

Performances ranging from singing, dancing, rapping and many others took the stage by storm and had the crowd up on their feet the whole night.

Bands such as The School-

yard and The Vaudevilles put on a musical performance utilizing a variety of instruments including the drums, guitar, piano and trumpet. The Schoolyard performed two of their original songs.

Several students brought down the house by showcasing their different perspectives on what it means to be black. Many shared the limitations they personally felt as a result of being black in today’s society.

Many students helped host and plan the event including Taija Davis, ‘19, CJ Robinson, ‘18, and SENIORs Gabby Lowry and Darryl Whitehead, as well as co-director SENIORs Mycah Faison and La’shance Perry.

These students have helped the event grow substantially in recent years. Many have been surprised by the growth of the showcase which had 30 performers this year, double from last year.

“After the first year, it took off.

Everyone wanted to be a part of it, everyone wanted to see it. And now

SENIOR Kayla Fiasco performs a jazz dance at the Breaking Down the Barriers Talent Showcase. it’s this big annual thing,” Faison, co-director of the showcase, said.

Lots of summer planning and preparation goes into making this completely student-run event happen every year.

“It’s a lot of collaboration between departments. We’ve had to meet with the administrators. I’ve had to meet with the Treasurer, the music department [and] the theatre department,’’ Faison said.

“We recruited four administrators to help us with that process.

We put it online and set it up to where people could sign up on the sign up sheet. They picked the day and time they wanted to audition and came and introduced their act. And we had the computers for the judges where they could put in their votes and rate how well they think they did. Our decisions were made on how high your scores were from all the judges,” Perry, Co-President of BCC and co-director of the showcase, said about the three day long audition process.

“It was so hard to do, there was a lot of good talent,” both Perry and Faison said about picking performers within the ranges of talent that auditioners had.

For those who do not want to exhibit their talents, there are always spots backstage helping with sound, lights and ushering.

“There are so many other ways to get involved without being on the stage,” Faison said.

However, the co-directors strongly believe that everyone should try to show their talents. When asked if they had any advice for students who want to participate next year, Perry said, “Don’t be afraid and don’t wait until the last minute.”

This sentiment of supporting those brave enough to showcase their beliefs and talents has helped the event thrive, creating a night to remember for both performers and spectators.

SENIOR Tye Cobb performs an original rap at the talent showcase.

PHOTOS BY KAYLA MURRELL/CHATTERBOX