May 2018

BX CONNECTS The magazine for Millbrook High School Campus and Community

Class of 2018 Page 1

Price Retires

Page 13

Success Stories

Page 17

Prom

Page 29

VOL 1 | ISSUE 5 MAY 2018

We are more than just writing. We are Millbrook. We are BlueXpress.

The Publications Team Editor-in-Chief

Abby Varricchio

Associate Editors

Anica Moran Emily Keller Gwen Zirkle Madison Lazenby

Documentaries Director Joel Sherman

Graphic Design Editors Ryan Crosson Ben Schwab

Photography Editors Sabrina Castillo Cara George

Videography Editor Blake Curry

Website Editors

Christian Hellwig Joshua Abbott

Art Team

Nicole Hauck Hope Baker Matthew Bennett

Graphic Design Team Dylan Boyer Jacob Gearheart William Gearheart Luke Rangel Hailey Smith Daniella Vargas

Reporting Team

Carolynn Unger Laurel Biedrzycki Matthew Davis Anna Fox Grant Myers Alex Stone Elliot Foy

Photo & Video Team Collin Boyer Kaitlyn Perkins Steven Shaffer Kei Cortez Emane Blanson Jose Rosales Adriana Baldivia Justina Koenig Nelson Garay

The Publishers Print Edition Published by Northern Virginia Daily www.nvdaily.com

Digital Publishing by aPrintis Inc. www.aprintis.com

Advisers

Cliff Campbell Maribeth Carmichael

Millbrook High School

251 First Woods Drive Winchester, VA 22603 540-545-2800 http://mhs.frederick.k12.va.us/home

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Emane Blanson

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Serving the Pioneer Community since 2003

BX Connects with highlights from May and features of the Class of 2018

NEWS

page 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE IN-DEPTH

29 | Prom

1 | Moving Forward

13 | Price Retires

OPINIONS 7 | More Sasse 9 | Kanye

15 | Going Pink and Green 17 | Success Stories

A&E

19 | BX Toons

11 | Not Just Athletes

SPORTS

page 17

FEATURES

page 13

31 | Fire

33 | Trammell Anthony

21 | May the Force be with U!

35 | State Wins

25 | The Graduate / Alex

36 | Captain Q & A

27 | Local Bands / Venues

39 | M-Prints

page 39

40 | From the Archives

www.bluexpress.net THIS AND MORE ONLINE Keep up-to-date with news from this issue, on campus and around the community by visiting www.bluexpress.net on a regular basis.

On the Cover Kaitlyn Perkins, BlueXpress photo editor, captures an image of Mrs. Price adjusting Shanik Romero- Rodriguez’s cap before the ‘M’ photo of the class of 2018 is taken.

Our Goal BX Connects intends to be a public forum for student expression and encourages all sides to voice their opinion. Staff members will honor Millbrook High School and its community and the journalistic profession by placing truth, accuracy and objectivity first.

Corrections, Comments and Clarifications Should an error occur inside this issue, go to www.bluexpress. net/corrections.

The magazine for Millbrook High School Campus and Community

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Moving Forward Article by | Carolynn Unger

I

t’s that time of year again.

Time of testing, last minute assignments, and most importantly: graduation. A time where seniors are departing from high school and pursuing their aspirations out into the real world.

Whether it be through college or

on their own, these seniors get the chance to do what they want or need to do in order to achieve these dreams. In their departure, they will be celebrated at the graduation ceremony on May 31.

There they will listen to speeches, earn their diplomas, listen to

a performance by the choir, and having their families see and celebrate their accomplishments. The ceremony is a way for the Millbrook seniors to celebrate in unity before going off and celebrating with family and friends.

and we run through basically the whole ceremony.” Ms. Carmichael described it as a fun day because everyone is more comfortable and laid back. However, there is also a lot that goes on behind the scenes.

“We print out cards with every kids names, proofreading the program a million times because you don’t want to mistaken that.”

Everyone has a role in planning the ceremony. Ms. Puglisi is in charge of the program, Mr. Haw-

kins helps set up the field because,“that has some math to it.”

Then Mrs. Price writes the whole ceremony program according to year. Ms. Carmichael has also said how much she loves this current senior class. There are tons and tons of kids that she is going to miss. “I feel that way every year though. Four years is a long time and you do feel a big hole at the beginning of every year.”

and go do things.” Jackson Jenkins is ecstatic because he, “did a lot of accomplishments and completed a lot of grades. I can’t wait to graduate and go to college next year.” Anthony Wiencko simply responded with “Yes”.

The feeling of being a graduating senior sunk in for some seniors, for others, “It honestly hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Nicole.

“I feel like even after I graduate

it won’t sink in. I don’t think it will ever sink in honestly. It’s just you’ve been somewhere for four years, you are so used to it, and all of a sudden you’re graduating this year. It’s just crazy.” Eden described how it took awhile for that feeling to come. Jackson had said that it happened around the 25th of April because of the realization that he only about two months left. As for Anthony, he can’t deter-

Preparation But what goes into the actual ceremony? Ms. Carmichael says that the planning for the ceremony has been the same for years. “A lot of it is kind of on auto-pilot. So a lot of the stuff has been set up for years.” It starts with the three graduation practices. The first day is the senior picture, second day is the senior program, and the third day is the field practice. “We start in the auditorium and put everybody in alphabetical order

The Seniors There are always a mix of feelings when a student graduates.

Sadness, nervousness, but there is one emotion that every senior is feeling: excitement. Senior Nicole Doepper expressed that she is, “so excited and so ready.” The same can be said for Eden Avery, who transferred to Millbrook from James Wood this year. “I am super excited. I’m ready to leave. I’m ready go. Move on with my life

BX CONNECTS | Pages 1 –2

mine exactly when the feeling came. “Either it hasn’t happened or it happened a while ago. I’m really ready for college.”

The ceremony has several special moments from the speeches to throwing your caps in the air. For example, Jackson is most looking forward to seeing his family and other loved ones come see him. There are others who look forward to the end of the ceremony such as Eden and Anthony. Eden said, “The part where I get to go home and look at my cap and remember that I never have to do that again for high school.” To Anthony, he sees it just as a ceremony. “It doesn’t seem like too much more of that.” As for Nicole, there are several parts of the ceremony that she is excited for. “Just seeing everyone with our diplomas is going to be a really cool moment especially when we’re able to throw our caps into the air.” She is looking forward to the whole graduation ceremony in general.

All of these seniors are going on different paths after high school.

Nicole will be attending Christopher Newport University and their President’s Leadership Program while also taking a minor in leadership.

Eden will be going to Lord Fairfax before transferring to either the College of William & Mary or the University of Virginia. Anthony will be going to the University of Southern California to major in computer science and Jackson is going to James Madison University. One thing that these group of seniors have in common are their overall experiences at Millbrook.

“I really enjoyed it,” said Anthony. “I had a lot of good friends and classes. There were highs and lows but overall it was a good experience.” Nicole described how she made a lot of incredible friendships and had a good education. “It’s been a really good four years.” Eden also described her overall expe-

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rience being different in comparison to her last high school. “Different after coming from James Wood to Millbrook for this last year. Everybody is really nice and supportive and even if you aren’t friends with everybody, you find your group and you find your way. It’s been really nice for me.” Jackson has said that his experience at Millbrook really depends on what happened each year of his four years. Each year he has had some easy moments as well as difficult moments.

Change is hard for everyone, no matter how some people handle it. While some are ready to move forward and start a new chapter, there is a sense of melancholy when leaving something you have known and loved for four years. Although they won’t be attending Millbrook after May 31, the memories they made will live on years and years after.

Their departure will then leave room for the upcoming class of 2019 to show what they can do for Millbrook.

The mosaic design above was designed by Blake Curry. Each year the BlueXpress produces an ‘M’ mosaic using the portraits of the Senior class. If you would like to purchase this image, please visit our website at www.bluexpress.net

BX CONNECTS | Pages 3 –4

Attending Out of State Schools American Academy of Dramatic Arts | New York Angela George Dickinson College | Pennslylania Eliza Grigsby Gallaudet University | Washington DC Maria Ayala-Castro James Rumsey Technical Institute | West Virginia Ryan Conner Juniata College | Pennslylania Gwen Zirkle Anna Sule Manhattan School of Music | New York Chira Bell North Carolina State University | North Carolina Amanda Olejarz Potomac State College | West Virginia Amanda Saunders Robbert Morris University | Pennsylvania Sarah Jutze

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Shepherd University | West Virginia Shanna Marin-Pierce Alea Marco Lindsay Geer Siena College | New York Amari Anthony Wake Technical Community College | North Carolina Ashlynn Wheeling Washington College | Maryland Cecilia Cress West Chester University | Pennslylania Indigo Kupka West Liberty University | West Virginia Chloe Henderson West Virginia University | West Virginia Hannah Amos Francesca Gormas Conner Turrill Brianna Van Fossen

Attending Virginia Schools Blue Ridge Community College James Madison Universtiy Jayla Curry Bailey Collins Alec Rudolph Bridgewater College Evan Schwartzmiller Alexis Weir Parth Parikh Lauren Blum Jackson Jenkins Madison Green Christopher Newport U. Hunter Shaw Nicole Doepper Emily Learn Liberty University Nicholas Varcadipane Gabriella Dunemann Emory & Henry College Bryant Bautista Grant Myers Ferrum College Robby Watts Darin Douglas George Mason University Erin Dooley Damien Smith Savannah Geith Ethan Swain Hollins University Margaret McCroby

Northern Virginia CC Salem Priet Radford University William Gearheart Jacob Gearheart Cameron Dreiling Abbey Taylor Shenandoah University Paige Wilson Evan Argiro Josie Moskal

University of Virginia Daniel Ludwig Julia Chambers Zachary Hicks Virginia Commonwealth U.

Cameron Funk Te’a Garnett Lisette Rodriguez Virginia Tech Aaron Greorge Lily Hamer Alex Giffin Nathaniel Stoltzfus Nicole Hauck Cara George Abbey Basa Rachel Hayes Kamryn Buza Allie Jones

Lord Fairfax Community College Annika Devart Samrethpiseth Nith Emily Science Megan Waddell Ashley Pullman Brittany O’Donnell Anna Fox Brian Merino Melissa García-Jose Crystal Orndoff Malik Perloff Gabriel Piedra Bethany-Kate Shuster Luke Asti Emily Woodard Joshua Hart

Robert Ball Kevin Ketcham Kaelyn Speakman Emma Krise Anner Alvarez Adriana Baldivia Skylar Longerbeam Ethan Ramos Brianna Armstrong Emily Keller Anica Moran Rusty Knouse Jessica Ziemer Jennifer Antezana Christopher Thibodeau Emane Blanson

Kendel Franklin Cody Wolford Terry Chapman Rudy Garcia Benjamin Cordova Esmeralda Sevilla Ryan Crosson Blake Curry Laurel Biedrzycki Sarah Allder Lydia Bergeron Hilma Rosa-Ventura Jasmine Mclarn Miranda Jobe Eden Avery Gabriela Valladares

BX CONNECTS | Pages 5 –6

The Varric

The Senate Need

In the face of extreme, partisan politics many Americans assume every aspect of political discussion is going to be too partisan, too extreme, and too confrontational. Though I appreciate the bluntness on both sides of the aisle, the decorum of holding high office is fading. A New York Senator recently used harsh language during an interview when describing President Trump’s stance on Healthcare. Not only have actual elected officials lost decorum, but party officials have too. Tom Perez,

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DNC Chairman, also used vulgar language to describe President Trump’s positions. The loss of class and respect for one another stems down to average Americans. Often videos surface of people physically fighting one another because of a political stances. Many admit that they would physically assault someone who disagrees with them. Twitter is certainly filled with bitter and crude disagreements that can escalate to creating an online firestorm. Though civil discourse is important, decorum

needs to be present for it to be successful. Civil discourse also needs to be able to educate. Civic education is EXTREMELY important! Without correctly informed Americans, civil discourse is pointless because people will be arguing about positions that are not factually correct.

Ben Sasse is a freshman Senator from Nebraska. He holds a PhD in history from Yale University as well as a bachelor’s in government from Harvard. Sasse currently serves several committees in the Senate, most notably the Judiciary Committee. Recently the committee was the focus of media spotlight as they confirmed Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. During the hearings each Senator that serves on the committee is allotted time to question the nominee. When Senator Sasse able to question Justice Gorsuch he did not open with a partisan stance, but with questions on civic knowledge and morals.

Senator Sasse asked Gorsuch, who teaches ethics at the University of Colorado Law School, how he will know if he has been a “good judge” when he retires from the bench.

Gorsuch responded by discussing how he asks his students at the end of each semester to write an obituary for themselves. “What I try to point out is,” said Gorsuch, “it’s not how big your bank account balance is,

cchio Factor with Abigail Varricchio

eds More Sasse nobody ever puts that in their draft obituary, or that they billed the most hours, or that they won the most cases. It’s how they treated other people along the way.” Though he admits he will not be remembered, he wants to be remembered as kind, mild father and husband, but firm and dignified in his public life. Gorsuch began, “The great joy in life, Shaw said, is devoting yourself to a cause you deem mighty before you are thrown on the scrap heap. An independent judiciary in this country, I can carry that baton for as long as I can carry it, […] that’ll be good enough for me.” Unlike many of his colleagues, including the President, who have politicized the court, Sasse clearly believes in an independent court that has loyalties only to the Constitution and the American people. It is important that judges do not disclose their bias because it could potentially cause them to rule unfairly due to expectations and serving political interests. I applaud Senator Sasse for respecting the integrity of the bench and not giving into political pressure. He truly respects the intentions of the founding fathers’ plan for an independent judiciary.

If it was intended that we know the political views of judges, they would be elected, not appointed.

According to the Newseum Institute, only 19% of Americans can name all five freedoms under the

first amendment. Senator Sasse is working towards changing the lack of knowledge about the Constitution and government among Americans.

During the confirmation hearing of Justice Gorsuch, he discussed how teachers from his state said that they would be using these hearings in their civic classes. To help educate the students watching, Senator Sasse asked the Justice why the founding fathers added the Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the Constitution) and what difference it would make if the Constitution did not have one. When asking the Justice, Sasse made a point to say that the Constitution is a negative document. A negative document means that we, the people, are limiting the government’s power- not the government giving us freedom. Our inalienable rights, as stated by Jefferson, are what we are born with.

No government can give and can not take them because they are what we are born with. Stressing that the Constitution limits the government’s powers shows Sasse’s commitment to protecting our liberties in Washington. Additionally Sasse’s unwavering support of Justice Gorsuch is another great sign; Gorsuch responded to the question just as well as Sasse.

He stated that the Constitution is a negative document limiting the government as well as the theory behind the division of powers was to better

protect liberty. “If you put too much power into one set of hands you are going to get tyranny,” said the Justice. While the Justice stressed that the division was to guard liberty, they knew it was not enough. “Our founders were very suspicious and very jealous of their liberties, so they added the Bill of Rights… and they enumerated 10 of them, starting with the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, no establishment of religion, [and] the right to bear arms.”

I applaud Senator Sasse for taking the opportunity to use his platform to educate students and other Americans about the Constitution.

It shows how deeply he understands how to make sure America carries on that the citizens know the structure of their government. In addition to the structure of government, Sasse understands that Americans must know how precious their liberties are because he asked the Justice to explain where they come from.

Through the Justice’s answer, it is clear how important it is that Americans are vigilant of their liberties because they were fought for and so carefully protected. Senator Sasse wants to promote better civic understanding within America because he has clearly demonstrated his desire in Washington. I urge all representatives to follow in the footsteps and passion of Ben Sasse to ensure that the greatness of America carries on.

BX CONNECTS | Pages 7 –8

First things first, Kanye West is undoubtedly a genius, musically at least.

Article by | Alex Stone

“I’m crazy but that’s the best thing going for me…”

Kanye West is a polarizing figure in mainstream culture and is easily one of my favorite artists of all time, but as a liberal, and someone with an ounce of common sense, it has become increasingly more difficult to defend his actions in the public eye. First things first, Kanye West is undoubtedly a genius, musically at least. For years when defending this stance to friends I have used David Bowie as a reference. Although this will be met with disdain, I can hear it now, “comparing a tool like Kanye and an icon like Bowie is inconceivable,” but we mustn’t forget, Bowie was just as offensive and divisive in the public eye as West. Much like West, Bowie is not confined to a singular genre, shifting his style and persona on a whim. This leads scrutiny from those who aren’t in the know, or find themselves wanting to dislike their music because of this inseparable figure. Bowie’s hatred resulted from those homophobically rejecting his effeminate Ziggy Stardust era or even his controversial Thin White Duke era and Kanye’s for his outspoken and braggadocious ethos. Regardless both musicians have found critical acclaim for their profound influence upon their respective genres. Both influence the next generation of songwriters and push the boundaries of what we perceive to be norms, musically that is, but I remain in the realm of explicitly music for this. Where they divulge is in their intent. Bowie was purely expressing himself, and when outrightly controversial, especially

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his Thin White Duke, pro Fascist era, he felt intense shame and went into hiding attributing his abuse of hardcore drugs. Kanye, however, who also draws from similar internal struggles, is less outright apologetic, mainly because it was premeditated, anticipating the reaction, the controversy.

Kanye’s recent actions are not anything new. They are, however, on a much larger scale when compared to his previous actions, including “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” or even the classic Obama “Jack---” moment, and this distinction lends itself to our current political climate. Kanye West is a Trump supporter, an alignment manifesting itself through a number of outlets; his meeting with Donald Trump, his conversations on social media and his multiple public appearances wearing the Make America Great Again hat proudly adorning Trump’s signature. This may come as a shock to some, but to those who have been paying attention, it’s sort of to be expected. Kanye has created a character profile that is based upon an erratic nature, much like his release schedule. The teasing and eventual let down of a new album is commonplace for a Kanye fan. Ye finds himself in a trend in which he goes into a manic artistic state of inspiration where he feels as though he can make and do anything in any period of time, so he goes to Twitter to make promises. Following the stunted release of his last LP The Life of Pablo in 2016, Ye took to the net to divulge some upcoming projects most notably would be the

long fabled Cruel Winter and Turbo Grafx ‘16. There are two inherent difficulties with these declarations that relinquish their announcement status and change them to the false promises category; that would be his mental illnesses and his perfectionism. Kanye has not been bashful about his dealings with depression, especially in relation to the death of his mother, Donda, bringing about the lull in his creative process. This is speculation, but I do believe that even within his darkest creative depths, his artistry stems from a place of positivity. Take for instance, Runaway, one of Kanye’s most reflective and deprecating tracks detailing his exploitation of women and his own inconsistent nature. It remains triumph, as if a change is brewing within him, as though he recognizes his faults and wishes to grow from them, extending his hand to the masses as his autotuned symphonic bridge plays for three minutes straight at the end of the track, only to be rejected both by the public and those publications speculatory of Kanye’s good nature in the wake of his latest controversies, at that time in reference to his disruption of the Grammy’s. Kanye is rejected, in the song upon the level of a relationship, due to actions that he alone is responsible for, yet at the same time, he himself is left to reap what he has sown. But he achieves these raw emotions through his meticulous and grand scale thought musically.

Kanye knows what he wants from his collaborators and expects only that. With even proteges like Kid Cudi turning down his olive branch

Meet the Staff

of a producer credit with the knowledge that his project would no longer be his once he joins. So this leads me to speculate on his intent. His musical intricate and ambition lend themselves directly to his actions I don’t believe that this is some grand conspiracy concocted to redefine the media, although I do believe that he is enacting his commentary of it, although inadvertently.

He resents them for their negative coverage of him.

Kanye is adamantly unable to take what he has dished out, putting himself out there as a means to stir controversy, with the knowledge and intent of doing so, but then feels a sense of hurt and betrayal upon reaction when it is covered negatively.

He then retreats into deflection and blames them, or even begins to concoct yet another controversial plot. A cycle familiar to most, mainly because it is similar to that of our president. So if you are still in any doubt as to why Kanye is in such dear and devoted admiration of a man that is the antithesis of what one would assume Kanye cares and respects; poverty, greed, godliness, it can be simply answered

with “The ability to do what no one said you can do, to do the impossible...” in his own words. This quote is not to misinterpreted as to dream big, or to imagine. No, it is to be taken at absolute face value. Kanye West is a self proclaimed contrarian. Regardless of his own belief, West will do or say the opposite of what is expected of him, purely based upon the justification that he is indeed the opposition. When asked about his adornment of the MAGA cap, “Me putting the hat on forces an evolution because even for me, I know so much more in the past three days because I’m getting this energy, positive or negative, agreeing with me or disagreeing with me, and that sharpens our mind, our consciousness, the way we’re thinking, just breaking some sh—.” His intent stems from a place of ultimate positivity, but is grossly malaligned and redirected into a negative outlet. Rather than creating a sense of unity as he would wish, it only serves to divide. It forces everyone to acknowledge him, his egotism shining through.

A defining characteristic of Kanye West’s public

persona is just that persona, a manifestation of the current era of his artist endeavours that serves a purpose; attention. In reference to his mental breakdown last year he attributed “Fear, stress, control, being controlled, manipulation, like being a pawn in a chess piece of life. Stressing things that create, like, validation that I didn’t need to worry about as much.” Here he directly stresses his fear of control, when he feels that he, and he alone, is not directly affecting and manipulating his actions.

He lashes out “fake news” and “sounds like a choice.”

It is all the same in the echo chamber of the public eye. It is shameful that we as a public or as a media are continuing to hold these to a standard and devote any sort of attention to it, an especially hard thing for me to reject from someone I respect so deeply. He has melded himself in an evolutionary state from his egotistic Yeezy era to his post My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy melancholy into the blameful Achilles, charging into battle with the belief of invincibility, falling to an ultimate flaw.

Alex Stone A&E Reporter

A

lex Stone is an entertainment writer for the BlueXpress working for both the print and online media publications.

He writes various reviews of movies that he feels passionately about. He is adept at Photoshop, placing pictures of Eddie Murphy dressed as broccoli into scenes from Kill Bill and making collages of Kanye West. He spends his spare time playing games with friends, obsessively doing research on IMDb, devouring the Criterion Collection, reading self help books, and writing scripts. He enjoys collecting vinyl, with his favorite pressings being his copy of Endless by Frank Ocean, This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem and the score for The Leftovers by Max Richter. Alex is the BlueXpress’ resident The Room expert, having seen the movie north of 10 times and having read multiple personal experiences about its production south of 3. Alex’s favorite films include In Bruges, A Ghost Story, and Mulholland Dr. with his favorite directors being David Lynch, Spike Jonze, and Sergio Leone.

BX CONNECTS | Pages 9 –10

Reasons why signing events should be extended to students of other talents Article by | Grant Myers

Athletic signings have become a staple for professional and college athletes when committing to a team.

Friends, parents and fans will all gather to witness the significant moment. That staple has transferred over to Millbrook, holding elaborate signings for any student athlete committing to a college to play sports.

These students’ accomplishments need to be honored, as being an athlete at the college level is an impressive feat. What’s also impressive, however, is the amount of students from other departments who confidently overcome their high school

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obstacles and sign to prestigious colleges, but do not receive near the same attention.

Every year, hundreds of students graduate with a solid GPA and attend a college of some sort. Students from departments all across the school go their separate ways and head down their own paths.

Of course, one of those is the athletic path, which several talented students from Millbrook commit to each year. Several incredible athletes had signings this year and will be attending a college with their respective sports in the fall, includ-

ing Trammell Anthony to Shenandoah University for Basketball and Football, Isaac Brown to the University of Richmond for Football, and Alexis Weir to Bridgewater College for Volleyball. Most senior athletes attending a college or university to play a sport had a public signing in the commons at Millbrook, a well-deserved moment, for sure. I absolutely recognize the amount of time and hard work these student athletes, so my point is not to disregard what they achieved. However, plenty of students in different departments have spent the same amount of time and effort in their field, making this a complicated situation.

As an example, 2017 Millbrook graduate Logan Apple was an incredible student who achieved many things throughout his four years of high school.

This led him to attend the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, ranked the #4 best university in the United States by Top Universities. However, besides being recognized by Millbrook for graduating at the top of his class, Logan did not receive a signing of any kind. Traditionally, signings are obviously done for athletic achievements and events. However, now that nearly every student athlete is given

a signing (regardless of division, scholarships, etc.), it seems odd not to open up the signing world to students with other talents.

Athletic signings are significant mainly for appropriately recognizing the athlete’s achievements in attending a university.

There’s no doubt of what these student athletes achieved, as it took an insane amount of effort to get where they are. Obviously, non-athletic students are recognized by scholarships and other ceremonies. Despite that, it’s difficult not to feel ‘left out’ with keeping these signings to athletes.

This may not be an incredibly popular opinion, but it is still important to make these kinds of things equal.

Of course, some students may not want or are uncomfortable with public recognition, but many others would appreciate a public moment to recognize their extracurricular achievements.

So, for me, being a part of Millbrook’s first Performing Arts signing was a surprisingly great moment.

Seniors Nerys Apple, Chira Bell, Bryant Bautista, Tommy Camilo and myself all attended Millbrook’s first musical/performing arts signing, set up for any student attending college with a music-based major. Identical to a traditional athletic signing, we all signed to our respective colleges surrounded by friends, family, and cameras. It was an incredible moment for many reasons, beginning with the general recognition we received. It may sound like an arrogant thing to say, but having

an event where the music students’ hard work and achievements were recognized was important. Students from the music department not only have to apply academically to a university, but have a separate audition process in order to be admitted into their desired music program (whether it be music education, vocal performance, theater, etc.). It is not an easy process, and so being recognized in that way for getting through that process meant a lot to us.

Secondly, this was significant simply because it was the first musical signing Millbrook has held. This is not only significant for music students, but because it opens up the idea of signings to so many other options. In my opinion, this makes it more likely for students with impressive achievements to receive a signing themselves (general academics, engineering, medical fields, journalism, music, etc.). While public recognition may not be the most important thing in the world, opening up signings to more students could be a smarter and more straightforward way of recognizing a student’s achievements.

However, it is still incredibly important to recognize the achievements and sacrifices made by student athletes, and to continue

athletic signings in the future. While I believe opening up signings to more students is important, there are obvious sets of issues that come with it. First of all, it can be difficult to determine what exactly deserves a signing if we go beyond athletics.

It’s easy to be vague and say that any student from any department who achieved something great and is attending college for it deserves one.

However, that could open signings up to a massive amount of people, forcing Millbrook to hold more signings than possible. They could set specific regulations for that, but it would be easy for someone to call regulations unfair either way.

The point of extending signings is to make all successful students feel equally recognized, it’s just a matter of how many people we decide to recognize.

Despite those concerns, I still argue that signings should be opened to students other than athletes. As indicated by the positive feedback from and the large showing of people at the musical signing, this can be a positive change. Athletes absolutely deserve their moment, but it’s important not to leave out others who put in the same time and effort in different fields.

BX CONNECTS | Pages 11 –12

“I know she will always consider Millbrook to be family, because that’s how she thinks of everyone here; and I know it’s not goodbye because she will still be part of the Millbrook family. I will miss her, but I’m very happy for her as well.” - Ms. Martin

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Article by | Abigail Varricchio

Mrs. Price has served as principal of Millbrook High School since January, 2007.

As a principal with integrity and strong vision as well as a humble heart, she retires with a strong school community that is able to gift the world with intelligent, compassionate, and driven students that are ready to go and change the world.

Millbrook students continue to learn from Mrs. Price’s actions that the smallest deeds can change the world in the biggest way, even if it is just for one person.

“When I was in high school,” she began, “I never would have imagined speaking to my high school principal.” Personal interviews or friendly communication with students was not something seen within her own high school. “I knew, when I started,” continued Price, “I wanted my school to be different.” When Millbrook opened, it pulled students from James Wood and Sherando High School, which meant that seniors transferred to a new school that they did not intend to graduate from. They were separated from friends and placed somewhere that they felt was not their own.

“They had no intention of coming here to graduate,” said Mrs. Price. “It was hard because they were separated from friends and had to build school spirit from the ground up.”

Unlike what current Millbrook students know today, the school

was empty, both physically and spiritually. There was no loud crowd at football games, spirit club, or anything that was unique to Millbrook. “Empty classrooms lined the halls,” said Price as she explained how the school was significantly smaller. It felt as if the school was missing something. Mrs. Price, however, still knew that she wanted to make her school different from her own. She did not want to foster an environment full of intimidation, but an environment of success and openness between students and staff.

“Four years later there was a shift,” explained Mrs. Price.

“That Senior class clicked.” The first Senior class to spend four years at Millbrook established traditions and spirit that still lives within Millbrook today.

They laid the foundation for the school to begin to grow a welcoming and friendly atmosphere for years to come. “The school had finally come into its own,” Price laughed.

“Millbrook’s students and staff are what make the school phenomenal,” said Price. She went on to explain how students and staff worked to create a community that inspired each person to push themselves to be better. “I am proud to say that our teachers are comfortable to teach beyond the curriculum,” added Mrs. Price. “We truly have a learning environment.” Every teacher, administrator, and staff member strives

to hold themselves to a higher standard than simply their job description. When Mrs. Price attends awards banquets and waves at students in the hall and Mrs. Rangel attends band and choral events, students see the administrative interest and caring. Teachers are eager to see their students succeed and encourage them to surpass what they think their standard is, and administration is eager to hear student feedback and work with students on issues.

Millbrook’s talent and inclusivity of all students is something that Mrs. Price will always hold close to her. Though she will say that she only played a small role in forming Millbrook’s kind community, her ability to connect personally with students will forever not only hold an impact on the school’s community, but on the students’ themselves.

As a Millbrook student that had the opportunity to work closely with Mrs. Price through the BlueXpress and the Student Council Association, I am proud to say she was eager to work to better Millbrook each and every day. I saw just how lucky we are as a school to have had a principal that made sure no decision went without careful consideration or thought.

Mrs. Price has left a strong mark on me personally as how to lead with compassion and thought. Thank you so much for all you have done, Mrs. Price!

BX CONNECTS | Pages 13 –14

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THE T

Article by | Gwen Zirkle

he Millbrook Pioneers took over this year’s Apple Blossom Parade.

The band led the parade, marching in first--the first time they’ve had this honor in the past four years. The parade is setup to rotate between the four local high schools (James Wood, Sherando, Handley and Millbrook) each year so that each student in the marching band gets the chance to be the first band in parade once during their high school career.

The Girl’ Basketball team also got a float for winning the State Basketball Championship. In addition, Millbrook also had two students, Payton Deegan and Olivia Escalante, serve as

Apple Blossom Princesses. Payton got to ride on the Queen’s float.

Payton and Olivia both had a lot of fun being princesses.

Olivia received the honor after winning the Miss Shamrock Beauty pageant. She said, “I got to wear a crown. It was the best. I think everybody else thinks that pageants are really scary, and it is, but the reward of getting a crown and a sash and being recognized is amazing.” Olivia doesn’t normally go to Apple Blossom and she had to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to get ready.

Payton, who was the princess representing Millbrook in the parade, said “I love the parade

and being on the float. I loved bonding with some of the girls and having fun. I also loved seeing my friends or when someone else would call out the name of one of the other princesses. It was a lot of fun and it was so cute.” She had loads of fun at the Queen’s Ball and Queen’s Coronation and got to meet all kinds of nice people.

This year’s parade was filled with Millbrook students. Each student represented the school with pride. Carolina and Navy colors rivaled pink and green as Millbrook took over the parade, spreading school colors and cheer everywhere.

BX CONNECTS | Pages 15 –16

Student Success Stories Article by | Carolynn Unger and Grant Myers

Chira Bell, MUSICIAN

Chira has had a love for music ever since elementary school, which makes her future attendance to the Manhattan School of Music in New York City unsurprising. After a gruelling application and audition process, Chira will be majoring in Vocal Performance at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, often considered to be in the top tier of music colleges. However, it was not only her passion but the impressive amount of work she put toward music that helped place her on this path.

Chira’s long-established passion for “choir and collaborative singing” led to her originally wanting to pursue a degree in music education. She became concerned, however, with some of the audition requirements for the degree (specif-

ically piano-playing). She was still determined to follow this path, but changed her mind as of last summer. She attended the Governor’s School program for music, where she said, “I had the opportunity of performing alone a lot, and I really fell in love with just being a solo performer”. After thinking it over and talking to her vocal coaches and teachers, she decided to audition for a degree in vocal performance as well.

Despite changing majors, the physical audition process required the same amount of time and preparation. Along with submitting the general application, Vocal Performance students must prepare and perform songs of contrasting languages and styles in order to be admitted to the vocal performance/music program itself. According to Chira, this took a large amount of time, effort, and memorization, as well as watching other performances of her audition songs. Since the songs are typically very emotional, doing that helped her “try and get a grasp on what other people interpreted it as”. This

preparation paid off, leading to her gaining a spot in Manhattan’s Vocal Performance program.

Of course, it cannot be left unmentioned the impact that four years of choir at Millbrook had on her as a performer. There were specific activities and/or events throughout her years of choir that helped develop her passion for music, with her favorite being the “Cluster Concert” that occurred October of this school year. Many other the elementary and middle school choirs joined together with Millbrook choral students to participate in a massive concert in the gym, which definitely impacted Chira. “The thought and the feeling of making music with… the kids coming after us was really powerful to me.”

Powerful events and moments like this struck her and helped her continue to love her craft, which seemingly helped her pursue those passions beyond high school. These events and her talent combined drove her to apply, audition, and attend the Manhattan School of Music in the fall.

Isaac Brown, FOOTBALL

Isaac started playing football when he was nine years old. He soon became involved in the Mill-

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brook varsity football team after moving here from West Virginia this year. One of his main goals for the season was to do his best for Millbrook. Also, to “try to win the Apple Cup and whatever championships we could and do the best we can.” He described his experience on the football team and Millbrook in general being an enjoyable year.

“I made some new friends. It was just a good year and I’m glad that

I got to make all the memories and being out there on the football field for three days.” A few major accomplishments he received throughout his football career have been winning states at his school in West Virginia and winning nine games here at Millbrook. Isaac will be continuing his path of football at the University of Richmond.

Mellany Groll, SCA PRESIDENT

Mellany has had many successes in her high school career, such as when Millbrook qualified for states in the cross-country team and in the 4x8 relay team in track over the years. “Going to states is a great achievement on its own but being able to go with a great group of girls and some of my closest friends made the experiences 10x better.”

One of her biggest accomplishments were the several number of projects started by SCA. This year, the SCA

planned and carried out Homecoming and the annual Leadership Conference while also starting the We Are Campaign and the Club Fair. She also talks about how they are working on creating more opportunities to include children with Special Needs by participating in more activities and interacting with other students. Although Homecoming and the Leadership Conference is traditional, she had great motivation for the other projects. “Our motivation for the We Are Campaign was to recognize and celebrate the unique diversity of our school. Our goal in starting the Club Fair was to make students more aware of the opportunities that are available at Millbrook.” The motivation for the Special Needs project was more per-

sonal than the others. “ I wanted to create more opportunities for Special Needs students to be more involved and recognized by their peers because of personal experiences with two Special Needs boys at my church and a couple of the students here. I have grown to love them and have benefited from getting to know them and interacting with them and I wanted others to have those same experiences.” Mellany will be attending Brigham Young University in the summer before going on a mission trip for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the winter.

“After that my plan is to come home to continue my studies at BYU and major in psychology.”

Jackson Jenkins, SERVICE LEARNING

From academics, to sports, to music, and to many other activities, students at Millbrook have proven to be successful in a wide range of fields. Senior Jackson Jenkins has found success in more than one field, with commitment in marching band and Service Learning. A part of the Service Learning class is the second semester project, which Jackson most definitely committed his time to. By directly contributing to the Planning and Zoning Development section of the Frederick County website, Jackson accomplished a challenging task and added another achievement to his already successful high school career.

For his Service Learning Project, Jackson decided to assist Frederick County with an aspect of its web-

site design, alongside senior Alex Giffin. More specifically, he decided to expand upon the FAQ’s section of the Planning and Zoning Development page of the website. Here, an animated apple speaks and helps anyone through the different areas of the web page (similar to Microsoft’s question-answering paper clip). If anyone has questions regarding their house, property, etc., they would be able to go to this virtual assistant for help.

While the end result was a success, there was definitely a process involved. They began their project the first week of January following Christmas break and continued to work until May 7. In order to work with the Frederick County website, Jackson and Alex had to spend a significant amount of time at the Frederick County Circuit Court. They visited the Circuit Court every ‘Day 2’ to go over the general plan and ideas for the video, assisted by supervisors who worked with the Planning and Zoning department: Mike Ruddy directing, and Tyler Kline - planning.

Of course, the amount of time spent

planning developed into a helpful and well-made FAQ’s video, which is set to be on the website soon.

Besides this project, Jackson found success in other departments as well, specifically band. He played bass drum for marching band for all four years of high school, and stated simply, “I love band”. His favorite part of being a band member was the competitions, specifically the “Parade of Champions” that took place at James Madison University.

Jackson will be attending JMU in the fall as well, hoping to continue to follow both of his passions. He will be majoring in industrial design, but will be auditioning shortly for the marching band near the end of June (which he’s definitely excited about).

Jackson found a great amount of success and enjoyment throughout his four years of high school. Who knows what the future may hold, but Jackson’s passion and drive will undoubtedly take him a long way as he begins his first semester of college in the fall.

BX CONNECTS | Pages 17 –18

Cartoon Division Arts & Entertainment

Galaxy Horse By | Hope Baker

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Meet the Staff

H

Hope Baker Cartoonist

ope Baker is a junior currently attending Millbrook High School.

Although this is her first year working for the BlueXpress, she is an experienced painter and cartoonist. Having already taken Art Foundation, Intro to Drawing and Painting, and Advanced Painting, she feels as though she is capable of bringing her talents to the cartoonist team in order to benefit both the BlueXpress’ website, the online newsmagazine, and the school paper.

Hope chose to pursue Journalism because, while she has always wanted to be involved with film and theater and is involved in plays and musicals at Millbrook, she also would like to become more adept at digital drawing. Her dream is ultimately to pursue a career as a concept artist and design characters for a film or animation studio. This year, Hope has created numerous cartoons and title cards for Journalism, her favorite cartoon being the Play on Words, which appeared in this year’s school newspaper, and her favorite title card being the image created for Carolynn Unger’s Punisher Review.

BX CONNECTS | Pages 19 –20

Cartoon Division Arts & Entertainment

A Study in Frankie By | Matthew Bennett

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Meet the Staff

Matthew Bennett Cartoonist

M

atthew Bennett is one of the three digital artists for Journalism.

This was his first year in the class and he has learned a lot throughout the year. He had little experience with digital art, but did have some with Photoshop. Matthew has done a variety of drawings this year.

One of the things he has done is school-related comics, which was a new type of art style and format than he’s used to.

However, with more practice, it got easier. Matthew also did many holiday-related drawings this year, which typically are put on the BlueXpress website. He will be returning to Journalism next year as a senior and will also be in AP Art. Matthew will be using the experience he gained from this year of journalism in building a portfolio to apply to art schools with in the fall.

BX CONNECTS | Pages 21 –22

Article by | Hope Baker

L

Warning: Spoilers, this may contain.

et’s start with the truth, shall we? I love Star Wars.

From the Clone Wars animated cartoon to Star Wars Rebels, the original trilogy to the sequels, even bits and pieces of the prequel trilogy. With that in mind, I’ll try to keep this review to the point; that point being the new and surprisingly likeable Solo movie.

Before the movie even premiered, it faced high opposition in regards to the casting of characters appearing in previous movies. Many people were adamant that no one could recreate or top Harrison Ford’s portrayal of Han Solo, especially Alden Ehrenreich, who was virtually unknown at the time. I myself was apprehensive toward the idea of anyone else stepping into the shoes, or boots, of the beloved smuggler, but this quickly became a non-issue.

No more than ten minutes into the

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movie, Alden Ehrenreich proved himself to be a suitable replacement for Ford. While I can’t say that he captured every aspect of Han Solo’s character from the original trilogy, such as the rapid-fire technobabble, Ehrenreich was able to make the role his own.

Prior to this movie being released, I had done some research as to just what Han Solo’s background really was. In the Star Wars graphic novels, his background is somewhat convoluted (turns out he was allegedly married?). Before becoming a smuggler, Solo was an Imperial officer, until he was stationed on Kessel in the spice mines. While there, he met Chewbacca, decided to free the Wookie, and the two started their time as smugglers, during which Solo got into more trouble with crime bosses, like Jabba the Hutt, than he was able to get out of. The pair

ends up in the cantina with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker, and the rest is history. In this film, I was very pleased to see the creators flesh out Han’s backstory a little more. I appreciated the nod to his time as an Imperial soldier, and I thought that the first meeting between Han and Chewbacca was fitting.

The second recast character appearing in Solo: A Star Wars Story was Lando Calrissian. Originally played by Billy Dee Williams, this cape-loving character has quickly become a fan-favorite. Donald Glover effectively captures Lando’s charisma while still giving the character a different twist. Having watched Star Wars Rebels, I can confidently say that Glover’s version of Lando is less of the caricature it’s made to be in the show, where he ceaselessly flirts with Captain Hera Syndulla, and more akin to the beginnings of

No more than ten minutes into the movie, Alden Ehrenreich proved himself to be a suitable replacement for Ford.

a well-rounded character. I felt that the comradery between both Lando and Han lent itself to their geniality in The Empire Strikes Back. One scene that captures the beginnings of their budding frenemy relationship was obviously meant to be a nod to the iconic ‘I love you, I know’ scene from The Empire Strikes Back.

Spoiler alert: The scene itself consisted of the two looking over the wreckage of the Millenium Falcon, that now looks more like the version from the Original trilogy, when Lando turns to Han and blandly states, “I hate you,” to which Han replies with a smirk, “I know.” This moment was acted successfully by both Ehrenreich and Glover, and I felt that it was able to truly capture the essence of the characters portrayed 38 years prior.

Finally, as far as recurring characters are concerned, there’s Chewbacca. To provide some context, the last time Chewbacca was seen in a Star Wars film was during Revenge of the Sith, in the Battle of Kashyyyk. It was during this battle that

Order 66 was issued. Chewie aids Master Yoda in escaping the clones ordered to hunt and kill him, then bids Yoda adieu. That’s the last we see of Chewbacca until this movie.

When first introduced in this film, as the monster in the pit, I thought they were bringing out a Rancor or some other terrifying Star Wars beast. Much to my surprise, and the surprise of the audience around me, Chewbacca was the towering menace stepping out of the shadows. The actor tasked with this role is actually the same body double from both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, Finnish basketball player Joonas Suotamo. Due to various health-related issues stemming from Marfan’s syndrome, Peter Mayhew, the original Chewbacca, was unable to return to his iconic role as Han’s fuzzy sidekick, but never fear, as Suotamo carries this role well.

In this film, I felt that the writers finally utilized some of the various planets and background stories provided by the animated shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star

Wars Rebels. Corellia, having been mentioned as Han’s homeworld in previous movies, was finally given a chance to be depicted, and I thought it was great. In passing, Corellia has been referenced several times throughout various TV shows and video games, and has gained itself an interesting reputation. Comparable to modern day Detroit, in that the population is riddled with crime and more are trying to leave the planet than return to it, and the main industry is space-ship building, much like Detroit’s main trade is in automobiles. Another location I was happy to see brought up and visited by the movie was Kessel, the spice mines in particular.

The whole point of the movie was to provide a backstory for the infamous smuggler, so it was imperative that the event of Han’s famous ‘Kessel Run’ be visited. The sequence of events involving the Kessel Run had almost an Indiana Jones meets Oceans Thirteen vibe, what with the ensemble cast carrying out a heist to retrieve a precious object.

BX CONNECTS | Pages 23 –24

alex stone presents

I

can hear “the Graduation song” now, immediately, the instrumental one, although it is followed by the VItamin C version, heard loudly blasted through starter cars and portable speakers as a bunch of seniors blast off toward their futures. Good times. So, because I am lazy and feeling slightly unimaginative, I decided to compile some films loosely tied to a central theme of [imagine a drum roll, growing in intensity for as long as you feel comfortable with] Graduation In Some Fashion. Yay.

Superbad

The Graduate

I think the idea of writing a school appropriate recommendation for this movie could be funnier than the actual movie, but definitely not for the reader, mainly for me. Superbad is the collaboration of childhood friends Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg stemming from the ultimate question “Could we write a movie?” Yes, they could. The infinitely quotable and unflinchingly raunchy party film stars Jonah Hill and Michael Cera as lifelong friends going out with a bang as their separation looms due to their acceptance at different schools.

We follow them as they make noble attempts to...

NOT SCHOOL APPROPRIATE. Truly a rollicking good time.

Having a fit of existential dread over your life feeling out of your own control? Living in constant fear of your impending future at such intensity that you decide to lash out against your parents in a case of stunted rebellion? Want to live vicariously through a self destructive post-grad making life changing decisions based on impulse? Like the music of Simon and Garfunkel? If you answered yes to any of the preceding questions, get some help. Then watch this movie. Probably the most gratuitous abuse of the defined topic as it doesn’t really feature graduation, however it does encapsulate all of the insecurity that accompanies it.

Senior Quote: [Can’t post for school reasons] 2nd Choice pick: People don’t forget!

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Senior Quote: “It’s like I was playing some kind of game, but the rules don’t make any sense to me.

They’re being made up by all the wrong people. I mean no one makes them up. They seem to make themselves up.”... “And here’s to you Mrs. Robinson!”

High School Musical 3

Perks of Being A Wallflower

I think that when you ask anyone what film is the perfect representation of their high school experience, they think of the final film in the HSM trilogy. The quintessential high school film, perfectly applicable to every single high schooler.

I mean, whenever I feel unsure of myself, I know I sneak into my school at night and Inception myself through the hallways as a hundred basketballs fall from the sky, accentuating my dance moves as I power walk through the halls, singing out my feelings.

Truly relatable.

This movie is the tumblr starter kit. It has everything: Vinyl, The Smiths, edgy photography, a gross misrepresentation and romanticism of mental illness, MASH. You know, the classic stuff that the girl in your study hall who listens to Rex Orange County would post about on her blog.

Really, this film is pretty good, not nearly as dark as the book, but it produces some good performances, especially from Ezra Miller, who made this film almost directly after We Need To Talk About Kevin, another great teen romcom. This film goes out to all of the underclassmen, watching as their senior friends leave them and go off to Penn State, leaving you a codependent shallow husk of a person with only a typewriter to your name.

Senior Quote: “Toodles”

Senior Quote: Just go on Tumblr and search the movie, you can get a cheesy quote and find a poorly done edgy fan edit. It’s a 2 for 1 special!

Say Anything I honestly haven’t seen this movie in a decade, however I do recall the opening scene in which their principal introduces the Valedictorian with a truly cringy declaration. A masterpiece indeed. I quote this often.

Senior Quote: “Hey world check me out!”

BX CONNECTS | Pages 25 –26

Cuts first LP Album Article by | Laurel Biedrzycki

Coming close to their two-year anniversary, X-Ray Cat is getting ready to come out with their biggest project yet. On June 15, 2018 they’re releasing an LP that consists of six songs. Two of the tracks were featured on their split that came out in 2017, but have been drastically revised for the LP. The album, which will be self titled, was recorded over the course of a few months with Levi Miller in his Martinsburg studio.

Its long process was due to the fact that there was difficulty scheduling days around school and work as well

Summer Venues

as having to scrounge up enough money in between each session. Despite this, the album was put together and is ready to be released on Mike Frazier’s Geneva Records.

The album itself was made with a collaborative effort, but the song-writing aspect is mostly thanks to bassist Luke Rangel and vocalist Laurel Biedrzycki.

Guitarist Collin Boyer constructed instrumentals for Robin II and Get in the Flask while Laurel wrote their lyrics and melodies, while she wrote the entirety of Not Collin’s Song. Riverlily, El Green Tights, and 141 are Luke’s creations, and there’s a distinguishable difference between his and Laurel’s songs.

In Laurel’s, you can hear the driving force and fast-paced punk rock sensibility that cuts the songs about two minutes shorter than Luke’s more drawn out, patient songs. The bassist’s songs have melodic tones and slight folk roots that make for

a more alternative sound. The two songwriters have different yet similar ideas going into writing music.

Laurel prefers to make statements through music, whereas Luke expresses his personal emotions in an abstract way. Having both styles on the album would seem strange, but Laurel’s growling and husky vocals result in a sort of unity between the songs, tying them neatly together.

It creates a comfortable contrast throughout the album that’s meant to keep listeners interested.

Not only is the young band releasing new music, but they also have something else in mind, though they’re not quite sure how they’re going to pull it all off. Over the summer, their goal is to go on tour through the East Coast. They believe that their only option for the time being is to take Luke’s minivan and somehow figure out a sleeping situation. If they don’t get the whole tour thing squared away, though, they want to at least play in Philadelphia and a few other places along the East Coast.

Article by | Justina Koenig

If you’re bored and need something to do this summer, you should come check some of our local musicians playing at The Brightbox.

The Nighthawks, June 1 Karen Jonas w/ Josh Morningstar, June 9 From the vault Grateful Dead tribute band, June 9 Brendon Fletcher, The Voice semi-finalist, June 30 Mike Frazier & the Dying wild w/ X-Ray Cat, Early Riser, Benzo & Larenzo, July 15

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Runa, August 3 Christian Lopez Band, Aug 3 Bumpin Uglies, Aug 18 And don’t miss out on all our favorite local band X-ray Cat’s release show for their new upcoming album on June 16th at Hopscotch.

BX CONNECTS | Pages 27 –28

Prom Attracts Approximately 400 Students this Year Article by | Madison Lazenby

“It was fun, even though I left early,” Samantha Jeffries, a member of the Prom Committee, said on her prom experience. “I liked it, and I know a lot of other people liked it.”

This year, the prom was Masquerade-themed. Students were provided with an array of masks to wear and the gym was decorated like a ball with more masks, strings of lights, and a metal arch for taking pictures. There were also more photo areas in the commons, and plenty of food to eat, including Chick-Fil-A. At the end of the night, seniors Jaden Stump and Emily Learn were crowned Prom King and Queen, respectively.

“I actually thought somebody else would win,” Emily Learn said of the experience. “I was very surprised.

I didn’t even think I would be on the ballot.” However, Jaden Stump, who is the son of science teacher Ms. Stump, said that he had a “feeling” that he would win, but he said, “It still kind of surprised me.” This was Stump’s third time being nominated to a “court,” which included both Prom and Homecoming court, which he remarked on by saying, “Third time’s the charm, right?” Both the king and the queen said that they were glad that the other won, as they knew each other fairly well before winning their titles on Prom night.

Both Learn and Stump said that they enjoyed the rest of Prom as well. “I had a good time,” Stump said. “I liked it a lot better than last year’s.” Learn agreed with him and said, “I think the juniors did an ex-

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tremely good job setting it up.” Both also enjoyed the theme of the prom as well. “I liked [the masquerade theme] a lot, it was very different and I know that it hasn’t been done before,” Learn said, adding that she particularly loved the photo areas provided. “I thought it was a pretty cool theme, I know they’ve been pushing for it for a while,” Stump said.

Ms. Lingo, one of the two teachers supervising the Prom Committee along with Ms. Powers, said the reason that the committee chose a masquerade theme was because they had tried to do the theme twice in the past, but it was never approved.

This year, however, it was approved because the committee was able to provide masks that had sticks on them and would not be tied on, thus following the dress code’s rule against wearing masks in school.

Junior Keona Robinson, a member of Prom Committee, explained that some students did not like this compromise, as many students wanted to bring their own mask. “The day that we were handing out invitations, people were like, ‘What? You can’t make your own mask?’” she explained. Samantha Jeffries also said that though she saw some students tie the masks to their face, she didn’t think it caused any kind of problem at the dance.

Robinson said that one reason the committee chose a masquerade theme was because it seemed “cool and mysterious.” She also said that she wanted the students to be able to feel like they were involved in the

creation of Prom by having them each have a mask to wear. Jeffries said that they chose the theme because, “We were looking for something elegant.” Jeffries also added, “We were trying to find something that didn’t have to do with nature, but would feel elegant for prom.”

When it came to organizing the prom, Jeffries believed that deciding on the theme was the easiest part of organizing the prom and decorating the gym was the hardest part. Robinson, on the other hand, disagreed with her and said that hardest part of organizing was making decisions and the easiest part was decorating.

The Prom Committee ended up selling about 400 tickets, but they aren’t sure if that many students attended, as Millbrook’s prom was the same day as two other school’s proms in Frederick County. Ms. Lingo explained that the committee did not know about the schedule conflict until after they had selected the date. “There’s not much we could have done because of Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, and Apple Blossom,” she said. Robinson felt that it would have been better if the prom was on a different day than the other ones, as she said that there would be students who wanted to go their significant other’s prom as opposed their own, which she believed caused a lower turnout for Millbrook’s prom.

Jeffries felt that about 300 students ended up coming to the prom this year.

BX CONNECTS | Pages 29 –30

Meet the Staff

This is Why We Do Drills “If you think you need to [pull the fire alarm], pull it.” - Mr. Hawkins “At first, we heard [the fire alarm] echoing through the hallways, and we weren’t sure if it was real or not.” - Megan Farmer, 11th grade Article by | Madison Lazenby

J

Justina Koenig Videography

ustina Koenig is a 16 year old Sophomore that works with videography for the BlueXpress. She enjoys listening and exploring the local music scene within Winchester with her best friends. Her best friends are in the band X-Ray Cat, giving her an exclusive look into the music scene.

Before she goes out, Justina always makes sure she looks her best in the latest trends with a new color of hair. Dyeing her hair is one of her favorite things to do because it gives her a cute, unique new look.

Her work with videography in the BlueXpress stems from a love of film. Not only does she love watching films of all genres, she enjoys making them. Typically Justina focuses on making miniature films that involve a wide range of topics.

Justina loves meeting new people with diverse backgrounds and ideas because it inspires her to become a better person.

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The April 11 school day seemed to be cut short before it could even begin. Before the morning bell could ring, the fire alarm rang instead.

“I had just gotten into Mr. Ratliff ’s class,” junior Megan Farmer said, remembering her experience that day. “At first, we heard it echoing through the hallways, and we weren’t sure if it was real or not. We weren’t sure if it was a drill or not, and Ratliff was like, ‘Just leave.’”

At the time of the fire, Assistant Principal Mr. Hawkins explained he and Ms. Price were at Shenandoah University, but as soon as they got the call about the fire, they made their way back to Millbrook immediately, where they were briefed on the situation by Mrs. Puglisi and Mr. Mankins. When they arrived, Mr. Hawkins said all the students and faculty were already outside.

Similarly, Mr. Mankins, the head of athletics and activities at Millbrook, said, “I learned about the fire the same time everybody else was learning about it.” Despite the apparent confusion of the students having the alarm go off so early, he thought they handled it very well.

“People knew what to do. Everybody waited for instructions,” he explained. He also believed that the student response was due to the high number of drills that the students have followed both in Millbrook and in their other schools, even though, he explained, it’s not normal to have fire drills that early in the morning.

“That is why you do drills,” he added.

The Timeline At 7:50 AM, before the morning bell even rang, the fire alarm sounded throughout Millbrook High School. Several students were still in the hallway when it happened, causing the students to be confused on where to go until the teachers began ushering them out of the

school building.

The students and teachers gathered on the grass outside the building as several fire trucks arrived on the scene with several more waiting nearby as well as fire marshals and police officers. It is around this time that Mr. Hawkins and Mrs. Price arrived at Millbrook. After several minutes of waiting, the students were then directed into the gymnasium, which was cleared by the fire marshal and is a fire safe area. Megan Farmer described the gymnasium as being “too crowded” and she added, “I couldn’t hear anyone.” After taking attendance inside, the students and teachers stayed in the gymnasium until about 10:00 AM, when they were released to their first period classes.

Frederick County Public Schools released on Millbrook’s website that day that the situation did indeed involve a “small fire,” though they did not confirm how it was started. For the rest of the day, the B Hallway, where the fire occurred, was closed off, meaning that students needed to reroute how they got to their afternoon classes. Farmer explained that she would get a “really bad headache” whenever she walked too close to that hallway. FCPS also said that the situation had been “resolved” and said that “the school day resumed as normal.”

At 11:00 AM, all students attended their fifth period class, and following that class the rest of the school day followed a normal Day 1 schedule.

The Aftermath The following day, April 12, the B Hallway was open for students to walk through, though the bathroom in the middle of the hallway was marked off with yellow tape, solidifying the theory that the fire occurred in the bathroom.

The tape was removed the following week, allowing students to use that

bathroom.

With just the knowledge of the location, the details of the fire and the person who started it has not been made public knowledge. Megan Farmer explained that there are a range of rumors surrounding what happened with a range of plausibility. She said that there is a rumor she believes and several that she does not. However, for sake of accuracy of information, none of the rumors will be discussed here. Though he is not able to reveal who started it, Mr. Hawkins was able to confirm that the investigation is closed and that the fire was intentionally ignited.

Mr. Hawkins, who has been working at Millbrook since its opening fifteen years ago, said that this was the school’s first major fire incident.

“I don’t recall any like this,” he explained. “We’ve had the sprinklers go off in a restroom one time, and we’ve had smoke detectors or dust sensors go off accidentally.”

Looking back on the event, Mr. Hawkins believed that the students’ response was successful due to the extensive amount of fire drills during the school year. However, he also said that it is important for students to understand the rules and regulations surrounding a fire.

For instance, he said that students should take better note of where the fire extinguishers are by looking for the red arrows above the designat-

ed lockers. “There are somewhere over sixty fire extinguishers just in the main building, but you’d probably never know where they are unless you looked,” he explained, and added that the administration is looking at new ways to better identify them in the hallways.

Mr. Hawkins also said that students should not be afraid to pull the fire alarm if they believe that there really is a fire. He explained that there is a stigma surrounding the fire alarms, in that students are afraid to pull it because they may get in trouble.

In the past, Mr. Hawkins has tried to combat this by having a student pull the alarm whenever a fire drill is held. “If you think you need to pull the fire alarm, pull it,” he said.

“You’re not going to get in trouble.

If you’re acting in an emergency situation and that’s what you did, you reacted and you made a decision; we can always dissect the past and may say, ‘Well, you know, you may not have needed to do it,’ but if there was a fire and you pulled it, you did the right thing.”

Mr. Hawkins also recommended

that students follow the school’s policy of “See something, say something,” as he called it. “That is our suspicious behavior reporting plan,” he explained, adding that it extends from other fire incidents to student issues.

“It’s just a running joke now,” Megan Farmer said on how students view the fire now, though she personally believed that the administration handled the situation well, as she said that she felt safe during the situation. She also said, “I actually like the fact that we have a lot of fire drills because it did seem very organized.”

BX CONNECTS | Pages 31 –32

Trammell Anthony Article by | Caroline Unger

Trammell Anthony, also known as number 22 on the football field, is a graduating senior. According to Coach Haymore, Trammell “is a very positive player; an excited player. I think he really opened up and was able to understand what it took just to have fun playing the game.” The first year Trammell played at Millbrook, he was focused on being successful and was wrapped up in that goal. “He was not as loose as he was this year.” Coach Haymore said that confidence could have been the issue. This year he was more relaxed and he is a very successful player. “If you go out and just have fun, success comes. I think he realized that.”

Trammell started playing football in the second grade before taking a break in eighth grade. He eventually went back to football in his junior year. Football is not the only sport he’s known for. “I play basketball and also travel team for basketball.” Trammell described the past season as being a long season. He mentioned how the frequent temperature changes were quite odd. “It was fun because I played with all my friends and it’s my last year. To be able to play with them and win nine games straight was pretty cool.” Trammell will be continuing his football career next year at Shenandoah University.

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Top Picks Data compiled and graphs created by | Anica Moran & Emily Keller

Top Rated Sports Events

Top Rated Class

Football - 64% Basketball - 16% Soccer - 12% Baseball/Softball - 8%

English - 35% P.E. - 28 % Choir - 21% Art - 16%

Top Rated Clubs

Top Rated Teachers

FCCLA - 33% DECA - 28% FFA - 20% Key Club - 19%

Mr. Kelly - 32% Mr. Arney - 24 % Mrs. Henderson - 24% Mr. Ratliff - 16%

BX CONNECTS | Pages 33 –34

Meet the Staff

Athletic Scholarships Signing the Bottom Line

Kei Cortez Photographer

Issac Brown Football

Alexis Weir Volleyball

Kaitlyn Tirona Softball

(Left to Right) Amari Anthony, Maddie Green, Haile McDonald Basketball

Ryan Houchens Baseball

(Left to Right) Robby Watts & Darin Douglas Soccer

Carrington Nordin Soccer

(Left to Right) Nerys Apple, Bryant Baustisa, Chira Bell, Tommy Camillo, & Grant Myers Music

(Left to Right) Trammell Anthony, Brandon Shingleton, & Jayden Johnson Football

K

ei Cortez is a sophomore and part of the photography department, this is her first year in journalism but she plans to stay till her senior year and she wishes to one day be head photographer for the BlueXpress. Journalism has helped her develop skills such as photo editing and communication skills. In her free time she likes to look up useless information on google, watch movies, listen to the same song on repeat, make strawberry milk, or paint.

She plans to take some sort of photography/art class or camp away from school to learn how to use a camera to its best ability and to continue making pieces of art. Later on she will like to begin a career in professional photography, but for now she will be in journalism taking embarrassing pictures of her friends and making them her screensaver on her computer in class.

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Reporting by Carolynn Unger Ryan Houchens

Photos by Sabrina Castillo and Steven Shaffer

Cara George

Baseball

Softball

What are some accomplishments this season?

Cara: We actually won some games this year. That’s an accomplishment because we didn’t have a very good record in the past years. Our senior night a couple weeks ago we beat one of the top ranked teams in the district. We had another game where we lost by two to the top ranked team which is pretty good, so we’re improving.

Ryan: Everybody thought that this year was going to be a rebuild year for our team. We were in first place for the conference and the district for the entire season. It came down to one game and we ended up being in third for that tournament but still way better than anybody thought we were going to do this year.

What do you feel is your job as a senior?

Cara: Definitely to show the remaining teammates how to take control of the team. We have six seniors this year, which is over half of our team. The remaining players really need to step up next year and show the underclassmen what it’s like to be on a varsity team. So now we just have to be the role models to show them how to do that.

Ryan: Whatever they need me to do. If they need me to come in at the end of the game and just help the team any way I can. Or if I need to run for somebody, whatever I can do to help.

How do you feel about having a senior role?

Cara: We just communicate a lot and we try to help the girls improve any way they can.

Ryan: It feels pretty good. Just being an example for the other guys feels really good.

BX CONNECTS | Pages 35 –36

We Bid Adieu to the Senior Crew!

Kaitlyn Perkins, Cara George, Sabrina Castillo, & Emane Blanson Photography

Nicole Hauck Artist

Nelson Garay, Blake Curry, & Joel Sherman Video Production

Laurel Biedrzycki, Anica Moran, Anna Fox, Gwen Zirkle, Emily Keller, & Grant Myers Reporting Staff

Dylan Boyer, Josh Abbott, & Luke Rangel Web Design

Ryan Crosson, Jacob Gearheart, William Gearheart, & Ben Schwab Graphics

To the Senior Staff, We would like to express our gratitude by saying thanks! Thank you for all the hard work you have put into this paper and good luck in all of your future endeavors. We know you will excel in whatever you do.

-the BXP Staff

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BX CONNECTS | Pages 37 –38

Xpress Sponsor

Cliff & Debi Campbell Chuck & Lisa Hauck Mr. & Mrs. Price

Blue Sponsor

Jill Stone Oma Lazenby Maribeth & Andrew Carmichael Bill & Julie Lazenby Nancy Schriher

Advertising and patron dollars help support MHS’s newspaper and journalism program. Dollars generated are used to offset the cost of print production, assist with conference attendance, and various purchases made to help keep our program current. You are helping us become an integral part of our community. Patron level is determined by the following scale: Friends $5; Bronze $10; Silver $15; Gold $25; Blue $50 and Xpress $100+.

Gold Sponsor

Beth Keller Jose Moran Rebecca Moran Grant Myers Greeley & Carrie Myers Brian Fox Gordon Burton Christine Webb Mr. & Mrs. Nick Baker Knollwood Community Preschool Beth Blye Jill Ann Keenan The Ranko Family Shane Logan

2018 ADVERTISING SPECIAL Advertise with us and your ad will run online, in print and in our magazine for a one time payment of $75. mhsbluexpress@gmail.com

Silver Sponsor

Randy Larrick Dawn O’Brien Bennett Family Carolynne Paton Leigh Bennett

If you would like to advertise with us or become a patron sponsor, see any member of the staff or contact us at mhsbluexpress@gmail.com.

Bronze Sponsor

Mike Furda Kim Counts John Sherman Kevin & Kristi Unger Macy Logan Tammy Greer Michelle & Brian Patterson Lori & Bill Courson

Friend Sponsor

Barbara Larrick Angela Smith Jeff Abbott Jocelyn Abbott Keesha Brooks Emane Blanson William Gearheart Jacob Gearheart Tammy Brant Alex Stone Matthew Bennett Nicole Hauck Steven Shaffer Dawn Buehler Tonya Keffer Michelle Long Jennifer Stover Matt Cottino

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Pioneer Pride Since 2003

Student of the Year Awards Art Lindsay Greer Band Tommy Camilo Choir Chira Bell

2018?? it’s in your hands!

Past Issues of the Yearbook The Brooktrails staff has past issues of the yearbook!

If you didn’t have the opportunity to purchase a copy of the Brooktrails or you’ve lost one or maybe it was damaged, most years are available and the cost is $15 per book.

Drama Grant Myers English Damien Smith FACS Paige Wilson Health & PE Trammell Anthony Journalism Emily Keller Anica Moran Math Anthony Wiencko Guidance Office Aide Kemali Pinnock Office Aide Jaden Stump Resource SOL Maria Ayala-Castro Resource PLC Travis Spindle Science Gabriella Dunemann Social Studies Zachary Hicks Technology Ed Treyton Salvato Writing Center Audrey Nakagawa World Language Shanna Marin-Pierce Yearbook Brittany O’Donnell

BX CONNECTS | Pages 39 –40

Millbrook Prints, or as the BlueXpress has coined it, M-Prints is a media outlet created with the goal to represent our Millbrook student body through posters, photographs, and graphic designs of involved Pioneers. The posters shown below are samples of what the graphic design team has created using staff photos and are available for sale in a 16 x 20 high resolution digital format for $25. M-Prints are posted under the ‘More’ tab on our website at www. bluexpress.net. To purchase an M-Print, see any member of the staff or contact us at mhsbluexpress@gmail.com.

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From the Archives May Album

BX CONNECTS | Pages 41 –42

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BX CONNECTS | Pages 43 –44

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BX CONNECTS | Pages 45 –46