That’s…controversial

Reprinted from Vol. LXVIII No. 2 of The 1989 Chatterbox

“The class of ‘89, of course, burned a rather large 89 into the newly planted grass in the back circle. What’s next? Kidnapping Morton Downey, Jr., cutting off what’s left of his hair and writing “90” all over his face?” Sarah Riegel wrote in her 1989 opinion article.

Lonzo Montgomery, Public Relations & Social Media Manager
December 9, 2022

Over the years, The Chatterbox has covered its fair share of controversial and weird things. These are just a few examples.

 

Pranks Destroying Image-1989

SENIOR pranks happen every year and can pose disruptive and destructive dangers such as the SENIORs camping in the Arcade in 2019, which was very disruptive and caused major traffic jams. Or they could be very destructive like the prank pulled by the Class of ‘89.

The Class of ‘89, as a SENIOR prank, burned “89” into the back circle, presently known as Blair Circle, which had just been freshly planted. The implications of this prank were felt by the pockets of those who donated their money and by the school as a whole whose image was tarnished by the prank.

“The first step is to choose the right site. NEVER go to your local Krogers—you might see your grandmother or your minister or, God forbid, Denny Deurmit,” Wally Hill wrote in 1990.
“The first step is to choose the right site. NEVER go to your local Krogers—you might see your grandmother or your minister or, God forbid, Denny Deurmit,” Wally Hill wrote in 1990.
(Reprinted from Vol. VXIIIV of The 1990 Chatterbox)

Wally Hill’s Guide to Buying Condoms-1990

Wally Hill is the anonymous columnist eagle that has given the Chatterbox some of its more obscure articles. Wally’s articles have ranged from more tame things like upcoming school events to some pretty wild things like a how-to guide on buying condoms.

This edition of Wally starts off with “Warning: This column contains material that you must have low moral standards to read.” It then flows into the topic of sex-education classes, which are more controversial today than they were then, and how Wally actually likes them. He talks about how he is an expert in the use of such things as IUDs, the pill and brill cream. The language is a little on the feather-ruffling side but all in all, it isn’t the worst thing to grace the paper.

 

“Having seen the success of the Wu Tang Clan’s Wu Wear, The Klu Klux Klan has introduced: Klu Wear,” wrote Adam Mysock, ‘01, in his Klu Klux Klan cartoon.
“Having seen the success of the Wu Tang Clan’s Wu Wear, The Klu Klux Klan has introduced: Klu Wear,” wrote Adam Mysock, ‘01, in his Klu Klux Klan cartoon.
(Adam Mysock, ‘01 )

KKK Cartoon-2001

Sometimes even the best-intentioned things can end up being controversial. In 2001 The Chatterbox featured a cartoon on the uniforms of the infamous hate group the Klu Klux Klan. The intention of this carton was to be satirical and make fun of the outfits, however, it was not widely received as such.

While it can be funny to make fun of groups preaching against tolerance, the message was not well received by some of the student body. This prompted The Chatterbox to release an official statement in the paper explaining the cartoon.

“Adam Mysock’s KKK cartoon in the last issue was intended to be a satirical look at the attire of this controversial group; consider how much importance we attach to our appearances, and how much importance KKK members attach to theirs,” The Editorial Board said in a statement released in the next issue.