Mill Creek Chronicle AUG/SEPT 2016

Vol. 9 Vol. Issue91 Issue #1

Mill Creek

CHRONICLE August/September 2016

VARSITY FOOTBALL -Jamar Hall -Edmond Graham

Theater Mission: Play Audition

Pokemon Go Registering to Vote

New Sports Uniforms Volleyball and Softball

SPOTLIGHTS

PHOTO: SS

PHOTO: Katherine Torres

PHOTO: Cassidy Hettesheimer

PHOTO: Kayla Phillips

Want Your Advertisement to Appear Here?

Contact us for details about pricing and sizing How to reach us: Email: mchschronicle@gmail.com Phone: 678-714-5899

16

VARSITY FOOTBALL: PLAYER PROFILES

4 Fast News

the Pulsera project, free breakfast, and more

MASTHEAD Editors Kaitlyn Neher Ashley Baptiste Staff Writers Allie Bolton Jordan Dudley Abigail Key Christopher Kline Vanessa Medina Maggie Mitchell Bailey Monroe Faith Montgomery Madeleine Moody Michelle Ortiz Collins Sainovich Will Sowders Adviser Mrs. Nora Neff

14

Cross Country A run that keeps on going...

Photo credits from left to right: Isaac Lee, Isaac Lee, Cassidy Hettesheimer, Isaac Lee, Alyssa Gibson, Vanessa Medina

and band

Other stories included...

6 Governor’s Honors Program

featuring Megan and Maddie Govedich and more...

8

10 Pokemon Go Trending now

12 Softball Spotlights:

featuring Maddison Koepke, Micayla Rood and more

New Varsity Uniforms

22 Volleyball 26 Registering to Vote 28 The 2016 Olympics overview and significant events

Cover Design: Kaitlyn Neher, Ashley Baptiste Pictured in Cover: Edmond Graham Cover Photo Credits: Megan Govedich

20 color guard

30 Paralympic Bound Swimmer: McClain Hermes

27

THEATER

Behind the scenes: Auditions

*The Chronicle is a student publication of Mill Creek High School. It is distributed to students, faculty, staff, and the Mill Creek community. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of individual writers and do not necessarily reflect those of the entire Chronicle Staff or Mill Creek High School, its students, faculty, staff or administration. Content is edited and designed by student editors.

FAST NEWS

Bringing you the latest news including topics relating to Mill Creek High School, the community, national, and even international events, the Mill Creek Chronicle staff strives to bring you in the know of what is current, trending, and happening in today’s society.

The Pulsera Project By: Jordan Dudley

The Spanish Honor Society is participating in “The Pulsera Project,” a national, non-profit service organization which sells and distributes handmade bracelets, called “pulseras” in Spanish. According to ThePulseraProject. org, these colorful accessories “provide sustainable fair trade employment and dramatically expand economic opportunities for over 150 artists in Nicaragua and Guatemala.”

This project aids in funding individuals and informing the people in our own communities. Sra. Michener, a Spanish teacher and SHS sponsor says that, “the project is great for educating, not only those who sell the pulseras, but also for the students who purchase the art, on the different struggles around the world, and it’s an easy way to support these artists because they [pulseras] look pretty!”

PHOTOS: Grace Kesler, Jordan Dudley

Senior Daniela Murcia, the SHS vice president, says “I feel good about being a part of [the pulsera project] because it helps the working class in Guatemala and other Central American countries, and it gives the artists a better lifestyle”.

Another member of the society, Senior Kadie Beth Duncan, says, “The pulsera project is super cool, and it connects our part of the world to an area that we don’t get to culturally experience everyday”.

The pulseras will be sold from September 12th-23rd for $5. Each student in Spanish Honor Society will be given a number of bracelets to personally sell and distribute.

What does it take to get free Breakfast?

Many freshmen do not realize that breakfast is free at Mill Creek. From 6:40 to 7:15 the cafeteria offers complimentary breakfast for all students. This government program pays for one free breakfast oer student per day but if you’re in the mood for seconds you must pay.

Even though the first breakfast is free there is only so much you can get at once. Just like every other meal a student can choose one entrée, with fruit as a side and a choice between juice

By: Maggie Mitchell & Bailey Monroe or white milk to drink. Another option would be cereal as an entrée, cereal bar as a side and a choice of juice or white milk.

Just like lunch all you have to do is punch in your student ID after you pick out what you want, except its free.

“For every day of the week we have a set list of breakfast items to sell,” said cafeteria manager Ms. Baylor. Every morning they sell different items except for the usual white milk, juices and cereal.

Friday Night Food Fight By: Faith Montgomery The Friday Night Food Fight, the joint food drive between Mill Creek and Dacula, was the brain child of Robert Philo, our Student Council Executive President.

“Basically, it is a program that a lot of colleges do. I looked at it, and I said ‘well our schools are basically the size of colleges, so why can’t we carry out this program at our two schools?’ And then, the communities of both schools have gotten behind it and supported it full-fledged,” says Philo.

In order to organize the food drive, Philo, says, “I met with Dacula High School’s student council president and got him to agree to it, and then I met with the people at the food pantry (at

Hamilton Mill UMC) to get their backing for it.” Philo then took the idea to the President’s Club.

“President’s club is where we get all of the clubs together and we work towards a common goal, and this was first big initiative for the club, so it worked tremendously getting all of the clubs behind it,” says Philo.

At the end of the food drive, Mill Creek and Dacula combined collected 45,597 pounds of food, which will feed 1,382 families for 15 weeks. Mill Creek won the Food Fight trophy by collecting 7.9 pounds per student as opposed to Dacula’s 7.7 pounds per student.

PHOTOS: Isaac Lee

5

Governor’s Honors Program By: Allie Bolton

Rigorous, competit ive and the time of a student’s life.

T

he Governor’s Honors Program,

or GHP, is a month-long academic summer camp held yearly at Valdosta State University, but not just anyone can attend, and the odds aren’t in anyone’s favor.

Only Georgia’s 700 most subjectdriven high school students are accepted each year, and by the time we acount for all nominated students in every high school in the state, the odds of being selected are less than 1%.

Teachers nominate students at the start of each year based on the dedication and passion they demonstrated for their subject the year before. No subject is left out; from dance to math to art and foreign language, any student with aptitude can get a shot at joining the camp.

Nominated for their background

and devotion to dance, The Govedich twins, Maddie and Megan (12), participated in the2016 Governor’s Honors Program. Despite their similarity as identical twins, their dance styles are distinctly different.

“I’m a more modern dancer,” Megan shared, “and she’s (Maddie’s) more about the artistry of ballet,” Everyone is chosen for their unique abilities, so twins, and even siblings, are rarely ever chosen to attend together because they are seen as too similar for both to bring something different to the GHP table. The Govedich twins defied the unfavorable odds as they were each deemed unique enough to be chosen. “[My interviewer] asked me what I want to do,” a question

frequently asked to see if the nominee is really dedicated to their subject, “and I told her I wanted to double major in dance and neuroscience.” Maddie went on to explain to the interviewer how she plans to integrate her two loves by studying the neuroscience behind dance and do research into the matter to make dancing more understandable.

Megan, however, feels she earned her place with her dance audition. “The jazz [audition] was definitely one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done.

The teacher taught us this jazz piece that was so fast and so long, but she just kept moving on and adding to the choreography and none of us [the auditionees] were understanding the combos at all.

My group totally forgot it so we

PHOTOS: Courtesy of the Govedich Family and the Spoto Family.

all froze, and I was like ‘well I can’t just not compete’ so I just started improvising… just to fill the music.” Despite not knowing the routine, Megan danced anyway, without fear of failure, something few others accomplished.

Outside of the fine arts, getting into GHP is a very different task. Branton Fletcher (12) was a nominee for Social Studies.

Though it is a core academic study, a display of talent is still involved in getting in. “It’ve been less violent if they had told us to just beat each other to death with the chairs,” Fletcher began, describing his Senate Committee simulation.

“Social Studies majors like to talk, they have things to say. But [at the simulation] they also know, if I don’t talk, I don’t get in… So when in doubt, just say everything and hope… So trying to get words in edgewise is hard, trying to

communicate your entire point before you get cut off is hard… it was pretty rough.” The nominees had to take on the political views of a randomly assigned senator from any one of the 50 states and take that senator’s side on a randomly chosen topic, so nominees had to be not only forceful but knowledgeable.

Once selected, participants attend a variety of yunique, intensive courses on the Valdosta State University campus.

“We (social studies majors) took a field trip to Atlanta and got to talk to four different state senators, and we kind of… we kind of debated with the guys pretty hard,” Fletcher admitted. “We had this one guy who put up all kinds of arguments against one of the Senator’s ideas and it was kind of obvious that the Senator wasn’t quite ready for those questions.

He expected to just go in and talk about policy.”

“I feel like we all just really grew as not only dancers and choreographers, but as people too,” Said Megan Govedich, “You get home and you’re back to a clean slate and you realize, whoa, I do things differently, I look at things differently, I think differently, I communicate differently…”

“I wouldn’t necessarily say that the strings program improved me,” Said Annabelle Spoto (11), a viola major, “but just being at GHP, everybody is so passionate…

I didn’t meet one person there that I didn’t like… after the last big concert, all the musicians were back in the music room and were all crying. It was so sad; everyone was hugging each other. The whole experience was just fantastic.”

7

Mill Creek’s New Look

New, Improved Varsity Sports Teams’ Uniforms By: Abbie Key

Sometimes, it’s the smallest change that makes the biggest difference, and at Mill Creek, change happens all the time. Every 3 years, the uniforms are replaced due to wear and tear. So, this year, the uniforms for some of the sports teams have been redesigned.

PHOTO: Kayla Phillips

Football

When the varsity football team gets their new uniforms, they pass down the former uniforms to the Junior Varsity team. Coach Greg Jarvis said that the main difference for the football jersey is that there are no longer numbers on the sleeves, unlike last year’s version.

“That’s the biggest difference that I’ve noticed . When I hang the jerseys, it’s easier to just look at the sleeve when I’m counting to make sure they’re all there.

Now, I have to actually look at the entire jersey.” Coach Jarvis went on to say, “I think they look good . They’re really nice looking uniforms.”

Changing the design of the uniforms wasn’t the only difference, the material changed too.

“They’re stretchier, so it makes it easier to move and make blocks. You’re not as restricted as the old Nike ones,” says offensive lineman Nick Campbell.

“I like the uniform. I think it’s very nice, and I hope it looks good on television.” said Tyler Fannin, our starting center for the varsity football team, and member of the Leadership Council, who helped design the uniform.

Softball

PHOTOS: Nate Sakib

The varsity softball team’s jersey may not look any different, but they feel better for the player. “They’re comfortable, really light and airy, and they look really good ,” said Micayla Rood, a senior outfielder. Compared to old softball uniforms, the Varsity team now wears Nike, which tends to be more fit, as opposed to the former Under Armour uniforms. “I feel like the old uniforms were heavier than this year’s,” says Hannah Adams, a senior shortstop.

Volleyball

In addition to the football team, the varsity volleyball team also got a new look. The team has brand new black jerseys - something that hasn’t been done in all of the program’s history.

These new uniforms were designed by the varsity team members, and their goal was to “try something different.” Outside hitter, junior, Rachel Machovec said, “Coach Williamson brought up the old football jersey d esigns, and the team found a cool feature in ord er to have writing on the lower sleeves. The whole id ea was to do something new, and it looks good!”

9

Pokemon Go Gotta Catch By: Madeleine Moody

‘Em All

O

PHOTOS: Madeleine Moody

ver the summer the mobile device game Pokémon Go became a global phenomenon, with more than 10 million downloads in the first week of it’s release.

Pokémon GO was released in the United States on July 6, 2016. Since then Pokémon GO has reached just over 20 million

active users in the United States alone, with a few being students in our own school. According to a survey given to Mill Creek students, roughly 32% say they have the game.

For the people that do not play Pokémon Go, the idea is to try and catch as many Pokémon as possible and fill up your Pokedex. The game has a GPS locator that senses where you are and there are Pokémon to catch around you, but you have to find them.

There are a total of 151 Pokémon to catch and each Pokémon you catch is worth a certain number of HP (high points) and CP (combat power) meaning how well the Pokémon will perform in battle. The more Pokémon you catch the higher level you are.

Once you reach level five you have the opportunity to pick your team. Within the game there are three teams to choose from, this will be the team that you identify as you continue in

the game as a team member. The three teams are: Valor, Mystic, and Instinct.

Many students spent the majority of July exploring Gwinnett trying to catch these Pokémon. Students found many Pokémon in Mulberry Park and the Mall of Georgia. The Gwinnett county library also has many Pokémon around; they even have a sign in the front wanting to know what Pokémon people catch.

Students have even said they have caught Pokémon in Mill Creek including a Pikachu.

Sophomore Christian Sanchez, says “I like the exercise that I get from playing the game most.” many students say that they feel that they have been more active since downloading the game.

Junior Poet Lambert says she also feels like she has been more active since beginning the game. This Pokémon Go craze has stirred up a world of exercise as well as injuries and arguments but all in all the game seems to be a hit.

11

Lady Hawks By: Madeleine Moody and Michelle Ortiz

Maddison Koepke 10 2nd Baseman/ Shortstop

“Hard work and practice have helped me become good enough to be on varsity as a sophomore, also my sister motivates me because she plays college ball and I always strive to be like her.”

Micayla Rood 12 Outfielder

“I’m competitive and I like the competition that is why I continue to play”

ALL PHOTOS: Alyssa Gibson

Wynter Webb 12 3rd Baseman

Makenna Mellott 12 Outfielder

“Having an amazing coaching staff and a lot of friends on the team keeps me wanting to play each year”

“The competition, friendships and just being able to play the sport you love with your best friends makes me keep playing.”

13

Cross Country A Run that keeps on going

C

ross country runners don’t stop running. Year round, the boys’ cross country team racks up mileage to stay in shape for the season. Whether it be on the recently refinished trails that venture throughout the woods behind the school and all the way to Duncan Creek, or on a world-class track at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, the team never ceases to improve.

This summer was certainly an eventful one for the boys’ cross country team, including the construction on the aforementioned course that stretches 1.5 miles into the depths of school grounds and returns in a quiet section of wooded area near the Osborne Middle School parking lot.

Construction began in early March and ended near the end of June. One large aspect of having a course on

By: Will Sowders

campus is the safety. “It gives us an option to run more trails here; add some extra mileage on without having to run on the road,” said Junior Brian Ricks.

We’ve all seen the herd of runners in short shorts striding through the gravel lot on a campus run or racing past the Chevron across the street from the fire station. There’s not much room out there for a whole cross country team and six lanes of traffic. With the course on school grounds and more closely resembling an actual cross country trail, it increases the level of safety at which the runners do their thing.

Although the girls’ team begins the season as reigning state champions, the boys’ team hasn’t started in such a high position. The team enters the year at number eight in the 7A division. Although this

isn’t the best place to be, Delaney Moore believes that “[they] can make a high quality season out of low quality rankings.”

Over the summer, members of the cross country team had the chance to travel to Eugene, Oregon to watch the Olympic Trials take place. The Olympic Trials that decide who represents America at the Olympics were held there at Hayward Field, UO’s track and field complex and one of the most wellknown places in the running world, and not only did the select few who went on the trip get to look at it,

PHOTOS: Will Sowders, Sean Floyd

they got to run on it too, along with coaches from the team. Being able to run on the same track that carried legends such as Michael Johnson and Steve Prefontaine, both of which have tracks and annual races named after them, was quite the experience for the team, as told by those who were there. The Olympic Trials, whose results were seen just a little while ago in Rio de Janeiro, included professional runners from all over the United States to compete for a place on Team USA and a chance to compete for a gold medal. The best part of the trip, according to Jordan

Chambliss was “getting to see all the pros I look up to” such as Matthew Centrowitz, Jr. who earned Gold in the Men’s 1500m and Emma Coburn who earned Bronze in the 3000m Steeplechase or “3k Steeple” as Moore put it, setting a new American record. Members of the team even had lunch with Jenny Simpson, the first ever American woman to medal in the Women’s 1500m, which the three runners described as “ridiculous.”

Overall, cross country is a new team.

A new program. A new chance to make the most of the 3.1 miles that

the runners get to prove who they are and what they can do. “It’s really leading by example,” said Moore, who is one of the captains for this season, along with Eric O’Hara, Josh Hall, and Jack Burkett, “It’s always doing the right thing and giving your all.” The team believes that being in a position that is not the best is a good oppurtunity to prove a lot of people wrong and show a lot of people what kind of talent there is on the team.

15

Varsity Football By: Will Sowders

A

tradition here at Mill Creek has once again come to the front of everyone’s mind. It’s football season, and as the year kicks off so do the players on Georgia’s #1 ranked high school football team.

The August 20 Corky Kell game against Colquitt County in the Georgia Dome was an “exciting” experience according to Edmond Graham, the senior starting wide receiver. This was not a new atmosphere for Graham, who caught a 41-yard touchdown pass in the last quarter that ultimately set the win for Mill Creek, nor was it an unsuccessful one.

The Hawks outscored the Colquitt County Packers 34-27, snapping the Packers’ 30 game win streak and taking revenge for last year’s loss in the state semifinals.

This season, the team has one goal, to “win games”, and Ayoola Ogun-Semore, the Senior defensive end, believes that the best way to do that is to have “the passion, the hunger, and the drive” for football. “It’s a way of life” says Jonathan Gipson, a Junior cornerback who already has an offer from Auburn, the 2013 BCS National Champions. For Mill Creek football, there is no other way of life.

36 88

Jona Gipson Cornerback

Height: 6’1” Weight: 185 lbs 40 Yd: 4.67

Ayoola Ogun-Semore Defensive End Height: 6’5” Weight: 240 lbs 40 Yd: 4.69

PHOTOS: Grace Kesler

6

Jamar Hall Free Safety

Height: 6’2” Weight: 195 lbs 40 Yd: 4.50

3

Edmond Graham

Slotback, Wide Receiver Height: 5’10” Weight: 165 lbs 40 Yd: 4.32

Weekly Breakdown

PHOTOS: Isaac Lee

Sunday, Film Day

The players meet to spend about an hour and 30 minutes watching the film of their previous game. Specifically, they watch for how they performed certain techniques and what they could have done better.

Monday, Strategy

The players watch videos of the next team they will be playing against in order to get to know their strategies.

The JV players then act as the opposing team by performing their strategies so the Varsity team can practice outmaneuvering them. All this is done in “slow motion.”

Tuesday, Pads On Tuesday is like Monday with the intensity upped just a notch. Pads are worn, and the plays are sped up. The guys fine tune their skills and smooth over any flaws in their execution.

Wednesday, Adding Layers Special teams are added into the mix.

Now is the time for all the layers to be put together and the entire team now functions as a whole.

Thursday, 75% Polishing day. Everyone plays at 3/4 speed and uses this last day to work out anything that could hinder the Hawks on game day.

Friday, Game Day 6:45 Study Hall

Players arrive at the school around 6:45 prior to the start of class to get a jump start on the day by studying for classes and getting in the right mindset to begin their game day.

2:30 Power Nap

After school on home game days, the team walks down to the field house and then rest in the locker roomssome even take hour naps. This time is devoted to the players preserving their energy for the night ahead.

4:00 Team Meal

At 4:00, the players share a protein- filled meal to give them a boost of energy before their pre-game warmups.

“The meals sometimes consist of chicken and rice from Buffalo’s Cafe,” said senior Ayoola Ogun-Semore.

6:00 Motivation

An hour and a half before game time, all the players gather together and receive a motivational speech from the coaches. The energy really picks up here as the players then go outside to the field and begin pregame warmups.

7:00 Walk the Field 7:30 Kick-off

Pre-game warmups and team rituals Game Time

17

PHOTO: Megan Govedich

Friday night Lights

PHOTO: Cassidy Hettesheimer

It’s that time of year again; the leaves are changing, the weather is cooling off, and of course, football is back. Creek’s Freek’s crowd the student section of Markham Field each Friday night at 7:30 to watch the Hawks kickoff. The Hawks started the season by beating Colquitt County, breaking their 30 game winning streak that ironically started with Mill Creek in 2013.

PHOTO: Isaac Lee

Lose Yourself

PHOTO: Isaac Lee PHOTO: Isaac Lee PHOTO: Megan Govedich

PHOTO: Megan Govedich

PHOTO: Cassidy Hettesheimer PHOTO: Kayla Phillips

Pride of Mill Creek

By: Christopher Kline

After a top-twelve finish in the Bands of America Super Regional in 2014, members of the Pride of Mill Creek were less than satisfied with their 22nd place finish in the 2015 competition. The focus for the 2016 season is to substantially increase the level of performance in virtually every aspect of the show.

The band’s 2016 show, “Newtonian,” focuses on a number of physical phenomenons that epitomize Isaac Newton’s accomplishments and the general field of physics.

Every aspect of the show reflects the theme. The color guard has vibrant uniforms that depict the individual colors of light when diversified through a prism, The music and drill patterns focus around the scientifica phenomena and how they mesh into the overarching theme of Newton’s life and work.

After last year’s poor finish, Putting together such a technically precise show and working on changes in the band’s overall performance style has been a stressful experience.

“Last year really taught everyone that as a band we are only as good as how much effort we put forward,” said Andrew

A line of low brass marches forward at the beginning of their feature during a band camp rehearsal. PHOTO: Nora Neff

Wallace, senior member and mellophone section leader.

The group has hired several new caption heads and staff members to aid in maximizing the individual and ensemble performance of the group, including visual director Carlos Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, who last worked

A block of high brass and woodwinds march during the Corky Kell in the Georgia Dome.

PHOTO: Jykia Coleman

with McEachern High School, isin charge of increasing the visual accomplishments of the group through more precise drill coordination and individual technique improvements.

The additions of a wider range of staff help and a newfound emphasis on personal performance level from the

Front drum majors Jacob Hurd, Kevin Shay and Tony Ngo ( left to right) conduct during a band camp rehearsal. PHOTO: Nora Neff

director’s standpoint has led to an entirely new set of aspirations from the band as a whole.

“I believe bringing in more and more staff helps to focus the band more and more onto the individual,” said Wallace. “[Bringing in new staff] allows for everyone to aim to be the best they possibly can, which allows the directors to focus us more on the grand scale.”

More practices have been held, with an extra hour each Monday night, along with hours of practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The group’s first 3-9 practice occurred on Friday, August 19th as well, as they prepared for their first performance of the season during the football team’s Corky Kell matchup with Colquitt County in the Georgia Dome.

Great emphasis on individual musical performance has been stressed in sectionals, especially from the brass’ perspective, while the overall marching aptitude of the band as a whole has been a central focus to an even greater

Spotlight on

Jodi Dills The drumline rehearses by the flagpole during band camp over the summer.

PHOTO: Nora Neff

extent than it has been in the past.

The head football coach, Shannon Jarvis, spoke to the band the night before the Corky Kell performance, where he referenced the POMC winning legacy: “Are you going to be the pride, are you going to hold up to the legacy that’s already in place with the excellence that has happened in [the band room] before, or are you going to go through the motions?” said Jarvis.

Jarvis’ speech focused on the band’s need to have the proper preparation, attitude and confidence heading into each performance; something he says he stresses to the football team on a daily basis. He praised the band’s work ethic and impact on the football program as a whole throughout the speech, noting how the band’s pregame concert at the first football game in 2015 was his best memory of Mill Creek’s near-undefeated campaign..

Freshman clarinet player Gabe Van Musschenbroek later echoed those sentiments, stating his goal was “to be the best band possible both in and out of competition, both in practice and performance. Competition and during games.”

The POMC has its first competition on September 17th at Bands of America’s Powder Springs Regional at McEachern High School, one of three BOA competitions they will compete in over the course of the season. The band plans to perform the first two movements of the show at the competition.

PHOTO: Isaac Lee

By: Bailey Monroe

Junior Jodi Dills is a key part of the 2016-2017 Mill Creek Color Guard.

Dills has been in Color Guard every year of high school and also 7th and 8th grades. Her two older sisters also did Color Guard and actually introduced Dills to it. For this year’s show, she will be participating in the weapons line. Dills enjoys the difficult choreography and split parts as it makes the show more interesting to watch. However, her favorite part of the football games is dancing and goofing off with her friends while she’s in the stands. “I love it because you create a family bond between all of the members,” said Dills.

21

To the Net and Beyond...

By: Jordan Dudley

Volleyball season has just begun, and the girls are ready to win! The varsity sport plays their games on every Tuesday and Thursday during the fall season, with each evening consisting of two to three matches per night.

Players practice each day after school, and use this time to sharpen their skills for gameplay. For the past two seasons, the varsity team has not made it to the playoffs, but the 2016 team intends to change the pattern.

With nine returning players and plenty of motivation, these girls plan to go far in this season and create a new wave for the program.

This year’s team features a first- ever allupperclassmen roster, which as Head Coach Williamson says, “brings more leadership to the team. I like the fact that we don’t have younger girls on the team and the girls were able to gel [connect] a little bit more because they are closer in age.”

The team keeps racking up the advantages with other changes to the program, such as: Spring tryouts to enable team camp at Clemson and official team practices over the summer; as well as Big Sis/ Lil’ Sis partnering to establish team bonds on every level of the program. The littlest sisters - the freshmen - are excited for this season!

The “Bomb Squad,” named for the way the hitters “drop bombs on the other teams”,

said Morgan Iverson, is full of energy on and off of the court. The name actually derived from a rap battle that took place last season on the bus on the way to the Darlington County Tournament with several players versus Coach Williamson.

Bus rides are probably the most fun part of the night - after the actual games, of course.

The team has several sideline chants that reinforce the “Bomb Squad” mentality into the spirit of the team. Chloe Freeman, one of the three senior varsity captains, talks about the team spirit as, “really uplifting and it really brings a sense of sportsmanship to the team. We’re never rude to the other teams and it’s really entertaining for the crowd.”

Freeman and one of the other captains, Ariane Terry, have high hopes for their last season at Mill Creek. Terry says with this being her last year, she plans to “really take senior year all the way and feel confident in the four years that I’ve spent on varsity for Mill Creek, knowing that it really made an impact. ” This Mill Creek sport has a lot going for them this this year. With plans to go to the playoffs and leave every tournament with a victory, the “Bomb Squad” is determined to make this a great season. The team’s motto, “flip a switch”, is said before each match as a motivator to turn up the intensity and focus on the task at hand - win, and that’s what Mill Creek volleyball plans to do.

23

The First Six By: Jordan Dudley

PHOTOS: Nate Sakib

The advantages of serving harder and faster is that it gets the other team out of system and increases our ace percentage overall. Coach Williamson has made it his mission to encourage the varsity volleyball team to serve more aggressively.

The setters have one of the most difficult jobs on a volleyball team.

These girls are the ones who control the pace of the game and make it so that the hitters can get that big hit.

Emily Walter

Passing and digging the ball up is vital to a volleyball game and one of the most fundamental skills of the sport. The liberos, the defensive specialists on the court, wear a different color than the other team members because the libero has no limit to the number of substitutions she can make.

Mill Creek’s 2016 team takes great pride in blocking. Blockers stop the ball from passing over the net by jumping up and making contact with the ball that the opposing team has hit.

Rachel Macchovec

Laurel Anderson

Adair Werley

Ariane Terry

Rebekah Machovec 25

Behin d t he Scenes Theater Auditions By: Vanessa Medina

Since returning to school

theater students have been preparing for their play in December. A Christmas Carol is set to be played December 2nd, 3rd, 9th, and 10th.

Auditions started August 9th, the second day of school.

Theater students spend class time auditioning for the roles they hope for. It is mandatory that theater students audition for all the parts they can.

The audition process is simple. Mrs. Alexander hands you a cold read, tells you a page number, and you read your lines in front of the whole class.

Although this may seem daunting to some people it’s no big deal to the drama kids.

“Auditions are stressful coming back from summer but it’s not hard at all. I’m auditioning for everything I can,” said Ella Simm (10) .

But A Christmas Carol isn’t the only cause for auditions.

Many theater students are also auditioning for a spot on the Mill Creek One Act competition. Students will audition and if they do well they will be called for callbacks in which they will audition again. Then students will be selected for the team. A team is established every year.

The team will represent Mill Creek as it competes against other schools, placing second last year with just a few suggestions for improvement from the three judges on the panel. “It’s really fun for the theater programs to come together,” said Sam Augustin on last year’s performance.

The One Act team is made up of mostly upperclassmen, although one sophomore did get a call back. “The whole cast is made up of juniors and seniors. I was totally honored to get a call back.” Said Regan Kulig (10).

Each team performs a mini play. This year’s play is called “Radio TBS.” It centers around a trailer park in the Florida countryside. This comedy is filled with small town drama and a whole set of hilarious characters. Including Luna Del Mar who runs Luna Del Mar News and Imogene, otherwise known as “the trailer park slut.” The play is sure to be a good one. “I really like Radio TBS because it’s a more laidback style of comedy. It’s something we haven’t done before,” Leah Merrit (12).

See a special performance of the show at Friends and Family night October 20 at 7pm in the theater.

27

2016 Summer Olympic Games Team USA Dominates Rio

By Collins Sainovich

In late July and early August, 558 total American athletes, 2 6 4 m e n a n d 2 9 4 w o m e n , f l e w d o w n t o R i o t o c o m p e t e i n t h e 31st Summer Olympics. The US team beat all of the other countries in the medal count.

The team had many standout athletes such as gymnast Simone Biles, veteran swimmers Katie Ledecky and Michael Phleps, and decathalon participant Ashton Eaton.

2016 Medal Standings Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total 1

United States

46

37

38

121

2

3

China

26

18

26

70

Great Britain

27

23

17

67

Russia

19

18

19

56

Germany

17

10

15

42

4 5

Team USA won a total of 46 gold medals in Rio, 19 more than the second most from Great Britain (27). Along with 46 golds, there were 37 silver medals and 38 bronze medals. The total medal count was 121 medals, beating out China for the most medals by 51.

Photo: Dvrlists.com

Simone Biles

Gymnast stole the stage of the 2016 Rio Olympics with an Olympic record-tying four gold medals for women gymnasts and an American record-tying 5 total medals for women gymnasts. Biles’ small, 4 foot 9 stature aided her in winning the gold in the Women’s Team All Around, Women’s Individual All Around, Women’s Vault, and Women’s Floor Exercise.

Photo: Fansided.com

Five-time Olympian

Michael Phelps

continued his Olympic excellency by winning five additional gold medals, bringing his total tally to 23 Olympic gold medals in his entire career.

Photo: Fansided.com

Katie Ledecky

29

Swimmer won four gold medals in Rio and one silver medal.

Her golds were in the 200 Meter Freestyle, 800 Meter Freestyle, 400 Meter Freestyle. and 4x200 Meter Freestyle Relay. Her silver was in the 4x100 Meter Freestyle Relay.

Ledecky broke her own world records in the 400 and 800 Meter Freestyles. Ledecky was so dominant in her races that at one point in the 800 Meter Freestyle, she was the only swimmer in the TV frame.

Photo: Sportsworldnews. com

Ashton Eaton

American won the Decathlon for the second Olympics in a row, becoming just the third athlete to successfully defend his “World’s Greatest Athlete” title. To do this, Eaton had to compete in 10 different track and field events over the course of two grueling days. Points are awarded based on the athlete’s performance in each event, and at the end of the second day they are added up to determine the winner.

Photo: Getty Images

29

Hawk With A Story

Paralympic bound swimmer McClain Hermes By: Collins Sainovich

McClain Hermes, 15, from Dacula, will be competing in the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games. Hermes is a swimmer who is near- blind in one eye and fully blind in the other, yet has not let her disability keep her out of the pool.

Hermes, a student at the Gwinnett Online Campus, will be the youngest team member of the 2016 US Paralympic Team.

She has ambitious goals, though, for her three events: the 100 Meter Backstroke, 100 Meter Breaststroke, and 400 Meter Freestyle.

“One of my major goals for Rio is to final in my last event, the 100 backstroke.”

Hermes states.

She dominated her events at Paralympic Trials, placing first in the

Swimming “I don’t know what I would do if I could not swim. It is my happy place.”

-McClain Hermes

100 Meter Breaststroke, 400 Meter Freestyle, and 50 Meter Freestyle in the S12 Paralympic Class. Hermes also posted a Paralympic Qualifying time in the 100 Meter Backstroke with a four second drop from her seed time, going a 1:21.88.

“I want to learn as much as I can from this experience to help me in future meets and competitions,” Hermes exclaims.

“I am so honored to represent my country.

Team USA did so well at the Olympics, and we are ready to take it from here and continue the legacy and success in Rio!”

Watch the Paralympics on NBC starting September 8th and ending September 17th.