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THE MONTH OF MARCHA Word Search by Hannah Ortiz

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THE WALNUT STREET JOURNALMarch/april 2017 ∙ voluMe 2, issue 4

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PEER EDUCATORS AND WALNUT HILL’SMENTAL HEALTH POLICY

By Jordan BarrantThis year, for the first time, an exciting initiative was introduced. Students could sign up to be peer leaders and learn about various mental health topics that relate to Walnut Hill students. These modules include Self Advocacy, Conflict Management, Physical Wellness, Financial Management, Time Management, Coping Skills, Help Seeking and Gatekeeping/Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR). After signing up, students requested specific modules and then were paired with an advisor and a few other students interested in the same topic. Each group met with their peer advisor to learn more about their specific mod-ule. After a few meetings the peer educators started the educational process. Each group will present a public service announcement on their module to the school in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to videos, skits, and slide presentations.

Another aspect of the peer ed-ucator program is a tool called QPR. QPR is a training program that specifically focuses on suicide prevention and how to see the signs of someone who may be consid-ering suicide. The first step is to

question; the goal is to question one’s intent, and/or if they are contemplating suicide. The second step is to persuade; to persuade the person to seek help. Lastly, refer, which is referring the person to resources they need. All the stu-dents involved in the peer educator program received training in QPR, as did the advisors. Part of being a peer educator is being a resource to those who need one—they are an available resource for students who need an ally.

After the QPR training, a lot ques-tions came up about mental health policy at Walnut Hill, which led to a meeting with Mrs. Cassel. As any student at Walnut Hill would know, rumours spread around campus, and the meeting helped clarify the policy and put to bed some of those rumours. The School has a policy on suicide attempts. As stated in the Walnut handbook, “A student who attempts suicide will be administratively withdrawn for a minimum of one semester. Return to school will be contingent upon appropriate psychiatric care being completed and will be at the discretion of the Dean of Students with the guidance of the health team.” The meaning is clear. After

a suicide attempt a student must be withdrawn for a minimum of one semester to help the student get better. Through some trial and error at the school, they’ve discov-ered that this policy is what works the best for the most people. After the semester, the student may be required to return as a day student for a period of time and that is decided between the faculty, school, and family. This is so the student is not overwhelmed by the many questions one gets after returning from any kind of break, and gives the student the support they need after school hours.

Another aspect of the policy is intervention. Intervention is a policy that many students may be unaware of. It is put in place not to foster an environment of snitching but to give students a safe place to put their harmful habits to rest. The policy states “. . . if a student comes to an adult with concerns about personal substance use or a friend’s substance use (including tobacco use), no disciplinary action will occur. The student of concern will go through the School’s inter-vention process. This is true even if students come forward while under the influence of a substance.

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If, however, a student is caught or questioned about breaking a School policy, she or he cannot ask for an intervention at that time.” Walnut Hill wants students to feel support-ed and for their health to be put first. However, because students, without genuine intentions of intervention, may just request this policy as an out, it is not possible to request an intervention if you are

caught in the act.

Ultimately, Walnut Hill wants to put the student’s best interest first. Of course, there are scenarios where the student’s idea of their best interest could be harmful to other students. In these scenarios, rumours start that are based off of speculation or only from one per-son’s side of the story. If you have

a question about the policy ask an adult. They are here to support you during your time at Walnut Hill. During these upcoming weeks, peer educators will continue to present their modules during Assembly to help students better themselves in a healthy manner. If you’re interest-ed in the modules look out for the program in the 2017-2018 school year! ■

CARTOONBy Ben Gregg, Director of Academic Studies

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COMMUNITYHELP SAVE THE NEA

By Jennifer TumSuden, Director of Development & Humanities Faculty

Wherever you fall on the political spectrum, I think we can all agree that the arts are important. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent federal agency that funds and promotes individual creative works (from poetry to jazz to public murals) and supports national, state, and local arts organizations (from after school programs to art museums to radio and television programming). The NEA has had a major role in strengthening the creative capac-ity of Americans and in ensuring art is accessible to all--40% of NEA-supported activities take place in high-poverty neighborhoods and 36% of NEA grants are awarded

to organizations that reach under-served populations (www.arts.gov © 2017).

Currently, the NEA’s $148 million in federal funding is in jeopar-dy. President Trump’s 2018 draft budget proposes the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts, among other arts and cultural agencies. (Kennicott, Philip and Peggy McGlone. (2017 March 16) Trump wants to cut the NEA and the NEH. This is the worst-case sce-nario for arts groups. The Washington Post). As a federal agency, the NEA can’t lobby or directly advocate for their funding. However, we can. We can tell our Congressional repre-

sentatives that the arts matter to us and that the United States and the world needs agencies like the NEA.

There is now a wonderful new website that gives us a way to share our opinions with Congress and be creative at the same time. Artifax, created by L.A. design studio, Use All Five, enables you to fax a work of art to elected officials in protest of the propos-al to eliminate the NEA. Visit https://artifax.us to select an artwork that resonates with you, find your zip code, and add your own message--it will then be sent it to your congressperson free of charge. If you are not a citizen of

the United States, encourage your friends, guardians, and family to use their voice for the cause.

The National Endowment for the Arts not only creates an environ-ment for the arts to thrive, it also stimulates philanthropic giving to the arts. For every dollar provid-ed by the NEA, $9 is matched by non-federal and private investments. The NEA is a catalyst to leverage resources, and thereby helps con-tribute to our economy. Abolishing the NEA would be an assault on ar-tistic activity, even beyond the scope of its budget. The arts matter to all of us--now is the time to speak up. ■

“Math” by Open, from the Artifax Project (www.artifax.us)

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Last year, the Oscars were overcome with controversy, with the hashtag #oscarssowhite illuminating the lack of diversity in Hollywood. A common question formed: Is it possible that people of color did not create or star in any work worthy of an Oscar? Meanwhile on the Broadway front, African-Americans were winning To-nys left and right. Cynthia Erivo won Best Lead Actress in a Musical for her performance in The Color Purple. Leslie Odom, Jr. won best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical for his performance in Hamilton. Those are only some of the notable examples. This brought to light an issue as old as some of the Oscar-winning filmmakers themselves: representation.

In the hit Broadway musical, Hamilton, the cast members are solely people of color. This was an issue to some: not casting Caucasians must be some form of racism, right? However, one must consider that if people of color are not receiving opportunities from white producers and directors, they have to represent themselves. In 2016, we saw the rise of filmmakers such as Ava DuVernay and Barry Jenkins. Actors and actresses such as Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis and Dev Patel have been brought to the forefront of media. With films such as 13th and Hidden Figures discussing the past and present

struggles of African-Americans, many found them to be worth the conver-sation. But, why is it that people of color can only make or star in films that correlate to their race? You rarely see a film with white people centered around their race. When will people of color be able to play characters with motivations that are not race-related? When will white directors and writers see people of color as more than a tool to push their plot forward?

Even with all the representation in the 2017 Oscars, specifically Afri-can-American, there was only one Asian nominee: Dev Patel. In previous years Latinos, Hispanics, and Chica-nos have been represented in the Os-cars. But in 2017 this was not the case.

Representation in media is often seen as solely black and white. Diversity in general is often seen as only black and white. Providing representation to more than one minority seems like an impossible task for many filmmakers. Rarely does representation include people of color other than Afri-can-Americans. African-Americans are not the only minority who have been oppressed by white America. Every group deserves representation.

There is also the issue of typecasting. People of color often find themselves

feeling like they need to play the roles typically associated with them in order to get jobs. Once they do this they might never be able to get a role as anything else. The definition of type-cast is “assigning an actor or actress repeatedly to the same type of role, as a result of the appropriateness of their appearance or previous success in such roles.” For instance, someone once cast in a Madea movie will likely not get cast in a movie that is not a Tyler Per-ry production. As typecasting becomes more and more of an issue so does representation. If a black man plays a villain, he could be villainized for the rest of his career. How does one get out of that situation?

Now is the time to step back from the narratives people of color are given (or not given). Directors and writers are beginning to see people of color as just people, people who are talented and deserve to be given roles. Hopefully, as 2017 progresses, we will see more instances of people of color being represented fairly in media. As artists, we need to increase the importance of including people of color in our nar-ratives. Not every character needs to be white and not every Oscar winner needs to be white . . . or black. ■

#OSCARSSOWHITE... AND NOW, BLACK?An Op/Ed by Jordan Barrant

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTTINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS: ADVICE ON

LOVE AND LIFE FROM DEAR SUGARA Review by Amanda Leshowitz, Assistant Director of Student Services

I thought this book would be terri-ble. It was a selection on a respect-able book site’s “Top 50 Must Read Books” and although I couldn’t imagine anything worse than read-ing a book full of advice column letters and responses, I was going away and needed a beach read. I thought this might be something a little different than the potato chip romance novels that are typical beach-read fodder. I settled into my snug airplane chair, waited for take off and then tipped my seat back and opened the book. At the end of chapter one, I was openly weeping into the cocktail napkin that came with my Diet Coke, earning looks of concern (and mild annoyance) from the elderly wom-an next to me who was concentrat-ing hard on perfecting her eyeliner. My husband, who understands that I sometimes have visceral reactions to fiercely well-written books, just calmly handed over his napkin and gave a nod to my seat mate that en-couraged her to just go back to her cosmetic regiment and ignore me.

“Sugar” is acclaimed writer Cheryl Strayed, known for her memoir Wild (another great read, not for the faint of heart). She was asked by some writer friends to anon-ymously write an advice column for their writing website and she agreed and became “Dear Sugar.”

Tiny Beautiful Things is a compila-tion of some of the most poignant “Dear Sugar” letters and responses. Sugar gives strong, unfiltered, at times profane advice while shar-ing some of her own intimate life stories. This book is a well cho-reographed dance between self help and memoir as she beautifully laces together her answers and her stories. While there were many sit-uations in the book that didn’t spe-cifically apply to my life (and some that did), Sugar had me hooked. I wanted to know what she would say to her readers. I found myself fully caught up in her sage wisdom and gorgeous writing. Don’t be fooled, there is nothing at all sug-ary about Sugar. Her answers are salty and tart but honestly, never sour.

I debated sending this review to The Walnut Street Journal because Sugar is edgy and there are a lot of situations that the students here may not have faced. However, in the end, I decided that the advice in this book shouldn’t collect dust on my shelf. It can apply to

all of our lives as we are all human and life is HARD AND CRAZY sometimes and Sugar is uplifting and gifted. She covers a huge range of topics: love, loss, sex, sex-uality, cheating, friendships, family, addiction, marriage, independence, and so much more. She is funny and honest and human. Sugar isn’t a therapist or a guru but she has been through hell and come out on the other side with a paper and pen, ready to share. Read this book. It is terribly compelling and worth every minute of your time. ■

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RAINBOW REVIEW: BEAUTY AND THE BEASTBy Skylar Roach

In the closing scene of the newest live-action Disney movie, Gaston’s sidekick LeFou shares a dance with another man. Conservatives around the world have been pan-icking, using the age old excuse that by seeing gayness in public media children will become indoctrinated. Meanwhile, the reaction from the LGBTQ+ community has been mixed. Some say the dance was blown out of proportion, others are outraged that Disney didn’t take it far enough.

While I agree with both of the above opinions, I think we’ve been missing the point. When countries like Malaysia and Kuwait asked Disney to edit out this gay moment, the company refused. They would rather lose money than change

the movie for a specific audience. This is a company standing up for LGBTQ+ people in the only way they know how. As artists we should see this and applaud it.

While watching Beauty and the Beast I remember thinking that there was a huge difference between this live-action adaptation and the newest Cinderella version from a few years ago. The range of di-versity in the cast was astounding. This was not just another white Disney princess surrounded by her white back-up singers. Yes, Belle (Emma Watson) is Caucasian, as is the Prince (Dan Stevens), but more than half of the cast wasn’t. What I loved most about all this was the fact that no one questions LeFou’s somewhat obviously gay intentions

or the validity of the black librar-ian’s intellectual abilities. A full spectrum of people is totally nor-mal in the small, fantastical French town Belle lives in.

This is what we strive for, is it not? A society that embraces difference without questioning the validity of personal identity—is that even possible? In the movie, Belle is still judged for being able to read and for her intellectual and inventive ways, but this, after all, is part of the plot originally set in 1991. Disney adapts what they can and through its’ diverse casting, helps to show instead of tell the audience that acceptance goes beyond words and actions. ■

THINK SPRING: BANISH WINTERWITH THIS PLAYLIST

By Jonathan Van De Loo

“Moving On and Getting Over” - John Mayer“Love” - Lana Del Rey“It Ain’t Me” - Kygo and Selena Gomez“How Would You Feel (Paean)” - Ed Sheeran“Bom Bidi Bom” - Nick Jonas and Nicki Minaj“Helium” - Sia“John Wayne” - Lady Gaga“Enough!!” - A Tribe Called Quest“She’s American” - The 1975

“Just Friends” - Amy Winehouse“F.U.B.U.” - Solange“Fire and Desire” - Drake“Power Trip” - J. Cole ft. Miguel“All Night” - Beyoncé“Victory” - Janelle Monáe“Diary” - Alicia Keys ft. Jermaine Paul & Tony! Toni! Toné! ■

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Documentary (Short):Extremis4.1 MilesJoe’s ViolinWatani: My HomelandThe White Helmets [Winner]

Foreign Language Film:Land of MineA Man Called OveThe Salesman [Winner]TannaToni Erdmann

Short Film (Live Action):Ennemis InterieursLa Femme et le TGVSilent NightsSing [Winner]Timecode

Sound Editing:Arrival [Winner]Deepwater HorizonHacksaw RidgeLa La LandSully

Original Score:JackieLa La Land [Winner]LionMoonlightPassengers

Original Screenplay:Hell or High WaterLa La LandThe LobsterManchester by the Sea [Winner]20th Century Women

Adapted Screenplay:ArrivalFencesHidden FiguresLionMoonlight [Winner]

Original Song:“Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” La La Land“City of Stars,” La La Land [Winner]“How Far I’ll Go,” Moana“The Empty Chair,” Jim: The James Foley Story“Can’t Stop the Feeling,” Trolls

Best Costume Design:La La LandFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them [Winner]Florence Foster JenkinsJackieAllied

Best Makeup and Hairstyling:A Man Called OveStar Trek BeyondSuicide Squad [Winner]

Production Design:ArrivalFantastic Beasts and Where to Find ThemHail, Caesar!La La Land [Winner]Passengers

Film Editing:ArrivalHacksaw Ridge [Winner]Hell Or High WaterLa La LandMoonlight

Visual Effects:Doctor StrangeDeepwater HorizonThe Jungle Book [Winner]Kubo and the Two StringsRogue One: A Star Wars Story

Sound Mixing:13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of BenghaziArrivalHacksaw Ridge [Winner]La La LandRogue One: A Star Wars Story ■

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OSCARS: THE 2017 WINNERSBy Chili Shi

As the annual night of glitz and glamour that was the Academy Awards approached, one might have made it a goal to watch all the films nominated before the actu-al event. Unfortunately, with the cramming of schoolwork and buzz-ing of everyday life on the Hill, this goal was probably left shoved aside with a blasé huh, maybe next year. In fact, you might’ve missed the entire awards show and heard only briefly about the Best Picture snafu. Fear not, here is a list of all the pictures, actors, and directors who were nominated, as well as the lucky few who won. Take the time to check them out.

Best Picture:ArrivalFencesHacksaw RidgeHell or High WaterHidden FiguresLa La LandLionManchester by the SeaMoonlight [Winner]

Directing:Denis Villeneuve, ArrivalMel Gibson, Hacksaw RidgeDamien Chazelle, La La Land [Winner]Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the SeaBarry Jenkins, Moonlight

Actress in a Leading Role:Isabelle Huppert, ElleRuth Negga, LovingNatalie Portman, JackieEmma Stone, La La Land [Win-ner]Meryl Streep, Florence Jenkins

Actor in a Leading Role:Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea [Winner]Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw RidgeRyan Gosling, La La LandViggo Mortensen, Captain Fantas-ticDenzel Washington, Fences

Actress in a Supporting Role:Viola Davis, Fences [Winner]Naomie Harris, MoonlightNicole Kidman, LionOctavia Spencer, Hidden FiguresMichelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

Actor in a Supporting Role:Jeff Bridges, Hell or High WaterMahershala Ali, Moonlight [Winner]Dev Patel, LionMichael Shannon, Nocturnal AnimalsLucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea

Animated Feature Film:Kubo and the Two StringsMoanaMy Life as a ZucchiniThe Red TurtleZootopia [Winner]

Short Film (Animated):Blind VayshaBorrowed TimePear Cider and CigarettesPearlPiper [Winner]

Cinematography:ArrivalLa La Land [Winner]LionMoonlightSilence

Documentary (Feature):Fire at SeaI Am Not Your NegroLife, AnimatedO.J.: Made in America [Winner]13th

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TELEVISION YOU SHOULD BE,BUT PROBABLY AREN’T, WATCHING

By Jonathan Van De Loo

Atlanta - Show creator and writer, Donald Glover, also known under the rap name Childish Gambino, released his first mixtape “Sick Boi” in 2008. Before its release, he worked on the staff of Tina Fey’s NBC Comedy 30 Rock from 2006-2012 as a writer and story editor. After working in both television in film for nearly a decade, Atlanta, his own comedy series, pre-miered in September, 2016, to much acclaim. The show tells the story of Earn Marks, played by Glover, who tries to help his rapper cousin reach stardom after dropping out of Princ-eton in an attempt to redeem himself. The show won best comedy series at the 2016 Golden Globe Awards, and Glover also won Best Actor in a Com-edy Series at the same ceremony. The second season isn’t scheduled to air until 2018, leaving plenty of time to get caught up on season one. (Atlanta airs on the FX Network.)

The Americans - Created by Joe Weisberg, a former CIA officer,

acclaim for the The Americans has only grown since the show’s 2013 premiere. The show stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as two Soviet spies posing as a married couple in D.C. as travel agents during the Cold War, in the early 1980s. Many say that while the first season was strong, the second season was when the show began to hit its stride, upping the dramatic stakes and taking believable but unexpected narrative turns. Known for its slow burn story telling (much like Breaking Bad, the story gets better the longer you keep watching), the series has struggled with low ratings and has only recently, in its fourth season, begun to receive attention from awards shows. The show’s fourth season, which pre-miered in March 2016, was nominated for 5 Primetime Emmy Awards and 3 Golden Globes. The fifth season is set to premiere March 7th. The sixth and final season is scheduled to air in 2018. (The Americans airs on the FX Network)

Insecure - Created by Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore, this comedy series was partially based off of Rae’s web series Awkward Black Girl. Rae, as well as being creator and writer of the show, stars in the show as Issa Dee. The show revolves around her character’s relationship with her best friend, Molly Carter, as they navigate their respec-tive lives. Rae said in an interview with the LA Times that, “We wanted to depict an authentic black female friendship. . . we’re just trying to con-vey that people of color are relatable. This is not a hood story. This is about regular people living life.” Solange Knowles works on the show as a music consultant. Issa was nominated for

Best Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2016 Golden Globe Awards. (Insecure airs on the HBO Network).

Legion - It’s easy to complain about superhero films. Many can be great fun to watch, but concerns over marketability and box office success can cause the same superhero movie formula to be recycled over and over again film after film. The rise of su-perhero stories in television (Marvel’s Agents of Shield, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Flash, Supergirl, Arrow, just to name a few) has given many unique stories the chance to be told over longer stretches of time. Super-hero characters can be more fleshed out, with backstory, action sequences, and character development spread out season by season instead of limited to a two hour runtime. Legion is current-ly in its first season, having premiered February 8, 2017. It tells the story of a of a man named David Haller, played by Dan Stevens (of Downton Abbey fame), who has ties to the X-Men uni-verse. Haller is a powerful mutant who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age. The show can be bizarre. It is written and directed to purposefully play with the viewer’s sense of reality and help them see the world through David’s eyes. The cast, particularly Dan Stevens and Aubrey Plaza (who plays David’s good friend Lenny, a character with a history of drug and alcohol abuse), is especially strong. Legion is a show the likes of which has never been on television before. (Legion airs on Wednesdays on the FX Network.) ■

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25 BROOK STREET, LONDON, W1 HBBy Margarita Restrepo, Music Faculty

This Spring Break I visited 25 Brook Street in London, the home of George Frideric Handel. Visiting Handel’s home had been a dream of mine since Emma Huelskamp, my former student at Walnut Hill, brought me the Handel House Museum Companion Guide after her 2012 trip to London. As a lover of music history, I enjoy visiting the homes of influential composers for it gives me a new understanding of their humanity.

Born in Halle in 1685, a small town in northeastern Germany, Handel moved to London at age 25, look-ing for the musical opportunities that one of Europe’s most affluent cities offered. At 38, his success as London’s most renowned composer allowed him to purchase this house, the first and last home he owned. It was conveniently located between his two jobs, one at Saint James’s Palace, where he worked as Com-poser to the Chapel Royal and the

other at King’s Theater, the focus of his opera and oratorio career. Although the house was restored to look the way it did during Handel’s time, the almost 300 years that have elapsed since have brought inevi-table changes. What used to be a middle-class neighborhood, is now one of London’s most fashionable shopping areas. In fact, the ground floor--where Handel had a room used as a box office to sell his print-ed music and tickets for concerts--is now occupied by “Aspinal of Lon-don,” a high-end handbag store. In addition, modern-day amenities have been installed, as Handel lived without electricity, central heating, plumbing or bathrooms.

Of the five floors of this typical Georgian house, only the second and third are open to the public, but they give us a valuable idea of Handel’s daily life. I started my visit on the second floor by entering the room where Handel wrote 29 operas, 23 oratorios, and numer-ous other works. There is nothing remarkable about it, but by using my imagination, necessary for any historian, I envisioned him writing as he did, quickly and intensely. He could write so fast that Messiah, which consists of 53 movements of music lasting about two and a half hours, was written in 24 days!

Of his many works, I thought about V’adoro, pupille (“I adore you, pu-pils”) one of the best-known arias from his 1723 opera Julius Caesar. Handel has Cleopatra singing her love for

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Caesar from a recreation of Mount Parnassus, where Apollo resides, using a beautiful melody over a subtle accompaniment that allows the melody to shine. It was here, within these four walls, that this work, whose beauty does transport us to a mountain inhabited by gods, was created. Amazing!

Onto the dining room. I imagined Handel, in the company of guests, enjoying the fine food created by his personal chef, indeed, a lot of it, as we know he did. Interestingly, his friends report that he reserved the best food and drink for him-self when dining alone. Rehearsals before the beginning of an op-era or oratorio season also took place here, sometimes in front of a group of friends and patrons. I

could see the Handel described by his contemporaries, sitting at the harpsichord yelling commands at the singers, sometimes even swear-ing in several different languages. Today the house invites performers to come and rehearse. On the day I visited I listened to a group of women rehearsing for a concert of Baroque works for the bassoon. Handel’s bedroom and dressing room are on the third floor. The bedroom was also the bathroom. A guide pointed out the chamber pot, kept at the foot of the bed and disposed of by a servant every morning. Not much is known about Handel’s private life, for his diary and personal letters do not survive. He was unmarried and kept his private life to himself. This room, therefore, was his personal space,

where he could retreat to be alone, away from the demands of a very public existence as the most notable composer in London. It was in this very room where he died on April 14, 1759, 36 years after moving to the house. 3,000 people attended his funeral at Westminster Abbey.

In his will, Handel left the house to one of his servants. After passing through several owners, it was final-ly purchased by the Handel House Trust and opened to the public in 2000. If you find yourself in Lon-don, I definitely recommend you visit this place. If Handel’s music is not your thing, do not worry, Jim-my Hendrix lived next door and his house is also open to the public. ■