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May 20, 2011 Walnut Hills High School 

Vol. CV, No. 1

From the Editors May 20, 2011 

The Chatterbox 

The Chatterbox Editoral Staff 

Shiwani Kamath, Co-Editor-in-Chief Marshalla Eves, Co-Editor-in-Chief 

Letter from the Editors 

Dear Readers, 

As I sit here and write my final 

submission for The Chatterbox, I 

can’t help but be overcome with 

waves of nostalgia. I started as 

a contributor four years ago, and 

now I leave as co-Editor-in-Chief. 

Admittedly, my view of these 

years is fogged up by the “Graduation 

Goggles” (nicely explained on 

“How I Met Your Mother”). Whenever 

someone asks me about my 

favorite parts of working for The 

Chatterbox, I immediately spout 

off accomplishments, like going 

online, re-formatting into a news 

magazine, adding color, and making 

our pages more interactive. As 

I clean out my desks and email, I 

am reminded of the downfalls. I 

cringe whenever I see a published 

copy filled with red editing marks 

or a picture of an interviewee with 

a squashed head. I am absolutely 

thankful that I can certainly think 

of more positive notes than bad 

ones (self-serving bias, anyone?) 

Nevertheless, no EIC can produce 

a paper alone, and I am indebted 

to our fine staff, Editorial board, 

and Advisors for creating a worthy 

set of issues this year. From 

our production team and business 

staff to our writers, columnists 

and photographers, I have never 

seen such collaboration in this or- 

1 

Mia Manavalan, Senior Managing Editor 

Mac Calvert, Photo Editor Clayton Castle, Fine Arts Editor 

Serena Dugan, View Points Editor Emily Friedman, Style & Culture Editor 

Simon Lazarus, Copy Editor Jonah Roth, News & Features Editor 

JP Schmitz, Cartoon Editor Riley Theurer, Visual Editor 

Adam Wolf, Sports Editor Tanner Walters, Gleam Editor 

ganization and I am grateful for such 

commitment. 

I must also give a special thanks 

to our Advisors, Mrs.Wolfe & Mrs. 

Gerwe-Perkins, who work tirelessly on 

our behalf. We could not be successful 

in what we do without your help. I am 

very grateful to Mrs.Heldman and the 

rest at the Alumni Office; your support 

in continuing this paper is truly 

appreciated. Thanks must be given to 

administration and the teachers who 

continuously spare a few minutes to 

give us words of support. Thank you, 

Mrs.Wathen, for always giving us the 

opportunity to browse through past 

volumes; your patience and assistance 

is duly noted. Lastly, thank you, readers. 

Thank you for your encouraging 

words and valued critiques. As Abraham 

Lincoln once said, “He has a right 

to criticize, who has a heart to help.” 

This year at The Chatterbox has 

been amazing though. I’ve seen significant 

changes in the quality of the 

paper and the staff members. Everyone 

has grown so much and knowing 

what I’ve seen this year, I know next 

year will be even better. I leave the 

newspaper in good, capable hands. 

Until then, I hope you enjoy my final 

issue, the SENIOR edition. Let’s reminisce 

through the pages and continue 

counting-down till May 26. 

Sincerely, 

Shiwani Kamath, Co-Editor-in-Chief 

Walnut Hills High School 

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, creed, or national origin. 

Vol. CV, No. 6

Senior Staff May 20, 2011 

SHIWANI KAMATH 

9th Grade: Reporter 

10th Grade:Page Editor 

11th Grade: Page Editor 

12th Grade: Co- Editor-in-Chief 

MAC CALVERT 

9th Grade: Photographer 



12th Grade: Photo Editor 

SERENA DUGAN 

11th Grade: Columnist 


Vol. CV, No. 6 


MARSHALLA EVES 

12th Grade: Co- Editor- in- 

Chief 

SIMON LAZARUS 

12th Grade: Copy Editor 

CLAYTON CASTLE 




RILEY THEURER 



12th Grade: Visual Editor 

ADAM WOLF 



RACHEL CHUNG 

12th Grade: Columnist 

2

View Points May 20, 2011 

Serena Says: The Art of 

Graceful Derision 

Serena Dugan, ‘11 

View Points Editor 

It is a pitiful but true fact that 

insulting one’s peers is an art form 

sadly lacking in modern culture. 

Insult, while having many gradations 

in usage and meaning, is, 

in its simplest form, the pointed 

manifestation of our anger or frustration 

toward societal incompetence. 

This propensity for slander 

is universal; it is a cross-cultural 

bridge of our fundamental humanity. 

Whether someone is cut off by 

a discourteous driver in Kentucky 

or Hong Kong, the subsequent 

invectives of the aggrieved will 

ring with the same sonority. And 

despite the moral ramifications of 

launching oneself into a vindictive 

diatribe, nothing is quite so satisfying 

as regressing to a childish 

state of mockery and name-calling. 

Immaturity is unparalleled bliss. 

However, while the instinct to 

insult remains anchored in our 

ranks, the grace with which we 

attempt to accomplish this end is 

sorely wanting. This laxness in refinement 

of rant we can attribute 

mainly to ill-conceived attempts at 

propriety, laziness, and a growing 

deficiency in the facility of 

language. But all hope is not lost. 

By addressing these impediments, 

perhaps we can reinstate the skill 

of elegant disdain into society’s 

invective arsenal. 

The first hurdle to witty slander 

is the growing impetus towards 

non-confrontation. This, 

in my opinion, is a serious social 

problem and also a viable health 

concern. Internalizing one’s 

anger can exacerbate numerous 

health conditions, not to mention 

its psychological ramifications. 

Observing humility for the sake of 

propriety only leads to feelings of 

3 


worthlessness and regret. Why willingly 

surrender to inferiority? Square 

off, confront your opponent, and carpe 

every last shred of self-dignity you can 

muster out of each diem. This is all 

about establishing an internal locus 

of control. Once you manipulate your 

words, you can manipulate your world. 

So throw decorum and propriety out 

the metaphorical window of selfinflicted 

obstacle, and get vocal about 

some things. 

The next issue at hand is perhaps 

more serious than the first. Even having 

embraced derision, one can accomplish 

nothing of wit without the proper 

drive. And thus we delve into the problematic 

realm of indolence. People are 

lazy. Instead of generating a thoughtprovoking, 

insightful, and delightfully 

convoluted snub, the majority of 

our populous relapses into worn and 

tired invectives. Cursing surely has 

its place in society, but a well-crafted 

insult will trump foul language in 9 

out of 10 confrontational situations. 

The best way to flex your muscle for 

wit is to practice making sarcastic 

remarks about societal annoyances: 

inadequacies in the government, the 

stupidity of morning radio talk show 

hosts, faults in the education system… 

whatever has you particularly peeved 

at the moment. But whenever you 

attempt to deride, do so with passion, 

with precision, and most imperatively, 

with élan. 

A Field Guide to Mythical 

Creatures 

Rachel Chung, ‘11 

Chatterbox Staff Writer 

She came through fire. She came 

through water. She rose, hatched from 

an egg, to captivate millions of viewers 

young and old. What many would 

call the Madonna of this generation, 

Lady Gaga emerged on the popular 

music scene some number of years 

ago. However, Lady Gaga runs in a 

different vein than your average pop 

star. In addition to her catchy music 


(complete with four-note choruses and 

driving, computer-generated beats), 

Lady Gaga has earned a reputation as 

more of a performance artist than a 

musician. Overall, her performances 

consist of approximately 30% music, 

30% expensive effects, and 40% 

something else. This “something else” 

might be anything from arriving in an 

egg to wearing dangerous objects as a 

dress. These distinctly Gaga behaviors 

have both shocked and enthralled our 

nation. 

Perhaps you ask, “Why are you 

writing about Lady Gaga, Rachel?” It 

is true; Lady Gaga is not in the same 

genus as the Loch Ness Monster or 

Edward Cullen. Some would say that 

Lady Gaga has invented an entirely 

new breed of performer. (However, 

some discredit Gaga, accusing her 

of emulating Madonna. In addition, 

performance art has existed as a genre 

for almost half a century.) Regardless 

of your artistic perspective, Lady Gaga 

is a mythical creature in her own 

right. Audiences are obsessed with her 

bizarre antics, rabid to know her true 

name, and engrossed by her personal 

life. Lady Gaga is a mythical creature 

because she has shamelessly and completely 

reinvented herself to become 

an entity not entirely human. Perhaps 

she aims to be something closer to a 

deity, and many would argue that she 

has very nearly become one. 

Like any mythical creature, Lady 

Gaga’s mystical image lends her music 

the allure absent from the music of 

other pop stars today. However, the 

popularity of Gaga’s music may also 

be attributed to innate musical talent. 

As someone distinctly pop-music challenged, 

I have often suddenly found 

myself listening to a song of Lady 

Gaga’s. Free of bias, I often appreciate 

her music more than that of other 

pop artists. Like the results of a blind 

taste test, the results of my accidental 

experimentation are clear: Lady Gaga 

is a musical deity. I am gaga for Gaga. 

(Just kidding...) 

Vol. CV, No. 6

Sports May 20, 2011 

SENIOR Track and Field 

Runners 

Kibret Alem, ‘15 


While football and basketball 

may reign at Walnut, track and 

field is gradually becoming the 

most successful sport in the school. 

Under the guidance of Coach 

Valenzano and Coach Turner, the 

varsity team -especially class of 

‘11 SENIORS, are making a name 

for themselves and WHHS above 

all throughout the city. This Varsity 

team includes great SENIOR 

track athletes, such as Phillip 

Akanbi, Emily Akin, Keita Arthur, 

Keith Benjamin, Ferris Harvey, 

Tiffany Caldwell, Cush King, Jaelynne 

and Trafawn Johnson, JR 

Roley, Karen McCormick, Allison 

Nurre, Lovieree Simmons, Brianna 

Woods and Dez Stewart, who in 

fact most of them has worked with 

Coach Valenzano for three years. 

When Coach Valenzano was 

asked how he feels about his SE- 

NIORS, he replied saying, “I have 

some great SENIOR runners in 

my team. They all have great potential. 

They are very easy to work 

with and they were the 2009 Boys 

Lead Champions.” So far, this is 

their best year and the season is 

going great for the Eagle runners. 

As long as they keep doing what 

they’re doing, they will have no 

problem competing for the state 

championship into their hands. 

Coach Valenzano continues to 

rave about his team, saying that, 

“Walnut Hills has a good tradition 

of track and field. It’s one of the 

most successful sports in school 

and we’ll keep on getting better 

and better. We have great athletes 

that both achieve greatly in 

academics and sport. That’s what 

makes Walnut great.” 

SENIOR runner Dez Stewart 

also has only good things to say 



about the track team. “Track is fun. 

The meetings are interesting. Our 

coaches are entertaining, training us 

better while having fun. Me and my 

teammates have watched track teams 

and since this is out last year, we are 

working hard to achieve what has to 

be achieved.” This high school track 

team is working hard to make it to the 

state 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams, 

and they believe the eagles are capable 

of anything they set their minds to. 

SENIOR Captains Interview 

Adam Wolf, ‘11 

Sports Editor 

This month I sat down with 

SENIORS Brooke Smith and Jake 

Holden to talk to them about their 

highschool softball and baseball 

teams. 

Q: How long have you played for Walnut? 

Brooke Smith: I’ve been a Varsity 

starter all 4 years, thank you very 

much. But I’ve played softball since 

5th grade. 

Jake Holden: I’ve been playing for 

Walnut since I was a freshman. 

Q: Are you going to continue playing 

in college? 

B: No, this is my first year not being 

on a summer-travel team, and then 

I’m not playing in college so this is my 

last season ever. 

J: No. Its tough to get on the UC team. 

Q: What’s your role on the team? 

B: I’m a SENIOR captain with Liz 

Arthur and Kiara Hampton, and I 

play every position except for pitcher 

and catcher. I like to play 3rd base the 

most. 

J: My role is to be the SENIOR captain 

and play in the outfield and pitch 

the ball. 

Q: What’s your favorite part about 

playing your sport? 


B: Lauren Boulding and Ashley Larkins. 

Def totes towntest people alive. 

J: My favorite thing to do is win baseball 

games, but that doesn’t seem to 

happen very often this year. 

Q: What is your schedule like? 

B: We have games everyday, and if we 

have a game we have practice, everyday, 

for a month and a half. That’s 

50-plus days. 

J: We have ten games the next eight 

days. ‘Nuff said. 

Q: What are your practices like? 

B: We run, and then we do a dynamic 

warm-up, and then we toss, and we do 

an infield, and then we hit, and then 

we to listen to the coaches prepare us 

for the next game. 

J: We basically practice plays the 

whole time. Of course, we run and hit, 

but mainly its practicing working as a 

team. 

Q: What are you going to miss most 

about playing ball? 

B: I’m really going to miss playing. 

It’s a fun past-time. It was definitely 

my favorite part of high school. 

J: I’m gonna miss being able to go outside 

and play everyday. I won’t have 

an excuse to do that anymore. 

SENIORS Brooke Smith and Jake 

Holden are this year’s captains for the 

softball and baseball teams. 

Photo by: Adam Wolf, ‘11 

4

Style & Culture and Fine Arts May 20, 2011 

Kara Kroeger: Best 

Dressed 2011 

Clayton Castle, ‘11 

Fine Arts Page Editor 

Best dressed. The winners of 

this superlative always stand out 

from the rest. As one of the most 

sought-out SENIOR superlatives, 

Kara Kroeger, who plans on majoring 

in Fashion Design at Kent 

State next year, is a clear winner 

for the Class of 2011. Unlike most 

fashion-crazy dressers, Kara says 

she doesn’t have a specific “inspiration.” 

“I love taking designer ads and 

finding my own way to make them 

wearable. I just love fashion in 

general so most of it comes from 

my head.” Kara loves thrift stores 

and Akira in Chicago. “Unfortunately, 

I don’t live in Chicago so 

a lot of it comes from Nordstrom 

where I work.” 

Nordstrom also sells shoes, 

which Kara has a large amount 

of (though not necessarily from 

Nordstrom). “I probably have 

enough shoes for the entire SE- 

NIOR class,” says Kroeger. As for 

the number of different outfits 

she adds, “I have no idea. Way too 

many!” 

But whether it’s a new dress or 

vintage shoes, Kara seems to al- 

5 

SENIOR Kara Kroeger poses 

in a sweater and romper. 

Photo by: Clayton Castle ‘11 


ways be dressed like a fashion model. 

She’s the person most girls see in the 

hallway and wish they dressed the 

same. Kara’s future is no doubt bright 

in field of fashion. 

Backstage with Clayton: 

Jacob Kraus 

Clayton Castle, ‘11 

Fine Arts Page Editor 

The award-winning Walnut Hills 

theater department has been the origin 

of many acting careers. SENIOR 

Jacob Kraus is a product of the department. 

Though he does not plan on 

majoring in Drama, he will continue 

acting in community and regional theaters. 

Next year, Kraus will be attending 

Macalister College in Minnesota. 

Q: When did you first start acting? 

Jacob Kraus: The first show I was 

ever in was a fourth grade production 

of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. That 

is when the ‘acting bug’ first bit me. 

Q: What has been your favorite moment 

as an actor, onstage or off? 

J: It is difficult to pick one, but a 

moment that will always stick in my 

mind occurred during a Cincinnati 

Shakespeare Company Groundlings 

production of Hamlet. They ended the 

play a little early, with Horatio’s the 

line, “And flights of angels sing thee to 

thy rest!” However, rather than Horatio 

saying the word “rest,” Ophelia 

returned to the stage, Hamlet revived, 

and they shared a last embrace. It 

was unconventional, but adorable and 

memorable. 

Q: What has been your favorite play 

and/or musical and why? 

J: I’m extremely partial to classical 

drama, especially Shakespeare, but 

one of my absolute favorites is James 

Goldman’s The Lion In Winter. I was 

first exposed to the show in Mr. Peters’ 

Advanced Drama class, where we read 

it and researched the history sur- 


rounding it, and the next year I got 

the amazing opportunity to be a part 

of Walnut’s production. It’s a great 

story with some meaty roles and witty, 

intelligent dialogue. 

Q: Any last words for the aspiring 

actor? 

J: If you’re not currently in a show or 

taking an acting class, take advantage 

of the opportunities Cincinnati, 

a great theatre town, has to offer. 

Walnut gives students in every grade 

at least two opportunities to be in 

shows, along with acting courses, and 

there are many programs and theaters 

around town that have classes and 

sometimes offer roles to teens. If you 

are working on a show, and want to 

grow as an actor/actress and ensemble 

member, work diligently, stay focused 

in rehearsal, and have a positive, open 

attitude. 

Read the other Fine Arts and Style 

and Culture articles online: 

AP Studio Art: What makes this AP 

different and how the artists prepare 

for the exam. 

Ghapi: A new fabric and fashion line 

created by Jene`a Nicole, a fashion 

designer. 

The new fashion line Ghapi can be worn 

while excersing. Photo by: Jene`a Nicole 

Vol. CV, No. 6

News May 20, 2011 

Walnut 24 Hour Walkathon: 

A Huge Success 

Mia Manavalan, ‘12 

Managing Editor 

The First Annual Walnut24 

Walkathon took place on April 9th 

and 10th and was a huge success, 

raising $57,000. Students raced to 

the football field early on Saturday 

morning, only to find that 

the field was soaked. After a few 

hours of dismay while being held 

in the school gym, Mr. Brokamp 

finally let the students head back 

to the field once the storm and the 

rain had passed. By that time, the 

party was rolling. 

The Walkathon consisted of 

music, dancing, face painting, 

food, and even a moon bounce. 

Student bands performed, including 

Amanda & the Amoebas, 

Eunoia, Flaccid Logic, and DJ 

Shoe. Junior Alex Shoemaker (aka 

DJ Shoe) says, “It was a stellar 

night and it’s good to know that 

Walnut kids know how to boogie.” 

Students excitedly danced along to 

their music or relaxed on the field 

while rooting on their fellow Walnut 

peers. Students also participated 

in frisbee, Quidditch, Tug of 

War, and Twister. Many students 

also formed teams to raise money 

for their particular club or sport. 

The track team surely got in the 

spirit of the Walkathon, wearing 

their own t-shirts and putting up 

a huge tent. “Walking on a team 

was awesome because it gave me 

a motive to stay there, friends 

to hang out with, and best of all, 

sweet matching t-shirts to wear. 

When a walkathon is held next 

year, I plan to get a team together 

again!” says Junior Josh Mansfield. 

Even those who weren’t on a 

specific team bonded with others. 

Junior Jessica Fan says, “I 

made some new friends when I 



hung out with the track team kids. It 

was definitely a fun environment for 

meeting people since you had a whole 

bunch of people ranging from all the 

grades there for the same reasons: to 

walk, have fun and eat bananas!” The 

Walkathon was headed up by Doug 

Newberry to raise money for the 81 

competitive sports teams, 60 clubs, the 

marching band and the theater program. 

The goal of the Walkathon was 

to raise $110,000. Many students were 

extremely energetic about fundraising, 

including Junior Erin Heiser, who 

raised $1000, and won herself a brand 

new iPAD. Despite the outstanding 

work of the students, only about 50% 

of that goal was met. 

The goal of this fundraiser was to 

have each student raise $50. However, 

out of 2100 WHHS students, approximately 

1/3 of them participated. 

About 1400 students and families still 

have not made donations. “Gleam 

[Walnut’s literary magazine] is definitely 

suffering from the budget cuts. 

Walnut needs funding to keep clubs 

like Gleam, which has been around 

for over a hundred years, up and 

running,” says Gleam’s Senior Editor 

Tanner Walters. Failure to reach the 

fundraising goal means that many 

programs will raise their fees or may 

even be cut. This is common in other 

school districts, but the adminstration 

and parents of WHHS are trying their 

best to avoid that. Cassanda Clement, 

mother of Junior Sophia Melnyk, says, 

“It was such a great time and the need 

continues for funds... so the administration 

and parents met and we will do 

it all again on October 15 and 16, 2011 

to raise money for the 2011-12 school 

year student activities.” 

The Renovation: A Senior’s 

Perspective 

Cody Tolbert, ‘11 

Chatterbox Contributor 

The class of 2011’s senior year is 

rapidly coming to a close, with less 


than six days left. And with that, 

there comes both the joy and excitement 

of a new adventure and the nostalgia 

of letting go of our present one. 

But one new aspect of Walnut that we 

aren’t going to miss is the renovation. 

Although we look forward to the unveiling 

of a beautiful new Walnut, the 

addition of “Eagle Village,” “Mod City,” 

or whatever you may choose to call it 

has really changed the feel and flow 

of the school day. Even with the new 

amenities the mods come equipped 

with, I can confidently say we miss 

our old classrooms. Whether it’s the 

sound of a saw cutting in the background, 

a hammer pounding along, 

or a large piece equipment starting 

up and clamoring around, the idea of 

the school becoming an active construction 

site is taking some getting 

used to. One of the other changes for 

SENIORS this year that came along 

with the renovation was the doling out 

of individual parking spaces, including 

teachers being assigned spaces in the 

SENIOR Parking Lot, once an enclave 

for the seniors. However, this is not 

to say things all things are bad. The 

air conditioning and new bathrooms 

have been a great improvement over 

what was left behind, and I am sure 

just by looking over the plans of the 

renovation that once it is all done, the 

pain will be well worth it. But for the 

six days left for the class of 2011, the 

current condition of the school will 

just be a small glimpse of our six years 

of memories before we will be setting 

out for a college campus. There we 

will look back and won’t remember 

the inconvenience of the renovation, 

but merely the people, the relationships, 

and the both trying and amazing 

times we had here at Walnut Hills 

High School. 

This is the final article in this 

series for the school year. However, as 

always, questions and comments can 

be emailed to whhsrenovation@gmail. 

com. 

6

Gleam May 20, 2011 

Veritas 

Emily Luken, ‘11 

Gleam Senior Editor 

In all the shadows ‘cross the world 

Skies unpainted waves unfurled 

Thoughts and tears 

And questions hurled 

Through this deep blue spinning 

pearl 

Every boy and every girl 

Searches for the truth 

Beaten back by sands of time 

Cloaked by mystery, cloaked by 

grime 

Overturning every mind 

Fingers feeling out reason’s rhyme 

Hoping with heart and soul in 

kind 

To find, to catch the truth 

Yet I am falling into darkness 

Searching for a gleam 

But all I see are contradictions 

Sometimes sobs and always wonder 

And nothing set in stone 

So if you follow the yellow brick 

road 

The wizard will smile but won’t 

tell 

What the good witch already 

knows 

If it’s the truth you wish to capture 

With open heart and wide-eyed 

rapture 

Wherever you wander your questions 

to soothe 

It’s in yourself that you’ll find the 

truth 

7 

Deviation 

Jessica Ly, ‘11 

Gleam Contributor 


It’s called the madhouse dance, 

the insanity shuffle, 

the off-the-deep-end Charleston. 

Do they dance only to the music? 

NO! 

They dance to the dust spray in the 

light 

and to the smell of antiseptic antipsychotic 

antigone. 

Don’t look away just because 

we’ve meandered 

from Conformity Parkway. 

Can you feel the PINCH from those 

glass slippers, Cinderella? 

We can remember; those shoes didn’t 

fit and our toes wanted to breathe. 

Blisters, peeled stickers, nit pickers, 

zit poppers, fat coppers, hip hoppers, 

redwhiteandbluegreenyellow 

STOP. 

We will choose to parade 

through that road less traveled. 

Let that string unravel behind us 

towards our exodus 

to Purgatory. 

Found down our path paved with 

bad intentions, 

often glass 

will shatter to our 

pitterpatter 

while we collect neon 3AM dreams in 

the red light district 

drunk from honeyed smoke. 

YOU may “allow” yourself to groove to 

that 

psychosis jive 

only once a month, 

(twice during a blue moon) 

but always feel free to 

follow that string 

and let your feet breathe. 


Twilight (Pantoum) 

Madison Koenig, ‘11 

Gleam Editor-in-Chief 

One night we waited on the swing set. 

Our arms strained in tandem, 

As we pulled our feet from the dirt 

And let the night spill over us. 

Our arms strained in tandem— 

Two friends and I, 

Letting the night spill over us, 

Watching the stars wake from their 

days 

Two friends and I: 

No longer children, yet still young, 

Watching the stars wake from their 

days 

We kicked at the sky a final time, 

No longer children. Yet still young 

Darkness was settling into the trees 

As we kicked at the sky a final time 

And dropped to the ground. 

Darkness was settling into the trees, 

So we halted our flight 

And dropped to the ground 

To sit together in the twilight. 

The cool wind caressed our faces 

As we pulled our feet from the ground 

And left the empty swings behind. 

One night we waited on the swing set. 

All editions of Gleam are available in 

Dr. Bard’s room for $5. 

All newcomers and submissions are 

welcome 

Vol. CV, No. 6

The Wally Hill May 20, 2011 

Wally Hill Revealed: 

Rachel Chung 

Rachel Chung, ‘11 


By this time, I suppose you 

know it’s me. My guess is that 

you are one of three demeanors 

regarding my identity: not at all 

surprised, completely apathetic, or 

outraged. Regardless of your reaction, 

I should explain a few things 

while I have your attention. 

First, I should apologize to all 

the people I lied to when asked if 

I was Wally Hill. Subsequently, I 

should thank my editors and advisors 

for their patience with me. 

Now that the formalities are over, 

I can dig into the grit of my time 

as Wally Hill. The truth is that 

many of my articles were not the 

truth. I’m a fairly talkative person. 

My opinions are distinctive 

and pronounced. As a result, many 

of the opinions explored in my 

articles were not representative of 

my own. 

For example, I expounded 

upon the idea that “brand name” 

schools are becoming less distinguished 

among post-secondary 

institutions. On the contrary, I do 

not believe that at all. I actually 

believe that highly ranked schools 

are ranked so for a reason. However, 

to share this opinion would 

reveal my identity to my close 

friends, who are acutely aware 

of my opinions regarding college. 

Therefore, I attempted to provide 

neutral observations or cover the 

many sides of each topic. 

Behind this mask of impartiality, 

it was difficult to give my work 

the bite and wit that makes Wally 

Hill readable. The unfortunate 

result was often a combination 

of public disapproval and boring 

articles. Upon reviewing my collection 

of writings from this year, I 

noticed that my best articles were 



those that displayed a flagrant and 

usually controversial opinion. 

After my first few articles, I came 

to learn that regardless of my method, 

my espousals were always received 

badly by someone. Upon publishing 

my first article and witnessing the 

onslaught of criticism thrown at my 

work, I was affronted. I felt assaulted 

and hurt. 

However, the longer I let my 

wounds fester, the more I came to 

realize that this was exactly what I 

had wanted. As a tradition, Wally Hill 

is meant to serve as an incognito, and 

therefore safe, champion of the unheard 

voices of Walnut Hills. Perhaps 

too ambitiously, I wanted Wally Hill 

to be more than just a mysterious 

social critic. I wanted Wally Hill to be 

an undercover artist, one that could 

be criticized or praised by my readers 

without reservation. And I was. 

Once I became accustomed to the 

idea, I enjoyed nothing more than 

hearing, and sometimes participating 

in, conversations about Wally’s latest 

article. Wally’s toughest critics were 

almost always in my circle of friends, 

many of whom are on the Chatterbox 

staff. As a result, I almost always 

received the most accurate and most 

polarized criticism of Wally Hill. I 

observed the spectrum of human reaction: 

from moderate disapproval 

to blind hatred. This occurred most 

notably when my first article made 

somewhat of a splash. I later learned 

that some of the people who criticized 

my work had not even read the article. 

But it made no difference to me. None 

of these “episodes” were personal; had 

everyone known I was the writer of 

these articles, I doubt that any of what 

was said would have ever been mentioned. 

I must say that this whole experience, 

like many in the past few years 

of my life at Walnut Hills, has been 

unique and eye opening. I have seen 

first-hand the power and the danger 

of anonymity. However, I can’t help 


but be relieved to drop my charade 

(I told an outright lie approximately 

four times, and only one unauthorized 

person found out about my secret identity. 

It was not my fault.) I am more 

than happy to return to my usual 

habit of writing with unbridled transparency. 

I have learned that writing 

without the support of one’s innermost 

beliefs is more difficult than I thought, 

and I intend to continue my writings 

with an appropriate combination of 

wit and truth. 

I also observed the frequency with 

which people speak before thinking, 

fueled by the safety of attacking an 

anonymous subject. Moreover, I have 

noticed similar hasty philippics posted 

on the Internet, tirades that would 

never be spoken out loud. I propose 

that we all step out from behind our 

technological masks and fight our 

cognitive bias to act quickly and assume 

the extremes. I plan on making 

a conscious effort for the rest of my life 

to build a solid foundation for all of my 

opinions; I think I’ll begin by reading a 

newspaper. 

8

Timeline May 20, 2011 

7th Grade 2005 - 2006 

Construction begins on the new Robert S. Marx Stadium. 

Walnut Hills’ football team goes 0-10, aiding Amelia in breaking 

its 2 1/2- year losing streak. 

More than 100 students walk out at 7th bell, yelling anti- war 

chants and cheers, all receiving Friday Schools. 

The class of ‘06 doesn’t quite live up to the previous year, leaving 

the Commons painted pink and killing some of the trees 

as a SENIOR prank. 

The Cincinnati Bengals make the NFL playoffs for first time 

since the 1990 season. 

Hurricane Katrina strikes New Orleans, displacing hundreds 

of thousands of people and causing heartbreaks and hardships. 

Brian Ehrsam and Austin Barth duke it out at lunch. Spectacles 

fly. 

8th Grade 2006 - 2007 

The Class of ‘07 leaves a giant cougar in the Blair Circle. Students 

don’t know how to react. “Bewildered” is the common 

description. 

Class of ‘10 SENIORS are the last class to have the FROSH 

dance outside of school. 

Marvin Koenig, the longest tenured principal in the school’s 

history, announces his retirement, bringing about mixed feelings 

among students and staff. 

Robert S. Marx Stadium is completed. Athletes are excited 

about getting to compete in a state of the art facility. 

For the first time in REM yearbook history, the SENIOR superlative 

“Cutest Couple” is won by a same-sex couple. 

The annual Homecoming pep rally is cancelled. SENIORS are 

furious. 

Dr. Thurman leaves Walnut, for now... 

9th Grade 2007-2008 

Jeff Brokamp takes the reins as new principal: The majority 

of students and faculty are pleased with the decision. 

The Class of ‘08 leads a giant food fight during 3rd lunch. The 

administration, led by Brokamp, is more than disappointed. 

The Democratic presidential primary rages between Barack 

Obama and Hillary Clinton. 

The first African Drum Ensemble performs. 

The annual Homecoming pep rally is back, featuring a crazy 

Eagle and many cheers, showing that school spirit is on the 

rise. 

FROSH is held inside the Forum for the first time ever. 

10th Grade 2008-2009 

All sophomores excluding Cody Tolbert campaign for Obama. 

Sorry Cody. 

Barack Obama defeats John McCain in the presidential election. 

Many students celebrate the historic moment of the first 

black president. 

Walnut Hills Varsity Football team defeats Purcell Marian to 

break a 36- game losing streak. Fans storm the field. 

The remnants of Hurricane Ike sweep in from the South, 

leaving three unprecedented wind days and a cracked Walnut 

dome in its wake. 

9 



10th Grade 2008-2009 continued 

In October, Mr. Mersch finally retires after years of talk. 

Walnut Hills becomes the first high school to perform a 

student-led rendition of RENT. Original RENT broadway 

cast member, Anthony Rapp, joined the Drama Department 

as they put on their final performance of the show. 

Class of ‘09 SENIOR pranks include balloons in Mr. Brokamp’s 

office, hacking the annoucements to play the radio, 

cooking oil on the floor, and egged walls. 

Massive drug bust causes several students to face repurcussions 

for possession. 

11th Grade 2009-2010 

Beloved Dr. Houghton retires after a long and successful 

career at Walnut Hills 

The football team goes 5-5, the first year it hasn’t had a losing 

season since 2000. 

Construction begins on new teacher parking lot. 

Girls Varsity Basketball makes it to the Sweet 16 in the 

FAVC Conference. 

DJ Ruck Ruck reproduces. 

Ms. Shank works her 30th and final year at Walnut, while 

leaving students disappointed at St. Baldricks. 

The girls’ cross- country team has one of its best seasons ever, 

winning the FAVC Division. 

Walnut Hills’ marching band travels to England to perform in 

London’s New Years Day Parade. 

Jesse Kleinhenz earns himself the nickname of Big Chief 

Brown-Bottom. 

President Obama sings the national health care reform bill 

into law, expanding health are coverage to tens of millions of 

uninsured Americans. 

SENIOR Year 2010 - 2011 

Dr. Thurman returns for the class of ‘11s final year. 

Renovations finally begin. The north wing of the Old 

Building is moved to the modulars after Spring Break. 

Commons disappear. Mods appear. Complaints begin. 

The Chatterbox makes a switch from newspaper style to 

magazine style. 

The Football team ends the year with an even record of 

5-5. 

The first ever 24- Hour Walkathon takes place to raise 

money for Walnut’s sports and clubs, earning more than 

$55,000. Students are ecstatic about the idea of spending 

the night on the football field. 

For the first time, students are given assigned parking 

spots. They don’t last long in the gravel lot. 

Chamber Orchestra and Wind Ensemble perform at 

Carnegie Hall. 

Benson Brown, Miles Crawley, Emily Aiken, Alex 

Mcglothlin and Chelsea Rose receive scholarships to 

participate in collegiate athletics 

Vol. CV, No. 6

College Map May 20, 2011 

Armed Forces 

Marco Orso, Paige Reid 

Manipal University(Kasturba Medical College), 

India 

Shiwani Kamath 

Angel Academy of Art, Italy 

Savannah Cuff 

Auburn University, Alabama 

Daniel Bordicks, Kiara Hampton 

Wesleyan University, Connecticut 

Julia Kelley-Swift, Benjamin Record 

Yale University, Connecticut 

Carter Michael 

Florida International University 

Corbin Noschang 

Clark Atlanta University, Georgia 

Tiara Rice 

University of Georgia, Georgia 

Layla Franke, Braden Mossbarger 

Hawaii Pacific University 

Marisa Castagna 

DePaul University, Illinois 

Marissa French 

Loyola University, Illinois 

Julia Esposito, Avery Waklatsi 

Northwestern University, Illinois 

Emily Windle 

University of Chicago, Illinois 

Simon Lazarus 

Indiana University, Indiana 

David Gordon-Johnson 

Purdue University, Indiana 

Jacob Findley, Karen McCormick 

Wabash College, Indiana 

Thomas Witkowski 

Centre College, Kentucky 

Emily Akin 

Eastern Kentucky University 

Allison Gibson 

Kentucky State University 

Jalen Thomas 

Northern Kentucky University 

Keita Arthur, Sarah Blume, Clayton Castle, 

Jasmin Chapman, Samantha Chesser, Alan Fon, 

Samuel Heldman, Jackson Kosztala, Alexander 

McGlothin, Samantha Nelson, Robert Rankin, 

Nicholas Robertson, Kayla White 

Sullivan University, Kentucky 

Allen Jones II 

University of Kentucky 

Kenan Daniels, Autumn Hansen 

Bellarmine University, Kentucky 

Brooke Smith 

Bowling Green State University, Kentucky 

Jonathan Simmons 

University of Kentucky 

Shamia Payne 

University of Louisville, Kentucky 

Kermit Smith III 

Tulane University, Louisiana 

Nicole Fisher, Matthew Hagerty 

Maryland Institute College of Art 

Madeline Becker 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

Sarah Brennan 

Michigan State University 

Joseph Nutter 

University of Michigan 

Somalia Jones 

Macalester College, Minnesota 

Jacob Kraus 

University of Missouri-Columbia 

Elizabeth Bosken 

Washington University-St. Louis, Missouri 

Emily Luken, Dana Roth 



University of New Hampshire 

Gabriela Aguilera 

Columbia University, New York 

Rachel Chung 

Cornell College, New York 

Vashti Blackmon 

Skidmore College, New York 

Ian Privitera, Kasmir St. John Fausz 

Davidson College, North Carolina 

Lindsey Lassiter 

Elon University, North Carolina 

Anna Kuertz 

North Carolina State University 

Benson Browne 

Antonelli College, Ohio 

Alese Packer 

Art Institute, Ohio 

Page Davis 

Bluffton University, Ohio 

Gymii Roley 

Bowling Green State University, Ohio 

Grant Hackett, Bria Neil 

Capital University, Ohio 

Shaquisha Harris-Hayes, Ciara Williams 

Central State University, Ohio 

Skylar Lewis 

Cincinnati Christian University, Ohio 

Elizabeth Arthur 

Cincinnati State Technical & Community College, 

Ohio 

Philip Hamilton, Markisa Harris, Terrence Padgett, 

Anthony Sena 

Cleveland Institute of Music, Ohio 

Jacqueline Kitzmiller 

College of Wooster, Ohio 

George Harrison 

Denison University, Ohio 

Jessica Donaldson, Alyxandra Ingram 

Heidelberg University, Ohio 

Mackenzie Gable 

Kent State University, Ohio 

Kara Kroeger, Devin Landers, Jaron Warmack 

Kenyon College, Ohio 

Alisa Rethy 

Miami University, Ohio 

Elizabeth Fricke, Amber Gray, Emily Neely, Alison 

Nurre, Lucien Turner, Shelley McKinley 

Notre Dame College, Ohio 

Miles Crawley 

Oberlin College, Ohio 

Jenna Bange 

Ohio Dominican University 

DezMeawn Stewart 

Ohio University 

Matthew Guffey, Carly Irvine, Harry Kran-Annexstein, 

Riley Theurer, Destini White, Makiah Sebastian 

Raymond Walters College, Ohio 

Stephen Bishop, Crista Brown, Ebony Clarke-Evans, 

Marshalla Eves, Alexandra Kelley, Brian Konermann, 

Thomas McMillan, Marie Menzies, Sophen Mil, Alex 

Miller, Henry Risemberg, Bunrith Seng, Courtenay 

Summers 

The College of Mount St. Joseph, Ohio 

Jacquilyn Gardner 

The Ohio State University 

Kori Asante, Roman Campolo, Lianna Costantini, 

Monique Donald, Samuel Dubin, Isaac Durst, Brian 

Ehrsam, Isaac Folzenlogen, Michelle Glazer, Charlotte 

Hines, Gabrielle Junker, Molly Koenig, Samuel Lustig, 

Rebecca Risch, Jessica Siemer, Ruby Wilz, Eric Krohn, 

Phillip McDonald 

The University of Akron, Ohio 

Tiffany Caldwell 

The University of Toledo, Ohio 

Jorden Davis 


University of Cincinnati, Ohio 

Temiloluwa Adeniyi, Rachelle Ancona, Terrence 

Aufermann, James Avant IV, Simone Bates-Smith, 

Bridget Battle, Zachary Beckner, Eden Belay, Keith 

Benjamin, Elizabeth Berliant, Kishan Bhakta, Alexander 

Bill, Crosley Brammer, Peter Burrell, Cayla 

Burton, Emily Butterbaugh, Thomas Caley, Hollis 

Carlton-Ford, Nicholas Defilippo, Laura Dent, Victoria 

Eby, Theresa Evans, Sonja Faul, Janusia Figueiredo, 

Caleb Fleischer, Tasia-Iman Franklin, Jaisha Garnett, 

Benym Gebremeskel, Brittany Goodin, Kiyana Gordon, 

Jeleah Griffin, Monzer Haj Hamed, Caleb Herrick, 

Megan Hoard, Jacob Holden, Rachel Hopkins, Derek 

Jackson, Jaelynne Johnson, Jesse Kleinhenz, Aysia 

Lathan, Olivia Lucas, Jessica Ly, Michelle Martinez, 

Aviance McBride, Kelsey Medley, Jasmine Mitchell, 

Michael Peelman II, Johnathan Peterson, Lydia 

Prophett, Gabriel Puente-Lay, Jason Schmidt, Ahana 

Sen, Ellen Sorkin, Amber Stokes, P. J. Thompkins, 

Cahla Thorman, Cody Tolbert, Matthew Verbryke, Albwin 

Wagner-Schmitzer, Barrett Weckel, Eric Wessling, 

Adam Wolf, Gabrielle Wray 

University of Cincinnati-DAAP, Ohio 

Chloe Watkins, Latrice Williams 

University of Dayton, Ohio 

Emily Back, Chelsea Rose, Julie Shaw 

University of Toledo, Ohio 

Olivia McKinney, Morgan Mosier, Summer Robinson, 

Brent Bruner 

Ursuline College, Ohio 

Tyler Gassett, Brianna Woods 

Wright State University, Ohio 

Asia Mays, Lovette Mike, Jameeka Miller 

Xavier University, Ohio 

Savannah Caldwell, Stephanie Fiorelli, Katelyn Price, 

Madisynn Beckett, Mose’ Demasi 

Lewis & Clark College, Oregon 

Benjamin Klein 

Oregon College of Art & Craft 

Sean Wood 

Pacific Northwest College of Art, Oregon 

Celine Carey 

University of Pennsylvania 

Abraham Moller 

Tennessee State University 

Brittany Hodge, Sterling Hubbard, Moriah Israel, 

Trafawn Johnson, Briana Shaw, Jasmine Stuckey 

Vanderbilt University, Tennessee 

Serena Dugan 

Hampton University, Virginia 

Tierra Dennis 

Howard University,Washington D.C. 

Nia Furr, Ferris Harvey, Chelsea Ralls 

Beloit College, Wisconsin 

McCall Calvert 

Undecided 

Philip Akanbi, Bethany Bartmess, Sarah Berman, , 

Duvall Davis, Austin Ferrari, Shante George, Bridget 

Hamilton, Molly Johnson, Jay Jung, Melani Kekulawala, 

Cush King, Madison Koenig, Jeremy McConnell, 

Adrienne Miller, Donneshia Mitchell, Kalilah Montgomery, 

Corey Morin, Claire Randall, Lovieree Simmons, 

Hugh Smith, Alexandra Spitz, Raven Walker, 

Nicole Womack, Hannah Yunger 

This information was obtained from the Senior Future Plans 

forms submitted to the couseling office and was as accurate as 

possible at time of printing. 

10

Where 

will the 

WHHS 

class of 

2011 be 

next year? 

For a 

detailed 

list see the 

back of 

this page. 

WIN AN 

INTUNES 

CARD!!! 

The first 

students to 

correctly name 

all 50 states 

win! Turn in 

a numbered 

list of states to 

Mrs. Wolfe or 

Mrs. Gerwe- 

Perkins to 

win.

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