Walnut24 needs YOU!

KAYLA BOGGESS/CHATTERBOX

MICHELA RAHAIM/CHATTERBOX

Garret Oester, ‘14Business Manager

For the approximately 1000 students and faculty who par-ticipate in the music program at Walnut Hills High School, the new two-floor music wing is on the way. It will contain five class-rooms, multiple spaces for pri-vate lessons, two workrooms and a 125-seat recital space, with a lobby which will feature seating,

Volume CVI, Issue 2 October 12, 2011

display cases and a ticket window with a concessions stand. The building will adopt a classical yet modern theme with muted blues, yellows and woods to lighten and enliven the building. All of the classrooms will have recording capabilities. There are also more storage rooms to hold the plethora of instruments, uni-forms and other materials. Two new ensemble rooms will also be added.

Alumni Foundation Executive Director Debbie Heldman says that this room is “where the small ensembles could be taken to...deal with one part. [It is] dedi-cated to fine tuning parts of the whole.” Another new space is the Multimedia Production Room, a computer lab dedicated to music production and mixing. As for the faculty, an office space will be included with a kitchenette and conference table.

Music is in the AirThe Renovation

ACT and SAT: By the NumbersJessica Fan, ‘12Josh Medrano, ‘13News and Features Editors

As part of the college admis-sions process, every graduating student must have a qualifying SAT and/or ACT score to go to the school of his or her choice. Accordingly, over 1.5 million students showed modest yet compelling results on their col-lege entrance exams this year. SENIOR Abby Janke is one of the eighteen local high school students who aced the 2011 ACT test. Of the 1.6 million students who took the ACT only 704 reached the highest possible score of 36. The College Board, on the other hand, reported that out of 1.5 million students who took the 2010 SAT, only 382 earned the perfect score of 2400. While the rate of perfect scores has been increasing, many school officials were dismayed to find that about three quarters of the nation’s high school students are not “college-ready.” That is, 1.2 million students failed one or more of the benchmarks tested in the ACT. Similarly, The College

Board reported that about 57% failed its benchmarks for college readiness. Janke, however, notes that there is a difference between SAT and ACT: “ACT measures achievement and the materials you get from your coursework whereas the SAT is more of an aptitude test.” Meanwhile, the class of 2011 nationwide recorded the lowest SAT reading scores ever, as well as the lowest combined score of math and writing since 1995. The College Board attributed this to the fact that the class was “the largest and most diverse class in history.” In addition, more than a quarter of the test-takers did not speak English as their native language, 44 percent were first-generation college students, and one in five came from low-income families. Walnut’s 2011 average com-posite score of 1729 did drop from last year’s score of 1772, but is still notably higher than any of the national average composite score by more than 200 points. With average scores of 591 in reading, 571 in math and 567 in writing, Walnut still exceeded the national averages by a significant margin and continues to prepare its students, including Janke, for their next step, whatever that may be.

Kayla Boggess, ‘14Staff Writer

Are you playing a sport? A member of the Boo Radley Society? Or maybe a part of the Junior Classical League? Are you a reporter for the Chatter-box? Many students participate in the large pool of clubs and programs at Walnut, but with budget cuts and the current state of the economy, the number of extracurricular activities could dwindle if nothing is done. This year, the Walnut24 Walkathon event aims to raise over $125,000 for the funding of Walnut’s over 100 programs; the goal is for each student is to raise $50 to $75. Last year the Walkathon raised over $70,000.

All of the proceeds will go to club advisers and coaches, without whom there would be no sports teams or clubs. Some rules have been changed and others will be more care-fully enforced this year to ensure student safety. These changes include keeping food and drinks off of the football field because of the current football season, pro-viding large communal tents for those who are spending the night while also allowing personal tents as long as they are stationed in the family section of the field with adult supervision. Even with these changes the event should be just as exciting as last year, with entertainment like DJ Shoeshine, the Steel Drum Band, Amanda & the Amoebas, 46 Long, the Social Rejects Club, movies that will be playing all

night, contests and games. Teams will be competing each other for awards, such as best uniforms, most laps walked and many more. The biggest contest prizes, however, are awarded to teams or individuals who contribute the most money. There will be food stands available during the course of the event, including Buffalo Wild Wings, Habañero to Go, Graeter’s and Kona Shaved Ice. In addi-tion, there will be high-end coffee stands, like Starbucks Coffee and Green Mountain Coffee, to keep walkers awake all night. So whether it be sponsoring, forming a team of walkers or simply just buying a t-shirt, ev-eryone should join in! The Walk-athon will be held at the Marx Stadium on October 16 to 17.

a public high school? The most apparent factor is the tuition fees at other schools. Cincinnati Public Schools offers out-of-district tuition at a price just over $6,000 and out-of-state at approximately $10,000. Com-pare that to the annual tuition of the St. Xavier boys ($11,000), for McAuley girls ($9,500) and Sum-mit Country Day ($18,000). All of these numbers, except Summit Country Day’s, waver around CPS’ tuition fee for an out-of-state student. The Chatterbox found that

Tuition to attend Walnut?Ayana Rowe, ‘12Copy Editor

Of all the public high schools in Ohio, Walnut Hills High School stands out as one of the best. Despite being a public high school, about 100 families living out of district pay tuition for their children to attend Walnut Hills. Why would parents pay tuition just to send their child to

Walnut performed better than its sister schools on the SAT and ACT tests 2009-10. On the SAT, the average for CPS was 1042 (out of 1600), while Walnut students scored an average of about 1200; Clark Montessori fol-lowed Walnut by 206 points. On the ACT, Walnut students earned a score of 26 (out of 32), eight points higher than the district’s average (18). According to this data, the obvious choice for parents concerned with academic excellence would be Walnut Hills High School.

To further put a value to the tuition, the Chatterbox has compared National Merit stand-ings among these schools. This past year Walnut commended 21 seniors as National Merit Semi-Finalists (NMSF), in contrast to McAuley’s sole finalist, and the empty-handed Summit Country Day. And while St. Xavier had 10 NMSF this school year, it still does not quite measure up to Walnut Hills’ excellence. Therefore, higher tuition does not lead to higher grades. On the contrary, even with its low

tuition, Walnut has produced an advanced group of students consistently.

Illustrations by JP Schmitz

SHP LEADING DESIGNThe Recital space will be state-of-the-art, with a dedicated lobby.

Walnut Hills High School The ChatterboxNews & Features

Page 2 Issue CVI.2

Jonah Roth, ‘13Design Editor

At some point, every tenth grader in English 10AA has to take part in the Banned Books Project, which entails finding a book that has been banned from a school library. They must create propaganda which makes the case for banning it, in order to understand the concept of censorship. Usually this begins with a trip to the library and a talk from one of the librarians about, among other things, how the Walnut Hills library does not ban books. Students, therefore, occasion-ally find themselves confused when they find that information-al websites they need to access are blocked by the Cincinnati Public Schools Internet server. The Chatterbox did some experimenting with the filter and discovered that many popular atheist websites are blocked under categories such as “Oc-

cult” and “Illegal or Unethical”, while comparable religious sites are viewable. Interestingly, the Wikipedia article about China’s Internet censorship program is blocked because “it contains a banned word.” In all interviews conducted by the Chatterbox in an attempt to learn the origins of these policies, reporters were directed to a higher level of administra-tion. Although all of Walnut’s IT department was available for comment, the consensus among faculty seems to be that it is out of their hands. A representative of FortiNet, the company that provides CPS with FortiGuard internet filtering software, responded swiftly to Chatterbox reporters: “Please discuss this with your school. They set the pa-rameters.” CPS system engineers were unavailable for comment. Such parameters, according to Peter Stefanou, programming teacher and administrator of Walnut Hills’ website, are specific

lists of sites that are compiled by FortiNet - CPS just chooses which ones to filter. These lists may not be all-inclusive, either; while some social networking sites like Facebook are blocked, others, like Google+ and Four-square, are not. This problem is further complicated by the fact that “there’s no committee down-town [for all of CPS]; it’s all done by [IT] staff downtown.” Since all of CPS’ computer services are centralized in that same “down-town”, the IT staff presumably has more urgent matters to handle. This low-priority approach to web censorship creates problems for Walnut Hills faculty. “I want to use YouTube,” says English teacher Dawn Wolfe. Although at press time CPS is working to pro-vide faculty with access to You-Tube, some Walnut Hills teachers still find themselves unable to ac-cess the site “for a speech, or for a short clip of something” to show the class. And since filtering is on a centralized server for all CPS schools, if something is filtered from students at a kindergarten level, it’s also filtered from high school faculty. The solution? “Databases... like Newsbank [or Gale] Student Resource Center... are totally unfiltered,” advises librarian Ellen Wathen. While students may not be able to access social networks or game websites, they will still have access to some information they need to get their work done. The internet is both a blessing and a curse to those who want to get work done. Although it does provide access to a wealth of information, many sites also detract from productivity. While not all agree that this “protection” is necessary, the current situation is difficult to change, no matter how rational it may seem.

Does Internet filtering hurt Walnut Hills students’ education?

JOE SCHMIDLAPP/CHATTERBOX

Prescott Huston, ‘17, sees that a website he needs to access in the library is blocked by CPS’ FortiGuard filter.

Internet Filtering: Student ViewsJonah Roth, ‘13Design Editor

The Chatterbox conducted a voluntary survey in which 65 Walnut Hills High School staff and students participated in an attempt to determine the impact of filtering on the school.

• 70% use the internet at least once a week.• 58% have had to do work at home because a

required website was filtered from them.• 62% believe that internet filtering makes it

harder for them to do work at school.• 53% agree that filtering a website is different

from banning a book.• 55% understand why CPS filters websites.• 28% agree with the reasoning for filtering

websites (and 36% aren’t sure).• 55% can do most or all of their work without

using websites that are filtered from school.• 20% can do most or all of their work without

using the internet at all.

Upperclassmen were underrepresented in this vol-untary survey, therefore, the data may be skewed. To help us gain a fuller understanding of the sitiua-tion, please visit the Chatterbox website at <www.walnuthillseagles.com> and click the link for “WHHS Internet Usage Survey”.

The Chatterbox Editorial StaffMia Manavalan, Editor-in-Chief

Tanner Walters, Senior Managing Editor Emily Friedman, Junior Managing EditorAyana Rowe, Copy Editor Jonah Roth, Design EditorKemarca Wade, Web Designer John Butler, Assistant Web DesignerLuke Kloth, Print Photo Editor Signe Schloss, Online Photo EditorGarret Oester, Business Manager Akilah Phillips, Subscription Manager

Page Editors:Josh Medrano, News & Features Print Editor Jessica Fan, News & Features Online EditorJessica Heines, Viewpoints Print Editor Sierra Kingston, Viewpoints Online EditorJenna Weber, Fine Arts Print Editor Amanda Dias, Fine Arts Online EditorCharlie Hatch, Sports Editor Joe Neidhard, Style & Culture EditorDominick Clark, Just Nuts Print Editor Jaylen Hill, Just Nuts Online EditorJP Schmitz, Cartoon Editor Cody Stayden, Chatterbox Archivist

Advisors: Samantha Gerwe-Perkins annd Dawn Wolfe

Front page header adapted from the Chatterbox of 1971. Photo by Jonah Roth.Masthead illustrated by Sarah Davidoff.

2011 Homecoming Court

Prince: William ScharlottPrincess: Satra Taylor

Queen: Laura RoseKing: Kenneth Davis

Congratulations to the winners!

Fall Calendar

Wed, October 12 PSAT/NMSQT

Fri, October 14 First Quarter Ends

Sat & Sun, Walnut 24 Walkathon October 15 & 16 Fri, October 21 Fall Costume Dance for Grade 7& 8

Tues, November 8 Election Day

Fri, November 11 Veterans Day, No School

Recently, there was an anony-mous letter sent to the Chatter-box regarding the rights of the publication. I would like to take the time now to address this issue and clear up any misunderstand-ings and concerns the students, staff and parents might have. Contrary to popular belief, high school students do have First Amendment rights. In 1969, the United States Supreme Court said, “It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional right to free-dom of speech at the schoolhouse gate.” In the Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier case, the U.S. Supreme Court gave public high school officials the right to censor school-sponsored student publications if they so choose.However, the Chatterbox is a public forum for student ex-pression, so this does not apply to us. What this means is that school officials have given the student editors the authority to decide the content material of the newspaper. School officials are only allowed to censor forum publications when proof can be given that the publication will cause a “material and substantial disruption” of school activi-ties. For more information on students’ rights, the Walnut Hills Student Handbook is available

and all students are encouraged to read it. Now I would like to encour-age students to write letters to the Chatterbox and have the option to have these letters published. These letters may be on a variety of topics, ranging from a critique on an article previously written or a standpoint on a current is-sue. All letters will be taken into full account and will be respond-ed to via print edition or online edition. Along with increasing student involvement, the Chat-terbox staff is also working on establishing its credibility among readers. For example, rumors were circulating among students about a particular subject that the staff immediately investigated. After further questioning of students and staff, the conclu-sion was made that there was not enough sufficient information to write an article. We stated in the first issue that “our goal [is] to serve as the voice of the Walnut Hills student body” and we aim to live up to that statement.

Sincerely, Mia Manavalan Editor-in-Chief

Yoga Pants Controversy

Walnut Hills High School The ChatterboxViewpoints

Issue CVI.2 Page 3

Ayana Rowe ‘12 Copy Editor

Some people have already heard of the yoga pants incident at Loveland High School, result-ing in 17 in-school suspensions and other girls forced to change out of yoga pants. The Loveland dress code does not specifically say no yoga pants allowed, but administration cited that stu-dents should not wear “revealing clothing.” This leads to some Walnut Hills students wondering if yoga pants may soon become a “no-go” clothing choice. Yoga pants are not only a staple of my

Wally Hill, ‘12Staff Writer

Students of Walnut Hills,

It is with great pleasure that I introduce myself. I am Wally Hill. To some, that may mean noth-ing (not yet), but to others, that name may bring back memories (both good and bad) regarding the infamous pseudonym. As many of you know, Wally Hill is not the name of one per-son; rather, it is a title, much like the “Dali Lama” or the “Avatar”, which is given to each successive incarnation of the columnist. I am not the first, and I most cer-tainly will not be the last. If you don’t understand the origins of my positions, or you were too lazy to read the intro-ductory article in the last issue, then you should probably read, well, the first issue. It will put things in perspective.

As far as writing the column goes, there really isn’t much direction in the job description. “Write a commentary on a topic of your choice by Monday,” is usually as specific as the instruc-tions are, and the inability to ask your friends makes it all the more challenging. Yet it is the ambigu-ity and solitude that makes Wally Hill such an awesome position. I could, theoretically, write any-thing. And it is with that creative license in hand that I prepare to embark on a magical journey of literary wonder – or at least as close to that as I can get without being too strange. For the next year (starting next issue) I hope to write funny, or at least amusing, commentary on various school-related topics, as well as things that I find inter-esting. I hope, in the months to come, that you will enjoy reading my columns as much as I enjoy writing them.

Heard Under the Dome

What were your opinions on Spirit Week?

“The announcements could have been better.”

Chris Quay, ‘16

“It wasn’t like my old school.”

Emma Robbins, ‘17

“I liked it!”Tiona Howard, ‘17

“[It was] a little unorga-nized.”Ms. Ryan

“[They] should have thought harder.”

Quincy Canady ‘14

“[They] should have kept twin day.”Jordan Gardner ‘14

“It was an interesting change from the tradi-

tional spirit week.”Ben Ghosh ‘12

“I was unsatisfied with spirit week.”

Cody Blatt ‘12

“It was super unorga-nized.”

David Weirs ‘12

(See Just Nuts for full coverage)

HARRY KRAN

winter wardrobe, but a comfort-able companion to my school day. While some may find them too revealing, I emphasize their eternal comfort and wear-ability. In the official school dress code there is no reference to wearing yoga pants, although they can be compared with wear-ing leggings, which require the wearer to have them covered to mid-thigh. Students should also avoid “clothing that detracts from the educational process.” But the question remains: are students allowed to wear yoga pants to school? It is truly unfortunate that these fellow yoga-pant-wearers

JONAH ROTH/CHATTERBOX

were denied their freedom of style and this solace. Walnut Hills High School is known for its diversity, which is reflected in the way its students dress. When asked about the dress code in an interview, Principal Brokamp emphasized this fact and made it clear that students should feel free to express themselves through the way they dress as long as it is “within reason.” In other words, students should aim for appropriate attire while remaining unique among the thousands of others.

The Chatterbox Policy Statement

The Chatterbox has been guaran-teed the right of freedom of the press through the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The admin-istration 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 un-der established guidelines. Invasion of privacy as a means of news gathering is prohibited. Articles found to be dis-criminatory, 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 pertain-ing 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.

Letter from the Editor

Walnut Hills High School The ChatterboxSports

Page 4 Issue CVI.2

Charlie Hatch, ‘13Sports Editor

SENIOR Laura Rose leads the Girls’ Varsity soccer team to a winning season. The Chatterbox interviewed the star to get her opinion on the team to the play-offs, her future, and why the Lady Eagles have a chance to be special this year.

Chatterbox: What does the team have this year that you feel gives it an edge compared to the other teams?Laura Rose: We have a lot of young players on the team which in most other teams is a negative aspect due to lack of experience and level of play. However, our young players bring so much positivity to the team and so much skill that it’s hard to stick with us. The team this year also has a really good bond; we all get along very well, we laugh, have fun, and make jokes and I believe these important aspects are what keeps our team together and ini-tially these things are what drives one another to work hard and finish together in every game.

CBX: What factors have con-tributed to the team’s success this season?LR: If it was not for our coaches, Bob and Jan, I think we would still be struggling . Others may not agree, but I don’t think people realize that if our coaches didn’t run us ’til we threw up, push us through every practice as hard as they do, even if yelling

is involved, and just didn’t show as much pride towards this team, we would be out of shape, we would be very frustrated and feel like giving up. We’d lack confi-dence and we wouldn’t be ranked 6th in the city right now which is a huge accomplishment for us.

CBX: What expectations do you have for yourself for the rest of this season?LR: My expectations are simply continuing to be that team player who is able to pick every player up with positive inspiration and help lead the team to victory.

CBX: What are your goals after you graduate this year?LR: Following my years at Walnut I will continue as a Bearcat to

play soccer at the University of Cincinnati on a full ride scholar-ship. Before I go there my goal is to find a major that suits me and I hope to lead the soccer team to future championships.

CBX: Do you have anything else you’d like to add?LR: As I say after every game, I’m really proud of all the girls’ efforts that they have put towards the team this year. We look good this year so come support us! We love the fans and especially when we have more than the team we’re playing against!

Athlete Spotlight: Laura Rose

RONDA SHAFER

Laura Rose dribbles past a Loveland defender earlier in the season.

Big East, A Big Mistake?Charlie Hatch, ‘13Sports Editor

With the news of Syracuse and Pittsburgh leaving the Big East and “taking their talents” to the Atlantic Coast Conference, the landscape for college basketball has greatly changed-and not for the better. Now, schools, such as the University of Cincinnati, have been abandoned and left out to dry, while other universities will move on to bring in greater revenue. Perhaps the biggest disappointment was that Syracuse separated from the Big East the same day as the founder of the conference, Dave Gavitt, passed away, leaving the conference in dismay and disbelief. With the school gone, other elite basketball programs such as Connecticut will try to move in with Pitt’ and ‘Cuse to the new ACC. If all the schools were accepted into the ACC, what would happen to UC? Just six years

ago, the Bearcats joined the conference with other schools like Louisville, Marquette and South Florida with hopes to build their programs, as consistently good teams. The Bearcats are now in a head-on collision, between staying in a weaker, and revised Big East, and possibly joining the Big 12, where schools such as Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas currently rule the basketball league. The bottom line is that with the Big East being dissected, college basketball will not be the same and will never seem as powerful of a conference in basketball again. Last year, 11 out of 16 teams made the NCAA Tournament in March (only 68 teams make the tournament out of over 300 in the nation), which was a record that will not be touched for a long time to come. As for Cincinnati, the next few months will determine its role in the college basketball world, whether it be in the Big East, Big 12, or any other league. Right now the best thing for the school is for the team to go out and be considered a title contender these next two years, before other teams in the Big East disappear.

Evan Riffle, ‘13Chatterbox Contributor

After the Reds made the playoffs in 2010 for the first time since 1995, things looked like they were headed on the right track. Even though the Phillies soundly defeated the team in the first round that year, it still seemed like we were going to have a breakout year in the 2011 season. Sadly, it would be an understatement to say that the Reds have disappointed this year. Out of all the Reds that have had over 50 at bats, as of September 20th , Votto and Phillips are the only players on the Reds with a batting average over .290. Many of the players that the Reds prom-ised would have “breakout” seasons were nothing but failures. The Reds’ coaches said over the summer that Drew Stubbs would lead the majors in steals this year. However they must have forgotten that to steal bases, you have to first find a way to get on base.

Stubbs is batting below .250, which is poor for someone that is trying to make it as a leadoff- hitter. Some would come to Stubbs’ defense and say that he did after all have 38 steals as of September 20th, and he was tied for 6th in the MLB in steals, but his 38 steals are still no where close to being number one in the Major Leagues, which is 54 by Michael Bourn. Some good things to take out of this season are that we still remain one of the youngest teams in baseball, and there-fore, we should get better next year. Also, Johnny Cueto had an excellent season and at one point even led the majors in ERA (earned run average), which is arguably the most important stat for a pitcher. Though the Reds might have been a disappointment to Cincinnati this season, this is just one season out of 142 years for the club. But with young players, experi-ence will come over time, and in a couple seasons the team will be a competitor in the National League Central, and all the Major Leagues.

Alina Tashjian, ‘14Chatterbox Writer

One game. One battle. One goal. One cure. Walnut Hills volleyed for a cure on Wednesday, September 27 against Glen Este High School at home. The team’s goal? To raise as much money as possible to donate to the Susan G. Komen founda-tion for the cure. There were a series of gift baskets, spilt the pot and raffle tickets sold to add even more money to Walnut’s donation. When asked about the importance of the event, Athletic Director Tom Don-nelly explained: “I think it is important for Walnut to reach beyond the gym walls and touch the lives of others. It is important to be a good role model and to impact the community in a great way.” Both teams donned their grey “Volley for the Cure” t-shirts and were ready to compete. Headed by Coach Becky Breetz,

JV kicked off the event with junior Katie Estep and sophomore Chelsea Carpenter as the captains. They started with a strong warm-up but unfortunately lost the two games. Although they lost, Breetz was optimistic: “These games are always excit-ing and it’s great to come out to support a good cause. Even though we did not take this one, we will continue to work hard. Come out and see us!” Hoping to bounce back from JV’s loss, Varsity came roaring out of the locker room to the pounding bass of DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win.” With both teams taking the floor, excitement filled the air, the whistle was blown and the game was off. Although Glen Este served first, Walnut scored the first point, and pushed ahead of Glen Este by a few points. But the tables turned and Walnut was forced to call the first time out trailing 3-9. Glen Este kept the momentum and ended up winning the next three games 25-6, 25-12 and 25-18. Assistant Coach Travis Leonard had mixed feelings after the game, “Anytime you get a large crowd into the bleachers on your own court and for a good cause, it helps both the team and the commu-nity. I just wish that the team could have given the crowd a better show, but we are a young team and there is promise for the future.” It may have been a loss for Walnut, but it was a huge win for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Walnut raised a significant amount of money for the foundation to help find a cure for breast cancer.

Volley for the Cure A year to forget The Cincinnati Reds

JOE SCHMIDLAPP/CHATTERBOX

The varsity team discusses their opponent during a timeout.

Walnut Hills High School The ChatterboxFine Arts

Issue CVI.2 Page 5

Jenna Weber, ‘13Fine Arts Editor

Chances are if you go to Walnut Hills, you know one of the Knoblochs. You could know Lars, ‘17, Rachel, ‘14, Sven, ‘15, or Nils, ‘13. I had heard from Mrs. Smith that Rachel, Sven and Nils are all talented and budding artists. After investigating this rumor, it was confirmed after simple conversations with their peers and art teachers. They have either taken multiple art classes, or are beginning to take them now. It’s hard to believe that so much artistic skill could be possessed by one family, but the Knoblochs make it look easy.

Chatterbox: What kind of media do you use?Nils Knobloch: I use primar-ily digital, so a computer. And within the computer I use mostly photo shop and Maya [3D ani-mation software].Sven Knobloch: I’m in studio art so we do a little bit of everything.Rachel Knobloch: I use all kinds of stuff! I love drawing by hand though–manually with pencil and paper–my two favorite tools are compasses and rulers. I love mixing media too, like last year I did a spray paint project for my final assignment and it turned out great!

CBX: Where do you find inspira-tion?NK: I do a lot of online research on other artists across the world and there’s a lot of cool art they produce that really inspires me. I replicate and use some of their elements in my art.SK: I like architecture and build-ing and engineering tools like making a sculpture, like a castle!RK: This is probably like the weirdest answer ever, but I get my inspiration from music– especially song lyrics. I just love music and the lyrics are just so influential to me and I have no idea why.

CBX: How much of your free time do you spend on art? NK: I would say quite a bit. Last year with the AP it was every weekend. Sunday was art day! We usually had to make one piece of art per week and Sunday night was just six straight hours of do-ing art.RK: All the time. when I am not doing homework or other things, I am always drawing, getting in-spiration, or doing other random artsy things. My friends think that it’s crazy and that I have too much free time.

CBX: What is the level of artistic competition like in your family, if there is any?NK: There’s not really much competition since it’s mainly me and Rachel who produce art. I’m doing digital and she does more handcrafted art so there’s no real

An interview with the Knoblochs

NILS KNOBLOCH

One of Nils Knobloch’s digital masterpieces.

chance for rivalry.SK: We’re in the same studio art class so it’s a little clash of who is better. CBX: What is it like being in the same art class?RK: It’s really not that weird, we don’t even sit anywhere near each other, but sometimes it is strange and I actually get asked this ques-tion frequently. Most of my new friends in the class didn’t even know he was my brother until I told them.SK: Usually Rachel avoids me. We don’t usually talk during art class but we talk after about what we’re doing.NK: It’s kind of like having you in my math class! CBX: You are in the same math class?SK: We’re both in pre-calculus. CBX: Are either of your parents, or any other members of your family artistic?NK: My mom is, kind of. She’s not artistic but she likes a lot of the crafts. She likes decorating tables. From an early age she introduced us to small art proj-ects for Christmas, like making ornaments.

CBX: Do your parents encourage your art?NK: Definitely! For me, they buy the software I use.RK: My parents are very support-ive of my art. They like the idea that I want to major in graphic communications design and they

send me to various art camps every summer. I love art camp, it’s such a great experience that everyone should have. CBX: Nils, how did you learn so much about digital art?NK: A lot of it is my dad gave me a computer when I was 9. It had Photoshop on it so I was like “What’s this?” and started trying to do things with it. If I look back now, some of the stuff is really simple and pretty stupid. There’s a large online user forum for peo-ple to ask questions, and there’s a lot of tutorials so it’s really easy to learn if you’re willing to. I had one last question for the siblings, and this one seemed to take them all by surprise. I asked them to describe their sibling’s artwork in one sentence. Rachel and Nils both agreed that Sven’s art is still developing and changing. Rachel said that “Nils’ art is very technical”, and they both agreed: “It’s amazing”.Next time you walk past the hallway lined with art in the New Building, keep an eye out for a piece by one of the Knobloch’s because chances are, you’ll find one.

the non-SENIORs out there, Crime and Punishment is about a young and questionable man named Raskolnikov who commits two murders and conse-quentially goes insane. But what does any of this have to do with Napoleon? Jeremy explained that “Raskolnikov is very much like Napoleon. Both thought they were above everyone else and their actions parallel each other’s in a certain way. Napoleon tried to conquer the world and Raskolnikov tried to commit murder and get away with it. In the novel Raskol-nikov actually says (when talking about his crime), ‘I wanted to be like Napoleon.’ This shows that what Raskolnikov really wanted when committing the murder was to face punishment, just as Napoleon did. So, from this I realized that Napoleon was definitely the character to represent Raskolnikov.” This creative addition to the group’s presentation has created quite the buzz amongst Dr. Bard’s students. Jeremy notes that,” I like to think that my work helped my classmates to understand the book better. I wanted to show how Raskolnikov wanted to be like Napoleon and was. I also wanted to represent the craziness of Raskolnikov’s mind through the background, so I made a background with many different colors and textures to represent that. I actually got a lot of posi-tive reactions from students in all of Dr. Bard’s classes, which surprised me.” Even Dr. Bard gave her “squint of approval” upon seeing Jeremy’s painting. “You can usually tell in Dr. Bard’s class whether she

likes what you did or not by looking at the reaction on her face.” Art is only one of Jeremy’s many talents. He is also known for his dedica-tion to gymnastics and academic success. He currently enjoys being a student of AP Art: 2D Design with Ms. Williams, but notes that other classes like AP European History with Mr. McCormick have helped him to become a better artist. Jeremy hopes to be accepted into Stanford University and continue his art education while focusing on chemistry or possibly a career in medicine. Although he has his doubts towards becoming an artist for a living he is positive that art “will always be one of [his] passions.”

Kavah Israel, ‘12Fine Arts Writer

Want to make an English assignment more entertaining? Try incorporating academic and artistic skills into work the way that SENIOR, Jeremy Siegel created this impressive painting for Dr. Bard’s AP English class. The assignment required students to work in pairs and explain a technique that the author used. Although the assign-ment did not require a visual representa-tion, Siegel took it upon himself to create this painting to help further explain the concepts present in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel, Crime and Punishment. For all

Siegel brings dynamite to AP English Artwork of the Month

Gleam club meets Tuesdays at 2:30 in Mr. Taylor’s room. Bring poetry and

artwork for a chance to be involved

in this historical publication.

“The class is Design. These are ele-ments and principles cubes. They are the basic tools of an artist and each side had a different assign-ment. It took them a while, but the kids did a great job.” -Ms. George

JENNA WEBER/CHATTERBOX

JEREMY SIEGELRaskolnikov as Napoleon

Walnut Hills High School The ChatterboxStyle & Culture

Page 6 Issue CVI.2

Fall TV Rundown

HANNAH SHAW/CHATTERBOX

Hipsters: It’s just ironic, y’know?Cultural phenomenon takes Walnut Hills by storm

Hannah Shaw ‘14Chatterbox Staff Writer

Being in high school, like it or not, labels are a part of everyday life. Jock, preppy, and emo are all common examples heard daily. Now a new label has made its way to the social structure of our halls: hipster. You may not know what a hipster is, but lately it seems you cannot walk across on the Wal-nut Hills campus without seeing a hipster-esque person. When asked about hipsters, Sophomore Ali McNair said, “I just hate it when people label themselves.” So you may be asking your-self, What is a hipster? How do I know when I do, in fact, see a hipster? Could I myself be a hip-ster and not even know it? Here are some of the criteria for being classified as a true-blue hipster:- Over 15 % of your clothing is from The Salvation Army, Good-will or a thrift store.- You have some sort of artistic ability- You listen to indie-rock bands no one has heard of, or have an obscure taste in music.- Blogging is your thing.- Taking the bus is too main-stream, instead you ride a fixed-gear bike to still be green.- You possess some knowledge of worldly news.

- At one time your facial hair re-sembled at handlebar mustache.- Occasionally you wear Ray Bans, or any other kind of trendy prescription eye-wear. The hipster revolution is not just limited to students. Teacher Mr. McCormick claimed that last year he began watching an alarm-ing amount of Project Runway and feared that he was becoming a hipster. Hipsters are not only invading the hallways of Walnut Hills, but popping up across the nation, holding influence throughout the Internet and lit-erature. Websites like “Stuff Hip-sters Hate” have appeared across the world wide web with venom to spit about everything hipster. These websites, along with books like The Hipster Handbook, are more evidence of the apparent hipster hurricane that has been brought upon us. So now that you officially know what a hipster is, you may have new questions. You could be wondering, What should I do about all these hipsters surround-ing me? Absolutely nothing. Hipsters will be hipsters, and when the new cultural revolution comes around, they will over take just as the hipsters have. What can you do until the population dies down? Blog about it.

Joe Neidhard, ‘12Style and Culture Editor

It’s getting cold outside, and unless you are of the variety of people that actually likes yard work, something needs to be done to fill the extra time about to be spent indoors in the com-ing months. Some people might go for “enrichment” like reading books or building model planes. However, for most, television might just be the solution.

Glee (FOX, Tues):One of the student body’s favorite shows returns with stars Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, and Darren Criss as their show choir travels and they deal with the prospect of their futures outside of William McKinley High School.

Saturday Night Live (NBC, Sat): The legendary comedy series returns for its 37th season led by veterans Kristi Wiig, Bill Hader and the Lonely Island’s Andy Samberg. Having started strong with an Alec Baldwin hosted season premiere, upcoming hosts include Melissa McCarthy and SNL-alum Jimmy Fallon.

30 Rock (NBC): The Emmy-winning comedy’s sixth season will not premier until 2012 due to star Tina Fey’s pregnancy, but Comedy Central has just started airing repeats at 7 pm, so anyone not familiar with the show can get caught up. So maybe CC will finally show something

other than three-hour Scrubs marathons.

Jersey Shore (MTV, Thurs): America’s favorite band of stereotypes are confronted with their own guilt for misusing their lives. Conflicted, they travel to It-aly to reconnect with their roots, only to discover that all they ever wanted was true friendship. Or they just get really drunk. Whichever.

How I Met Your Mother (CBS, Mon): Neil Patrick Harris returns as Barney Stinson, 16-year-old medical/womanizing-prodigy, grappling with puberty, girls and the struggle between the merits of the Hippocratic Oath versus the Bro Code.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation(CBS, Wed): Ted Danson’s on this show now?! Sweet.

How to be a Gentleman (CBS, Fri): This new comedy starring...um, a dude, has been... exist-ing...it’s... Seriously, what is this? I haven’t even seen spots for this during football games. Is it supposed to be used as space filler when the network can’t sell ad-time or something? If you have honestly heard of this show please tell me.

And that is essentially every show worth watching this fall. Enjoy.

A Look at Local Theatre

AROUND TOWN:

AS YOU LIKE IT presented by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Oct. 1-Nov. 6)

FOOTLOOSE presented by Footlighters, Inc. (Oct. 6-22)

GRUESOME PLAY-GROUND INJURIES pre-sented by Know Theatre of Cincinnati (Oct. 8-Nov. 5)

GHOST-WRITER presented by Ensemble Theatre of Cin-cinnati (Oct. 12th-30th)

I LOVE A PIANO presented by Covedale Center for the Performing Arts (Oct. 13-Nov. 6)

MACBETH presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (Oct. 14-Nov. 20)

Tanner Walters, ‘12Senior Managing Editor

If you’re tired of spending Saturday nights at the Esquire seeing Rocky Horror week after week, have no fear: there are other options. Though a common past time around Walnut’s halls is to complain about how boring Cincinnati is, there are some advantages that come with living here. My favorite? The theatre. This 2011-2012 season is jam-packed with excellent produc-tions, whether regional, commu-nity or touring productions. The Aronoff is what first comes to mind around Cincin-nati, and this season promises excitement for even the dragged-along date. The touring produc-tions of recent Broadway hits like Wicked, Mamma Mia and Billy Elliot are sure sell-outs, as well as classics like Les Miserables and West Side Story. For both Broad-way nerds and those who don’t know Hairspray from Hair, this is not a season to miss. But one need not shell out the dough at Aronoff prices to catch quality theatre around town. Those whining about having as much do as small-town Alabami-ans should realize that Cincinnati is home to a plethora of excellent regional and community the-aters–all with a variety of shows in the upcoming season. For lovers of the familiar, the Covedale Center for the Per-forming Arts has announced a lineup including White Christmas and the popular Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Its home in Price Hill proves to skeptical Hyde Park residents that, yes, the West Side does indeed have culture. Those who like contemporary and cutting-edge theatre should look no further than downtown, home of both the Know The-atre and The Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati. The Ensemble Theatre, a frequent employer of Equity actors (the actor’s union) and Broadway veterans, is fresh off its season opener of one of the first regional productions of the musical Next to Normal (which featured Walnut alumnus Michael Carr in the understudy cast). Next up for the theatre is the drama Ghost Writer. The acclaimed Know Theatre has an-nounced the return of last year’s popular trueTheatre series, as well as the upcoming Gruesome Playground Injuries. It is true, even regional and community productions can burn holes in the pockets of the Walnut’s starving-student population, but there are many ways to get around this. Student rush, which is offered at many theaters (including the Aronoff), allows half-price tickets for students who purchase them two hours before the performance. Many a $40 ticket has been made affordable in this manner. If that doesn’t appeal, the Enjoy the Arts program, at just $25, comes packed with tickets and discounts for theater and dance productions around the city (including tickets for Playhouse in the Park productions and the Cincinnati Symphony).

Even if you would not consider yourself a theatre buff, this is an opportune time to open yourself up to the experience. Too many would-be theatre enthusiasts limit their experience with the art form to their cousin’s second grade play. Supporting the arts in Cincinnati–especially in the cur-rent economy–is crucial; not only for the improvement of the city, but of the self. This year’s season makes this easy.

HANNAH SHAW/CHATTERBOX

Kati Beard ‘14 shows off her boy-meets-girl style.Chloe Grund ‘13 smiles ironi-

cally in the hallway.

Style TipsFOR HER:#892. Boy meets girl is back and better than ever. Try wool, plaid, tweed, suiting, penny loafers, chukkahs, “winter shorts” paired with tights, and the boyfriend watch . Have the perfect balance of mascu-line with feminine for a stylish look for winter.

#567. Nothing is better than being cozy and chic. Sherpas, chunky knits, sweater dresses, and any-thing that looks great for snuggling.

FOR HIM:#378. Have no fear of mixing patterns. Plaid on stripes can work if you know what you’re doing.

#539. If you want an alter-native to jacket-without-a-tie, try wearing a cardigan. with a tie.

Shows to look out for this autumn

HoroscopesJP Schmitz, ‘12Cartoon Editor

Aquarius: Wear your favorite pair of socks tomorrow. If you do, tomorrow will be marginally better than today.

Pisces: You are going through some tough times and need to see things from a fresh perspective. Travel to Australia to see your career going down the drain, but in the opposite direction. This will help.

Aries: THE BRITISH ARE COMING! THE BRITISH ARE COMING!

Taurus: You have often tried to conquer your zemmi-phobia, but no matter how hard you try, you just bring yourself to confront that giant mole rat. But cheer up! Luckily for you, they hate ice cream parlors.

Gemini: Take a long, hard look at yourself in the mirror. If you see nothing, be open to the possibility you may be a vampire. Avoid silver bullets. Ask for no garlic. At least

you don’t sparkle in the sunlight.

Cancer: You need a fresh challenge in life. Consider swimming the Ohio River, as many times as you can, in a clown suit. Make sure to bathe afterwards, though.

Student Submissions

If you have art (poetry, cartoons, etc.) that you would like to have featured in the Chat-terbox, submit it to the Chatterbox Mailbox in the Main Office or, send a digital copy of your work to cboxtoons@gmail.com. (Print

images will appear in black and white)

A Look into Gleam: “Captains”Jennie Waits, ‘12Chatterbox Contributor

We were captains and people listenedTo orders and the things we desiredWe were tramps, we were untouchableRacing the streets at nightTogether. Alone.To explore a world no one really wanted to seeWe were tired of society’s abundance of liarsWe were torn in two to find the source of our own firesBut fire burnt all our money up and didn’t make itAnd we were tired and our children were hungry and naked.We decided to wear rough suitsWe remember when we were young boys, shining bootsDish rag torn and dirty. Quarters of the day stolenAs the mothers ignored our world, sheets continued folding.Boys on the other side of the fence making breathy, grunting laughsWe stiffened our shoulders and tightened our backsAnd we were angry and still crying over the tragedy that had happenedLiving at the mercy of these fierce new captains.But now we’re bigger and our suits make us bold

Overloadby JP Schmitz, ‘12

Sketchy Ways to Get to Classby Elanor Eberhardt, ‘15

Featured Horoscope: Libra

It seems that you are a BarcaLounger salesman in another universe. If you ever meet, try their mothers’ Spaghetti-O’s.

#396: A Tunnel“Senior year wasn’t supposed to be this much work...”

Fill all the blanks with the correct numbers. In a 9-by-9 Sudoku Game:• Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1

through 9 in any order• Every Column of 9 numbers must include all digits

1 through 9 in any order• Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must

include all digits 1 through 9

Walnut Hills High School The ChatterboxArcade

Issue CVI.2 Page 7

Leo: We recommend not going to the mall next Thurs-day. Seriously.

Virgo: Why does everybody apart from you seem to know what they are doing? You probably forgot to eat a grapefruit this morning. Without that source of potas-sium, you may as well just go to sleep now. Better luck next time.

Scorpio: The eggs in your fridge are probably rotten. Try substituting flax seed. Yes, it will make everything you cook chunkier, but it sure is rich in omega 3.

Sagittarius: The ghost of Christopher Columbus will appear before you while you’re waiting for the bus. He makes excellent casual knitwear. Take it and run.

Capricorn: You will be surprised to find an ancient scroll posted through your door this week with a 3000 year old etching of yourself inside. You will realize that you are inside a paradox and that you should never listen to that stranger in five years time. Also, you will run out of cornflakes by Tuesday, but to your relief you will realize you have no milk left anyway by Monday night. Keep things in perspective..

And our tormentors seem much smaller now that they’re hunched over and oldThey’ve surrenderedAnd we’ve surrenderedThat inexplicable hopeWe could forever sail as captains, instead of just drifting afloat.

Walnut Hills High School The ChatterboxJust Nuts

Page 8 Issue CVI.2

Homecoming Spirit Week is a mixed bagDominick Clark ‘12Just Nuts Editor

Every year Homecoming Week gives students the chance to express their school spirit. Students go all out to exude more school spirit than the next, even if it means embarrassment-and this year was no different. Monday was “Mix n’ Match Monday,” and was a favorite of many. Some young men revealed more of their body than most of us would have liked to see. SENIOR Donald Taylor, who showed his feminine side in a wig and tights, stated: “I finally found out that being a girl is really hard.” Men in tights or leggings was a frequent sight, and while Taylor found it dif-ficult, others seemed to be right at home. Women were found covering more than they were used to,, even while displaying the infamous “droopy” pants look. With pinned-back hair and baggy t-shirts, man embodied the “typical” male wardrobe. Tuesday came under much confusion. The day was an-nounced originally to be “Clown Town Tuesday”, but at some point it was changed to “Throw-back Tuesday”. When the day came around, both themes brought participants. Any visitor

SIGNE SCHLOSS/ CHATTERBOX

You found a penguin in your backpack that you stole while sleepwalking.

SIGNE SCHLOSS,/ CHATTERBOX

You left your lunch at home but Bill Murray brought you pancakes.

SIGNE SCHLOSS/ CHATTERBOX

Your arch nemisis is wearing the same burgundy polo as you.

to Walnut that day would have certainly been confused to see the grinning clowns and retro hairstyles filling our halls. “Superhero Wednesday” was an intereting attempt at a new theme that delighted some and frustrated others. Some students pulled it off with a random cape or some eye liner and blush, but many did not even try. Some students took the theme into their own hands , celebrating the tongue-in-cheek “Joe Yoshimura” day. Juniors and SENIORS of Mr. Yosh’s Ethnic Studies classes made statements in sweat pants with polo shirts tucked in, hon-oring their favorite teacher. Monday through Thursday may have been a contest to show the most individual and class spirit, but on Friday, none of that mattered. Walnut students united and, with a sea of blue and gold, displayed their Eagle Pride.

Akilah Phillips, ‘12Subscription Manager

The daughter of main office secretary Patti Abbatiello has recently been diagnosed with Carcinoid Cancer, a rare form of cancer located in the left lung. As a result, Gina Tonnis and her family had to make sacrifices to better her health. Wife to Brandon and mother of two children, Tonnis has continued to stay strong and take care of her family in Griffin, Georgia. On July 7th, a surgery was performed to get her left lung removed but she found out that she had a three-centimeter tumor wrapped around the main bronchus and artery. Therefore she had to get her entire lung re-

moved, having grown rapidly and moved quickly into other parts of other tissues. To support the Tonnis family, a benefit dance will take place on Saturday, November 5 at the Charles R. Gaily VFW Post Hall at 8326 Brownsway Lane Coler-ain Township from 8pm to 12am. There will be live music featuring the band UNDER THE SUN. Tickets are $20.00 each or $30.00 for two. To obtain dance tickets or to make a donation to help Gina, please contact Patti or Mike Abbatiello at (513) 741-0421. To learn more about Gina’s story and Carcinoid Cancer, please visit her website hosted by the American Cancer Society at <www.caringbridge.org/visit/ginamichelle>.

Secretary’s daughter battles on, with family’s help

In Character: Jimmy Nikaidoh

JAYLEN HILL/ CHATTERBOX JAYLEN HILL/ CHATTERBOX

SIGNE SCHLOSS/ CHATTERBOX JAYLEN HILL/ CHATTERBOX

AKILAH PHILLIPS/CHATTERBOX

Patti Abbatiello stands behind the desk of the main office.

CARINGBRIDGE..ORG Gina Tonnis, Patti Abbatiello’s daughter, poses with her two children.