Milk issue 140 holiday 2017 final by Mill Springs Academy

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Issue 140

Mustangs, Issues, Lifestyle, & Knowledge Ranked by the American Scholastic Press Association

Inside this issue: All Things Mustang

3-13

Confederate Monuments

A Decline in American Values

Holiday Movie Reviews

16-17

NHL Predictions

School Sports

20-21

Net Neutrality (and more!)

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Table of Contents Mustangs Bulletin

Shilpee Kathuria

Communication Arts Festival

Emily Kane

4-5

Thanksgiving Feast & Halloween

Jack Abram

6-7

Founder’s Day

Casey Purser

New Teacher– Tracy Schutz

Connor Samsky

New Students

Noah Terpstra

10-11

Confederate Statues: What is the Solution?

Casey Purser

Ca$h Me Ousside: A Decline in American Values Brett Parks and

Connor Samsky

Jack’s Movie Review: Sleepaway Camp

Jack Abram

Jack’s Movie Review: Silent Night, Deadly Night

Jack Abram

NHL Predictions

Noah Terpstra

16-17

Soccer

Connor Samsky

Cross-Country

Noah Terpstra

Volleyball

Emily Kane

Safety of American Troops Abroad

Matthew Dalluge

Net Neutrality

Garrett Cutchin

Issues

Morgan Grave

Lifestyle

Knowledge

Photo Credits on Front Cover (Left to Right Clockwise): NHL.com, Newsweek.com, IMDB.com Photo Credits for Bulletin on opposite page: Kate Mc Elliott (JTF) and Jack Abram (Teacher Tributes) Illustration Credit for Back Cover: Paige “Jasper” Norris

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Upper School & Communication Arts

Bulletin Politics Club

MSA Shines at National Junior Theater Festival (JTF)

By Casey Purser

Please congratulate our Junior Theater Festival (JTF) team on their amazing work, adjudicated by Broadway judges and performed in front of 6,000 spectators!

Last semester, Brad and I started a politics club to help encourage students to understand and talk about each other’s views. We’ve had some great conversations on a number of topics and created a open space that allows for open discussion. Currently, we meet in Brad’s class every other Friday. These meetings take place during lunch and anyone is welcome!

Front Row (from left): Teachers Patrick Rose, Spirit & Grant Awardwinner Kate Mc Elliott and Jamie Fambrough. Second Row: Ward Sutlive, Noah Velasco, John Hartrampf, Lilliana Coco, Bryce Zimmerman and “All Star Performer” Lauren Scobee. Third Row: AC Otott, Abigail Kalden, Alexis Gioia, Collins Losson, Camryn Padgett, Ella Parsons, Zoe Caines and Duncan Bear. Back Row: Meggie Velasco, “All-Star Performer” Jack Hurtsellers, Shelley Padgett, Lynn Gioia, Laura Bear, Amy Parsons and Jill Coco.

Delightful Snow Days By Connor Samsky

Snow days. What else could be better? The fun begins the night before as a much anticipated call comes from the school office announcing that the school will indeed close. The fun usually begins with a long sleep that always seems to continue well into the late morning. After donning the winter coat and mittens, the excited masses begin work on the creation of snowmen and snow angels. This is always followed by the rest of the day with a cup of hot chocolate on the couch. Is there anything better than a snow day?

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By Shilpee Kathuria

Teacher Tributes

By Jack Abram

As a part of the Fine Arts curriculum, students were asked to make special gifts for their favorite teacher. Here are some of the talented student tributes to our wonderful Upper School teachers!

Clockwise from Top Right: Senior Jessica Kornheiser gave various sculptural odes to Nellie Jackson, our inspired and passionate American Lit Teacher.

Freshman Jody Cleveland gave this model of his classroom to Eric Khong, 9th Grade Composition and Creative Writing Teacher. Eric quipped, “I felt touched when he gave it to me. Not inappropriately touched, just regularly touched.” Sophomore Grace Gersack gave these track-themed gifts to Angela White, Chemistry Teacher and Track Coach extraordinaire.

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U S T A N G S

Communication Arts Festival: The Second World War The Communication Arts community kicked off an exciting holiday season on November 29 with the presentation of their annual festival. Seventh and eighth graders who take CommArts instructor Bonnie Bergstresser’s histor y classes are in charge of creating their own individual presentations on historical figures appropriate to the theme of the festival, complete with costumes and poster boards. The CommArts Festival is always something to look forward to, but this year’s was particularly memorable, with a theme that diverged completely from those of previous years and guests so noteworthy that the event was even mentioned on local news stations. If you took some time to explore the festival this year, you may have seen booths sporting actual World War II relics, typewriters that “texted” back and forth, a Morse code specialist, replicas of Picasso paintings created by the art department, or even a WWII veteran who our school was fortunate enough to host as he described his experiences in the war as a plane radio operator on the front lines.

Bergstresser, I asked what the inspiration was for choosing World War II as a theme for the festival as opposed to country-themed festivals as we’ve seen in previous years. She responded, “The themes are picked by the art teachers, Chelsea (Michelson) and I. We all discussed various ideas. I believe Patrick (Rose) came up with the Wor ld War II theme. We wanted to change up the festival and bring in fresh ideas.”

By Emily Kane

The history students of CommArts begin preparing for the festival in September, and although I’ve gathered through conversing with some participating students that the prospect of reciting their speeches at the festival can be nerve-wracking, it is also a source of excitement. Bonnie says that she hopes the seventh and eighth graders “gain confidence in their ability to do a research project and speak in front of a large group,” since “it is a very large project and can be intimidating.”

Next year, as is tradition, CommArts will again be putting on a festival around the time of Thanksgiving break, shouldered with the great feat of have to top the excellency of the previIn an interview with Bonnie ous year’s event.

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U S T A N G S

Clockwise from Top Left: Vintage Vocals Trio singer Philippa Anderson, Teacher Bonnie Bergstresser, Trio singer Mary Slider, Trio singer Deb Gerace and Principal Chelsea Michelson all bring the 1930’s and 40’s era to life. Top Right: Lt. Ray Schwartz brought stories of his days as a WW II soldier to enthrall, teach and humble our students and faculty. Right: Aral Seckiner very accurately portrays Joseph Stalin and stands in front of his very detailed work!

Clockwise from Top Left: Student Lilliana Coco helped (along with her mom Jill) to do all the hairstyles for many of the CommArts ladies and teachers. Top Right: Student Amy Lamp’l is a big part of showing the artistic endeavors of the Fine Arts students. Right: Owen Parker as Pablo Picasso while Principal Will Turner provides a listening ear. Next Photo: Jeremiah Jones plays and researches J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man responsible for the testing and eventual use of the atomic bomb.

Photos Courtesy of Emily Kane & Yearbook

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Thanksgiving Feast 2017

U S T A N G S

By Jack Abram

Thanksgiving Feast, on November 15 this year, was an excellent time for all. The Level Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, as well as Level L Advisors Eric Khong and Erin Muehlhausen tr uly outdid themselves this thanksgiving, from their excellent interior design skills to their dutiful distribution of the thanksgiving feast. While the results of the pie eating contest remain contentious (Casey Purser maintains his dubious title as champion), the controversy over the results have not tainted the reputation of the event as a whole. Overall, the Thanksgiving feast was a success and I for one am looking forward to experiencing it next year. Lovely ladies! Bailey Grunwald, Megan Suarez, Jin Butler and Shevy Hightower gather in front of the hearth.

Photo courtesy of airflightcheaptickets.com

Above: Matthew Cohen, Miles Robinson, Nathaniel Mostyn, Brennan Burstein and Alexander Orred enjoy the many treats at the feast.

Photos courtesy of Yearbook Team

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M By Jack Abram

Clockwise from top: Hayley Adams, Tracy Schutz. Reid Cohen. Ella Jensen. Greg Bodeep.

Halloween Party 2017

On October 31, on the eve of All Hallow’s, Eric Khong and our wonder ful level L’s hosted a Halloween party for the ages. Music was played, costumes were judged, and candy was consumed. As judged by the Fine Arts teachers, the winners for best costumes were Reid Cohen for best male costume as “Greg Bodeep,” Ella Jensen won best female costume as a jellyfish, twins Robert and Anthony Papasidero won best duo as “Harley Quinn and Mr. J” and the best staff costume was awarded to new teachers Tracy Schutz, Hayley Adams and veter an teacher Greg Bodeep as “Willie Wonka and Oompa Loompas.” As the party ended, the level L’s set to diligently clean up the mess. After the party ended, students had the opportunity to have photos taken in a photo booth in order to document the good time everyone had. As the day ended, students returned home to whichever festivities were planned with their families.

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Left: Anthony & Robert Papasidero.

From left to right; Max Woods, Trevor Parkey, and Hannah Rae celebrating Steam Punk. Photos Courtesy of Jaime Gutierrez

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Founder’s Day 2017 Jaime Gutierrez

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Chick-fil-A Truck Jaime Gutierrez

Kids playing Jaime Gutierrez

Shilpee eating Chick-fil-A

Jaime Gutierrez

On the twenty-first of October, the Mill Springs community came together “down the hill” to bring everyone closer, and to have a little fun under the sun. Founder’s Day has been an annual tradition for over 30 years and in that tradition it shows how strong the Mill Spring community is. Alumni and family come from all over to reconnect and to continue to support the school. Along with people who have been with Mill Springs for a long time we also celebrated the new members to our community. Teachers who had completed their first year of being with the

By Casey Purser

Jaime Gutierrez

Kids playing laser tag

school received a commemorative pendant to show that they are part of the community. During this celebration of community laser tag, rock climbing, and more was set up to entertain the little kids that came for the event. Along with all of those, Chick-fil-A was served to all who came and everyone got to sit down, eat, and catch up with each other. After everyone finished eating we finished the event with a heart warming benediction spoken by myself. And with that Founder’s Day, a day of community, ended.

Kids rock climbing

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MEET NEW TEACHER: TRACY SCHUTZ I am originally from West Palm Beach, FL. My husband and I have been married for 16 years and have two children ages 13 and 15. We have lived here for 11 years now and we love it.

I really enjoy finding unique rocks from different places I visit. I dig them up and then add them to my back yard riverbed. I call it “rocktherapy” and it is a great stressreliever for me

Tracy Schutz is a firstyear teacher at Mill Springs.

Where else have you worked? I have taught for the past 20 years! I most recently taught online for almost five years; before that I taught in Cherokee County for six years; before that I taught for ten years in FL

What is a fact that will blow my mind?

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Some of my favorite things: Fall temperatures, teaching, organizing, crafting, random factoids, sarcasm and Mountain Dew. Some of my least favorite things: vegetables, rainy weather, Sci-Fi, wearing glasses and Math word problems.

By Connor Samsky

Courtesy Mill Springs Academy

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

Schutz wishes to visit Ireland to “see the rich history and scenery that surrounds this country.”

Schutz would like to meet Betty White. “I think she would be easy to talk to and I would enjoy her down-toearth sense of humor.”

You can find me in my back yard relaxing with family and friends…. or “creating” at my craft counter

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If you could travel to any country on earth, where would it be? I would travel to Ireland; I would love to see the rich history and scenery that surrounds this country.

If you could give your teenage self one piece of advice, what would it be? Go ahead and leap. The trip is worth it and you [a]re strong enough to always land on two feet.

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Courtesy Graphicsbuzz

Schutz received her bachelors’ degree from the University of South Florida, majoring in secondary English education. Holiday 2017-18

I would have dinner with Betty White. I think she is talented, genuine, and endearing. I think she would be easy to talk to and I would enjoy her down-to-earth sense of humor.

Courtesy CNN

It’s your day off. Where can I find you?

If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who? Why them?

What is your favorite part of working at Mill Springs? I enjoy the small, family-like atmosphere that is maintained here at Mill Springs; MSA teachers keep their students’ needs at the forefront and collaborate well to help everyone meet their goals.

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Meet Our New Students 2017-18

What is your name?

Shira Balaban Where did you go to before you came to Mill Springs?

Atlanta Girls School What is your favorite subject at MSA?

English and History

What are some of your hobbies outside of school?

Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

By Noah Terpstra

Reading and Acting

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know What is your name? Maclean Tadlock Where did you go before you came to Mill Springs? Swift School What is your favorite subject at MSA? Math What are some of your hobbies outside of school? Watching/playing basketball, football and soccer Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? Doing something sports-related What is your name? Megan Suarez Where did you go before you came to Mill Springs? Norcross High School Photo Courtesy of Noah Terpstra

What is your favorite subject at MSA? Math What are some of your hobbies outside of school? Sleeping, Running and practicing French and Spanish Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? As a registered nurse, or in school to become a nurse

What is your name? Kyle Hessel Where did you go before you came to Mill Springs? Sandy Springs Middle School What is your favorite subject at MSA? History and Biology

Photos Courtesy of RenWeb

What are some of your hobbies outside of school? Nerdy Stuff Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? At the top of a successful business

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What is your name?

Cayden Harris Where did you go before you came to Mill Springs?

Swift School What is your favorite subject at MSA?

Chinese What are some of your hobbies outside of school?

Working out, gaming and taking care of my dog Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?

Making my future What is your name? Jody Cleveland Where did you go before you came to Mill Springs? Tapestry Public Charter School

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What is your favorite subject at MSA? Science What are some of your hobbies outside of school? Photography Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? Wherever the wind takes me What is your name? Tommy Kwon Where did you go before you came to Mill Springs? Chattahoochee High School What is your favorite subject at MSA? Chemistry, Personal What are some of your hobbies outside of school? Art, Music, Sports, Choreography and going to the Gym Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? Getting a degree from Colombia College, having a child and going into a Family Business What is your name? Jack Sheridan Where did you go before you came to Mill Springs? Academy at SOAR What is your favorite subject at MSA? Biology What are some of your hobbies outside of school? YouTuber Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? Married and an Actor

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By Casey Purser

S U

Fox News

E S

Confederate statue

Fiery, and often dangerous, protesting on both sides.

NBC News

Protest of Statue

Confederate Statues: What is the Solution? Across the country statues of Confederates have begun to be taken down while many disagree on the importance of the historical and moral motivations in this issue. This hotly debated topic has lead to protesting in my cities, and has begun to get out of control. During the taking down of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, a woman was killed while she was counterprotesting White Supremacists in Charlottesville, VA in August of 2017. This example of violence breaking out between protesters (along with the many others examples) have made it difficult for cities to properly deal with the many statues that populate the United States. Unlike many hotly debated issues, this one has a very simple solution that should leave many satisfied. To get to the bottom of how to solve this problem let’s first look at the arguments for each side. Many who argue for the statues to stay argue that they are a part of our history and cul-

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ture and should be preserved. The people who support the removal of the statutes say that the statues are designed to oppress minorities and to glorify the confederates who fought for slavery. It’s hard to argue against either of these claims, for the statues do includes historical figures that played a role in the United States history. On the other hand, statues are often designed to commemorate the people they depict. So, what’s the solution? Museums. Moving these statues to museums is the best compromise possible. They don’t destroy their historical significance, but at the same time they don’t glorify them like they would if they were in public. Hopefully if more people see this and all of the statues are sent to museums, the protests will stop and we can possible come closer together as a country. New York Times

Taking down of statue

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S Courtesy Hiphopdx

By Connor Samsky

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Courtesy Bhad Bhabie

E S AKA “Bhad Bhabie,” Danielle Bregoli has become “famous for being famous.”

These Heaux is Bregoli’s musical debut.

Cash Me Ousside: Are American Values on the Decline?

Courtesy Hollywood Life

Since Paris Hilton in The Simple Life, we as an American society have been in love with the talentless. If someone flaunts poor behavior into a camera, the country eats it up like ice cream. The consequences of an arrest include heightened admiration. Currently, Danielle Bregoli is the face of the worst role models in America. Bregoli made her television debut at the age of thirteen in September 2016 on the syndicated program Dr. Phil. The episode focused on her violent behavior towards her mother, Barbara Ann Bregoli, her theft, and her drug use. Danielle claimed that her mother had been overbearing. Upon being questioned by an expert psychologist, Danielle sassed “Cash me ousside, how bout dah?” Bregoli would have to go to Turn-About Ranch, a boot camp in southern Utah. Upon her completion of the program, her fame truly skyrocketed. She trademarked the aforementioned catchphrase, even suing Walmart for infringement. Atlantic Records signed Bregoli to a recording contract, and her first single “These Heaux” in August charted at thirty-fourth on Billboard’s top 100. She has amassed over 2 million YouTube subscribers and over 11 million Instagram followers as of this writing. However, her celebrity has not been without trouble. Bregoli received five years of probation and 100 hours of community service for marijuana possession and filing of a false police report. She received a lifetime ban from Spirit Airways for instigating a fight. This is more than Bregoli and her stardom. Danielle Bregoli does not deserve all of the blame she has received since her 2016 Dr Phil appearance. The majority of the blame should rest on the society that thrust her into the cesspool of D-list stardom.

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Bregoli rose to fame after appearing on Dr. Phil with her mother Barbara Ann.

Courtesy TV Guide

Shows like The Simple Life led to the rise of those like Bregoli.

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Holiday Film Reviews: Sleepaway Camp

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By Jack Abram

Disclaimer: These films are not suitable for viewing by children. Seek parental consent before viewing. In fact, if Jack Abram recommends a movie to you, you should seek parental consent to view it regardless of its rating. In recent years, there has been increased interest in “good bad movies,” or, films that are so bad that enjoyment can be derived from how bad the films are. Films such as The Room have attained cult status through their low production value and bad writing. In my opinion, no film meets the criteria of “good bad movies” more than Sleepaway Camp. Sleepaway Camp was born out of the 1980’s slasher movie movement. Slasher films are usually about an unstoppable killer wreaking havoc amongst a group of idiot teenagers while local authorities are powerless to stop it. A wave of these films were set in summer camps, with notable examples being Friday the 13th and The Burning. Both films feature killers targeting counselors at summer camps, and came out before Sleepaway Camp. Many believe that Sleepaway Camp is derivative of these films, but in reality, Sleepaway Camp surpasses these in almost every way. Sleepaway Camp does not have the best writing, directing, or acting, but where it shines is sheer passion. Where other films attempt to have clever or “cool” dialogue between characters, Sleepaway Camp has lame exchanges between children trying to sound cool. Where other films feature “fan service” female nudity, Sleepaway Camp has men in short shorts playing beach volleyball. Sleepaway Camp also features possibly the best twist ending of any film ever made. It quite literally reduced my group of friends who viewed it for the first time from laughing and sneering to screaming in sheer terror. It is also one of the most spoiled endings of any horror film, so I advise against googling Sleepaway Camp. Though unnoticed amongst horror fans, Sleepaway Camp is, in my opinion, the best slasher film ever made. Photo courtesy of complex.com

Photo courtesy of imdb.com Photo courtesy of collider.com

Felissa Rose as Angela Baker, and Jonathan Tiersten as Ricky Thomas

Desiree Gould as Aunt Martha

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Silent Night, Deadly Night

By Jack Abram

Santa punishes the naughty in Silent Night, Deadly Night.

Silent Night, Deadly Night is perhaps the most shameless holiday exploitation horror movie ever created. There are numerous films of its ilk; My Bloody Valentine, Halloween, April Fool’s Day, and Black Christmas all serve as examples of holiday centric horror films. What sets Silent Night, Deadly Night apart though, is that it plays out more like a montage of Christmasthemed murders than an actual suspenseful horror film. Where other movies would use chainsaws or perhaps a machete, Silent Night has its Santa suit clad killer strangle one of his hapless teenage victims with a set of Christmas lights. This creativity in how it presents its otherwise formulaic film structure is what makes Silent Night, Deadly Night a cult classic.

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Silent Night, Deadly Night follows the life of Billy Chapman. Chapman, whose parents were murdered by an armed robber, as he is sent to live at an orphanage and begins to work at a toy store. Come Christmas, the store’s professional Santa Claud is a no show, forcing Billy to stand in for him. His childhood trauma overcomes him, and he suffers him a psychotic break, going on a quest to punish all those who are “naughty”. As the local Sheriff’s Office (ineptly) races to stop him, Billy goes on the rampage which the film chronicles.

Will Hare as creepy grandfather

In my mind, Silent Night, Deadly Night, along with Die Hard, is one of the essential Christmas movies which should viewed every year. Charles Dierkop as naughty Santa. Photos courtesy of imdb.com Holiday 2017-18

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NHL PREDICTIONS 2017-18 The NHL season is 82 games long. A team could be in first place by the time the season is half way over and still miss the playoffs. The 2007-08 Washington Capitals started 15-21-5 then went on to have a final record of 43-31-8 and still made the playoffs. No lead is safe and anything could happen. With that said, here are my predictions for each division winner.

By Noah Terpstra

Y L E Metropolitan Division

Central Division

Washington Capitals: The Washington Capitals are consistently one of the best teams in the NHL. They are always in the top 3 for best regular season record. The main issue is the fact that they have never been past the second round. They resigned many of their key players from this past season: the main ones being TJ Oshie. Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. All will have to play the same way they have been for the past few years and the rookies will have to step up their game.

St. Louis Blues: The St. Louis Blues have made the playoffs every year since 2011, and havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t had a losing record since 2007. They consistently have one of the best overall records in the NHL. The only teams they have to worry about are the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators.

Pacific Division Calgary Flames: The Calgary Flames acquired goaltender Mike Smith. Mike Smith is now out of a bad situation in Arizona and can finally play on a team that fits his style. They will also have to rely on the duo of Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau to lead their team to the playoffs. The fact that these two players are both 24 years old and younger mean that they cold play for this team for another 14 years before retiring from the team. Mike Giordano and Kris Versteeg will help newly acquired defenseman control the defense. The Flames will make the playoffs, but will not get to the Stanley Cup.

Atlantic Division Tampa Bay Lightning: I believe that the Lightning have finally gotten over the hump that is being completely average. Their captain Steven Stamkos finally learned how to pass instead of shooting all the time. They have gotten closer as a team and have better chemistry and a solid defense. They should have an easy time winning their division and they have a real shot at making the Stanley Cup Finals. 16

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Stanley Cup Finals

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. St. Louis Blues: If the lightning can keep their players healthy and stay as consistent as they have in the past than they will easily make the finals. For the Blues, they will have an easy time making the playoffs. But unlike in the past, they have to be able to step up on a bigger stage to win.

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Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning: I believe that the Lightning will win the Stanley Cup. The Lightning have been here before so they have the experience. They have shown that they are able to step up in big moments and can be clutch. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov will have to play to the best of their abilities to be able to win the Final. Photos courtesy of NHL.com

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MSA Soccer Wrap-Up 2017

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This season was another successful year for Mill Springs Soccer. The Mustangs finished the By Connor year with a 5-3-1 record and an AAC regular season championship. Junior Jacobi Garrett led Samsky the team in points with 43. The year began with MSA suffering a 10-4 defeat to Cottage. The Mustangs followed this with consecutive wins against Howard before finishing the regular season off with a 6-4 victory over Cottage. In the playoffs, Mill Springs defeated Howard 4-0 to advance to the AAC Championship. In the title game, MSA lost 2-0 to Howard. “I feel we had a young team this year with more than half being new players. For this reason, we did really well, we went 5-3-1 and made the championship game for the fifth year in a row. We won the regular season championship for the fifth year in a row, but came in second in the tournament. “Next year we expect to win the championship,” says Assistant Coach Michael Smith. The Mustangs will be set to set to vie for the AAC cr own in 2018.

Top row (left to right): Michael Healey, Reid Cohen, Parker Weyant, Reese Bentley, Jack Hurtsellers, Sean Nemesh, Christian Kelm, Bren Nemesh, Jacobi Garrett

Second row (left to right): Ethan Stroup, Abby Kalden, Ethan Maeroff, Jake Martin, Maclean Tadlock, Taylor Mallady, Mason Ogryzek Bottom row (left to right): Ella Jensen, Assistant Coach Michael Smith, Yates Smith, Head Coach Phil Hanson, Bailey Grunwald Not Pictured: Sebi Wise

MSA Cross Country Wrap-Up 2017

By Noah Terpstra

Head Coach Angela White 18

This season was another successful year for Mill Springs Cross Country. Senior Connor Gluth helped lead the younger and newer runners. The year began with an MSA 4th Place finish. The Mustangs followed this with nothing but improvement. They eventually finished the regular season off with a 5th Place finish at Regionals. “We had 16 kids on the team and of those 16, 12 were brand new. Many have never run long distances before. They trained hard and everyone was running a 5k at the end of the season, with some dropping as much as 10 minutes from their first race.” says Head Coach Angela White. Most of the runners from this year will be returning next year and are confident that they will go to state. Milk.

Cross Country Runners: Anthony Papasidero, Peter Cook and Robert Papasidero.

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Lady Mustangs Volleyball 2017: A Season in Review This October, the Lady Mustangs Volleyball team finished up their season with a rivBy Emily Kane eting AAC tournament in a battle for first place. The players passed, set, and spiked their way to within two points of victory in a game against the Howard School that went all the way into the fifth set and went past 25 points in the fourth, in a game that by no exaggeration had the spectators cheering wildly for their respective teams, on the edge of their seats until the final point. This year, the volleyballs team consisted of thirteen players: Samantha Benjamin, Mia Nemesh, Megan Suarez, Emily Kane, Andie Kibler, Aimee Grace Murray, Audrey Henderson, Siobhan Hightower, Hope Helpser, Mallory Mulhern, Laura Turnbull, Reese Urban, and Katherine Adair. Lisa Imsand, one of the team’s coaches, along with Karen Kaiser, remarked, “This is a very young team; we did not have any seniors on the team this year. These ladies worked very hard and were so close to winning the championship again this year. Karen and I asked a lot of these girls to play different positions all the time and they all would still pull through and work their magic as best as they could. We are very proud of our team!” When asked for a general quote about the team as a whole, she also responded, “they are sensational!” in reference to an inside joke of the girls’ that they created during one match. In summary, the team experienced another great year, and we can look forward to many more successful seasons from them in the up-

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Lady Mustangs in repose (from top center clockwise): Hope Helsper, Megan Suarez (face obscured), Andie Kibler (face obscured), Shevy Hightower (face obscured), Sam Benjamin (center– face obscured). Standing in front: Vijay Shah Below: Coaches Lisa Imsand & Karen Kaiser.

Photo Courtesy of Marios Mc Connell Holiday 2017-18

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Using Vehicular Technology to Keep American Troops Safe O N

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The recent Niger attack in October 2017 on American troops was an event that took the American news cycle by surprise. The fact that the US Military had a group of Special Forces, the Green Berets, in Niger was also a surprise. To make matters even more shocking, many people were appalled to find out the Military hadn’t offered protection for the Special Forces. The circumstances of the death of the soldiers is also alarming to many, with reports of mutilation and some even being captured and being shot at point blank in the head.

mored fighting vehicle (AFV). They need to move fast. Special Forces as a whole are rather fast moving and avoid engagements unless needed. Several vehicles have been developed for such a usage. The first one is the Cadillac Gage Commando. Developed in 1960 for usage as a security vehicle by the Air Force Police and the ARVN (Army of Republic of Vietnam) forces. The Commando was also very versatile, it was able to carry a 150mm cannon on it or it could use a simple machine gun. The Commando however was small and cramped. It is also old and outdated. However it inspired the much more recent vehicle, the M117 ASV (Armored Security Vehicle).

its turret can be undone by doing so causing soldiers to fall out. This issue is very dangerous as a wellplaced explosive can flip it and leave soldiers in the open. The final option is the Stryker. The Stryker weighs in at 20 tons, and is one of the Army’s most used AFV’s. It is used because it is well armored, light, versatile, and able to transverse rugged terrain. All of this comes in to be perfect for people who want more security. The Stryker was first produced in 2002, it is the evolution of the LAV model vehicle which the USMC uses to transport its scouts. What makes the Stryker different is its ability to have different load outs. In the words of a cadet UNG “You can strap anything to a Stryker.” This statement is true as the Stryker can be given a mortar, 105MM cannon, machine gun, grenade launcher and more. This is arguably the best candidate besides along with the ASV, which is able to protect our troops. While its main issue is the problem of weight. It is much lighter than other fighting vehicles.

Photo courtesy of CNN.com

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For starters, the Green Berets are used to help with training foreign troops. Green Berets were first started in Vietnam as a response to the issue with the guerrilThe M1117 comes equipped la fighters and were based off of the with a M2 Browning Machine Guns, SAS (Special Air Service) a British and is also equipped with a MK-19 group. grenade launcher, it can also be This leads to the question, equipped with a M240 LMG on top. how do we defend them? The most The M1117 is used today in convoy obvious answer is arming them and escorts and is favored for this begiving them better vehicles. Howev- cause it is resistant to IED exploer for the Green Berets, and other sions and mine explosions. The Special Forces apart of SOCOM M1117 has seen usage in Iraq, and (Special Operation Command), it’s Afghanistan. However one issue not feasible to give them an ar- with it is that it can rollover and

By Matthew Dalluge

Left: Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, Staff Sgt. La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. Bryan Black and Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson were the soldiers who lost their lives in the Niger attack. Above: Scale model of the Stryker ATV. 20

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Net Neutrality: What Is It and How Does it Affect Me? The fiery debate of net neutrality has recently been stoked by the FCC’s (Federal Communication Commission) recent unveiling of their draft for removing net neutrality. For the uninitiated, net neutrality is the reason the internet isn’t dominated by larger corporations. In the current system, major companies maintain infrastructure for the internet and through this infrastructure, websites are able to reach you. The companies are not allowed to interfere with these connections.

If this debate seems familiar to you, it’s no coincidence. An internet wide protest was held on July 12 where some 50,000 websites all contributed, demanding that the internet remain neutral and companies unaffiliated. However, this protest seems to have fallen on deaf ears and plans have been underway to scrap net neutrality. In fact, Congress voted to end on net neutrality in 2017 on December 14. While it can’t be seen for sure what the overall outcome will be, whatever it is will decide what the internet will become in the coming years. If you feel strongly on this topic, then call your local senator and explain why net neutrality is important to you. The voices of many may still be able to swing the a voice in the favor of protections for an equally accessible internet for all.

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In 2015, activists pressured the FCC to adopt rules that kept the internet a “neutral” place, making it so that companies that provide internet cannot throttle the load speeds or outright block websites. However, in recent years, many lobbyists have been trying to dispel net neutrality regulations. These efforts are being led by FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai who believes that these rules are too “burdensome” both for companies and for the FCC. He states that he believes in a free internet but worries about how the regulations on the net effect the economy. In his words:

By Garrett Cutchin

“…by imposing those heavy-handed economic regulations on internet service providers big and small, we could end up disincentivizing companies from wanting to build out internet access to a lot of parts of the country, in low-income, urban and rural areas, for example. And that, I think, is something that nobody would benefit from.” -Ajit Pai, FCC Chairman, PBS (pictured right above) twitter.com

Many people believe that the supposed economic troubles that companies may face are a small price to pay for internet freedom and that having a free internet would benefit the economy, allowing smaller businesses to grow without fear of being stomped by larger companies. Organizations like Freepress believe that dispelling these regulations would mean that online activism would take a huge hit. On their website they say: “The consequences would be particularly devastating for marginalized community’s media outlets have misrepresented or failed to serve. People of color, the LGBTQ community, indigenous people, and religious minorities in the United States rely on the open internet to organize, access economic and educational opportunities, and fight back against systemic discrimination.” -Tali Arbel, Journalist Associated Press (pictured right below) Holiday 2017-18

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Milk. Mustangs, Issues, Lifestyle, & Knowledge Milk. Staff Co Editor-in-Chief Jack Abram Co Editor-in-Chief Casey Purser Lifestyle Editor Noah Terpstra

Sports Editor Connor Samsky Contributing Writer CommArts Emily Kane

Contributing Writer Matthew Dalluge Contributing Writer Garrett Cutchin Contributing Artist Paige Norris

Advisor Shilpee Kathuria Please contact us at: 13660 New Providence Road Alpharetta, GA 30004 Shilpee: skathuria@millsprings.org Jack: jabram@millsprings.org Casey: cpurser@millsprings.org