Vol 9 issue 5

Vol. 9 Vol. Issue91 Issue #5

Mill Creek

CHRONICLE January/February 2017

Hawk With A Story

Andrew Bitner WRESTLING

Top Makeup Picks of 2016

Senioritis

Trump’s Cabinet

Josh McKay - Head Instructor The Test Experts, LLC 404-941-5674 (main) 404-597-0857 (cell) www.thetestexperts.com https://www.facebook.com/TheTestExperts/

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ACT

SAT AP STATISTICS AP CALCULUS MATH

AP PHYSICS SCIENCE

Swimming

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Trump’s Cabinet

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 Cover Design: Kaitlyn Neher, Ashley Baptiste Pictured in Cover: Andrew Bitner Cover Photo Credits: Courtesy of Andrew Bitner Photo Credits left to right: Courtesy of Owen Pendley, Creative Commons, Michelle Ortiz, Magic Moment Photography, Courtesy of Andrew Bitner, Ashley Baptiste Picture Left: Cassidy Hettesheimer

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Staying Active During the Winter

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Wrestling

Other stories included...

4 Fast News 10 AP Classes and Dual Enrollment 12 Fine Arts Winter Performances

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Hawk with A Story Gymnast Andrew Bitner

24 Senioritis 25 Lettering and Cords

Corrections from Issue 4: We apologize for the lack of photo credits to Mr. Joe Jenifer and Allie Bolton on page 15.

We correct the photo credits to Molly Hazelrigs on page 11, Tylar Matthews on page 19 and to Creative Commons for the lack of photo credits on pages 27 and 28.

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Best of Beauty 2017

*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.

Deadly Storms in South Georgia By: Will Sowders

In total, 20 people were killed in Georgia as a result of storms the weekend of January 21. In Dougherty County, GA, four people were killed and a two-year-old toddler is still missing due to tornadoes in the area.

Governor Nathan Deal spread a state of emergency to 16 counties. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency is still assessing the damage across the 16 counties caused by the storm. Officials have requested that President Donald Trump send aid to those in need after the storm. So far no help has arrived to Georgia.

PHOTO: Creative Commons

Women’s March Thousands, if not millions, of people gathered all over the world on Jan. 21st to march for women's and civil rights. John Lewis, civil rights leader, representative from Georgia’s fifth district, and friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the Atlanta march from the Center for Civil and Human Rights to the capitol building. Approximately 60,000 people attended the rally and march, despite the torrential downpour that ensued, according to Atlanta police. Important figures at the rally included not only Representative John Lewis, but also Gerald Griggs of the Atlanta NAACP chapter, and Jason Carter, former senator and grandson of former President Jimmy Carter.

PHOTO: Abby DiMassimo

By: Will Sowders

Mill Creek Survey Predicts Winners Grammy Nominees PHOTOS: Creative Commons

Record of the Year :

PHOTO: Creative Commons

Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots

Song of the Year : By: Faith Montgomery

This year’s Grammy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 12th at 8 p.m. on CBS. The host will be James Corden, the host of The Late Late Show and the chauffeur in the popular Carpool Karaoke segments.

Joining Corden at the show will be John Legend, Metallica, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Adele, and Bruno Mars, who will all be performing their top hits.

Love Yourself

by Justin Bieber

Album of the Year : Views by Drake

Best new Artist : The Chainsmokers

PHOTO: Creative Commons

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ALL PHOTOS IN THIS PIECE: Courtesy Creative Commons

Trump’s Cabinet By: Chris Kline

Inside the Cabinet

President Donald J. Trump’s cabinet appointees have continued to roll out, with each appointment undergoing confirmation in the weeks leading into inauguration. Trump will also be tasked with appointing a supreme court justice, as President Barack Obama’s appointee, Merrick Garland, did not receive the necessary hearings from the Republican-led senate.

The president is tasked with appointing the entirety of their cabinet upon their arrival in office, with 15 different federal departments in need of heads. Additionally, there are several cabinet-level advisors and executive leaders, such as the U.N. Ambassador, that must be appointed.

Thus far, Trump’s proposed cabinet picks have been wide-ranging. He has floated several campaign loyalists, as well as business insiders and former critics from within the Republican mainstream.

As stated by John Wagner and Sean Sullivan of the Washington Post, Trump’s cabinet is shaping up as a much more “orthodox” assembly than many expected. They also said that several of the picks are “tailormade to encourage cooperation between the administration and GOP leaders on Capitol Hill.”

There are a number of clear cut connections between the GOP establishment and Trump’s cabinet, most notably in his secretary of treasury, Elaine Chao. Chao was the labor secretary under President George W. Bush, and is currently the wife of Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky.

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There are, however, a handful of outsiders who Trump has tabbed to head a government agency, with Rex Tillerson’s appointment as Secretary of State being the most notable. In

what was largely considered a two-way race between former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Trump made the decision to dub Tillerson, the CEO of Exxon Mobil, as the state department’s head. He will now serve as the United State’s chief diplomat.

Neither McConnell nor Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan offered powerful endorsements of Trump during the campaign, but both did vote for him on election day. After selecting not to speak about Trump for the majority of the campaign, McConnell did encourage voters at a Kentucky event to support Trump on November 2nd, according to Politico.

“We need a new president, Donald Trump, to be the most powerful Republican in America,” said McConnell. “If America votes like Kentucky, we’ll be fine.”

With Trump now elected, both McConnell and Ryan have been in constant communication with Trump. Ryan stated that he speaks with Trump 20-45 minutes “all the time” on an interview on 60 Minutes, even adding that Trump “answers his cell phone.”

The inauguration date is set at January 20th, where Trump will take the oath of office and experience the quadrennial ceremony that marks the beginning of each four year term.

One slight wrinkle that differs from the norm is the announcer, as Trump dropped Charlie Brotman, who has announced every inauguration since Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957. Trump instead replaced Brotman with Steven Ray, a freelance announcer in the D.C. area and a noted Trump supporter.

Member Profiles

Sec. of State- Rex Tillerson, Exxon Mobil CEO

Tillerson is the CEO of Exxon Mobil, a gasoline company with oil reserves across the planet. There are concerns looming over Tillerson’s connections to Russia. He signed an Arctic drilling contract with the Russian government for approximately $300 billion, while John Hamre, president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that Tillerson “has had more interactive time with Vladimir Putin than probably any other American, with the exception of Dr. Henry Kissinger.” With that said, Trump and Tillerson are both heads of multinational companies, and hit it off immediately according to a Trump official, said Politico.

“Strong guy… As soon as he met him, he told people that Tillerson is the kind of guy that walks in a room and commands respect. Liked Romney. Liked Rudy. But Tillerson was a stronger guy. He liked his strength.”

Sec. of Health and Human ServicesRep. Tom Price, R-GA

Price, a representative from Georgia, has been long opposed to Obamacare and the regulations it poses on consumers. He was a private orthopedic surgeon circa 20 years prior to his exposure to government, and is currently the chair of the House Budget Committee.

Sec. of Defense- Gen. James Mattis, Marine General As a retired 4-star marine general, Mattis is a slight break from past protocol. While, typically, a civilian is tapped to lead the nation’s army, Mattis’ status will require a waiver to be passed by congress. He does, however, bring lengthy experience in military operations, and “literally wrote the book” on counterinsurgency leading up to Iraq according to Eli Watkins of CNN.

Sec. of Housing and Urban DevelopmentDr. Ben Carson, Fmr. Neurosurgeon A retired neurosurgeon, Carson has no political experience prior to a presidential bid this fall -- one that eventually fell short. He took on the role as head of “My Faith Votes” in lieu of his campaign’s resignation, a group that encourages Christian groups to exercise their voting rights. He previously declined to take a role in the Trump campaign, rumored to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services, due to his lack of political experience.

Other Nominations for

1 2 3 4

Cabinet Posts

Attorney General Senator Jeff Sessions, Republican Alabama Sec. of Education Betsy DeVos, Fmr. Chairwoman of Michigan Republican Party Sec. of Energy Gov. Rick Perry, Fmr. Governor, Republican Texas Ambassador to the U.N. Gov. Nikki Haley Republican South Carolina

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ALL PHOTOS: Creative Commons

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Grayson Tech And Maxwell

By: Abbie Key

Grayson Tech offers 11 career pathway programs to explore. These include: Audio Engineering, Commercial Photography, Culinary Arts, Digital Media, IT Networking, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, Music Technology, Robotics Engineering, Sports Medicine, TV and Video Production, and Veterinary Science. In each program, the students can earn a total of 4 credits and at least one academic credit. In order to apply for the Grayson Technical Education Program during winter registration, students are required to have successfully completed eight units of credit. The application will be out on January 9th.

“I would do the dual enrollment because you get college credit.

The classes I’m in, you get 12 credits, which is almost a full semester. I would recommend it because it has way more than just the nursing.

They have automotive and culinary too. Its cool; we have a lot of fun there. For me personally, it’s a lot of work. We also learn new things everyday.” -Mackenzie Smith, Maxwell Nursing Student

“I really enjoy the class because I can walk into any house and know the different parts of it. It’s really insightful.

I recommend taking classes at Maxwell” -Andrew Sullivan, Maxwell Construction Student

Another opportunity to earn credits is at Maxwell High School Of Technology. Programs that are offered at Maxwell are: Architectural drawing and design, Collision Repair, Construction, Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, Electronics, Fire and Emergency Services (Firefighting), Flight Operations,Graphic Design, HVACR (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration), Law Enforcement Services, Maintenance and Light Repair (Automotive Services), Metals (Welding), Personal Care Services (Cosmetology), Programing (Apps and Game Design), and Therapeutic Services (Health Care).

Open house at Mill Creek is February 2nd 5:00-7:00pm. The application online is out on January 9th and after. The Maxwell high school recruitment for Mill Creek is on January 17th 2017. Junior, Andrew Sullivan, goes to Maxwell and is takes full time construction classes to be a carpenter, his dream job.

Move on When Ready Dual Enrollment

Dual enrollment is open to all high schoolers who are able to provide their own transportation from Mill Creek to the college they are dual enrolled with.

Still, eligibility for who can be enrolled in the courses is ultimately up to the individual college. There are many colleges to choose from, but some of the closest include: the University of North Georgia Gainesville, Georgia Gwinnett College, Gwinnett Tech, Lanier Tech, Truett-McConnell, and Georgia State University. In this program, students are able to earn high school and college credit while taking college courses. However, not every college accepts the dual enrollment credit; therefore, it is best to check the website of the college you plan on attending to see if the credit is taken.

Additionally, the courses must be equivalent to high school courses. To see which courses can be taken, go to www.gadoe.org to see what courses are eligible.

“The new Move On When Ready program now covers tuition, mandatory fees and required textbooks.

By: Faith Montgomery The postsecondary institution cannot charge the student any additional tuition or mandatory fee costs for approved MOWR courses. The postsecondary institution must provide the required textbooks for the approved MOWR courses,” the Georgia Student Finance Commission writes. Therefore, the majority of the program is payed for, meaning college courses are being offered practically for free.

The application for Move on When Ready Dual Enrollment can be found at GaFutures.org, and more information, such as the other colleges that students can attend, can be found on the MCHS website under the directory tab, then counseling department, then the Move on When Ready (Dual Enrollment) link. In order to get a better understanding on how the Move on When Ready Program or Dual Enrollment would work for you, make an appointment with your counselor for more individualized information.

AP Class Reviews Physics “I would most definitely recommend AP Physics instead of honors because I definitely needed the extra points. This class was difficult and took a lot of time getting used to, but the work is not too rigorous, and it is also a bonus because it gives you extra credit on tests. Labs were my favorite because they were easy A’s.

Other than that, just try to make some friends in the class for a good lab group and make a group chat of all the physics students so that you can all watch each other’s backs.” -Sam Rahinsky, 10

Chemistry “It’s a lot of conceptual knowledge, and it’s hard because it’s really conceptual based and time consuming, but I like it. If you like science, then I would recommend AP Chem.”

-Ariana Nations, 10

World History

“It’s challenging, so stay up with your homework, and read the book especially. I would recommend that you take the class, but just know that it is very challenging.”

-Rushna Momin, 10

Spanish “It’s been challenging, but I’m glad that I’m taking it as it pushes me to speak and write more as well as at a higher level of Spanish. If you want to further your learning in Spanish, definitely take AP.” -Rebekah Brown, 11

Statistics “It’s decent; I like it quite a lot. It’s enjoyable. I like the people in my class. It’s very easy; it’s a lot of calculator work, and you have to memorize some stuff, but other than that, it’s really simple. I think it’s an easy A, so I would recommend it.”

-Megan Nicius, 10

US History

“The work is intensive, yet rewarding. Just keep up with the work, and keep track of due dates.

I would recommend this class to students who are truly intent on improving their literary ability, which is an important life skill.”

-Daniel Cruz, 11

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PHOTOS: Maggie Mitchell, Bailey Monroe

By: Bailey Monroe and Maggie Mitchell

Fine Arts Winter Concerts

The winter season is a traditional time for Fine Arts groups to have performances.

The Chorus performed their Winter Concert on December 12th , and the band had their Winter Concert on December 13th.

Chorus

“I liked be able to get in the Christmas spirit with wearing the sweaters and all the decorations on the stage” said Alec Hernandez.

The stage was decorated with Christmas trees on the sides and red bows in the background.

“We have been preparing since our last fall concert,” said Corrinna Harris. Harris is a sophomore who's in the Advanced Women Choir. Once they find the music they’re going to sing they start practicing. “We take about half a week or a week to find the music were going to sing and take test,” said Harris.

“There are many different levels of choirs and many different classes,” said Harris. There is Mastery, an all men class, all girls freshman class, and an Advanced Women Choir. “The more advanced singers are in Mastery,” said Harris.

“We had very little time to practice with the percussion,” said Harris. In the process of preparing for this concert Harris’s choir had the most trouble with the percussion. They only had a couple chances to practice with them and the song that went with the percussion was a harder piece of music.

“Everyone did great, and the percussion did an amazing job too!” said Harris.

Band

When the band went on stage they wore Christmas-themed sweaters and be festive. It was different than wearing the usual black dress and tuxedos to the concert. They also had a Christmas tree set up and red and green lights on the stage.

“I liked be able to get in the Christmas spirit with wearing the sweaters and all the decorations on the stage,” said Alec Hernandez. They played many different Christmas songs for each class. The concert had other levels of band playing because only some of the classes were in the concert.

“My favorite part was the noisy wheels of joy as we got to play loud and play with difficult articulation” said Jacob Abreu.

The music that they played was extremely difficult at the concert depending on the classes they took.

“The music was very difficult because we are preparing for an important concert later in January” said Alec Hernandez

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HAWK WITH A STORY

There is no shortage of excellence at Mill Creek, and gymnast and senior Andrew Bitner is certainly no exception.

Beginning his gymnastics career at the age of four, Bitner has since competed in the Junior Pan American Games in Sucre, Bolivia, and undergone surgery on his shoulder, from which he continues to recover, as well as taken part in countless competitions.

Sucre, Bolivia hosted the Junior Pan American Games for the first time ever last September, welcoming teams from 15 different countries across the Americas.

Some of the top five teams include the US, Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, and Colombia, according to International Gymnast Magazine.

The US team came home with a

Going For the Gold Andrew Bitner By: Will Sowders ALL PHOTOS: Courtesy of Andrew Bitner

gold medal, and Bitner himself placed “third in all-around, first in rings, and second in pommel horse. We took home 11 medals,” said Bitner, “more than any other country there.”

Because gymnastics is the primary focus in his life, Bitner has a unique class schedule. “I do most of my school on the computer, and the classes I do at school have teachers that work with me,” he said.

Practicing four hours a day for five days a week, Bitner is constantly enveloped in the world of gymnastics. So much so that he was required to have surgery to continue his gymnastics career with the success he has found. “I was wearing down my shoulder and it started hurting, so I got an MRI,” he said of his recent shoulder surgery, “It showed that I tore my labrum and

supraspinatus tendon in my rotator cuff, so I had surgery to fix the tears.� Though he is in a sling, Bitner has started rehab and is expected to make a full recovery and be back in time to continue gymnastics at Stanford University.

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Hawks Swim and Dive

By Collins Sainovich Photos courtesy Owen Pendley

Boys Have Record Season The Mill Creek boys team had a record year, placing fourth overall at the Gwinnett County Championships.

Several swimmers broke team records this season. Christopher Pierce (12) broke the 200 Individual Medley record, swimming a 1:53.18. Samuele Bodon (12), a foreign exchange student from Italy, broke the 100 Butterfly record, swimming a 52.26.

Jake Magahey (9) broke the school records in the 200 and 500 Freestyle as well as the county records, swimming a 1:39.47 and a 4:26.62.

Magahey also earned All-American Consideration in the 200 and Automatic All-American in the 500.

"County was so exciting for me, and I cannot believe I got the records. The whole meet was electric, and the team was so much fun," says Magahey.

Boys relay records were also broken.

Christopher Pierce, Kevin Khadem (12), Samuele Bodon, and Brian Smith (12), broke the 200 Medley Relay record, swimming a 1:36.54.

Jake Magahey, Samuele Bodon, Brian Smith, and Christopher Pierce broke the 400 Free Relay record with a 3:09.58.

ALL PHOTOS: Courtesy Owen Pendley

Girls Team Has Another Strong Year The girls' team had another strong year, placing fifth at the county championships.

The girls' team has always been a strong point of the Mill Creek swim team, and this year the girls continued their tradition of excellence.

The girls' 200 Medley Relay placed third overall at county, consisting of freshman Abigail Tashlein, sophomore Bailey Williams, sophomore Isabelle Andrews, and junior Sarah Bevil.

The girls' 400 Freestyle Relay also had a great showing at the County Championships, with the team of Gianna Brooks (10), Sarah Bevil (11), Laine Lioi (9), and Caroline Weinhart (9).

The girls' team also had numerous top ten finishes in individual events at finals.

County Championships Both the girls' and boys' teams swam well at the County Championships. The boys' team placed fourth with one of Mill Creek's best ever showings at the meet. The girls' team placed fifth with an equally impressive meet. First place finishes were achieved by Christopher Pierce in the 100 Backstroke and Jake Magahey in the 200 and 500 Freestyle. Numerous other swimmers placed in the top ten with the majority of the team qualifying for finals, which is the top thirty swimmers from prelims.

"The meet was crazy; everyone would go silent at the start of each race, but when the starter went off, so did the noise," says sophomore Isabelle Andrews, who placed third in the 100 Butterfly and seventh in the 100 Backstroke.

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PHOTO: this person

Pin It to Win It Grapple Up

Pictured: Junior Cody Reynolds

Wrestling, one of the world’s oldest forms of competition, is a full-body combat sport that involves various types of grappling. This event is performed as a form of dramatic entertainment, pure contention and everything in between.

The varsity head coach, Rodney Potter, who has been a wrestling instructor for 15 years, shared that he enjoys "the competitive one on one nature" of the sport.

Although wrestling can be an activity involving toughness and aggressive takedowns, the team spirit and morale encourages players to be outstanding on and off of the mat.

Jared Preyer says that wrestling to him is a sport that “really teaches one to always be respectful and to never give up”.

Preyer also states that “the sport teaches [him] principals that [he] would never get from another sport."

Caitlyn Streeter has been a wrestling manager for three years and says that

By: Jordan Dudley Photos: Magic Moment Photography

she enjoys participating with the sport because, “[she] loves the sport” and adds “if [she] could be a wrestler, [she] would be a wrestler." As the most senior manager for the team, Streeter explains that the manager’s job, is just as important to the dynamic of the program as the role of the players.

Every competitive player of a sport understands the desire for victory, and Justin Speregen explains that "the thing [he] enjoys most about wrestling is winning.” His teammate, Justin Blough tells us that his "favorite part of wrestling is getting [his] hands raised" which signifies the successful completion of the match.

The team has competed in several tournaments this season, and hopes to accomplish more in the future, as well as “I would like to see several of our kids place at the state tournament," says Coach Potter.

Schedule:

*Must Qualify

Every Move Matters

Fri. Feb 3 Sectionals (Section A, Areas 2, 4, 6, 7) 2:003:00pm 4:00pm Mill Creek V* Sat. Feb 4 Sectionals (Section A, Areas 2, 4, 6, 7) 6:30am 8:00am Mill Creek V* Thur. Feb 9 State (Traditional) 10:00a-1:00p 2:00pm Macon V* Fri. Feb 10 State (Traditional) 9:00am Macon V* Sat. Feb 11 State (Traditional) 9:30am Macon V*

"The best part of wrestling is having all responsibilities go away for six minutes and just being able to compete and test my skill." -Chandler Miele

Pictured: Top: Senior Justin Blough prepares for the second period in a match against South Gwinnett.

Middle: Junior Cameron Price faces down a North Gwinnett opponent.

Bottom: Senior Justin Speregen takes the mat 21 19

TOP Pick-ups

NEW YEAR for the...

With 2016 coming to a close there are definitely a couple makeup products that topped everyones favorites list. A stand out brand this year was definitely Kylie Cosmetics, which won awards such as Best Indie brand of the year. Other outstanding brands include Urban Decay, Too Faced, and Benefit.

By: Vanessa Medina

Pros & Cons

ALL PHOTOS: Vanessa Medina, Ashley Baptiste, Kaitlyn Neher

Make-up

Prices $20 Beauty Blender

Beauty Blender Cons

Pros

$21 Too Faced Melted Matte Lipstick

$31 Benefit Professional Primer

The beauty blender is definitely a cult favorite beloved by many makeup enthusiasts. There are many pros including:

Although a classic when it comes to applying makeup there are some cons to the beauty blender including:

1.

1.

Holds in more bacteria

2.

Not durable enough for price and gets torn up easily with nails

$29 Kylie Cosmetics Matte

3.

Sucks up a lot of product

$30 NARS Creamy Concealer

4.

Doesn’t last as long as a brush

Gives makeup a smooth application when used with most foundations

2.

Presses foundation into skin rather than painting it on

3.

Gives natural-looking coverage

4.

Allows you to use less product

$6 Maybelline Fit Me Foundation

$31 Urban Decay Setting Spray

Liquid Lip Kit

Reviews Too Faced Melted Matte Lipstick

“The Too Faced lipstick has a very wearable formula, it barely feels like anything on the lips and it doesn’t smudge easily. Plus the applicator is longer than your typical liquid lip applicator.” -Regan Kulig, 10

Benefit Professional Primer

“I love this primer because it’s light and you don’t need a lot of it to cover up. It’s not harsh on my skin and it matches my skin tone really well.” -Diana Kim, 10

Morphe 35O Palette

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Maybelline Fit Me Foundation

“I don’t like it for winter because it gets too dry on my face but other than that the coverage is really good, perfect summer foundation. Keeps your face looking matte all day.” -Hana Sherrif, 10

4 Urban Decay Setting Spray

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5

“When you first spray it, it feels a little weird but within a minute it drys and when I’ve been using it my makeup stays better throughout the day.” -Madi Burns, 9

Kylie Cosmetics Matte liquid lip

“I like the Kylie matte lipstick the best because it doesn’t smudge easily and is super long wear so I never have to reapply it. It also is really moisturizing so I don’t feel like it’s drying out my lips and it doesn’t crack.” -Lola Henry, 10

NARS Creamy Concealer

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“I love to use the NARS concealer because it looks natural and not too cakey and doesn’t crease.” -Naora Alhajeh, 10

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&

Avoid Hibernation Stay Active

By: Michelle Ortiz

After the days get shorter and colder, athletes become discouraged to continue exercising outdoors or at all. Winter months cause the preservation of a fitness routine to be brutally hard to maintain, but it is not impossible. With proper knowledge and a will to stay active anyone can avoid hibernation.

Myth

One of the most common excuses used to deviate from exercising outdoors is that the cold air will makes people sick, but Coach Taube, the physical trainer at Mill Creek, says,“it is a myth that the cold air will get you sick, germs will get you sick.” What really occurs is “if you're not used to the cold it will put a strain on your immune system, and if your body does come in contact with a germ then you will be more likely to get sick .”

In fact the reason people get sick in the winter is because they are indoors and are more likely to come in contact from their friends or teammates.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Creative Commons

Dangers

How cold it is outside can deeply influence the body therefore it is important to know at what temperatures it is better to stay in doors. Really the right temperature to exercising outside is “all based of on proper clothing and what[ (each athlete) is accustomed to,” says Coach Taube, but Mill Creek has a policy not to go out when the temperature is below 20 degrees.

Temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit can become dangerous because there is a higher risk of frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite is a when a body part freezes and results in a loss of feeling and color. This commonly occurs on toes, the nose, ears and the chin. While hypothermia, according to the CDC, occurs through“lengthy exposures (that) eventually use up your body’s stored energy, which leads to lower body temperature. Body temperature that is too low affects the brain, making the victim unable to think clearly or move well. This makes hypothermia especially dangerous, because a person may not know what is happening and won’t be able to do anything about it.”

Now if dressed properly like covering up skin and wearing clothes that traps in heat then “there is really no limitation,” says Coach Taube.

When the weather is too cold outside,work out like Makasia Trammell (on left) through strength training and flexibility work outs.

PHOTO: Michelle Ortiz PHOTO: Michelle Ortiz

Proper Clothes “On average most high school students have clothing that would prepare them for twenty degrees and up,” says Coach Taube.

Heavy articles of clothing are to be avoided and instead wearing layers with “dry fit material designed to wick away the sweat and keep the heat in” is what should be worn. Athletes need to start out with a base layer and add more layers if they need to be warmer As they work out, they will be able to take off a layer to avoid being overheated.

“Make sure to cover the skin,” says Taube with “some type of hat, gloves, multiple layers for the chest and leggings underneath sweat pants or running pants.” The feet get the hottest while working out, but also get the coldest the fastest so wear a sock that only traps in the heat not the sweat.

Training Tips Coach Taube recommends that one should gear a workout to a sport or event that they plan to be in.“Over all you want to do something that will increase your cardiovascular endurance and flexibility and a component of strength training.” The best schedule would be to “have three days of cardio, a rest day, and work in the flexibility everyday.” Overall, an athlete should talk to their coach and speak with them about their goals.

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The Coming of Senioritis

By Allie Bolton

PHOTO: Allie Bolton

se·nior·i·tis

This word can be heard almost every day in the hallways come second semester. That is when the infection begins; when seniors have been accepted to colleges and know that their time in the hallways of their high school is so limited that putting effort into school work, “doesn’t feel like it matters,” according to senior Andres Valencia.

“Once you’ve gotten into college, you aren’t really concerned about grades afterwards because… you’re already in college.”

Teachers warn against the disease, as it is often regarded as a legitimate ailment with “symptoms and cures” as described by Megan Krueger of metroparent.com. But it’s effects vary from student to student, so some students’ versions

an ebbing of motivation and effort by noun

school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades (Merriam-Webster.com) of senioritis my not appear like slacking at all. Take student Sierra King for example, a senior who claims to be “slacking” yet still maintains an A average. “I’ve been putting off my homework and applying for scholarships instead,” King said in earnest; a form of slacking her bank account will thank her for someday.

“Many seniors have created really good habits and have enough personal pride to prevent themselves from have a big drop in school performance,” says psychology teacher Mr. Tim Steimer, who takes the factor of senioritis into account when teaching his mostlyseniors AP classes. “I understand this and don't generally have many big assignments due in May.” With regard from experienced teachers, senioritis doesn’t always have to mean the end of a perfect report card, but the grades won't be as easy as free candy. “That does not mean that class time is not still important, it only means that most of my big assignments are due before AP exams.”

As Valencia put it, “there’s not really a way to stop it,” but do remember: school isn’t over just yet.

It is often regarded as a legitimate ailment with “symptoms and cures”

Lettering and Cords By: Madeleine Moody

PHOTOS: Madeleine Moody

High school is simply a series of academic and extra-curricular accomplishments to attempt to look the very best on graduation day. Students strive all of high school to reach the requirements to obtain at least one cord to wear at graduation. By definition, cords are given to students to signify a level of achievement in various academic and extracurricular activities.

Cords represent the amount of effort and hard work students put into their academics or extracurriculars throughout their high school career.

Gunnar Millican, Mill Creek graduate says about receiving cords at his graduation in 2015, “after pushing through the sleepless nights, it felt amazing to have finally accomplished that four year goal.”

After graduation students will always have their cords as a symbol of their achievements throughout high school. There are so many opportunities at Mill Creek to receive cords. There are 36 club opportunities for cords, 19 being service cords and 17 being honor cords.

Outside of club opportunities there is also the academic honor cord for students that finish senior year as an honor student, meaning they kept an 90% grade point average their whole high school career.

Some of the most popular club cord opportunities are honor societies, for instance National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society. Outside of honor societies there are clubs like TALON, Best Buddies club, DECA, iLead etc.. For more information on clubs with that offer cords see Mrs. Vanderpool in the PAD. For information on the requirements to obtain a cord in these clubs talk to the club sponsors.

Cords however, are not the only way to show academic or extracurricular achievement at Mill Creek. Mill Creek also offers opportunities for obtaining varsity letters. Also by definition, a varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met. Mill Creek offers many opportunities to receive a letter, for instance, students can obtain an academic letter by maintaining a 90% grade point average the entire school year.

Sophomore Daisia Fryer states, “ It took a lot of hard work and being persistent in my studies but it felt really good to get an academic letter because I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish.”

Most athletic teams offer lettering opportunities as well, for instance making varsity on most sports teams equals a letter.

Junior Rafael Morales says about receiving a letter in football,” it took blood, sweat, and tears but it means a lot to me that I am that important to my team.”

Each sports team has their own requirements for obtaining a letter. For more information on how to receive varsity letters talk to the coaches about the requirements. Varsity letters, like cords, show how much a student has accomplished in their sport or academically so they are highly recommended.

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