The Chatterbox - Sept. 22, 2017 - CXII.02

Volume CXII, Issue #2

The student news publication of Walnut Hills High School

Friday September 22, 2017

We are Walnut, we are one

This issue we dedicate in loving memory to SENIOR Justin Fu. Gone but never forgotten, Justin remains forever in our hearts.

PHOTO CREDITS CAROLINE HORVATH/CHATTERBOX MOLLY JOHNSTON/CHATTERBOX HAYDEN WILLHITE/CHATTERBOX SOFIA TOLLEFSON/CHATTERBOX

OPINIONS

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

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SECTION EDITOR: NICK ROBERTSON

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CINCINNATI, OHIO

Honors becoming a relic of the past Delaney Owens, ‘21 The eighth and ninth grade Honors program is a long standing tradition at WHHS. Although the system has good intentions, it no longer fits the school. It’s time for the Honors program to be updated.

In seventh grade, nothing drove me more academically than the thought of being accepted into Honors. Every grade I earned was either getting me closer to honors or further away from it. When I was accepted into Honors I thought that the hard part was over.

Now, starting my second year in the honors program, many parts of the system have made me question if the benefits outweigh its downfalls.

As WHHS expands and changes, does Honors remain relevant?

At its heart, the Honors program is based on the idea of hardworking students being surrounded by other students like them. For many students, Honors can help make the school feel smaller and more accessible.

“I think honors is a great place for kids that need a smaller group to tackle. Being with different kids every single bell would just totally be impossible for them,” 9-Honors teacher Lisa Brokamp said.

Honors also comes with many benefits of being a cross curricular program, including special projects and field trips. These include the King’s Island field trip and Chicago trip. I can speak to the benefits of being in Honors and feeling included. I also recognize that being in Honors is a privilege and that the system has many faults.

WHHS prides itself on being a strong community, but the Honors system succeeds only in dividing the eighth and ninth grade classes.

What might have once been a beneficial learning community has become a social status for some. In the past, the school has experienced problems with honors students taking on an elitist attitude. Even in years when honors students have

A disaster within a disaster Hurricanes and national disaster response

SYDNEY RHONE/CHATTERBOX

Honors History teacher Mitch Perdrix helps AP U.S. History students after school. He shares a large room with Honors English teacher Marjorie Platt, divided by a large floating wall.

less behavioral issues, they are still given opportunities that their peers are not. Those excluded from Honors are left wondering why their friends deserve these opportunities more than they do. They might have the same courses, the same grades, and the same dedication to their education. For many, the only difference is a few percentage points from seventh grade.

8-Honors teacher Mitchell Perdrix said that when working with non-honors students, they often did not understand why they were not in honors, “A lot of times what you have to try to make clear to kids is that their academic ability, their intelligence, is not the reason they’re not in [Honors]. Maybe they’re not as diligent with homework. It’s those intangible things... that might separate those groups” Another issue with the honors program is its size. Eighth and ninth grade honors accept only 90 students each. As class sizes grow every year this problem becomes bigger. Honors is increasingly harder to get into.

Currently, the Honors program makes up about 17% of the ninth grade class and about 18% of the eighth grade class. This raises the question of why it is necessary to whittle the classes down into such small and competitive groups.

Despite its many faults, the honors program can be fixed to better suit WHHS. The selection process could be based on more than GPA, also factoring in criteria like teacher recommendations. Some AA and regular level classes could also be grouped into pods to allow for more cross curricular opportunities, like many seventh grade classes already are.

The number of students could be based on a set percentage instead of a set number to make the size of the program more proportional to the school’s growth. For example, Honors could accept only the top 20 percent. The criteria for being accepted into ninth grade honors should also be reevaluated. Currently, eighth grade honors students are guaranteed a spot in ninth grade honors unless their teachers decided they should not be. In a more ideal honors system, eighth grade honors students would have to earn a spot in ninth grade honors just like everyone else.

As WHHS grows, it becomes more and more important for the administration to recognize that some of its programs may not be as functional as they used to be.

WHHS has changed over time, and eventually the Honors program will have to change with it.

Wally Hill on lessons learned

Wally Hill

Greetings, members of the WHHS community. I am Wally Hill. If you are confused, allow me to fill you in. It is a Chatterbox tradition to bestow the honor of “Wally Hill” upon a diligent SENIOR, who will anonymously share their opinions on the Opinions page. I am a mystery, and I plan on staying one until the very last issue.

On Wednesday Sept. 13, the normal school day came to a halt.

In one moment, the mood of the day shifted to something colder.

At once, 3,000 students and faculty had to confront a tragedy.

I remember the dead silence, the gaping mouths, and the wide-eyed stares as tears welled up in my classmates’ eyes, and then suddenly my own eyes. I remember walking into the halls, seeing the shock that remained on the faces of students and teachers. It was different than any day thus far in the school year. It wasn’t quiet at all, but it was different. The shuffles of moving students and the humdrum of crowded clumps of kids filled the halls. The normally motivated energy slumped to a tentative pace.

Most people didn’t know SENIOR Justin Fu. However, the people who did know Fu say he was reserved, yet kind and humble. He had one of the brightest smiles around, the kind that makes you automatically smile, too.

Is it possible to miss someone you never met? Is it fair to feel guilty because you never knew someone, or worse, forgot

MOLLY JOHNSTON/CHATTERBOX

about them? Loss, guilt, confusion, depression, gratitude, even apathy are all valid emotions.

For an unexpected tragedy like this, WHHS had to be prepared to give the support students and teachers needed to get through the week. The conference room was open to anyone throughout the day and some teachers postponed lesson plans.

Student Congress organized a last minute operation to uplift the WHHS community. Classrooms generously lended post-it notes and about 40 students after school mobilized to spread love and kindness during a hard week.

They covered the school, including every locker, with post-it notes that had messages of affirmation written on them. The action was a call for empathy, to come together to help cope with a collective loss.

It was a reminder of our responsibility to remember Justin Fu, and a reminder that we are not alone.

I hope WHHS can continue this attitude, but, honestly, I am

a little doubtful. It is unfortunate that it took a tragedy to unite the WHHS community. Throughout the year, students go through their own personal challenges. Currently, WHHS simply does not have the resources to help more than a couple students at a time cope with grief. Besides grief, students just need help with daily depression, anxiety and stress.

Therefore, many students and faculty are demanding a full-time psychologist on campus. Convincing the WHHS administration and school board to approve and provide this extra resource will be difficult. However, the overall mental health of students and teachers at WHHS is just as important as WHHS’ academic excellence.

I’ll end this letter with a mantra that we should use along with “sursum ad summum.” We should add, “We are Walnut, we are one.” Let us remember Justin Fu, for his kindness, his smile and for the fact that he was, is and always will be part of the WHHS community.

Hurricane Andrew

Hurricane Katrina

Late August 1992 Category 5 175 mph winds $26.5 billion in damages 65 fatalities

Late August 2005 Category 5 175 mph winds $108 billion in damages 1,235 - 1,836 fatalities

South Florida

North Carribean and U.S. Gulf Coast

Jeresa Anderson, ‘18 The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season has devastated many Caribbean Islands and southern states in the U.S. Hurricane Harvey and Irma bring up the discussion about the federal government’s response to natural disasters and other emergencies.

Is our government adequately responding to natural disasters?

Before Irma, the last hurricane to hit Florida was Hurricane Andrew. Andrew ripped through south Florida leaving 65 dead and $26.5 billion in damages. After the storm hit, President George H.W. Bush, was detached from the domestic issues and unwilling to solve them quickly. After the storm, the lack of communication between local, state, and federal governments caused chaos and anger from victims.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans leaving up to 1,836 people dead and $108 billion in damage. Katrina is considered to be the costliest and deadliest American hurricane to date. The mayor at the time, Ray Nagin, stalled on calling for a mandatory evacuation by ordering a voluntary evacuation. This was a problem because thousands without cars were left behind. His primary concern was that businesses, being the center of the tourism industry in New Orleans, were likely to sue because a mandatory evacuation would interrupt their business. Yes, his primary concern were businesses suing the city, not the people who would be left behind and put in danger.

After Hurricane Harvey passed through Houston, the country waited as President Trump went to assess damages. Trump promised to provide federal aid before the hurricane made landfall. This was a positive move because the problems his predecessors had were

mostly due to lack of preparation.

Interestingly enough, Trump also revealed his proposed budget that would cut almost $1 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other disaster response programs (despite weather organizations predicting that Harvey will surpass Katrina in cost by $82 billion).

These cuts would free up money to build the wall he promised to build along our border with Mexico.

President Trump and Melania Trump also gave out meals to people in refuge areas and tried to comfort victims with hugs and encouragement. He also pledged $1 million of his personal funds to charities, including The Salvation Army, Red Cross and the ASPCA. In addition to Trump’s donations and proposals, many celebrities raised and donated money for those suffering in Houston. Houston Texans player J.J. Wyatt helped raise over $10 million in donations. When natural disasters like this occur, there is always a large amount of celebrities who are willing to share their fortune.

While we expect the government to solve any issue swiftly and efficiently, they aren’t always capable of being flexible with taxpayer dollars last minute. State and federal governments should set away more funds in case of an emergency.

They cannot control the damage a storm creates, but they can better prepare for them. This would include setting away funds for emergency aid, setting strict guidelines for future infrastructure, housing and plans for an efficient evacuation in case of an emergency.

It is still unclear how much Hurricane Irma will cost and hurricane season isn’t over yet. As everything unfolds, we will all be watching as the Trump Administration and FEMA take steps to help rebuild Houston and South Florida in the wake of these storms.

Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Irma

Late August 2017 Category 4 130 mph winds Over $70 billion in damages estimated 83 fatalities confirmed

Early September 2017 Category 5 185 mph winds Over $62 billion in damages estimated 84 fatalities confirmed

Texas, U.S. Gulf Coast

Carribean, Florida HURRICANE IMAGES COURTESY OF

STYLE & CULTURE

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SECTION EDITOR: GRACE BERDING

CINCINNATI, OHIO

World ending, Messiah coming or A closer look into the meanings of climate change the recent natural disasters

ABOVE PHOTO COURTESY OF KARI GREER/NASA.GOV. LEFT PHOTO COURTESY OF FBI.GOV

Volunteers take action in helping relief efforts against hurricane Harvey. Harvey flooding has caused the Earth’s crust under Texas to sink by two centimeters.

The number of forest fires in California has recently increased. Since the start of 2017 there have been 5,350 forest fires across 230,186 acres.

Grace Berding, ‘19 Hurricanes. Earthquakes.

Forest Fires. An eclipse. Some believe the world is ending, others think the Messiah is coming...or is it just climate change?

This past month, a series of different anomalies have rattled the earth, especially in Naorth America. Starting with the solar eclipse, followed by Hurricane Harvey, then Hurricane Irma and also a greater than eight magnitude earthquake striking Mexico, these are just some of the events that have occurred. Forest fires are also springing up all across the west coast.

These abnormal occurrences are just a small glimpse into the

extremities occurring across the globe. Many are trying to figure out exactly why these events are happening and how. Some members of the Christian faith believe that the apocalypse is happening and the messiah, or savior, will come soon.

According to a group of Christian numerologists, people who study the occult significance of numbers, the numbers of a biblical verse match with August 21, the date of the Solar Eclipse, August 25, when Hurricane Harvey hit, and August 26, when Houston, Texas was flooded. These numbers correspond with Luke 21:2526, which claims that the apocalypse is near when the sun, moon, earth and waters all show signs.

In the Jewish religion, there

are also many signs that point to the world’s end following an eclipse. In 1894, Rabbi Moses Israel Benjamin wrote a book called “Yalkut Moshe” (Collection of Moses) where he expressed his thoughts on the end of the world.

In this book, he predicts that when the Hebrew month of Elul begins (Elul occurs around August or September) with a solar eclipse, it is a sign of the end of times.

Also in this book, he discusses the occurrence of natural disasters and extreme weather conditions such as earthquakes and hurricanes.

Others believe humans are abusing the earth and now they are facing the repercussions. “I think these are signs that we’re taking advantage of the environment and

need to learn to respect it,” SENIOR Elizabeth Abel said.

Also this past week, Hurricane Maria roared through the Caribbean leavng many Islands in rubble.

Most notably leaving the entire island of Puerto Rico without power.

However, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association claims hurricane season is at full peak during late summer. NOAA also confirms that climate change plays a large role in developing hurricanes.

Although the hurricanes may seem inexplicably large in size, scientists are still able to define them.

In addition, the Union of Concerned Scientists believe that forest fires have also been directly affected by global warming. Forest fires

have been steadily increasing in frequency and duration since 1984, accumulating to nearly four times as often and five times as long.

The United States Geological Survey also reports that there is roughly one earthquake above an eight in magnitude every year. This would explain the earthquake that struck mexico earlier this month.

Mexico is also dealing with the effects of their second major earthquake in the past two weeks.

Even though these recent disasters and unfamiliar occurrences seem extreme, there is a scientific explanation behind each event.

Whether you believe the apocalypse has come, or are a true believer in science, there’s no doubt these disasters have shaken the world.

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 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,

SARAH DAVIDOFF, ‘13

The Chatterbox Editorial Staff Hanna Bundschuh, Editor-in-Chief

Matthew Youkilis, Managing Editor of News and Features

Caroline Horvath, Managing Editor of Student Life

Camille Williams, Managing Editor of Opinions

Hannah Reinhardt, Managing Editor of Visual Elements

Aaron Espelage, Business Manager

Emma Heines, Video Content Manager

Amanda Anderson, Online Content Manager

Samantha Gerwe-Perkins, Adviser

Dawn Wolfe, English Department Chair

FEATURES

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CINCINNATI, OHIO

WHHS social justice clubs unite commmunity Modern Abolitionist Movement

Boo Radley

Meetings: Mondays during third lunch in room 2302

Meetings: Wednesdays after school in room 2715

Description: Modern Abolitionist Movement is a social justice club that aims to spread awareness about human trafficking.

They also have begun to appeal to congressmen to try to create better legislation to reduce human trafficking.

Description: Boo Radley was formally named for the character in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The club, just like Boo Radley in the book, performs random acts of kindness by making locker cards and participating in charity events.

Quote: “Our club is trying to promote inclusivity through the promoting what we stand for. We want to spread positivity and kindness in as many ways as we possibly can! We are always encouraging creative ideas and a positive mindset so that we can accomplish this!” - SENIOR Kendall Young

Quote: “Other people seeing us do what we do is inspiring, because if children can have an impact, if children can teach me about something that I didn’t know, then why can’t I also do something?” -SENIOR Essenam Lamewona PHOTO COURTESY OF ISAAC SMITHERMAN

IMAGE COURTESY OF BETHANY HICKMAN, ‘17

Young Women for Unity

Community Action Team

as females to come and discuss various topics. The subjects range from very heavy to very light, but no matter the topic, all meetings are meant to create a very comfortable atmosphere that is fun and empowering for women.

Quote: “One way [to reach out to the community] is to just be a decent human being. Be PHOTO COURTESY OF REM nice to everyone, and if Meetings: First and third Monday every someone needs help, be there for them. If month after school in room 3312 you think someone needs someone to talk, just be there.” -SENIOR Erica Cash Description: The club is meant to be a safe space for all females or people who identify

Black Culture Club

Meetings: The first and third Wednesdays of every month and during third lunch and the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month after school in room 2605 Description: Community Action Team participates in a wide variety of volunteering activities in the Cincinnati community in order to improve the city itself and its citizens. They also plan and foster schoolwide events that aim to directly benefit the students of WHHS.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MOLLY WIMBERG, ‘17

Unified for Uganda

Meetings: Wednesdays after school in room 2716

Meetings: Tuesdays during third lunch in room 1605

Description: Black Culture Club acts as a meeting point for African American students at WHHS. They participate in activities ranging from discussions about mundane issues to coordinating many of the Black History Month events. The club is generally a casual place to socialize and to find a support system for all African American students at WHHS.

Description: Unified for Uganda fundraises for the education of destitute children in Uganda. This helps pay for the children’s clothes, food and school tuition, allowing them to have better living standards and to receive an education.

Quote: “We really focus on including everyone in the school to help out and we want to get all students involved and families involved and combat this idea that other people’s education is less valuable than our own and spread that, because if you educate these young girls and boys in Uganda, you can educate...an entire nation...” -SENIOR Brigid Hackett

Quote: “I feel like what we should do as students, or really as Americans in general, is reach out to those marginalized communities that are maybe targeted by certain hate groups...to let them know that I have your back.” -SENIOR Robert Killins

SYDNEY RHONE/CHATTERBOX

Students Together Assisting Refugees

RYLEIGH SANBORN/CHATTERBOX

Students United in Rising for Gender Equality

Meetings: Fridays during third lunch in room 2611

Meetings: Thursdays after school in room 3305

Description: Students Together Assisting Refugees (S.T.A.R.) works together to try to improve the lives of local refugees in the community. They do this through fundraising money, volunteering their time and initiating drives to collect various items that are necessities for refugees in Cincinnati.

Description: Students United in Rising for Gender Equality (S.U.R.G.E.) is a club that meets to discuss issues regarding gender and gender equality. Beyond these conversations, there are also volunteer opportunities with the club, and they are hoping to expand their reach even more this year.

Quote: “I think that in Cincinnati, for S.T.A.R., we have a lot of refugees living in Cincinnati so we try to directly touch those refugees and make them feel like they are included and they are welcome here, so I think that helping out on a more local level is what our school clubs should focus on.”

-SENIOR Livvie Smith

Quote: “I think each person has their own [things] that they’re passionate about and that they care about,and if you have that, I feel like you should take initiative and act upon it. So that could be through joining these various clubs that do social justice type things or that could also be doing things outside school like going to protests or calling senators.” -SENIOR Essenam Lamewona

PHOTO COURTESY OF OLIVIA HUGHES PHOTO COURTESY OF REM

Quote: “We aim to represent all ages and ethnicities. We value everyone’s opinion and when it comes to our volunteering activities, a lot of it is stems from student contribution.” -SENIOR Molly Wimberg

FINE ARTS

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SECTION EDITOR: ISABEL NISSLEY

CINCINNATI, OHIO

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

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STAGECRAFT the faces behind the sets

Tatum Rogers ‘20 enjoys Stagecraft for many reasons, but her favorite is “...the people. Working around here, we do so many different random jobs and have to actually trust the people in this class, because there’s a lot of dangerous stuff we do. You can definitely make some lifelong friends in here”

Helen Raymond-Goers describes a big challenge of this course as being “Getting them to get in there and get dirty, and be willing to get paint on themselves, get sawdust in their hair. It happens. Getting them to be okay with it is probably the biggest challenge.” She further explains, saying that since so many WHHS students are very book smart it proves it difficult for them to apply their knowledge.

Joseph Stanichar, ‘18

Helen A. RaymondGoers started engaging with theater as a freshman in 1993 for extra credit, but her love for the art form led her to become deeply involved with it on many levels. She is the technical director for every play at WHHS, and she also teaches creative dramatics to 7th and 8th graders, costume design, and stagecraft.

One of the biggest changes to this class from prior years is that both bells are being “team-taught.” This means that Michael Sherman and Raymond-Goers will share teaching responsibilities for both bells. RaymondGoers believes that this will give both bells equal opportunity to learn both the subjects that Raymond-Goers and Sherman specialize in.

“I really like that theater is… a collaborative art form.

If you just have actors, you miss the strength of the theatrical piece... It requires somebody to do a thousand other things, small and large, to create a piece that… requires collaboration just to become a thing,” Raymond-Goers said was the most contributing factor for her affinity towards theater.

The class has recently finished building the set for WHHS’ first theater produc-

tion, She Kills Monsters, the comedy that takes place in both 1995 Ohio and a fantasy world not unlike Tolkien’s Middle Earth, which will feature a climbable mountain and a puppet dragon, as well as very detailed costumes and props. Now, the Stagecraft class’ job is to create a believable environment for the actors to perform in by making the set resemble this mountain, among many other jobs.

“I love that in my class, we don’t have a book…

There is a lot of analysis… math… structure… [and] critical thinking… but it all ends with doing something with your hands,” Raymond-Goers said. Stagecraft is an integral piece of the giant puzzle that needs to be put together in order to make a theater production successful.

“It is a carpentry class.... art class... sculpture class... color theory [class]... an architecture [class]... It is a myriad of things. So, to say that there is a focus: It is to make people more competent in many skills…

Usually, we have groups of three or four or sometimes five on different tasks, from painting to mudding to building flats. Structure is sort of a misnomer,” said Raymond-Goers. This class is certainly an eclectic one.

While there aren’t any proj-

ects or assignments in this class, students have the option to work enough extracurricular hours in the scene shop, costume shop, or backstage in order to be exempt from taking the semester and final exams.

“One thing to learn from this class is to learn to think through the problem before they start to solve it. Think it through. What are the problems going to be? How do we mitigate those before we ever get to them?” said RaymondGoers. In a class that tackles so many different problems, the most important lesson to impress on students is how to go about solving problems.

“This class is such an odd bird because it asks for so many different kinds of skills that it’s hard to know before the skill comes up before it needs to be added. So every year is totally new. It’s totally different. So I can’t tell you what the challenges will be next year. I can’t tell you what is going to be my favorite thing next year or what we’re going to be doing,” said Raymond-Goers. The next time you see a WHHS theater production, take the time to appreciate not just the actors on the stage, but the ones who worked hard to make the stage the actors stand on.

“I thought it seemed interesting to get to work in the shop and everything. It just seemed like it could be something different” said Chris Hohmeister ‘18. Hohmeister is new to working behind the scenes, but he is already enjoying it because of the course’s dissimilarities to other classes.

When asked to describe a typical day in the course, Maya Highsmith ‘19 and Heather Cochran ‘20 said, “There’s not a normal day! One day we were screwing pieces of wood into the ground, one day we cleaned under the stage, and today we are doing stuff with chicken wire.”

Stagecraft teacher Michael Sherman advises interested students that “If you’re really interested in the theater arts and interested in applying some of those math, science, or analytical skills, it’s a great class to take.”

ALL PHOTOS: ALLYSON GARTH/ CHATTERBOX

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

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CINCINNATI, OHIO

Meet Cincinnati’s potential mayor Yvette Simpson

CINCYKID1513/WIKIMEDIACOMMONS

Cincinnati mayoral candidate Yvette Simpson poses for a photo. A Cincinnati native who has served in public office for several years, Simpson hopes to give back further to her city as mayor.

Amanda Anderson, ‘19

Amanda Anderson, ‘19 Yvette Renee Simpson is President Pro Tem on the Cincinnati City Council.

She was raised in a Lincoln Heights housing project by her grandmother due to her mother’s mental illness and the absence of her father.

Due to this, Simpson was inspired to do what she could to decrease the likelihood of someone else being raised this way by combating things such as poverty and drug addiction in her local community.

Simpson went on to get her Bachelors from Miami University, her Masters from Xavier University, and her Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Cincinnati.

Simpson was sworn into City Council on the first of December in 2011, giving the council its first ever African American majority.

Simpson served two terms on City Council before announcing that she would be running against John Cranley in the 2017 mayoral election.

f Children’s o s

of City Council and the motion was rejected in a 5-4 vote. Simpson was criticized by her other council members, especially David Mann who said that Simpson was forcing “Children’s Hospital to be responsible for all things that challenge our neighborhoods.”

One of the major problems plaguing Cincinnati today is the current heroin epidemic.

The threat of addiction or relapse are real and looming in Cincinnati today and both candidates are well aware of this.

Simpson’s belief is that we as a community can decrease this problem by educating children on the dangers of drugs and funding programs that help keeps drugs off of our streetsh. Simpson often references her

own experiences with a drug addicted father and how no child should have to go through such a travesty. Simpson has also pushed for a Central Access Point for addiction treatment and a database to track addicts and ensure that they do not relapse.

sion of the S n a

The Co s Th

Although Simpson’s plan for prevention seems effective in theory, Cranley has decided to make a more direct approach.

In light of the countless opioid overdoses that occurred this past year Cranley has pushed for arming more police The cost of expansion of the Cincinnati streetcar has been an area of contention in local politics recently. The Cincinnati rail system upon which the Streetcar operates is facing huge financial deficits this year and a possible $13.3 million dollar deficit next year. This puts increased

etcar tre

The Ex p

ic

central city area is the way to increase ridership. This has prompted other politicians to speculate on where the city will find the funds to make this idea a reality.

Simpson has not given her idea for how to fund the project but rather how this project will benefit the city.

roin Epid e e eH

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The cost of expansion of the Cincinnati streetcar has been an area of contention in local politics recently. The Cincinnati rail system upon which the Streetcar operates is facing huge financial deficits this year and a possible $13.3 million dollar deficit next year. This puts increased pressure on Cincinnati to ensure that its rail system is successful and prosperous. Simpson believes that expanding the rail system past our

Mayor John Cranley sees the demolition of North Avondale homes as necessary for the expansion of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

As Mayor, Cranley was the one who directly received the letter from the CEO of Cincinnati

spital Ho

When it comes to the cost of the expansion of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Simpson and Cranley’s stances could not be more different.

In order to expand the facility, multiple North Avondale homes would have to be torn down. Simpson proposed that the city give the displaced residents another $14 million dollars on top of their already $11 million compensation. This was seen as frivolous spending by other members

t

John Joseph Cranley is the mayor of Cincinnati Ohio. Cranley was raised in Price Hill by his mother, a teacher and librarian, and his father, a Vietnam War veteran.

Cranley received his primary school education from St. William’s Primary School before attending St. Xavier High School. Cranley went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from John Carroll University and earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard College.

During his time at Harvard, Cranley served as student attorney for those who could not afford one. Cranley was elected to the Cincinnati City Council in 2000 and served until 2009.

Cranley won in the 2013 general election against former Mayor Roxanne Qualls and was elected and sworn into office on December 1st.

Cranley is now running for his second term as Mayor.

John Cranley

CSAMBUCHINO/WIKIMEDIACOMMONS

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley speaks to an audience about his political beliefs. Cranley hopes to continue the work he has done for Cincinnati in this next term and cement his legacy.

Children’s that stated his council’s call for more money was “highly disappointing and ... not acceptable.”

Cranley supports the original motion for an $11 million compensation and does not agree with Simpson on increasing this payment.

officers with the overdose reversing drug Narcan and implementing an emergency response team made especially for overdoses.

Cranley’s treatment plan is extremely contrary to Simpson’s treatment plan and has been stirring up lots of controversy in local debates and among members of City Council.

pressure on Cincinnati to ensure that its rail system is successful and prosperous.

Simpson believes that expanding the rail system past our central city area is the way to increase ridership. This has prompted other politicians to speculate on where the city will find the funds to make this idea a reality. Simpson has not given her idea for how to fund the project but rather how this project will benefit the city.

Civic action in WHHS Government classes

With the 2017 Cincinnati mayoral and city council elections in November, many students in Government classes attended the candidate fair on Sept. 7 at WHHS and had to choose one to volunteer for.

Mayor John Cranley is running for a MIGUEL PALACIOS/CHATTERBOX Jeff Pastor meeting with WHHS students for his campaign at Candidate second four-year term against Yvette SimpFair. Pastor is one of 24 candidates running for a city council seat. The son, a current member elections will be held on Nov. 7, 2017. of the city council.

Ibrahim Munir, ‘19 The position of mayor is considered nonSydney Rhone, ‘18 partisan, but both candidates are affiliated with the Democratic Party. In the primary Every year, WHHS students enrolled in election held on May 2, 2017, Cranley and the U.S. Government and AP U.S. Govern- Simpson won the top two spots, eliminatment courses have to complete their Civic ing Rob Richardson. They are facing off Action Project. Each student must select in the general election on Nov. 7, 2017. a candidate and complete 15ww volunteer In addition to the mayoral elections, hours for their campaign, or help a govern- nine city council seats are open. There are ment funded project involving civic action. 24 candidates, including one write-in, with

six of the nine incumbents running for re-election. There is no primary election for the city council seats, and the general election will also be held on Nov. 7, 2017.

The candidate fair project has existed for many years. Originally, it was required for anyone who was enrolled in a U.S. history class, but after Government became a required credit to graduate, it became a part of both the year-long AP course and the semester-long course.

Elizabeth Ormsby, one of the AP U.S. Government teachers, has been leading the candidate project for several years and believes it is an essential project to better understand the democratic process. “[It’s] a project that requires students to actively engage in the electoral process. The main priority is civic engagement, to be an engaged citizen and to experience firsthand what it is like to be a part of the democratic process by getting involved in a campaign.”

Another Government teacher, Adam Lazar, has many students who choose a different route with their Civic Action Project.

“They can do anything that is govern-

ment-funded and civic action. They can help with homeless shelters, SPCA or work for an actual candidate. We do a lot of community outreach programs, such as helping clean up the community, and work on projects with clubs like Black Culture Club.”

Thayer Wilson, ‘19, is one of the many students enrolled in the semester-long Government course.

Wilson’s Civic Action Project involves working with City Councilman P.G. Sittenfield with many other WHHS students. She will also be volunteering with her church when possible.

Wilson said, “It’s nice to do a project that I can actually use in the ‘real world’ for a change. It’s cool how I got an opportunity to do this. This has turned out to be the most enjoyable project I’ve ever done at [WHHS].”

SPORTS

WHHSCBOX.COM

SEPT 22, 2017

PAGE7

SECTION EDITOR: RYLEIGH SANBORN

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Boys varsity soccer team kicks off the new season

RYLEIGH SANBORN/CHATTERBOX

Vvarsity captain number 10, Colin Mallot claps as fellow SENIOR and captain number 5 Grayson Sommer as the team is annonced before their Sept. 14 home game.

Ryleigh Sanborn, ‘21 In 2014 the WHHS Varsity Boy’s Soccer team won the Eastern Cincinnati Conference. In 2015 and 2016, the team managed to finish only fifth in the ECC behind teams such as Turpin, Anderson and Loveland. This year they’re currently ranked sixth with an overall win/loss/tie record of 1/4/3. Even after getting off to a rough start the team still has high hopes for the rest of the season.

“Honestly at the beginning of the season I [thought] winning the ECC would be a great possibility but so far as a team, we haven’t been able to score. We don’t give up many goals but if we score we have a chance to do good in the conference,” starting goalie Spencer Person, ’19, said.

“I think we do have a chance to win our conference this season because we have a lot of talent and passion for the game.” said Max Kaminski, ‘19.

Varsity starting goalie Spencer Person number one stands with team as they wait to be announced.WHHS suffered a 1-0 loss to the Loveland Tigers a fellow Eastern Cincinnati Confrence team Along the path to winning fense to defense,” said SENIOR As for Person he hopes to make allAnd the conference comes many chal- Senna Adachi. While as a team ECC and all-City honors. lenges, both individually and as they all for the most part share as for the team, Kaminski bea team. “Our biggest challenge the same goals and challenges, in- lieves that WHHS is “The most as a team would be learning to dividually they’re each different. fit team in the league” and he “Individually, my biggest chal- hopes to improve his endurance score more goals each game. We need to get our strikers out of lenges would be keeping my men- and “learn what it takes to be the their comfort zones and scor- tality on check and having a good best.” With much of the season ing goals,” said varsity captain attitude in games and training, and many crucial games left only and SENIOR Jake Hipskind. [and] to be a good role model to time will tell how the season ends.

“Our biggest challenge as the younger players,” said Hipa team is usually capitalizing skind. And as for personal goals [on] our opportunities and Hipskind hopes to be one of the transition[ing] as a team from of- ECC’s leading scorers this season.

WHHS football players sprint into success Jowon Briggs

Marcus Borden

HAYDEN WILLHITE/CHATTERBOX

SENIOR Marcus Borden, number 2, rushes off the line of scrimage during the Homecoming game.

Borden uses his speed and agility to gain yards and increase chance of winning.

TRENT WILLHITE/CHATTERBOX

Jowon Briggs, ‘19, sits in Mrs. Hansen’s classroom during lunch. Briggs works hard on the field and in the classroom.

Trent Willhite,’19 Jowon M. Briggs, ‘19, a 6’ 3” 275lb defensive tackle from Cincinnati, Ohio; a four star All American recruit that has already visited division I colleges all across the nation. Division I college offers that he recieved are Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan, and Cincinnati.

Briggs was invited to the Nike Football Opening Regionals in Cleveland and to an event in Beaverton, Oregon for the Nike Opening Finals, where top football recruits compete.

Briggs, now in the 11th grade, has played football for WHHS for 5 years. Playing since the 7th grade, he has become more experienced every year. This contributes to what he is now; being ranked the second best football player in Ohio and 68th in the country as a 2019 graduate.

Though many say he is going to go to

the NFL, he still has one thing on his mind; earning a college degree. Briggs said: “I definitely want a degree in computer science or programing”. When asked if he plans to go to the NFL, Briggs said: “If I get a chance to go to the NFL, I will finish college first then get up in there”.

Briggs said, “Originally I came to Walnut because my last school didn’t have a football team, and Walnut has a football team and great academics” about why he came to WHHS. Also, when Briggs was asked if all of the coverage, media, and buzz was overwhelming, he said, “At the beginning it was kind of overwhelming, but now it’s whatever”.

Briggs is ready to take advantage of his physical gifts and academic aspirations at the number one high school in Ohio. He epitomizes what a successful WHHS athlete is capable of achieving.

Hayden Willhite,’18 Beginning, at the age of four years old, SENIOR Marcus Borden has played football for thirteen years. Borden has played for WHHS for two years now, and suggests that his biggest accomplishments playing football are “just getting better, staying focused, and being a good competitor”.

At WHHS, Staying motivated can be chal-

lenging at times. For Borden, the inspiration to work hard comes from his mom, family, and most importantly, his little sisters.

His greatest strength on the field is speed.

Borden has many offers, some of which are from New Mexico State, Eastern Michigan, and Tiffin University. He is looking forward to playing basketball for WHHS and maybe running track in the upcoming seasons.

Rushing Stats

Season Stats

Rushing Attempts- 33 Total Rushing Yards-109 Average yards Per carry-3.3 Longest Rush-56 Rushing Touchdowns-4

Games-4 Receptions-16 Receiving Yards-194 Longest Reception-59 Total Yardage-303 Total Touchdowns-5 Average Total Yards per Game-76

PEANUTS

SEP 22, 2017

PAGE 8

WHHSCBOX.COM

SECTION EDITOR: KEEGAN SULLIVAN

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Piper Peanut Fantastic Friendships WHHSCBOX.COM CINCINNATI, OHIO

ARCADE

SECTION EDITORS: FIRST LAST

Dear Piper Peanut,

I’m new to Walnut and struggling to find friends. T his school is so big and I have plenty of options but I don’t know how to pick the right ones. I am nervous about approaching new people and getting laughed at. Everyone is telling me to join clubs to make friends but I’m not sure that’s for me. I am tired of eating alone. Can you help?

Sincerely, MARCH 24, 2016

PAGE 3

Friendless Frannie Dear Friendless Frannie, Don’t worry! Everyone has that struggle in new social environments. Take a deep breath and remind yourself that you aren’t alone.

Look to your left, your right. Everyone is either currently facing this struggle or has faced it in the past.

A good solution is to join a club that sounds interesting, but don’t try to join them all at once. There’s a good chance you’ll get overwhelmed with your new workload and other activities. Pick one or two that involve your favorite topic or interest and stick with them. Make sure to show up and interact with the people there so they recognize you and the bonding can begin.

This will also help you find friends with whom you have things in common, which is very important when forming strong and lasting friendships. You want to make sure you are picking the right friends.

When approaching people in a class, in the hallway or on the bus, it can be tough. It’s a great way to make new friends, but building up the courage can be really difficult, especially in a new environment.

CHATTERBOX/ MOLLY JOHNSTON

Some new friendships forming at WHHS. To see more images of great friendship go to whhscbox.com.

Take it slow and use a method that works for you. Pretend you are a superhero on a mission, visualize yourself succeeding, or just take a deep breath and go for it.

It is important to make sure you’re approaching someone who seems friendly. Sometimes people are hard to approach and harder to be friends with.

In picking friends, it’s easy to choose the wrong ones. This is not the time to “stick it out.” It is never the time to do this when dealing with how people treat you. There are plenty of people out there searching for friendship who will also be a good friend. Do not let someone treat you poorly or stay friends with someone you don’t like just because you’re lonely. The advantage of these crowded hallways are that they are crowded with potential friends.

Good luck, Frannie. I’ll be rooting for you.

Sincerely, Piper Peanut

Email questions to Piper! piperpeanutcbox@gmail.com

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