TheReflector
March 11, 2016
O F F I C I A L N E W S PA P E R O F M I L F O R D H I G H S C H O O L
Volume 82, Issue 3
Brownies Buy Dog
Kara Buck EIC karabuck@mevsd.net
Milford may be welcoming a furry friend into the building soon. Mrs. Trena Panko, a special needs teacher here at Milford, is raising money for a service dog. This service dog will be a therapy dog for the students in the special needs unit. How is this even possible? Panko was approached by a young boy who would be in her class next year, asking her about the class. He asked if they had games, or could eat a certain type of food, but his last question struck her, “Is there at least a pet in the room?” So, for over a year now Panko has been researching ways to make an animal in the room possible. Thanks to 4 Paws for Ability, it is possible. This dog is “not some big toy,” Panko says. These dogs are trained for years to respond to specific commands and help their handler. The handler would be the students and Panko would be the
supportive handler. The dog would accompany the student to classes and if they start to feel stressed or angry the dog will go over and nuzzle its head against the student, or lay down in front of the student to be pet. This dog is a tool that the special education unit can use to help the students in daily life. These dogs are specifically trained to help with the student’s behavior. If the student starts getting angry and yelling at fellow students or teachers the dog will respond by trying to calm down the student. Now, with the 4 Paws program, videos are required to be sent back to the facility so that they know the dog was trained the right way and is performing properly. During some of these Panko, or a fellow special needs teacher, will video tape it , to be sent back. These videos are simply for the purpose of 4 Paws and will not be shared with anyone else. Even though the dog will be working all throughout the school day, other Milford students are allowed to interact with it once they have
asked the handler if it is okay. Panko wants to spread the word about the dog and its abilities and plans to make trips to classrooms to show off the dog. The dog will be at school everyday just like the students, and over the summer it will live with Panko and her husband on their new five acre lot. So, while Panko is the main caretaker of the dog, the students are the dog’s handler. They are going to have to learn commands in order to control the dog. And hopefully over the years the dog will may be taught how to deal with the kids in the water. The students do a lot of swimming and it would be a good tool to have the dog be able to help the students in the water if needed. But buying a dog as special as this comes at a cost: $15,000.00. Now, is this possible? Yes, but not without the help of the Milford community. So far with the help of donations they have raised $3,060 in three weeks. Another source of trying to raise money is by selling brownies. Now, any student at Milford is in love with
Milford Teacher Goes to the Hill Bre Severns Journalist breseverns@mevsd.net
Yes, our very own freshman English teacher, Mr.DuPriest is indeed trying to get on the ballot to be Ohio’s next Senator. It may seem shocking to us all, and as if it was made all of a sudden. But this has been something that Mr.Dupriest has been thinking and talking about for a while now. Mr. DuPriest has started a website, and a blog both pertaining to his running. On his website he explains why he wants to run, and what he wants to bring to us Ohioans. “I guess the reason I’m running is because of my disappointment with the state of politics. There are several areas I’d like to see some change, and I feel that a run for Senate is big enough to get my message noticed, but also an office I feel I have a chance to gain,” said DuPriest. He then continues to explain how he thinks it’s ludicrous, the amount of money that is spent to elect people into an office.
DuPriest wants to try and use social media as well word of mouth, other than big, and expensive ways to get his name out there. “My hope is that Ohio is ready to say enough; we want people in office who truly have the best interest of their constituency in mind,” said DuPriest. He then ends on his website saying, “I want to run as an independent and to try and bring both sides back to the proverbial negotiating table. There has to be a middle ground. My goal will be to discover it. If the people of Ohio are ready to start, they’ll vote for me.” His blog explains more in detail of what senators - or people who have ran - have done in the past with spending. DuPriest says, “Here’s the part that’s scary, though: apparently, he who spends the most wins 9 times out of 10. This has exacerbated the problem. Fundraising has become a priority for anyone who wants to win.” Continuing on through reading his blog, he tells a story that he classifies as an epiphany. DuPriest
ends the story by saying, “ If someone needs to win the next go ‘round, it’ll have to be me. Please, be the change you’d like to see. Step up and help me show everyone that we’re ready to take the power from the big money and put it back in hands of the Ohio voters.” We wish you the best of luck as you encounter this journey!
“Brownie Wednesdays,” where the special needs kids sell brownies for a dollar either at the beginning of the day or in the middle of 4th and 5th bell. Panko just recently decided to sell these brownies in order to raise money for the dog. The brownie price was raised to $2 and the brownies are now a tad bit smaller, but this is for a good cause. So far, after expenses, they have raised $100 on brownie sales over three days. While snow interfered with the brownie sales, Panko hopes to have another brownie week soon. “Selling the brownies is a great opportunity for the kids to socialize,” Panko says. And who can say no to a delicious chocolate frosted brownie? There used to be only 1/108 kids who had Autism globally. Currently, there are 1/68 kids who are
diagnosed with Autism. This is becoming a more prevalent concern in today’s society. The world has to utilize every tool to help these kids function in the world. With the help of donations Milford can purchase a service dog to helps the kids within our school function better. This dog is just one of many tools the special needs unit uses to help these kids grow and learn. Through donations Milford can be one of very few schools in the nation to have a service dog for autism to walk its’ halls. Please help by submitting a donation to the website below. We wish the Autism Behavior Unit good luck in their quest to raise money for such a wonderful cause. To donate, go to: www.razoo. com/MHSAustismDog
Remembering Lauren Lauren Wilfong 2000-2016 Lauren Wilfong and her family are in our thoughts a prayers. Lauren will be greatly missed by the Milford student body, its staff, and the community.
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SECOND NEWS
March 11, 2016
Final Exams Just Around the Corner Hannah White Lifestyle hannahmwhite@mevsd.net
FINAL EXAMS Final exams for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will take place Monday, May 23 – Thursday, May 26. The format, duration, and weight of final exams will be the same as the exams that took place at the end of 1st semester, with exams being 90 minutes in length, and factoring as 20% of the 2nd semester grade. As was the case for 1st semester, all teachers will be required to submit all exams to the high school administration for review prior to administration of the exams. All students taking final exams are expected to take their exams at the scheduled time, unless approved by an administrator. AP EXAMS Students in AP courses will be taking the AP Exams beginning Monday May 2. All students currently enrolled in an AP course are expected to take the AP Exams from CollegeBoard as administered here at Milford High School. Because all students
in AP courses will be taking the official AP Exam for those courses, there will be no final exams for AP courses. The second semester grade for AP courses will be a straight average of the 3rd and 4th quarters of this school year. Upon the completion of AP Exams, teachers are expected to continue instruction and assessment in those courses until the last day of school for students. SENIOR EXAMS Senior exams are scheduled for Friday, May 13, and Monday, May 16. Senior exams will be one class period in length, and will factor as 20% of a student’s second semester grade. Seniors will be exempt from exams for courses in which all of the criteria outlined below are met. Attendance: A senior may not miss more than 2 days of a class between Monday, April 28 and Thursday, May 12. This covers the period of time between spring break and the end of the school year. School sponsored field trips, or other school sanctioned activities will not count against a student’s attendance in
Hey! Potterheads! Hannah White Lifestyle hannahmwhite@mevsd.net
Heads up Harry Potter fans! Author and creator of the Wizarding World, J.K. Rowling, has just announced that she will release the 8th installment of the Harry Potter franchise. The next story, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, will take place nineteen years after the Deathly Hallows, which left readers and viewers on the edge of their seats. The story will follow Harry’s sons Albus Severus and James Sirius, and includes Harry’s life after dropping his kids off at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Harry now works for the Ministry of Magic and is the father of three children. He must grapple with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs. Meanwhile, Albus (Harry’s youngest son) struggles
with the weight of his family’s legacy that he never wanted. As past and present ominously fuse together, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places. This 8th installment has a twist. It will be published in play format compared to the normal book format that Rowling has followed in the past. The script of the play will in fact be released as a two-part book, at 12:01 a.m. on July 31, 2016. Slytherin to your nearest book store and get your copy!
ACT Reminder Attention all students that still need to take the ACT. The registration deadline for the April 9, 2016 is March 4, 2016. Sign up soon so you don’t have to pay a $30.00 late registration fee.
terms of exam exemptions. AND Grades: Seniors will be exempt from exams if they have a “B” average (80%) or better for the year in that course. We look forward to closing out the 2015-2016 school year on a positive note and remaining focused upon the education and learning of our students.
Basketball Abby Chumley Investigative Journalist abbigailchumley@mevsd.net
Boys Basketball: Milford Varsity Boys Basketball team is currently the sole holder of 3rd place in the ECC at 7-4. Overall the team is 12-7. The Eagles current hold a .533 shooting percentage, their second-best mark of the year. Senior Night was Friday Feb. 5,and the Eagles sadly said goodbye to Jake Chialastri, Brendan Dugan, Jack Engleman, Keenan Farrell, Ben Greenwell, Brad Hall, Dakota Kefker, Alex Shiplett and Mitchell Wenzler. Girls Basketball: Milford Eagles Varsity Girls Basketball prepares to wrap up its regular 2015-2016 season with a pair of ECC match-ups. The Girls’ record is 14-6 overall and 6-6 in league games. Coach Kristi McKenney says that she is “very proud of [her] Lady Eagles as they finished 16-6 on the regular season. [The] basketball family had awesome experiences together from great wins, to tough losses, [to their] trip to Youngstown and being inspired by Jim Tressel and Lisa Hill.” They will be seeking their 15th win, the most since the 2011-2012 season. McKenney says “It has been a great run for [the team’s] Seniors, Hannah Waltz, Hannah Woody, Taylor Foster, Kelly Noll, and Morgan Laughlin. They Did It With Class and are not done yet!” Senior Night was Saturday Feb. 6. McKenney’s
“veteran team is excited to begin postseason play and go after their goal of winning a sectional championship.” Tournament play begins Saturday Feb. 13 with the Eagles facing off against Middletown. The winner will advance to face Turpin.
SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES
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March 11, 2016
Wrestling Takes the Stand
Jensen Mills Journalist jensenmills@mevsdnet Jimmy Murphy is a junior at our very own Milford High School and lately he has received a lot of recognition for his wrestling achievements. He wrestles in the 132 pound weight class and is currently 38-4. Some of his accomplishes are 3rd place at the Edgewood and Dayton Holiday Tournament, 2nd place at the James Horning Memorial Tournament, and FIRST PLACE at the Milford Invitational Tournament and ECC. The wrestling team has had some awesome accomplishments this season and hopes to keep it up next year. Ten Eagles are rated among the individual leaders in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference for the week of Feb. 16: Kobey Bronaugh (1st, 106) Jimmy Murphy (1st, 132) Shaun Burgdorf (2nd, 126) Noah Dixie (2nd, 145) Shayne McDonough (t-2nd, 138) Daniel Wilson (3rd, 220) Mark Wilfong (4th, 152) Vance Geeslin (5th, 170) Jarod Roll (5th, 152) Tre Spillman (5th, 160) The Eagles will have had nearly two weeks off before heading to the 2016 OSHAA Sectional Tournament, beginning Fri., Feb. 19th. The draw for the Lebanon sectional assignment includes Amelia, Anderson, Colerain, Elder, Fairfield, Kings, Lebanon, Loveland, Milford, Moeller, Northwest, and Oak Hills.
Life in the Pool Abby Chumley Investigative Journalist abigailchumley@mevsd.net
Swim is a very competitive sport. From rigorous workouts to long meets, a swimmer’s life is a hard one. Milford swimmers have a very intense workout. Each day varies on the type of workout. Mondays are aerobics, Tuesday is kicking, Wednesday is pull, Thursday is quality, and Friday is recovery. For all those non swimmers out there, pull is an arm day; which means no legs to kick you through the water. The speed and pace of these workouts vary from a long distance moderate pace, to a short distance sprint pace. For what could be a boring practice of just swimming laps, Coach Metzger does a fantastic
One World Abby Chumley Investigative Journalist abigailchumley@mevsd.net Milford High School students taking high level language courses have the opportunity to participate in a program called One World Many Cultures, often referred to in the hallway as “One World”. On a semi-regular basis, these high school students are sent to a Milford Elementary School to teach second graders about their language. Two students will teach the children some basic elements of either Spanish, French, German, or Chinese for a series of six lessons before switching to another class. One World is a great opportunity for language students to not only improve
job of switching things up. When asked what the swim team’s favorite memory was, they were all in agreeance that it was making districts last year. All of the swimmers have been on the team since their freshmen year and Sami Connor, junior, said that the team is pretty good compared to other teams. Tyler Karan, senior, said that they compete against every swim team in Cincinnati. At each meet swimmers compete in an average of four events, two of them being a relay. Overall, all of the members agreed that they love the team and spending time with all of the other swimmers, inside and outside of the pool. They also want to give a shout out to Mr. Metzger for being such a good coach!
their own skills, but also to get kids looking forward to what they will have the chance to learn when they get to high school. Among others, juniors Amanda Lee and Miranda Kunes are involved in One World for the first time this year. The experience has been very interesting and, at times, entertaining for both students. Lee recounts an experience where she asked a second grader “what countries speak Spanish?,” to which he replied “North Carolina.” Both Kunes and Lee highly recommend that future language students consider One World Many Cultures as an activity. Be it learning to interact with children, getting out of class, or mastering a foreign language, all students are sure to find one benefit from working with One World.
Students Shredding the Slopes Jensen Mills Sports Jensenmills@mevsd.net Milford High School offers a countless number of clubs to reach out to all the different types of hobbies and passions of the students. Although there are more popular clubs like ultimate frisbee, most students do not even realize Milford offers a ski club. What is worse, is that they do not realize that ski club also offers snowboarding. Beginning in January, on every Thursday of the month skiers and snowboarders of Milford take an hour long drive after school to Perfect North Slopes where they spend four fun-filled hours doing what they love -- shredding the slopes. It is a great way to meet new friends and get involved at the high school. The best part of ski club is that you do not to have any prior experience! Perfect North offers lessons from instructors for free to be able to master the art. Sophomore Sam Mills had never even touched a snowboard before joining ski club and, by the end of his second year, he was already doing the most difficult slopes. As shown in the picture, seniors Matt Zwilling and Alex Gooding both pose in their Halloween costumes
as a way of celebrating their last day of the ski club. “I love that the school offers a club like this. It’s unique and not many people get the chance to go snowboarding or skiing,” Zwilling said. If you would like more information on joining ski club, contact Ted Haskins in the athletic office. You won’t regret it!
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Van Roekel
Pictured above: Zach Lorenz, Nolan Nye, Cole Dunham and Tommy Dalziel
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ACTIVITIES AND EDITORIALS
Can Milford Students Find Love? Jensen Mills Journalist Jensenmills@mevsd.net Most students are driven throughout their high school career to find the perfect relationship. They search high and low to achieve the cliche “high school sweethearts” title. Numerous students try to get involved in different clubs at school or try online dating in order to meet new people. While this seems great that students are going out of their comfort zone to try and find their perfect match, it’s also absolutely ridiculous. Meeting a boyfriend or girlfriend should be an easy task. They should be a friend first and have mutual respect for one another. Messaging one another through an online dating website before you have even met in person is absurd and superficial at best. Relationships should happen gracefully. Having two people focus all of their time and energy on making themselves work means only one thing -- their relationship is a dud. This brings me to the topic of the matchmaker surveys that Milford offers once a year to the students. Although the surveys do raise money for the sophomore class, they trick students into thinking they can find their “perfect match” in high school. Think of all the places students still have to go after graduation: college, internships, different jobs, etc. Now, think of all the people they will meet at those places! To say that everyone has a perfect soul mate here in Milford High School is preposterous. Plus, the questions on the survey ask the least important questions that need to be asked to find two people who pair up perfectly. There are more negatives to the surveys than positives. They simply fill students heads with lies by saying they are restricted to certain peers as the best match when that is entirely opposite to what reality offers.
Milford’s Potter Prom Abby Chumley Investigative Journalist Abigailchummley@mevsd.net
Prom has always been the highlight of the school year for many thanks to the anticipation of asking or being asked to the dance, buying the clothes, and of course, finding out about the theme. Milford students are sure to be excited this year for a Harry Potter themed dance. The dance will be comparable to the “yule ball” featured in
the fourth installment of the Harry Potter series. Students
Don’t Mess With My Wifi Kara Buck EIC karabuck@mevsd.net
Students fret over exam week: most important time in school? Many would argue yes. So, it makes sense that during this week of intense stress all precautions should be taken so that there is no cheating. Milford High School shut down the wifi during the week of exams: what the heck? Their thought process behind this was rather simple: If no one could get on social media, no one could cheat. Also, the school is a dead zone when it comes to cell service. It is truly comical to watch students shove their phones out doors or windows just to try and get one more bar. With the shutting down of the wifi many students with iPhones-which is nearly 70% of the populationhad trouble sending text messages. iPhones send iMessages (An iMessage is not a text message
and can be sent with/ without wifi connection. The messages are typically sent faster over wifi connections). With the wifi being highly blocked and regulated many students also were unable to send texts, on top of not being able to get on social media. To the faculty’s satisfaction, many students’ phones were useless. While many infuriated students cursed the facility under their breath, it was all done with good intentions. Study hall students indeed did struggle through an exam period, a total of two hours. That is two hours with no Netflix, no Twitter, no Facebook, no Instagram, and no Snapchat. I am surprised no student in the school died of extreme boredom. The one thing that got students through the week was not only the approaching holiday season, but the hope that the wifi would be back to normal when classes resumed in the new year. Students were sadly
March 11, 2016
mistaken. The staff monarchy still had the reins pulled tight on the wifi limitations. Students got desperate and started to download apps that go through any wifi restriction the school has put up. And to the faculty’s dismay, students obtained the wifi password to their own private wifi, MEVSD Staff. Of course things did not have to go this far. One simple solution could have been made, allow students to access their apps on the wifi. Problem solved. To be perfectly honest, the wifi limitations were a bit ridiculous. Everything was shut down. Shopping apps were even nonaccessible. A Macy’s website can help a student cheat on exams? So, when students came back from break and they still couldn’t open their apps what did the faculty expect, a party? Instead they got chaos. Wifi is precious in today’s society. Wifi is worth more than gold
can expect to see countless Potter references throughout the night. Hogwarts house colors will be flown at every opportunity. References to quidditch and the wizarding world in general will be abundant. “It will be truly magical” says Gwen Krage, junior. For many students, Prom 2k16 will be a childhood dream come true.
to some kids: if they are The staff, obviously, did not know not able to access wifi this would be such a big problem. the whole world may One thing was learned during this collapse. I think it is failed experiment: don’t mess with safe to say a majority of the students wifi. the students in schools use wifi at least some time during the day. During study halls, if all Kara Buck: CO-EIC homework is completed, karabuck@mevsd.net students will go on Katie Snider: CO-EIC Snapchat, or Twitter, katelynsnider@mevsd.net or Instagram to fill up Hannah White: Lifestyle Editor the empty time. But, if hannahmwhite@mevsd.net all those are blocked, what will the students Jensen Mills: Journalist do? Nothing. Absolutely jensenmills@mevsd.net nothing. And that is so Abby Chumley: Investigative Jourincredibly boring. nalist While the wifi limitations were a abigialchumley@mevsd.net good idea in the first Caroline Anthony: Journalist place, it went on for too carolineanthony@mevsd.nest long. I am not going to Bre Severns: Journalist bash anyone who tries breseverns@mevsd.net to prevent cheating. Mr. Joe Claus: Advisor Cheating is bad. Very claus_j@milfordschools.org bad. But, once exams are Mrs. Jennifer Goff: Advisor over, why not give the goff_j@milfordschools.org wifi back? Personally I Location: think the staff was just B28 testing the waters. Would Number: keeping the wifi on 513-576-2248 lockdown make Milford Email: High School a better place? No. This school is reflectomhs@gmail.com filled with sorta-smartWebsite: kids who know how to www.issuu.com/mhsreflector hack into private wifis.
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