BlueXpress 1516 Publication

The BlueXpress

May 2016 Volume 13 Issue 1

MILLBROOK HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER • 251 FIRST WOODS DRIVE • WINCHESTER VIRGINIA 22603 • 540-545-2800

Image by | Michaela Blankenship

Traditions Old and New Story by | Eliza Grigsby As Millbrook grows older, its traditions grow stronger. Each year the school holds events such as the Powderpuff, Homecoming and Bricksquad games, the Homecoming pep rally and dance, athletic signings and the Veteran’s Day ceremony. All these traditions come together to form Millbrook High School and what it stands for.

This year’s Powderpuff game had an outstanding 480 attendees. Junior and Senior football players coach those who sign up to play for the teams the week leading up to the game. When the juniors and senior

girls went head to head, the seniors remained victorious, although all of the 50 girls who played had fun.

30 Advanced Sports Marketing students organized the event, under the supervision of Mr. Pendleton.

Along with this annual event, there was a tailgate before the game which had cornhole, refreshments and great music, making old traditions even greater.

Homecoming is a big time of the year for many high schools, but Millbrook makes this week special in its own way. Our spirit week had great participation and everyone enjoyed mismatching, twinning and taking

part in the other theme days, as well as decorating the halls. At the pep rally, students signed up for competitive games. The student body watched the cheerleading team perform, as well as the band and Powderpuff cheerleaders. Nazeeh Johnson made this pep rally especially memorable by asking his girlfriend, Octavia Sharp, to the Homecoming dance with help from the rest of the football team.

The football team went on to beat Rock Ridge at the Homecoming game 54-0. Colin Hood and Taylor Linder were crowned Homecoming King and Queen.

See Old and New, Page A6

Fight Cancer Week Story by | Eliza Grigsby

Image by | Kiara Torrey Millbrook Fight Cancer week culminates with the Go Pink game and ceremony on Friday night. The girl’s basketball players present survivors with pink carnations. Junior Julie Davis hugs her mother, Beth Andres, a one-year breast cancer survivor.

Story by | Sammy Burke Pictures by | Kiara Torrey

Along with Millbrook’s lasting traditions, the school also revisited an older event this year, hoping to reestablish it as a Millbrook staple. Last held three years ago and led by Ms. Sanders and Ms. Madden, Millbrook High School Fight Cancer Week came back this year.

MHS Fight Cancer Week is a week dedicated to cancer support where the administration and student body help raise money for cancer research. Many events were held the week of February 1st-5th.

Throughout the week, students were asked to dress in colors symbolizing different types of cancer. Monday was purple for all cancers, Tuesday was gray for brain cancer, Wednesday was orange for leukemia, Thursday was prostate can-

cer with light blue and Friday had everyone wearing pink for breast cancer.

During lunches each day, Millbrook’s clubs organized a carnival in the cafeteria. The clubs decorated tables and each had different games students could pay to play, such as cup stacking and cornhole. All games raised money for cancer research. Along with the carnival, the clubs made themed gift baskets to raffle off, including a Valentine’s Day basket, a Millbrook basket, a movie and a book baskets. Administration sold Millbrook Fight Cancer tshirts and raffled off Mrs. Butler’s parking spot as well.

Thursday night, Millbrook held the Coffee House in the cafeteria, where students performed their musical talent or recited poetry for anyone who

See Fight Cancer Week, Page A6

Shrek the Musical

From Thursday, April 7th to Sunday, April 10th, Millbrook students performed Shrek, the Musical. The show was quite different from anything the students have performed here before, but they were willing to take on the challenge. Over 1,100 people came to see the show, easily proving that this was one of the best shows Millbrook has produced. According to director, Mr. Brian Kelly, “The turnout for the musical was great. I thought the performances went really well.” The students rehearsed each day and took their roles in the show very seriously. They also managed to make many great memories together. The students are already excited to prepare for another musical next fall.

“The show was a lot of fun to perform. I loved that there were many people whose talents shone regardless of their role.” --Mellany Groll

came to enjoy. The admission was free and refreshments were sold, as well as wish lanterns with proceeds benefiting cancer research. Everyone headed outside after the performances to the practice field to light and set off the wish lanterns in remembrance of those who are fighting, survived or have passed away due to cancer.

During the week, DECA held a door decorating competition.

Study halls decorated their classroom doors for cookies, and each door decoration was displayed at the basketball game on Friday. Mr. Campbell’s study hall won the competition, with Mrs. Henshaw’s class coming in second.

On Friday, both the boys and girls basketball teams played a doubleheader with a ceremony

“It was a great experience. I’m really glad I got to do it because everyone was a big family.”

-- Nerys Apple

“Shrek, the Musical is really relatable to people our age. They don’t really know what their place is in life.” -Chad Adams

“My part got tedious at times and even painful, however I think we pulled through and had an enjoyable show.” --Ethan Russel

Take Us With You

Mobile Xpress www. blue xpre s s . ne t Two Sections, 24 Pages Editorials Columns Community/Traditions Reflections Sports Entertainment

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Senior Life Collage Senior Map Memories Sports Faculty Farewells

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Editorials

Book Banning Sends

Mrs. Terry Hartman demonstrates one component of the Run, Hide, Fight initiative by hiding under a desk. If you don’t have a clear path to escape, the next best plan is to find somewhere safe to hide.

Shivers Down My Spine Story by | Gwen Zirkle “That was what it felt like- as if one had always been in that place and never been bored although nothing had ever happened.” - The Magician’s Nephew

by C.S. Lewis. A challenged book is a book someone has publicly spoken out against and has tried to ban it. A book that has been banned would no longer be available in the public place from which it was banned. This is intolerable. A library is a place for people go in order to find a world of their own and that shouldn’t be taken away. The Magician’s Nephew, by C. S. Lewis, has been challenged several times and banned in several places for reasons such as witchcraft, violence, religious views, and the most ridiculous reason; it’s a fairytale. In this story, Polly and Digory touch rings and enter a forest filled with small pools. When they step into a pool, it takes them into a different world. The forest is like a library and every book takes the reader into a different universe, it would be wrong to try and take that away from them.

From 1990-2008, 28.2% of books that were sexually explicit were challenged.

Other top reasons for challenging books are: offensive language (23.9%); not appropriate for a certain age group (19.4%); violence (11.8%); satanism (10.1%); sexuality (8.1%); religious beliefs (6.4%); nudity (4.8%); racism (4.1%); and drugs (3.2%). Most challenged books are challenged for more than one reason. For example, everyone has at least heard of the beloved Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

Harry Potter is a commonly challenged series and is frequently called evil.

The seven books are disputed because people don’t agree with Harry, Ron and Hermione’s behavior, it offends their religious views, the books contain witchcraft and the series is anti-family.

The first amendment guarantees every U.S. citizen certain rights, three of the rights being freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press. Having freedom of religion allows everyone to openly practice the religion of their choice without having

interference from public places. So why are books being banned based on religious viewpoints? Just because something offends someone’s beliefs doesn’t mean it should be banned. The freedom of expression is simple; it guarantees people the right to express themselves.

Books allow us to express ourselves by reading certain content; and if not an expression of ourselves, books are most certainly an expression of the author.

The freedom of press allows people to write what they want and banning a book restricts the author’s ability to write how they feel. Banning a book violates two constitutional rights, and banning a book because it offends your religion violates three.

In most libraries, the librarians are responsible for buying books to be placed in the library. Usually, libraries use taxpayers’ money to purchase these books. This upsets some people because they believe if the library is using taxpayer money then the library should only contain books that they read. Those people don’t understand two simple things: one, some books have been donated by other people, and two they are not the only taxpayer.

Every citizen of the U.S. has different opinions and every U.S. citizen pays taxes. Therefore, to get upset because a librarian has purchased a book which contains content you don’t agree with is inconsiderate. Not only is it offensive to the librarian, but it is also offensive to someone who has previously read the book and enjoyed it. Libraries receive a variety of donations from a variety of people and organizations; that means not every book that offends someone was bought with taxpayer money.

Libraries generally house two major sections, Fiction and Nonfiction. Nonfiction books are books that contain facts and tell about things that have actually happened. Though some Nonfiction books are enjoyable and entertaining, most are used for research.

Nonfiction books allow readers to become smarter. They allow readers to learn. They allow the reader access

Mass Shootings: What to do Story by | Joseph Kaiser In 2015, there have been at least 353 mass shootings in the United States according to ShootingTracker.com. Mass shootings are becoming an increasing problem in the U.S. as the numbers of incidents are drastically increasing.

Correlating with the increasing amount of mass shootings in the United States is the increasing measures that not just schools, but businesses are preparing in the event of a shooting.

As of the start of the New Year, the Run Hide Fight YouTube video has gained over 4 million views. Although each death is still one too many, the good news is that workplace-related violence has significantly fallen to rates of one third of what it used to be despite the fact that mass shootings in general have increased significantly. Up until the 1999 Columbine High School shootings, students would typically surround the building and wait for the SWAT team to come to the rescue. With that tactic proving to be ineffective and after many victims coming to the point where they would take their last breaths, law enforcement significantly altered their training and tactics in the event of a shooting.

What is the first thing you’re encouraged to do in the occurrence of an active shooting event? Run! Find the nearest exit which may be the main entrance, an emergency exit, or even a window.

If that method of exiting leaves you minimal or no risk of getting injured, take that opportunity and get out of the shooting scene while you can. If the coast is clear take as many people with you as you can, if not then make your getaway as quick as possible. If you see injured individuals, the hardest hit on

your conscience may be the fact that you have to leave them behind. The best thing you can do for them is to tell them to play dead as you make your escape.

Otherwise you may be endangering the lives of yourself and potentially the injured victim. If you have the opportunity, take your cell phone.

Find the best place to hide once you make your escape. Determine what the safest room in the building may be. If it’s possible avoid windows as the shooter may shoot through the glass. Find a room as large as possible to fit as many people as possible. Once you enter the room lock the door, barricade it with as many heavy objects as possible, stay away from the door frame, spread out from everyone, stay low, and be quiet.

When you’re in your safe zone, take the opportunity to call 911 if you’re able to low key it without the suspect knowing.

If you’re ever caught in a situation where you’re forced to face the shooter, fight back! Find any objects in the room that are preferably heavy like a fire extinguisher and use it to bash the suspect on the head if you’re able to. Most rooms in the building will always have an object in the room that you can use to defend yourself. If you find the suspect by a wall, use that wall to your advantage by bashing the suspect’s head against the wall. Tackle the suspect onto the ground if you have the chance.

Do whatever it takes to defend yourself.

So what are steps that can be taken to not encourage further incidents of mass shootings? The first step is to avoid glorifying the suspect in any media. Any glorification may inspire the next suspect to strive for gaining that attention, despite that it’s negative attention. InSee Mass Shootings, Page A5

See Book Banning, Page A4

Road to the White House Story by | Joseph Kaiser In recent months, this presidential election has certainly evolved to become one of the most unique and controversial elections to occur in modern history. The highest polling candidates are currently Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Business Mogul and Presumptive Nominee Donald J. Trump. Although Clinton and Sanders have a gap of less than 300 in pledged delegates, Clinton has above and beyond the amount of Superdelegates that Sanders currently holds. Clinton is only 144 delegates away from the Democratic nomination, while Sanders is still a good 914 delegates away from earning the nomination. Though Sanders is hoping that he can take the fight against Clinton all the way to the national convention.

Only ten months ago, Trump was just entering the presidential race, with material that former Daily Show host Jon Stewart had described as put-

ting him in a “comedy hospice” shortly On illegal immigrants: “When Mexbefore his departure from the show. Be- ico sends its people, they’re not sendyond Stewart’s ing their best. bold mockery They’re sendof Trump, other ing people late night talk that have lots show hosts and of problems news outlets and they’re have not shied bringing those away from the problems. name. Trump, They’re bringand certainly ing drugs, his remarks, they’re bringhave dominated ing crime.” media coverage.

On Muslims Those remarks entering the include the folUnited States: lowing: “Donald J. On John McTrump is callCain when he ing for a total was a prisoner and complete of war: “He’s not a war hero. He’s a shutdown of Muslims entering the war hero because he was captured. I United States.” like people who weren’t captured.”

On Russian President Vladimir Pu-

tin: “Putin is a strong leader, he’s making mincemeat out of our President.”

On the loyalty of his voters: “I could stand in the middle of 5th avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose voters.”

Besides his highly controversial statements directed towards illegal immigrants, prisoners of war, Muslims, Vladimir Putin, his voters, and the poorly educated, he has even assigned nicknames to his political rivals. Trump referred to Jeb Bush as “low energy” and “lightweight Jeb”, Marco Rubio as “Little Marco”, Ted Cruz as “Lyin Ted”, John Kasich as “1 for 38 Kasich”, and currently refers to Hillary Clinton as “Crooked Hillary”, and had previously labeled Bernie Sanders as a communist.

With Trump receiving the largest crowds by far, it’s no secret that Bernie Sanders, expected to end his bid eventually as Clinton is within arm’s See Election, Page A5

Black Lives Matter Story by | Ashley Pink Racism is the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races. Black lives matter is an international activist movement, originating in the African American community, that campaigns against violence toward black people.

The topic of racism is often swept underneath the rug due to the fear of making others feel uncomfortable. People tend to shy away from this topic as if it no longer a dilemma. News flash: racism is just as real now as it was 60 years ago. Racism is very much alive.

Not all acts of racism are clear. It can be done behind closed doors or simply in the minds of others by stereotyping.

Racism is not only targeted at one race Republicans Hold First 2016 Presidential Debate

but it could be toward anyone of color.

A huge movement has started this past year known as Black Lives Matter and it has sparked a lot of controversy. Some say the slogan is racist because it does not necessarily focus on other races.

However, this is wrong. Saying Black Lives Matter is not saying that all other lives do not matter. It means that right now in this particular time we all need to come together regardless of race because all minorities goes through similar issues. All lives matter and none are more valuable than another.

The Black Lives Matter riots and protest came along when more and more innocent lives were taken at the hands of police. This movement was set up to stop the violence and unite everyone together as one to promote peace.

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Social media plays a large part in this movement. When seeing something on the news, there is a huge chance a person will see the same story again on their desktop. This is how news get around.

People are free to express however they feel about what is going on in the world, near or far. When people watch and enjoy a simple video on Facebook, they want to share it and encourage others to learn and talk about it. This is the same case when seeing something that is not favored. Nowadays, a nasty comment can be left on the video or post and it can be shared back to the world. Only this time with different intentions. It can be looked at as heaven or hell when the public post their own opinion. Whether or not the person is properly educated on whatever situation they have come

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across, they will still react off what they have just seen.

The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter shows how the world has changed. A simple hashtag can spread like wildfire.

This is completely different from many years when things got around by word of mouth. When an issue groups more than 250,000 people together demonstrating how to put things in effect, it shows how the world has revolutionized sending a message behind a screen. It can knock people knocked out of their seats, but not put things in clear perspective for them to act on it.

Whether it be #BlackLivesMatter that stops the violence or anything else, the human race must take a stand. Together as one we can overcome anything.

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Columns YouTube: Then and Now Sabrina Castillo writes reviews and informational backgrounds on YouTubers, as well as articles about their products. Please visit our website at www.bluexpress.net for additional articles.

Column by | Sabrina Castillo

Dan and Phil are a British power duo that live in London, England. One cannot have one without the other. It’s like having peanut butter without the jelly. They first started out as internet friends and later met on October 19, 2009.

Dan and Phil have their own channels and share two channels. Danisnotonfire, Dan Howell, has been making YouTube videos since October 16, 2009. Even though Dan isn’t very proud of it, his first video is “HELLO INTERNET.” AmazingPhil, Phil Lester, posted his first video, “Phil’s Video Blog - 27th March, 2006,” on March 27, 2006.

Before Dan started making YouTube videos, he was a massive fan of Phil; some might say Dan was Phil’s number one fan. Dan made a video (jokingly) on how to befriend an internet star, featuring Phil.

Aside from the jokes and the questionable tactics, Dan explains, in the description of the video, that is the gist of how he and Phil became friends.

Since social media was just starting (20042009 are when social media sites started to merge) and not many people were on social me-

dia, it was easier to make contact with internet web stars. Dan would constantly pester Phil on Twitter. He would mention that they had the same interests such as music and TV shows.

Phil noticed they had so much in common, so he decided to contact Dan. They became very close a few months prior to them meeting each other in October.

Dan and Phil announced in November 2012 that they would be hosting on BBC Radio 1 on Sundays at 7pm to 9pm. They allowed their listeners to interact with them and the show by letting them do challenges to play a song of their choice. This was called Fan Wars. Listeners at home could go on to the BBC Radio 1 website to watch a livestream of the radio show. Music videos made by fans were also streamed during the livestream.

As of September 1, 2014, their radio show has been changed to Mondays from 9pm to 10pm. The radio show is known as the “Internet Takeover.” They used to only host the first Monday of each month allowing different YouTubers to take over the show. They eventually ran out of

Emily Keller compiles playlists every week with themes from 80s music to Pink Floyd. She also reviews albums and writes informational articles on specific artists and bands.

Please visit our website at www.bluexpress.net for additional articles.

Hottest Songs of the

2015-2016 School Year Column by | Emily Keller

1: Hello By: Adele

8: Stitches By: Shawn Mendes

2: Perfect By: One Direction 3: Work By: Rihanna ft:Drake 4: Cake By The Ocean By: DNCE

9: Piece by Piece By: Kelly Clarkson 10: Pillow Talk By: Zayn Malik

5: Fight Song By: Rachel Platten 6: Stressed Out By: Twenty One Pilots 7: No By: Meghan Trainor

See YouTube, Page A5

M-Fit: Freshman 15

Column by | Ashley McManamay Preventing the gain of weight, commonly called the “Freshman 15” can be difficult as there are many contributing factors to this commonly used expression. Being away from home for the first time could either be a blessing or a curse as this could be a time for students to break free and consume all the junk food they want without parental limits.

Or it may be a time of stress leading to emotional eating. In addition to that, there are classes and new friends taking up a majority of college life, not to mention the not-so-great cafeteria choices.

Stress will undoubtedly be a part of this new lifestyle as well, so if this isn’t something a student has previously dealt with, they need to get ready.

Exercise will most likely not be in the curriculum and forget about homecooked meals. Focusing on health in the midst of this madness seems nearly impossible, but luckily there are some options and simple switches to ensure a healthy mind and body throughout the experience.

First of all, be prepared. At the beginning of the year, parents will normally stock their children’s dorm room with snacks and necessities but soon they will run scarce. Preparing meals and planning times to snack ensure that your body is constantly fueled instead of snacking out of boredom or simply because the food is there.

Also, stock smart snacks. Late nights and stress can lead to binge eating.

Choose snacks that combine protein and carbohydrates to fuel you. Good snack options include apples and peanut butter, carrots and hummus, greek yogurt, and wholegrain cereal.

Always eat breakfast.

Breakfast literally means to break the fast that has been endured throughout the night while the body has been deprived of food.

Breakfast is an easy way to get the body moving in the morning by jump-starting the metabolism to provide energy to the brain and muscles throughout the day. Again, protein and carbohydrates are key. Good breakfast options include hard-boiled eggs and fruit, whole-grain toast with peanut butter, or a granola bar and fruit.

Cafeteria 101. The cafeteria can be water in a diet. As for coffee, try drinkeither a good or bad experience when it ing it black. It may be difficult at first comes to dining. Often universities offer but it will be worth it in the long run. high-calorie-foods and oversized por- Most coffee without additives is roughly tions but they also provide nutritious options. In this situation, pick the salad Ashley McManamay’s weekly column has bar over the pizza, ask for showcased health and wellness. For additional substitutes such as gluten free bread and egg whites articles, please visit www.bluexpress.net. and always incorporate fruits and vegetables. Access to the cafeteria is included in the 2 calories per cup. price of tuition so take advantage of the Lastly, exercise. Exercise won’t only o p p o r t u n i t y prevent the Freshman 15, but it can but make it prevent heart disease and is immensely w o r t h w h i l e important to maintain the body’s flexfor the mind ibility, endurance, and strength. It is important to exercise in order to reand the body.

A n o t h e r lease endorphins after a great deal of huge contrib- stress is placed on a person. Instead utor to weight of trying to make time to go workout, gain is calorie make simple changes in a daily routine. intake from Instead of taking the bus, walk or ride b e v e r a g e s . a bike to class if that is an option, do Don’t drink squats or heel lifts at night before bed, c a l o r i e s . and use spare time with friends to get Whether it active. There are usually fitness centers be fruit juice, around campus but playing a simple a fountain game of volleyball or frisbee could be a drink, or ad- quick fix to get the heart rate up. It may ditives to coffee, it is always better to not seem like much in bulk but every drink water. It is called the universal little bit counts especially when health solvent for a reason. Water has so many is at stake.

It may seem difficult to change eating benefits other than the fact that it is free of sugars, fat, and calories. Water habits, but it gets easier with time and can help curb an appetite and aids in it is quite simple. Remember these little ridding toxins by flushing the body. The tips throughout the first year of college human body is made up of roughly 73% and prevent the risk of the Freshman water so it is super important to include 15.

The 1:1 Chromebook Initiative

Story by | Elizabeth Thomas Over the past two years, teachers and students at Millbrook High School have begun incorporating the Google environment into classroom learning. Carts with Chromebooks were bought for each department for class use on a limited basis. Teachers and students began seeking ways these Chromebooks could

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help students learn. Teachers attended professional development sessions, collaborated, and shared ideas. The more advanced Google teacher users offered to lead professional development sessions for their peers. Students offered input, suggested apps they found and used effectively to help them learn.

We all worked together to advance our school in the use of Google products.

This spring, teachers were given Chromebooks for their use in addition to their current laptops. Having the Chromebooks gives them time to experiment, learn more about the Google environment, and try out apps to be more creative in their teaching. Teachers will be able to offer a more hands-on, flexible approach for empowering students with tools for learning and collaboraMultiple Massive Wildfires Rage in California

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tion next year.

When students return in the fall, they will be assigned a Chromebook for their use at school and at home. Going 1:1 will give students the ability to work more efficiently, collaboratively, and share their learning.

I like to quote a principal, Nick Sutton, from an online article on edutopia. com, “A Chromebook is not, nor will it ever be, a replacement for a caring, pas-

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sionate, and driven teacher. To put it simply, a Chromebook is simply a tool for educators to utilize and increase student engagement and achievement. Great people make great schools-Chromebooks just allow schools to find whole new levels of greatness.”

With that in mind, Millbrook is a great school. Our 1:1 initiative will just allow us to find whole new levels of greatness.

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On Campus Tear-filled Eyes and Heavy Hearts Story by | Ashley McManamay

Active Duty Military Personnel by Branch

Image by | Ashley McManamay Veterans partake in a breakfast prior to the ceremony produced by the Student Learning classes at all three county high schools.

On November 10th, 2015, Millbrook hosted their eighth annual Veteran’s Day breakfast and ceremony. The doors opened for Veterans at 8:15 to settle in for breakfast which began at 8:30. The servicemen received fruit, breads, bagels, pastries, and chicken minis from Chick-fil-a, along with juice and hot coffee. Following the breakfast, students arrived to greet and mingle with the Veterans as they made their way to the auditorium for the program. The program began around 9:40 where the introduction was presented by students in the Service Learning Government class.

Moving into the auditorium, students from all three Frederick County High Schools greeted and helped the transition. A handful of students presented speeches about Patriotism and the significance of Veteran’s Day. Speeches also included stories about the trials and tribulations of serving in the military. Elijah Doyle presented a speech about Mr. Lewis, one of Millbrook’s history teachers, and his experience being a captain in the army. Students also contributed heartfelt memories and experiences learned throughout their interviews with some veterans prior to the program.

After they finished, Ms. Butler, our principal, said a few words in honor of these brave men and women. Following her speech, Mrs. Tara Woolever spoke about the

class that made the program possible and expressed her gratitude for their efforts.

In addition, the symphonic band played the anthem from each branch of the military and encouraged the veterans to stand and be recognized during this time for their service. The Men’s Choir was directed by Mr. Kelly as they sang a very moving song entitled “Last Letter Home”. There were tear-filled eyes and heavy hearts after viewing pictures of loved ones and several video clips from interviews, but also a feeling of fulfillment and gratitude.

A World War ll Veteran stated, “It’s nice that we can have a gathering place to see everyone happy because normally it’s just a reunion at someone’s funeral.” The audience offered their condolences for the lives that were lost and a shout of praise for those who were still standing strong today. A round of applause was held for the last few minutes of the program as the veterans made their way back to the commons.

The ceremony had a large turnout, consisting of many veterans and their family members making this one of Millbrook’s most unforgettable programs, a proud tradition that is carried on each year. As the veterans left the parking lot, elementary students from Redbud Run cheered for them and waved flags.

Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry

Story by | Gwen Zirkle and Anica Moran

A Heart Warming Novel

Simone Elkeles Books: Perfect Chemistry series: Perfect Chemistry, Rules of Attraction and Chain Reaction How to Ruin series: How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, How to Ruin My Teenage Life and How to Ruin Your Boyfriend’s Reputation Leaving Paradise series: Leaving Paradise and Return to Paradise Wild Cards series: Wild Cards (also known as Better Than Perfect) and Wild Crush

Story by | Gwen Zirkle

Image by | Gwen Zirkle

New York Times bestselling author Simone Elkeles spoke to a few students from Sherando and Millbrook High Schools about the life of an author. Her speech was humorous and gave great insight into what hardships as well as prosperities an author faces.

Through her writing journey, Simone Elkeles has had many fun experiences doing research for books including getting her gun certification, going on duty with a deputy and being locked in a jail cell. “Tell them you’re an author and they’ll let you do anything,” said Elkeles.

Simone Elkeles’ least favorite thing about being an author is not having enough input when it comes to titles and covers. Perfect Chemistry was the most changed book from her original vision. It was supposed to be called Zero Tolerance and Simone even tied this title into the book. The publisher refused it.

She also isn’t fond of all the new Perfect Chemistry series covers because she felt the old ones appealed to boys and girls better.

The most difficult thing about writing is deadlines according to Simone. She admits she is constantly distracted by the internet. She even bought Freedom, a computer program that doesn’t allow her to use the internet during a certain time of day.

Her favorite thing about writing is the fans. She loves reading their emails and hearing their stories.

She never set out to change someone’s life, but has heard numerous stories from fans about the impact her books had on them.

The best advice Simone can give to aspiring writers is to finish the book. She thinks it’s important to finish one idea before starting a new one. Be sure to pick up one of her books and get lost in her brilliant stories.

“We’re actors in our lives, pretendin’ to be who we want people to think we are.” - Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. Perfect Chemistry is a romantic novel about two high school students from seemingly different backgrounds and their worlds colliding. Alex, an intimidating bad boy in a gang, and Brittany, the perfect girl with a perfect world, are forced to work on a chemistry project together. Brittany and Alex learn that not everything is what it seems on the surface and that it’s okay to break the mold.

Brittany constantly tries to hide her real life from everyone, even her best friend, Sierra, and her boyfriend, Colin.

She tries hard to keep up her perfect illusion so everyone knows she’s the best. Alex is doing the same, making sure everyone is intimidated by him and people are sure not to mess with him. When Alex and Brittany are together, all their walls and illusions fall apart and when they are separated, all they can think about is being with each other.

In an attempt to prevent herself from falling in love, Brittany keeps telling herself she has a boyfriend. She believes the solar system would fall out of alignment if she dated Alex. Alex convinces himself that he is only hanging out with Brittany for the bet he made with a friend, Lucky, to sleep with her before Thanksgiving.

Perfect Chemistry is a heart-warming novel, an easy read and a great story. If anyone is ever looking a relaxing book to read, Perfect Chemistry is that book. It teaches people that first impressions aren’t always correct, that stepping out of a comfort zone can be a nice change and that they don’t have to stick to their stereotype.

Book Banning From Page A2

St. BALDrick’s Story by | Gwen Zirkle and Anica Moran

On Friday, November 6, 2016 in Millbrook’s auditorium, Alan Cortez, Elijah Doyle, Elyk Amick, Alex Hicks, Madelyn Shores, Nick Orndoff, Ryan Kim, Kyle Keenan, Nathan Wiens, Mr.Rogus, Mr. Wooley, and Ms. Redcay shaved their heads to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. This annual event was sponsored by the LEO Club.

“All my friends said I couldn’t do it,” said Nick Orndoff. Nathan Wiens said, “I feel weird, a little light headed.” The St. Baldrick’s website explains that, “The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a Gunman Kills at Least Seven at Oregon Community College

volunteer-powered charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long, healthy lives.”

“We need to model what it looks like to make a difference,” said Ms. Redcay. As of November 6 the school had made $2,129 to donate to St. Baldrick’s, $2,871 short of their $5,000 goal. This has become a Millbrook tradition and will continue next year as several students are already expressing interest in shaving their head for this great cause.

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Prime Minister Koirala Resigns After Nepal Passes New Constitution

Supreme Court Term Begins

Obama Announces Reversal on U.S. Troops in Afghanistan

are more than old enough to chose what is appropriate for themselves. If they go so far as to try to get rid of a book because it made them uncomfortable or they didn’t agree with something in the book, they are immature. Obviously, they aren’t ready for the young adults section yet.

Books of all kinds can teach you things; even if you don’t agree with the content within. Your eyes can be open to experiences and you may view the world in different ways. Books teach powerful things and on the hundred plus pieces of paper covered in ink, you can find yourself, you can find solace, you can find friends, and you can find a family. To take the characters, the story and the lesson away from people is cruel and heartless. Don’t ban a book because you think it’s evil because in doing that you yourself become evil.

The purpose of writing this was to say, don’t speak out against a book for previously mentioned was the first amendment and I am not trying to violate your freedom to petition. By all means, share opinions and tell others what your think, but just don’t prevent others from forming their own opinions on the same material by banning or challenging a book.

7.5 Magnitude Earthquake Hits South Asia and Kills Hundreds

Trudeau’s Liberal Party Pulls off Upset Election in Canada

Multiple Bombings Kill Dozens in Turkey’s Capital

U.S. Airstrike Hits Hospital in Afghanistan

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October 2015

to knowledge, and to ban knowledge is to impede a person’s ability to learn.

There should be no cap on the amount of knowledge one can obtain.

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines fiction as, “written stories about people and events that are not real: literature that tells stories which are imagined by the writer”. A fiction book is imaginary, make-believe, a tale, not real. It doesn’t exist. If you wanted, you could even call it a lie. If a fiction book offends someone; if they don’t agree with something that’s in there; if it doesn’t fit into or contradicts their views and belief, one needs to simply remember… it’s fiction.

It’s extremely child-like to let something be offensive so much that someone takes up the responsibility to make sure no one else ever gets a chance to form an opinion on it. People claim that children are exposed to this material. If it’s a younger child, books have summaries on the back in order to let their parent know what it’s about and most libraries will have a child section. Now we have even more resources to find out if a book is appropriate for a young child. It’s called the internet. It’s very easy to type into your phone “is blank appropriate for a nine-year-old?” or “what is blank about?”. Once a child is older and entering the young adult stage of life, they

Russian Airliner Crashes in Egypt

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Patricia Strongest Pacific Hurricane to Hit Landfall

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U.S. Sends Troops to Fight ISIS in Syria

A5

On Campus

Congratulations to these seniors selected as Millbrook’s Star Leadership Award nominees.

Imani Major

Annie Cebrzynski

Hannah Croyle

Colin Hood

Election From Page A2 reach of the nomination, had received the second largest crowds. While Donald Trump has a good amount of blue collar workers excited, Bernie Sanders has been exciting millennials all over the nation in what Bernie Sanders describes as a “political revolution”.

When it comes to the issues, Clinton believes in a $12 minimum wage, more affordable college, continuing universal health care under the Affordable Care Act, continuing to fund planned parenthood, increased taxes on the wealthy, and increased regulation of Wall Street.

Bernie Sanders believes in a $15 minimum wage, free college, a single payer health care system, increasing the corporate tax rate, a tax increase on the wealthy, declassifying marijuana as a schedule 1 drug, and breaking up the big banks.

Donald Trump believes in building a wall on the U.S./Mexico border and making Mexico pay for it, sending illegal immigrants back to their home countries with a possible pathway back to the U.S. while using raids as a way to enforce the immigration laws, eliminating or dramatically reducing the Environmental Protection Agency,

Image provided by the Yearbook Staff As the race starts, the Millbrook flag is waved over the runners. “Although it was cold, throwing the colors on the participants was a blast, pun intended. It was a great experience and a successful run.” -Ally White

Color Me Blue Story by | Ashley McManamay

On Saturday, October 24, Millbrook High School hosted the Second Annual Color Me Blue 5K Color Run. Registration started at 8am and the run itself started at 9am. New obstacles were added to the course this year to ensure more fun and variety.

The 5K Color Me Blue Run is a fundraiser that benefits the Millbrook Pioneer Athletic Association (MPAA). All runners began the race dressed in white with the goal of getting covered in blue by the end of the run. Many volunteers from the community, school, and Millbrook’s National Honors Society stood on the sidelines at different “color stations” to throw blue-dyed cornstarch. Many awards were given throughout the race. The first 75 runners to register received Pioneer Cinch Bags. There were “Bluest Female” and “Bluest Male” awards along with the “MHS Class Challenge” award.

The senior class won and was awarded with free Chick-fil-A sandwiches. Runners of all ages were warmly welcomed with Pioneer spirit. First place for males was Paul Ebersole, age 14, from Winchester, VA, who clocked out with a time of 19:32.3. First place for females was Rebecca Martz, age 21, from Berkeley Springs, WV, who clocked out with a time of 23:17.3. The Pioneers had a blast with this Second Annual Color Me Blue Success.

carpet bombing ISIS occupied areas, killing the families of terrorists, less regulation of eminent domain, and entrusting states with their own education systems while encouraging competition between schools.

While the two likely general election candidates seem to be between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, it’s up to the voter to educate themselves on the issues both foreign and domestic and which candidate best aligns with your beliefs on who is best fit to be commander in chief. Even if your candidate hadn’t made it past the primaries, made your voice heard by voting in the general election by choosing the better of the two candidates.

If you decide to choose an alternative, ask yourself, “What are the chances of this candidate getting the majority of votes?” and “Is there a strong chance of my candidate taking votes away from one of the two main candidates that would result in a win for the candidate I would vote against no matter what?” These elections impact your future, and it is your duty as a citizen to be informed on the issues and to let your voice be heard. Get in line and follow the sign!

Mass Shootings From Page A2 creasing legislation would be another reasonable step to take so that the mentally unstable don’t have access to these weapons in the first place. While many gun owners are wary about increased legislation, it is very reasonable to believe that if government officials educate them and compromise with them on the steps they need to take to reduce gun violence, that they

will find common ground on a new set of laws that will be put in place in order to reduce the amount of mass shootings and shootings in general. With the help of the citizens, the government, and the media of our nation working together, our combined efforts are capable of reducing potential mass shootings and ultimately capable of saving lives.

State Worthy Pioneers Posted by | Inginio Villatoro

Football: PK Kier, 2nd Team Running Back

Girls Basketball: Lauren Reed, 2nd Team All-State

Swim: 13th Place 200 Medley Relay -- Abbey Esslinger, Lindsay Fairbanks, Eliza Grigsby, Taylor Linder 9th Place 200 IM -- Abbey Esslinger 12th Place 100 Butterfly -- Abbey Esslinger 12th Place 200 Free -- Lindsay Fairbanks 17th Place 500 Free -- Patrick Northrup

Wrestling: Trae Sine, Qualified for State Band: Tommy Camillo, All Virginia Concert Band Noah Flanigan, All Virginia Jazz Ensemble

Volleyball: Imani Major, 2nd Team All-State

Indoor Track: Tyler Cox-Philyaw (2 time State Champion) Alec Schrank

Cheerleading: Kamryn Koller, 2nd Team All-State

Choir (All-Virginia Chorus): Amber Derosier, Imani Major, Emily

Teese, Bailey McKee, Pualani Felling, Danielle Gonzalez, Jake Bingman, Nick Gray, Joey Drake, Chad Adams, Carter Black, and Chad Adams Alternates: Claire Cook, Chiara Mosher, Jared Guardino, Drew Durbin, Luke Mosher, Colin Hood, Tyler Cox - Philyaw TSA: Ricardo Sanchez, Connor Poulton, and Nicole Hauck, 3rd place in Video Game Design FBLA: Logan Apple, All-States for Computer Gaming and Simulation Programing Logan Apple, 3rd in Desktop Application Programming in the state

YouTube From Page A3 YouTubers to host the show, so they do most of them now with occasionally bring back YouTubers, who already hosted, to host again.

With the addition to Dan and Phil’s personal channels, they both have their standard second channel (Phil’s secondary channel is LessAmazingPhil and Dan’s is Danisnotinteresting.) where they post short or irrelevant videos that won’t suit their main channel. They have three joint channels. Super Amazing project was a channel where Dan and Phil posted videos about strange news, challenges, and spooky happenings. They hosted the channel for 3 series and it has

Obama’s Immigration Overhaul Halted by Appeals Court

Strong Jobs Report May Lead Fed to Raise Interest Rates

Royals Win Their First World Series in 30 Years

now been taken over by Victoria Atkin and Alastair Murden. On May 2, 2014, they created DanAndPhilGAMES. They post videos of them playing a variety of games. They only have a let’s play for The Sims 4 and Undertale.

For an April’s Fools joke in 2015, Dan and Phil created DanAndPhilCRAFTS. They only uploaded one video about them making squareflakes. The video has cringeworthy editing, ‘pro tips,’ and false promises of two videos a day. On April 1, 2016, they posted a second video to the channel where they make glitter faces on a piece of paper with the same qualities as the first video.

On October 20, 2015, Dan and Phil released The

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Amazing Book Is Not On Fire. Prior to release, it has been in first position on multiple websites. The book became a New York Times bestseller just right after release. When they announced the book on March 26, 2015, Dan and Phil announced that they would be going on tour to accompany the book. Their tour, “The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire,” first started in the U.K. and will be touring the United States during the summer. The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire (TABINOF) is a reflection of their videos. TABINOF is a memoir of their own lives and their life together as roommates.

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Bill Gates Launches Multi-billion Dollar Clean Energy Fund

Three Killed at Planned Parenthood Shooting in Colorado Springs

At Least 27 Are Killed in Mali Hotel Attack

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China and Taiwan Leaders Will Meet After Sixty-Six Years

Opposition Party Appears to Win Landmark Election in Myanmar

Three Coordinated Attacks by ISIS Kill Dozens in Paris

Russian Warplane Is Shot Down in Turkey

Adele’s 25 Shatters Sales Records

A6

Community

Blue Xpress Staff

Why do we BLOOM?

Editor in Chief: Bethany Melvin

Images provided by | The Melvin and Grigsby families

Managing Editor: Eliza Grigsby Brandon Wyatt

Video Production: Bryndan Swaner Juan Garcia Will Zirkle Jacob Aguilar Charles Wann

Photographers:

Abby Valladares Sammy Burke Ariel Payne Miranda Husband

Many families view the Fireman’s Parade, as well as the Grand Feature, each year.

The town is awash in pink and green.

Graphic Design: Kiara Torrey Bradley Sampson

Staff Reporters:

Anica Moran Shivani Amin Sabrina Castillo Ashley McManamay Gwen Zirkle Joseph Kaiser Inginio Villatoro Mackenzie Shrout Zeth Beazer Michael Contreras Ashley Pink Emily Keller

Bethany Melvin waves from the 89th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Honorary Fire and Rescue Chief float as she represents Greenwood Volunteer Fire and Rescue from the In-town side. Each local fire company sends a representative to participate in the Grand Feature parade each year.

Eliza Grigsby paints faces of eager runners before the annual Bloomin Mile on Saturday.

Advisors:

Cliff Campbell Maribeth Carmichael

Newspaper Pioneer Patrons 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. Becoming a Pioneer Patron, you are helping us become an integral part of our community. To become a patron sponsor, see any member of the staff or stop by room 449. Patron level is determined by the following scale: Friends $5; Bronze $10; Silver $15; Gold $25; Blue $50; Xpress $100+.

Xpress Sponsor | $100+ Cliff and Deb Campbell Carolyn Butler

It’s what we DO! From Page A1 The Homecoming dance had to be rescheduled due to weather, but attendees had fun nonetheless.

The Bricksquad is a tradition that many students look forward to every year. Just like the Powderpuff games, junior and senior volleyball players from Millbrook’s team coach the boys who have signed up in the weeks leading up to the event. The juniors and seniors each play the teacher’s team, and then each other in a game of volleyball. The juniors were the first to play the teachers and the teachers won 25-15. The seniors then went against the teachers who won 25-22. Lastly, the seniors beat the juniors in two sets, the first match ending 22-15, with the second ending 24-20.

Pioneer Spirit Awards are given every year to students nominated by their teachers for demonstrating a core character trait. These awards are highly valued at Millbrook, and each year students are honored in a ceremony where Mrs. Butler, the principal, gives out their award.

Veteran’s Day is of great importance to Millbrook, with a large ceremony for veterans held at the school. The veterans are served breakfast and students are able to talk and keep

Gold Sponsor | $25 Lynn Hillyer Beth Keller Rebecca and Jose Moran Bill Courson Shirly Gurry Dawn O’Brien Emily Keller Anice Moran Phoebe W. West Elizabeth Thomas Silver Sponsor | $15 Kristen Colebank

From Page A1 for cancer survivors before the game. The basketball teams gave out carnations to the survivors, who had free admission. During the game, many handmade fight cancer themed products were sold with proceeds going to cancer research.

Overall, the school raised $6,000, which was donated to local patients fighting cancer. When asked how she thought the week went, Ms. Sanders said, “It was great...especially when we came off of a blizzard week and some people just weren’t aware in the beginning, but as a school, students, staff, faculty, everyone jumped in and $6,000 is a great amount to raise. I was really impressed.”

As next February rolls around, administration hopes to bring back MHS Fight Cancer Week with more excitement than ever.

As Ms. Sanders said, “We’d like to make it an annual event for Millbrook High School.” They are hoping they can add this very special week to the list of traditions Millbrook is known for already.

Friends | $5 Ingrid Molina Juan Garcia Evan Wyatt

Azerbaijan: 32 People Die in Offshore Oil Rig Explosion

Over 600 Migrants Seized by Police in Western Turkey

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them company before the ceremony starts. Student speakers from the Service Learning Government class speak in the ceremony, with performances from Millbrook’s band and Route 7 group. This year, the class president from Daniel Morgan also spoke, showing that even the youngest leaders understand the importance of our veterans.

Lastly, we always dutifully honor our seniors who are continuing their education and sports career by signing to their committed school. This year, Rylee Learn, Nazeeh Johnson, Trenton Burgreen, Lauren Reed, Imani Major, and others signed to different schools for their sports. The signings are a tradition which is carried on for any successful athlete senior going to college and continue playing.

Along with the strengthening traditions, new staples of Millbrook now include MHS Fight Cancer Week and the Pioneer Pig Out which were both started this year. With current students and administration helping to solidify these annual events, they will leave a lasting impression on the school, as Millbrook will continue to define itself in the students’ and community’s lives.

Fight Cancer Week

Bronze Sponsor | $10 Gerry Zirkle Tonya Keller

December 2015

Each year, parade-goers are treated to lively, colorful Bolivian dancing as part of the Grand Feature parade. Virginia is home to the largest Bolivian-born population in the country.

Old and New

Blue Sponsor | $50 Maribeth Carmichael Michelle Larson Marcy Ranko Evan and Tina Wyatt

Zuckerberg to Donate Facebook Shares, Worth $45 Billion, Over Lifetime

Senior Bethany Melvin had the pleasure of meeting Baltimore Orioles legend, Cal Ripken, Jr. at the Grand Feature Parade.

The First Reusable Rocket Oil Prices Become a Problem for U.S. Steel Makers Returns from Orbital Space

Women Win Council Seats in Saudi Arabia’s Landmark Election 13

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All Military Combat Roles Now Open for Women

Trump Calls for Ban on Muslims Entering the U.S.

U.N. Climate Summit Agrees to Global Pact

Two GOP Presidental Candidates Drop Out of Race

Guinea Is Declared Ebola Free

A7

Traditions

Capt ring the Memories Reel One: Homecoming and Bricksquad

Reel Two: MHS Fight Cancer Week

Sophomore Kamryn Koller stands as a member of the Homecoming court during halftime of the Homecoming game. Colin Hood and Taylor Linder were elected Homecoming king and queen. The football team are captured in action during the Homecoming game against Rock Ridge, ending in a win for Millbrook, 54-0. After football season, the bricksquad game took place with the seniors playing the juniors and staff in a game of volleyball. The seniors remained victorious.

Posing in purple during MHS Fight Cancer Week is Ms. Butler, Ms. Walker and Mrs. Gianino support Pancreatic Cancer. Baskets made by Millbrook teachers and clubs were raffled in the main office throughout the week. Wishing lanterns were let off after the coffee house, an event to showcase Millbrook talent, and Mr. Wooley was voted to wear a pink costume. Three members of the BlueXpress staff, Gwen Zirkle, Ashley McManamay and Kiara Torrey, won the door decorating competition. Lastly, there was a Millbrook Fight Cancer basketball game to support cancer research. All money was donated to fund local patients.

Reel Three: Pioneer Pig-Out

Reel Four: Powder Puff Game

During the Pioneer Pig-Out, Mrs. Hartman jumped into the dunk tank and got soaked, while Hannah Croyle, Imani Major and friend pose as Millbrook atheletes. After Ms. Butler got dunked, Mr. Mankins climbed into the tank to claim her spot. Former teachers Mr. Hunter and Mr. Whipkey with present teacher Mr. Cottino wearing Millbrook blue. Pioneer patrons are seen having fun at the pig-out while supporting Millbrook High School.

Senior Mackenzie Shrout celebrates as she walks off of the field during the annual Powder Puff Game. The senior and junior girls played a game of flag football, while the boys became cheerleaders for the night. They are seen holding banners for the girls to run through at the beginning of the game. Next, seniors Mackenzie Shrout, Hailey Steffen and Ansleigh White watch the game, and the junior’s team pose for a picture. Lastly, Delaney Rosenburg and Octavia Sharp during a break in the game.

Reel Five: Ugly Holiday Sweater Day

Reel Six: Veteran’s Day

Millbrook staff Ms. Martin, Ms. Madden, Ms. Butler and Mrs. Carmichael show off their ugly holiday sweaters. Students Kailee Havrda, Emma Stone, Alec Shrank, Anna Demarest and teacher Dr. Nambiar pose as well. Mrs. Keenan and Mr. Haymore’s classes show off their sweaters with festive lights in spirit of the season. BlueXpress senior Ashley McManamay with sophomore Alexis Weir and Ryan Anderson gives the camera a thumbs up with their ugly sweaters. Millbrook staff and student display their festive outfits.

On Veteran’s Day, Millbrook hosts a Veteran’s Day Brunch and presentation in honor of those who have served. BlueXpress staff member Jacob Aguilar interviews a veteran for an informational video. Other veterans who came to the service are photographed as they walk along the red carpet lined with students and staff.

Pakistan: Suicide Bomber Attacks Polio Center

Saudi Arabia Executes 47 People

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Pentagon Seeks “Decisive Military Action” Against ISIL in Libya

Artists Call for Oscar Boycott

GOP Presidental Candidates Face Suicide Attack in Damascus Kills Dozens Off in Iowa-- Without Trump

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Alabama Beats Clemson in College Football Championship

Taiwan Elects First Female President

Record-Breaking Snowstorm Pummels East Coast

Zika Virus Spreading “Explosively” in U.S.

Boko Haram Burns Nigerian Village

A8

Reflections

What are you looking forward to most as a rising senior?

Story and Images by | Anica Moran, Sabrina Castillo and Emily Keller

Alex Whitmer

Alyssa Fricke

Julie Davis

Asia Mathes

Evan Hashill

The last year!

New classes for next year

Getting out of school early

Graduation

More opportunities for learning

Isaiah Fry

Jaffet Herrera

Jared Guardino

Josue Salinas Garcia

Kailee Havrda

No more school

Graduating

Enrolling in easier classes

New electives

More freedom

Maddy Watkins

PK Kier

Logan Apple

Quentin Goines

Sammy Burke

Having fun with friends throughout the year

Bossing all the little kids around

Fascinating higher level classes

Applying for colleges and the new photography club

Early release

Looking Back: A Freshman Perspective Submitted by | Mrs. Hillyer’s Ninth Grade English Class The end of each school year is a good time to reminisce on all that has happened and to reflect on new experiences. The BlueXpress asked a group of freshmen students to share some of their opinions and experiences as they began their high school journey.

Ali Devart: One of the most important days this year was the day I realized that if I wanted to go anywhere in life I actually had to do my work instead of just taking a nap after school everyday. Being dedicated to getting good grades and maintaining a social life was truly one of the hardest things.

Mary Duncan: High school was a real wakeup call for me. I participated in activities and the teachers at Millbrook really push me to be the best I can be and they are more than willing to help with troubling tasks. It has been a real joy to see how far I can go academically through the school. Key Club made it so easy to speak to strangers when my confidence was almost nonexistent. I am so ecstatic to continue the next 3 years as a Pioneer.

Madison Lazenby: As it turns out, I kick butt at PowerPoint Presentations!

I love Star Wars so freaking much!

It’s okay to be in a reading-slump! I can dance! Maybe it just means that I haven’t changed.Why do I even need to change? I’m someone I’m proud to be right now, and what’s wrong with that? The trouble was never changing who I was, it was managing to stay the same.

Evie Essligner: I think freshman year is a turning point in everyone’s life. I remember thinking how different it was from 8th grade. High school has challenged me to really become my own person and to step outside my comfort zone. Another great experience I have had

Syria Peace Talks Begin

Natasha Ortega: This year has turned out to be a positive outcome for me. I observed many changes among people and what true friendship means. I wouldn’t want to change any experiences or moments from my first year in high school. I’m going to stay focused on my studies and always think about my future. I’m not planning to lose sight of what’s truly important and I’m always gonna maintain myself strong and positive.

Luke Weiler: My favorite class is Basic Technical Drawing. It provides a sort of introduction to engineering and architecture - both fields I previously knew very little about, but am now extremely interested in. To me this is an important realization - that if I hadn’t attended Millbrook and taken this class, I might never have been exposed to the topic. I may have spent the last year learning History, Math, and English, but the most valuable thing I learned is about myself.

Azariah Boyd: I’ve been steadily gaining more confidence in myself and furthering my passion for music.

During the rest of the year I felt like I finally started to find my place in the world. I have good friends, and good teachers who encourage me to do the best that I can.

I can now go through the rest of my high school years knowing that I’ll be able to make new memories with the people I care about.

Sophie Edlich: When I left middle school on the bus for the last time, there was only one thing that was stuck in my head. It was over. It was all over, and now I would be going to

Einstein’s Century-Old Theory Proven True

North Korea Launches a Satellite into Orbit

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during my freshman year is joining a sports team.

Being around a team that is mixed with a range of ages from 14-18 is so much fun. You learn that age really doesn’t matter in high school. Being a part of something like that is so special and it is something I will never forget.

high school. High school seemed like a place where I would have lots of frustrating work, and hardly any friends. As I look back on my freshman year, I now know that when I left middle school it was not over, but just the beginning. I feel like overall, I am a much better person. Millbrook has changed my life for the better.

Will VanMeter: I was worrying about how well I’d have to do in order to graduate, and to get an Advanced Diploma. The school was bigger than any other one I’d been to, so I carried around a map with me at all times. My memory can be pretty bad, so I also carried my schedule as well. The first week went by pretty fast, and it wasn’t at all what I expected.

Tharan Sinnathamby: Something I would like to reflect on as a freshman is The Value of Making New Friends.

Friends have helped me make my way through the journey of my first year at Millbrook High School. It was hard for me to leave my friends from middle school. Then I came to the realization that making new friends was a must.

Angus Derrick: Over the course of my freshman year I learned how to fit in and how high school worked. I have had many fun, new experiences and have met many great people. I truly think I have become a better person for getting through my freshman year at Millbrook.

Gabriel Gekoske: Band had always been a major part of my life, and the last thing I needed on my plate was not fitting in amongst those who share the same passion as me. Primarily through the band program, my previously non-existent social life bursted alive and has only grown from there. I do not regret this year, and feel as if my experience is one that formed me into who I am today.

Jeb Bush Withdraws from Presidential Race

China Deploys Missiles on Disputed Island

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Donald Trump Lost the Iowa Caucus

Denver Broncos Win Super Bowl

Surpeme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Dies

Obama Announces Historic Visit to Cuba

Successful Test Drive for Space-Based Gravitational-Wave Detector

A9

Reviews The Force Awakens Story by | Gwen Zirkle

Finn: “We’ll figure it out. We’ll use the Force.” Han Solo: “That’s not how the Force works!”

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens was an amazing movie. The lead actors Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Adam Driver did phenomenal jobs in their roles and it goes without saying that familiar faces Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher did as well.

The plot focuses on Rey and Finn trying to get BB-8, a droid carrying a map to Luke Skywalker (who no one has seen in years), to the Resistance and out of the hands of The First Order. Rey and Finn receive help from the “War Hero,” better described as “Smuggler”, Han Solo and his partner Chewbacca. New characters were well developed and interesting while old characters stayed true to themselves.

The new movie shadows the first one Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

With the similarities in the plot and characters viewers get the sensation of the original Star Wars movie with a great mix of the thrill of watching a movie they’ve never seen before.

Episode VII is the first in a new trilogy and fans are waiting in anticipation for the next two movies coming out in 2017 and 2019.

If 2017 is just too far away that’s okay; there are also spinoff Star Wars movies. The first of which, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is coming out in December 2016. Rogue One will take place between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It will be directed by Gareth Edwards and will not relate to the current trilogy. A young Han Solo movie is scheduled for May of 2018.This movie is pretty much explained in the title. It’s a movie about Han Solo when he is young. The third spin off has been rumored to be about Boba Fett, but hasn’t been confirmed by Disney. It’s also expected to be released in 2020.

Star Wars Episode VII had great 3D effects. The 3D added depth and perspective to this amazing film. While awesome on an IMax screen, the laser focus 3D was slightly iffy if not sitting in the middle of the screen.

Now that the franchise is in Disney’s hands, fans expect great things from their favorite movies.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Movie Poster

The 5th Wave Story by | Bethany Melvin

Death of a Bachelor album cover by Panic! At the Disco.

Death of a Bachelor

The 5th Wave, recently an onscreen hit, is a highly recommended book. The book is a trilogy, followed by The Infinite Sea and The Last Star to be published May 24, 2016. The 5th Wave is a dystopian, futuristic, and post alien invasion novel. I would rate this book an eight out of ten.

The 5th Wave begins as a solo narration by the main character, Cassie Sullivan. Slow to start, but fast to pick up, Cassie accounts her tale of survival against an alien invasion. She has made a promise she must keep, and as the reader gets attached to her, they also get attached to the other characters. Cassie learns the trials of survival as she fights for her and her brother’s life. Earthquakes, tsunamis, disease, infestation, what will the next wave be?

Pros about The 5th Wave include attachment and emotion toward characters, uniqueness of the storyline, and a distinct way of narration using multiple characters to tell the story.

There is love, suspense, promises to be kept, and loved ones to save, all of which are a recipe for a good read. Cons consist of confusion at times because this is such an action-packed novel and multiple things happen at once, so the reader must follow many storylines. A pro and con is the extreme cliffhanger at the end. Luckily for me, the second book has been published and it took less than an hour to get the sequel in my hands. However, waiting for the third book will be a nail-biting experience.

I would recommend this book to a mature audience, not younger than 14. There is tough content such as death, gore, and suspense. Some content is not appropriate for all ages. There is no age limit above 14, but this is a must read for young adults and those older.

This series is definitely not one that goes downhill after the first book, they only get better as they go.

Story by | Emily Keller

Death Of A Bachelor was released January 15, 2016 and is the fifth studio album of Panic! At The Disco. This album is a follow-up to the band’s fourth studio album Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die. For example, Emperor’s New Clothes is a sequel to the fourth album’s song This is Gospel. The American Rock group’s first single off the album, Hallelujah, made history hitting the top 40 on the Billboard’s “Hot 100”. The second single off the album, Victorious, rocketed to #1 on iTunes, #1 on Billboard and trended worldwide on Twitter and Tumblr.

Track #1, Victorious, is about how Brendon Urie lacked athletic skills but made up for it with his passion and that is truly victorious. Other songs on the album include track #2 Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time,

track #3 Hallelujah, track #4 Emperor’s New Clothes, track #5 Death Of A Bachelor, track #6 Crazy=Genius, track #7 LA Devotee, track #8 Golden Days, track #9 The Good, The Bad And The Dirty, track #10 House Of Memories and track #11 Impossible Year.

There are many emotions contained in this album that really show off Urie’s amazing vocals. Brendon’s vocal range consist of over four octaves and seven notes (D2 - C7). He is truly one of the most amazing tenor singer of this generation and it definitely shows on this album.

This album is his farewell to being a bachelor and was recorded just before he got married to Sarah Orzechowski. On iTunes, the album is $9.99 and on Amazon this album is $9.65 new and on vinyl $18.04.

“Two possibilities exist : Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.”

- Arthur C. Clarke

X-Com : Enemy Unknown Story by | Bradley Sampson

X-Com: Enemy Unknown is a turn-based tactical role-playing game, made by Firaxis Games, where the player plays as the unseen commander of a military group dedicated to defending humanity against aliens. This game is not meant for children and has violence, gore, and some inappropriate language. This game has single and multi-player game modes, as well as a permadeath function.

In single player, the player will be given different objectives and tasks to do in order to keep support from the multiple different countries in the world. These objectives require the player to research different items that the player comes across on the missions, and building facilities to help expand the player’s coverage and power.

As the player progresses through the story, the aliens get progressively stronger and harder to

take down. In multiplayer, the player battles against another player, one team is human while the other is alien.

The permadeath function in the game makes any and every loss in the game feel so damaging. It also tends to aggravate those who constantly forget to save their game or those who think they will be fine not saving. The Random Results function makes it so that if the player reloads a game-save any events that may have occurred will now be changed.

This game is definitely good at keeping the player’s attention and making them very aware of saving. It keeps the player on their toes, making them prepared for anything that could come their way. This is a great game for anyone who enjoys strategy games and an even greater game for those who enjoy futuristic action games.

Monthly Gifts Story by | Sabrina Castillo

Box of September 2014

In the past few months, subscription boxes came into my life and now I’m broke.

Subscription boxes are monthly boxes that contain products for a certain theme.

There are boxes from beauty, food, clothes; anything you can think of there is most likely a box. I had the chance to try three food subscriptions and two beauty subscriptions.

Naturebox is a snack subscription box with over 100 snacks to choose from. It’s $19.95 for five snacks of 2-5 servings.

There is also a choice to get 10 snacks for $32.95. The first box is be 50% off. I would definitely recommend this as the snacks were mouthwatering and it’s a great price.

Graze is also a snack subscription box

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with over hundred snacks to choose from.

It’s $11.99 for eight personal sized snacks each month. You can get your first box for free, but only four snacks are delivered.

This is must, so you wouldn’t have to share as the snacks are single serving size.

Candy Club is a candy subscription box that sends premium candy with a retail value of $60. It is $27.99 plus shipping per month. In each box, there is about two to three pounds of candy. I would not recommend this box unless you have some money to throw away. The candy is pretty good, but I do not think you get the value Candy Club says each box has. Most of the candy are not, in my terms, premium candy.

Ipsy is a beauty subscription box. All the

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products come in a Glam Bag. It is $10 a month. Each bag comes with 4-5 full size or deluxe-sized products. Ipsy mostly consists of makeup products. They send a mix of high end and drugstore products. I would definitely recommend this subscription. They send great quality brands and you get your money’s worth.

Birchbox is a beauty subscription box.

Each box comes with 5 deluxe or samplesized products. This box is $10 per month.

There is one makeup product and the other samples are skin, body, and hair care.

They usually send higher end products. I definitely recommend this box to try out high end products for a low price.

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A10 Sports JV Girls Basketball

The Pioneer cheer squad waits in anticipation prior to winning the Conference 21 Championships.

Story by | Brandon Wyatt

The Lady Pioneers Basketball team has been one of the most dominant sports teams in Millbrook’s athletic program for many years. The varsity team has earned multiple state titles and playoff appearances and has signed many athletes to continue their athletic careers in colleges across the state and even the nation.

However, people seem to forget about the group of freshman and sophomores that make up the junior varsity team, even if they have a stellar team or spectacular season. Not only did this year’s junior varsity squad have both of these, but they did it with only five girls on the entire team.

Cailey Donaldson, Danielle Vanderhoof, Caitlyn Lawson, Rachel Keeler (all freshmen) and Katie Crosen (sophomore) were the five girls who tackled the tough task of playing an entire season of basketball with only five girls. Although there were mixed emotions about how their season would go, head coach Lisa Merriman and the girls immediately began to prepare for the obstacles ahead, and the season went a completely different direction than many of the girls expected, with an impressive overall record of 14-4.

“Probably after the third game of the season is when we started getting

better. That’s when we really started working together as a team and winning,” said Crosen.

Each of the girls knew each other beforehand, and all are seasoned basketball veterans, so working together and learning the plays was a breeze for them. Soon, their season had a complete turnaround, with many high and low moments throughout the year.

“One of the better moments of the year was when we won against Sherando with only four people. We basically played with three and a half people because I had a leg injury, so all I did was throw the ball in,” Lawson said.

H o w e v e r, with every triumph, there are some downfalls.

“Some games it was just really difficult to play because we always seemed focused on the negatives rather than the positives,” Keeler stated.

Overall, the girls’ junior varsity season truly showed what it means to be an underdog team, and that through trust, hard work and dedication, anyone can accomplish something, even with only five people. And while the girls are happy with how the season went, they are extremely hopeful that next year will turn out better with more people trying out.

Image by | Bethany Melvin

Cheering Our Way to

STATES Story by | Mackenzie Shrout

The season for the Pioneer cheerleaders was definitely one for the books. Although their goal of a state ring wasn’t met, their finish in the season was one that created a lasting memory in each and every one of them. Their first competition left them hungry for a better rest of the season after they finished third.

The previous season gave them a strong fight for pushing themselves during practice. A district title hadn’t been claimed, and with two alternates thrown in at the last second, they pulled through. A tough warm up for districts left the girls distraught, but in the end, they got it together and performed a perfect routine with zero deductions. Flawless. The announcer declared Millbrook as the champs and the crowd roared.

Next was conference, and as Millbrook took the mat as reigning champs, a less than perfect routine allowed them to have their doubts. As other teams

performed and had their mishaps, tensions were slightly relieved. Although no team was perfect, the playing ground was even and Millbrook once again pulled through to be back-to-back Conference champs. The crowd roared in excitement, as few also let out breaths of relief to once again be named the champions.

Although other teams pulled ahead of the Pioneers at regionals, a district and conference title wasn’t a bad season. Senior Mackenzie Shrout said, “I’m happy to say I was a part of a team that came out from being the underdogs to being the first team to put a year up on the banner in the gym, as well as having a chance to work with and encourage a great group of girls.” Senior Hailey Steffen said, “The way we carried ourselves, learned from each other, and helped each other is something I’m proud to say I was a part of.”

Millbrook High School Athletic Season Overviews Individuals and Teams Continue to Shine at the State Level

Football

Swim

Story by | Mackenzie Shrout

Story by | Eliza Grigsby

A major turnaround season for the 2015-2016 school year had people talking. The Pioneer football team shattered their previous record of 3-7 last year with an overall record of 8-4 this fall. The team was used to always having the extra point in the bag last year, but with Tyler Gray off at James Madison University, senior Matt Hershberger came to the rescue and filled Gray’s position as kicker with ease.

The team’s average wins were higher than the previous two years early in the season, which boosted their drive to do better than ever. Many of the games, whether they were wins or losses, set the team up for success. This also set the attitude the team would carry with them for the rest of the season.

Coach Haymore said in the beginning of the season, “The team practices and plays like a unit and that’s what we need.” The team proved their worth by answering with a good amount of wins.

One can’t be surprised by this with key players such as Nazeeh Johnson, a Marshall University football commit, Jake Mihill, an Alderson Broaddus football commit, and PK Kier, who has offers from many schools.

The team made their way to playoffs for the first time since the 2012 season.

They beat Liberty Christian Academy in the first round of playoffs, but fell short in later rounds. The positive upward slope is setting goals for the future Pioneer football teams. A young team also paves the way with lots of time to start working together and growing as a unit to maker the Pioneer football team better than ever.

The team hopes for the best season ever next year, hoping to expand on this year’s success. Freshman Savon Smith said, “I know we have lots of guys coming up, as well as in younger grades, so we can learn what we need to do to become successful in games.”

FOOTBALL TEAM

The Varsity Lady Pioneer basketball team yet again dominated the court with an impressive overall record of 22-7 and led the district with a perfect 9-0 record against local rivals. Led by senior leaders such as Lauren Reed and rising stars like Maddie Green, sister of two Millbrook basketball legends Erick and Courtni Green, as well as other young players, the Pioneers had a promising roster despite losing some players to other schools.

Although the team had a shaky start in their first few games with a mixture of wins and losses, the ladies had a huge turnaround in the middle of the season and began to dominate opponents by insane numbers. The young roster was eager to prove their worth and took on opponents without hesitation. Their hard work not only landed them an exceptional record, but also earned them yet another playoff berth.

Battling with a smaller roster this season, the varsity girls basketball team overcame many different obstacles to earn themselves a successful season. Although they were able to secure a spot in the playoffs, the girls were unfortunately eliminated before they could reach the championship.

Overall, the team had a very successful year, especially at home. The team had a total of thirteen wins out of fifteen at home, using their home court as an advantage. The girls played well on the road too, with seven out of ten wins earned this season. Their hard work earned many on the roster all-area, district and even states honors.

With many seniors moving on to graduation, the young team will have to use this season as motivation to rally against the challenges of next season.

The team hopes to see some bright, young talent shine on the court next season and continue the legacy of the Lady Pioneers basketball team.

SWIM TEAM

BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM

GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM

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Story by | Brandon Wyatt

With sixteen girls and six boys, the Millbrook swim team ended their season with a bang. During the season, the team had many top-placing swimmers, but because of their small size, ended up losing meets. As head coach Will Sigler said, “The hardest thing about this season was the size of the teams, we were small but mighty. Everyone put in a good strong effort at practice and in the meets.”

Two relays and three individual event swimmers made it to States this year.

Millbrook’s 200 Medley Relay, composed of Lindsay Fairbanks at backstroke, Eliza Grigsby at breaststroke, Abbey Esslinger at butterfly and Taylor Linder at freestyle, placed 13th overall.

Fairbanks placed 12th in the 200 Freestyle and 14th in her 500 Freestyle, dropping over a second. Esslinger placed ninth in the 200 Individual Medley, dropping almost a second.

In her 100 Butterfly, she placed 12th, just hundredths of a second behind her competition. Patrick Northrup placed 17th in the 500 Freestyle, swimming his exact time.

The 400 Freestyle Relay with Esslinger, Erin Dooley, Fairbanks and Linder came in 13th, dropping one second.

When asked about his favorite part about coaching for Millbrook, Sigler said, “It’s the commitment that the Millbrook swimmers make to be a part of this team and watching the swimmers improve. As a whole, I enjoy working with the high quality of student athletes that are a part of the team.”

Overall, 18 state records were broken out of the 24 events. This was a momentous year for swimming. Millbrook’s Girls came in an overall place of 14th out of 29 teams, a great feat and end to a season. Next year, the team is hoping for more recruits to help bulk up the size of the team.

Story by | Mackenzie Shrout From the very beginning of the season, the Boys Pioneer basketball team started strong, winning their season opener with a score of 61-29 over Woodgrove. They kept the momentum up throughout each game and finished their season with a final record of 18-8.

The boys made it to the regional playoffs, where they had to defeat a team they had previously lost to. Handley was the team to beat, and in the end, Millbrook pulled through with heart and skill. Senior Alex Amos said, “The guys all get along really well and you can see our bond on and off the court, which helps set us apart.” “A stacked team this year is really what set the team up for success from the beginning,” said senior Trey Braithwaite.

All around athletes gave the team a winning mentality. Leading scorers in games included Taryk Baylor, Jordan Funk, Trey Braithwaite, and Donte Weaver. The team’s momentum built all season, and at this rate, the team has a considerable amount of potential to really keep it up in the coming seasons.

With a ton of talent moving up and into Millbrook, the program continues to grow and do better each and every year.

Coach Butler said, “I am very optimistic of our upcoming season, and I am very eager to coach a team that has such a possibility of doing so well during their season.” Freshman Savon Smith was the youngest on the team and said, “I hope to bring all the energy to the court this upcoming season, just so our team can continue to go up from where we left off.”

The boys finished with a fifth place standing in the 4A Conference 21A. Although this is not the bottom, the Pioneers are only looking up from here.

Coach Butler finished with, “I’m proud of what the boys accomplished this season. Their hard work really paid off.”

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Girls Basketball

Boys Basketball

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Travel A11

The massive interior of the Coliseum, where many battles were fought between gladiators, warriors, and animals of all kinds to entertain the Roman people.

While on the Safari, Zeth Beazer had the opportunity to encounter many differenct animals, including lions, leopards, and his favorite, the elephant.

Jacob Aguilar traveled to Spain for two weeks in March to visit his best friend, Madison Yates. He stands in front of the City Hall in Madrid.

Spain/Italy

Africa

Spain

Story & Images by | Brandon Wyatt

Story & Images by | Zeth Beazer

Story & Images by | Jacob Aguilar

Growing up, I had never really thought about traveling that much. Vacations for myself and my family usually consisted of an annual trip to Myrtle Beach for a week in the summer, and I was completely okay with that. However, my viewpoint of travel since then has changed drastically, especially after taking a trip of a lifetime to two of the most popular countries in Europe: Spain and Italy.

I was inspired to go on this trip by my 9th grade Spanish II teacher, Mrs. Majher, who offered my class the trip through the EF Educational Tours program.

Normally, I would have brushed off this offer and continued my classwork, but there was something about it that caught my attention. I asked for a form and discussed it with my parents that same night. The cost was reasonable, and after careful consideration my parents agreed that I could go. A couple months later and I was on my way.

It’s hard to summarize a twelve day journey to a place you’ve never been before in a couple paragraphs, but I can definitely say overall it was an experience I will never forget. My group began our adventure in Madrid, where the main focus was a bustling night life. The city offered a beautiful blend of modern and ancient culture, and people were always on the go.

Barcelona, another popular city of Spain, was similar to Madrid, but offered much more extravagant views of the coast. Our visit to Toledo and Zaragoza contrasted Madrid and Barcelona, as these cities had little to no modern aspects, and is why they were my favorite cities to visit in Spain.

Our second destination, Italy, completely took my breath away the moment I stepped of the boat I had rode to get there. Our first stop was Rome, famous for the Coliseum, Pantheon, and other Ancient Roman architecture. What I loved most about Rome was how the city itself was just one giant monument to one of my favorite civilizations. Like Rome, Pompeii’s ruins also seemed to be its own memorial to the people who once lived there, and hiking Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that caused all the destruction, was a blast (pun intended). Lastly was Sorrento and Capri, which gave us a taste of the more tropical side of Italy. There we swam in the Mediterranean Sea and had some of the best slushies and Caprese sandwiches I’ve ever had.

Traveling is a very important part of life and is something everyone should take the opportunity to do. Although some people may be afraid of it, exploring the world, whether it be another country or another state, is a great way to experience culture and expose yourself to new and exciting things. I hope to travel more in the future and inspire others to do so.

From October 15th through the 25th I had the amazing opportunity to go to Africa. My dad was going for business with the GCCA (Global Cold Chain Alliance) where his primary goal was to teach cold storage companies in Africa effective ways to store and distribute food. Our trip was split into two parts, with five days in the city of Cape Town and four spent in Botswana’s safari.

When my Dad told me about his trip, I immediately asked if I could go too. Going to the safari had always been a dream of mine, and the fact that it could come true made me beyond excited. What made the trip even better was that my grandpa went with us too. It was a great bonding experience for us all, and it’ll be something we remember forever.

Even though we stayed in a grand city like Cape Town for half of the time, we still got to see the culture of South Africa. Their motto, “We are rainbow nation” is a reference to how they overcame apartheid rule. Even though they were oppressed for so long, they treated everyone equally, no matter what their color of skin was.

When we traveled outside the city we saw how the majority of people live in the country, in old broken down shacks. We were told that the quality of education in Africa rivals the US, if you could afford how expensive it was. While in Africa there were many different foods we were able to try, such as ostrich, warthog, kudu, and impala. Out of all the food, the warthog was by far the best pork I’ve ever had.

While in Africa, I made so many memories that’ll stay with me forever. We went cage diving in one of the most shark infested waters in the world, and we got scared when the Great Whites would occasionally hit the cage. We saw a leopard in a tree eating an impala, then that same leopard have a dispute over territory with two lions.

For both our best and scariest experience, my dad and I went in a dugout canoe with one guide down a river. An elephant appeared out of a grove of trees, scanned the area, and then spotted us. As soon as it saw us, it charged at us screaming and throwing branches in our direction. It stopped about five feet away and continued to kick water and scream. My heart was still beating a mile a minute after we had slowly drifted away.

Even though we had so many great experiences, including a near death one with an elephant, the best part was being able to share them with people I care about. I recommend everyone to travel any chance they get because it’s truly an enriching experience that’ll stick with you for the rest of your life.

“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.” A quote from the American author Mark Twain speaks to the traveler inside of everyone. Taking the quote to heart, I prepared for my first adventure to Europe with my friends. The destination was Madrid, Spain and to travel there from Winchester, we had to cover over 3,800 miles and jump ahead 6 hours.

My reasoning behind such an adventure was not because I had to take a break from my piece of the world to see how the culture differed from ours, instead it was to surprise my best friend Madison Yates.

Over the past seven months, she has been studying abroad in Madrid. The day she told me that she would be an official foreign exchange student, I knew that I would not have been able to go several months without seeing her. Saving and limiting my spending for months as well as avoiding to raise any suspicions of my trip to her, I was able to purchase the round trip plane ticket and plan out the journey with her family.

Spain has a very rich and diverse culture that was forged over the many centuries. The country has heavy influence from the Christian Faith and also from the Moors who ruled the land mass for almost 800 years. Not only the culture but also the geography of the country is unlike any place that I have been before. An arid landscape with cold winds coming down from the ice-capped Sierra Nevada mountains, while just on the other side, the warm and tropical beaches and the karstic mountains reside.

My two-week tour was of the many provinces and cities of Spain that included: Madrid, Granada, Málaga, Sevilla, Valencia, Toledo, Zaragoza & Salamanca.

From exploring the vast city of Madrid to touring an olive field, we hit many of the major attractions throughout the country while also trying to explore the local attractions. My personal favorite part was the beaches of Malaga and the warmer weather there. My friends and I attempted a giant inflatable Wipeout course and the laughs we shared made us all feel closer and finally unwind from the usual pace of life that we were accustomed to back in the States.

Our last night in the country concluded with a delicious dinner followed by relaxing in one of the many lounges of the city sharing laughs and our favorite parts of the trip. When morning came we said our goodbyes to Madison and boarded the massive double decker Boeing 747-400 to fly back home to go back to our ordinary lives.

Moving Merschen

“This is a time in our lives where we can afford to reinvent ourselves.”

Story and Image by | Inginio Villatoro

Life in Cuenca, Ecuador Story and Image by | Zeth Beazer

When the school year ends, many students make plans to change, but so do teachers. Mrs. Morissette is a prime example of a teacher trying something new. She is retiring early with her husband to live in Ecuador, and even though she can’t speak Spanish, she is taking a leap of faith and “hoping we’ll land safe.”

Millbrook was the first and only place she ever taught.

“I really enjoyed my time here,” she said. Her favorite part about teaching was being with the seniors because they are “feisty and can take a joke.” Morissette also loved how she felt like she “really made a difference for students.” Seeing students take her class to try something new, then going into nutrition and culinary jobs made her feel fulfilled.

Working at Millbrook isn’t perfect. Some things Morissette won’t miss about teaching is getting up at six, grading papers, cafeteria duty, and having to pay to wear jeans. However, Morissette went on to say these were all petty things and working here has been nothing but fun for her.

Morissette plans on getting a small apartment in Ecuador, which is “surprisingly cheap” for only $400 a month. She and her husband plan to fund their retirement with an online business they’re starting. “This is a time in our lives where we can afford to reinvent ourselves,” she explained. Her final advice to the teacher

Mrs. Morrisette says to enjoy this job because “it’s one of the best things on Earth.”

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Madeline Merschen has taught Latin at Millbrook for five years, and will be leaving to continue her career in North Carolina.

Mrs. Merschen is a Latin teacher at Millbrook and has taught here for five years. She loves teaching Latin because it combines her two favorite topics, history and language. She is the only Latin teacher in the school. “I love teaching students because they will come to my class each year and I will get very close to them.” The only thing she dislikes about Millbrook is twenty three minutes for lunch.

She is leaving Millbrook because her husband got his dream job which is to be a federal agent. “We bought a house in North Carolina and my husband is working in Norfolk, Virginia.” She really wants to find a new job teaching Latin in Virginia Beach. “It’s really hard to find Latin positions in schools because not every school teaches Latin.”

Graduation Practice and M Picture

Senior Tribute and Yearbook Party

Cap and Gown Delivery

May 2016

who will be replacing her is to “keep it fun.” She says that if you keep the class fun then students will come to you and everyone will have a good time. Mrs. Morrisette says to enjoy this job because “it’s one of the best things on Earth.”

Senior Breakfast and Program June 1

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Scholarship Awards

Senior Obligations Deadline

Full Day Practice Outside

Graduation June 3

A12 Entertainment Attention all Millbrook Artists!

By | Kiara Torrey

If you’re seeking to grow in your art career, then Shenandoah’s Artscape Banner Contest could be for you! Artists of all ages are allowed to submit up to three canvas paintings to be judged and selected to be sponsored and printed on a banner. These banners are then hung on light posts around Old Town in Winchester. After the banners are printed, the Shenandoah Arts Council holds an art exhibit for the winners and their artwork can be purchased at the exhibit.

As an aspiring artist, this contest helped me grow more in the art community. After my artwork was chosen from the hundreds of entries submitted, my piece was then sponsored by the Alamo Drafthouse to pay for the banner. During the first opening night of the Artscape exhibit, my painting ended up being the first painting sold in the entire show. A couple of weeks later, I had more people asking for my paintings and I started selling more.

Shenandoah’s Artscape Banner Contest definitely helped me create a name for myself in the art community. The Shenandoah’s Art Council are accepting of all art styles, medias, and ages. So, if you’re an aspiring artist who goes to Millbrook, this contest may help you to get your footing with an art career.

Original Artwork By | Kiara Torrey | Submitted for the Shenandoah Arts Council | Image from Flickr

History of Mandalas By | Kiara Torrey

Mandalas are a spiritual and ritual symbols that derive from the Indian religion that represents the universe. The word “Mandala” comes from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit, which closely translates to “circle”. However, mandalas are far from being just circles. Mandalas represent wholeness and are seen as a model of the structure of life.

Though mandalas come from a great religious influence, they are now starting to show up a lot more in Adult Coloring books. These books have many intricately designed Mandalas that teens and adults are buying to use as a type of therapeutic relaxation without the actual therapy. Adult Coloring books have made such an impact recently that they are greatly affecting print and coloring pencil production. If interested, Adult Coloring books can be found in any local book stores.

Connect The Dots By | Bradley Sampson

By | Kiara Torrey

BR MILL OOK

MILLBROOK HIGH SCHOOL

Hello Millbrook High School By | Bradley Sampson

Senior Edition

May 2016 Volume 13 Issue 1

MILLBROOK HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER • 251 FIRST WOODS DRIVE • WINCHESTER VIRGINIA 22603 • 540-545-2800

Taking The Road Less Traveled Graphic by | Ashley McManamay

“I wanted to join the military because I wanted to help our country and lead others.”

- Ryan Anderson

“It’s always been something I wanted to do and it’s the right thing to do for my country.”

-Austin Devart

“I chose the Naval Academy because it offered me the best opportunity for my future.”

-Trey Braithwaite

“I want to defend my country and it’s the honorable thing to do.”

-Madison Poteat

“I always knew that it was the path I wanted to take in life. I take pride in my country and want to serve my time defending it.”

- Josey Barbara

“I want to give back to the military and the Marines that served years before me.”

- Javier Camilo

Check Your Six

“I wanted to make my family proud and set an example” -Colin Hood

Story by | Ashley McManamay and Inginio Villatoro The United States Military was officially created by Congress on September 29, 1789, but the creation of the Armed Forces was not simple. George Washington, being the commander in chief of the Continental Army, had pushed Congress on two separate occasions to establish a form of military for the entire United States. Much like Washington, it takes a very strong and patriotic individual to push for justice and protection of the United States.

Patriotism, by definition, is the act of devoted love, support, and defense of one’s country; national loyalty. This is not shown solely by wearing red, white, and blue, but by the reflection of pride, courage, and strength in the eyes of those who sacrifice their lives for the safety of the states. Those who choose to enlist in the military, no matter the branch, offer not only their lives, but the lives of their families to the armed forces.

This sacrifice is not always negative, though. Josey Barbara offered her perspective on the subject. “When a lot of people think of the military, they think of guns

and killing. They don’t realize that there is so much more to it than that, but the thought can be scary to people who don’t know about it.” Josey, along with Madison Poteat, will be the first girls in their family to join the Army. In the words of Madison, “I want to defend my country and it’s the honorable thing to do.”

There has been a significant drop in the number of recruits over the past couple generations. This drop could be the result of a lack of knowledge, fear, or simply disinterest. Ryan Anderson shed some light on the matter. “I feel that it’s not that people don’t want to join, it’s just that people are scared to reach out to a recruiter and actually talk to them about what they like to do and their curiosities.” Ryan added, “Recruiters get a bad rep for being mean and just wanting numbers when they’re actually really nice and understanding people. They are trying to help others with their careers, not just trying to recruit the most soldiers.”

The military offers many alternatives when it comes to choosing a career and there are several different

job opportunities for each branch. “It [the Army] offers the most jobs, has the best opportunities, you receive better pay and get promoted faster,” said Austin Devart about his branch of choice. Everyone has to start somewhere, joining the armed forces opens up an opportunity to come up through the ranks and also offers leadership skills.

Javier Camilo has been training for quite some time and has already gained some leadership experience.

He is in the Middle Aid Entry Program. In addition, Camilo added, “I am the guide in the Winchester Station and in charge of PT.” Rather than joining the army straight out of high school, some seniors have taken the path of joining the military through college programs. Trey Braithwaite has taken an opportunity at the Naval Academy for baseball and Colin Hood has joined the Navy ROTC program at the University of Virginia. A very special thank you and good luck to our Millbrook seniors who have decided to enlist and serve.

General Colin Powell’s Rules: 1. It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.

2. Get mad, then get over it.

3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.

4. It can be done!

5. Be careful what you choose. You may get it.

6. Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.

7. You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.

8. Check small things.

9. Share credit.

10. Remain calm. Be kind.

11. Have a vision. Be demanding.

12. Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers.

13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

“What are the values of a Good Soldier?”

“Freedom and courage. Freedom is what makes us fight, and courage is what keeps us from running away.’ Those who command Soldiers in combat understand both why men fight and why they do not run away. The wellsprings of the warrior spirit come not only from the aggressive, animalistic depths of a man’s nature, but also from his most philosophical and idealistic yearnings. Courage, like bravery, has been the first requirement of the Soldier since the most primitive days. Good commanders talk easily and thoughtfully on these matters.”

-The Challenge of Command by Roger Nye

The Armed Forces Story by | Inginio Villatoro The military has five different seals and emblems for each branch. These are created each time a new branch comes into the military. In the Army, the Secretary of the Army approved the design for the emblem and it came out on January 29, 1974. In the Navy emblem, the fouled anchor represents the trial and tribulation of the Chief Petty officers. The Air Force’s emblem represents the heritage of the past and the promise of the future. In the Marine’s emblem, the globe represents the worldwide commitment and the responsibility of the soldiers.

Take Us With You

Mobile Xpress www. blue xpre s s . ne t Two Sections, 24 Pages Editorials Columns Community/Traditions Reflections Sports Entertainment

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Senior Life Collage Senior Map Memories Sports Faculty Farewells

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Teacher Tributes

Saying thanks to...

Ms. Barker helped me push through senioritis. ~Timothy Holzer

Compiled by | Bethany Melvin, Eliza Grigsby and Sammy Burke Images by | Abby Valladares Does not represent the entire senior class

Ms. Baer, for showing me I’m good at math. ~Mattea Holloway

Mr. Jones pushed me to go out of my comfort zone. ~Reyna Fajardo-Escobar

Mr. Arney, for telling me, “I can do so much more than what I’m capable of.” ~Wendy Portillo Ms. Powers for being easy to talk to, a great teacher, and a mother figure.

Mrs. Steblein, for preparing me for the real world. ~Martina Wilson ~Eli Bell

Mr. Jones, for encouraging me to write and evoking creativity. ~Jacob Aguilar

Mrs. Pierson, because without her encouragement Mr. Copenhaver, because he taught me that even though something is hard, you can still make it fun and advice I wouldn't be going to college. and learn at the same time. ~Danielle Gonzalez ~Mackenzie Shrout Ms. Butler, for supporting me through everything.

Mrs. Steblein, because she was the first teacher to Thanks for four years I’ll always remember! demand respect and for work to be done the right ~Lauren Brocious way. She accepted no excuses or games, which Ms. Madden, she’s shown me that everything you forced me to do my work. do counts. ~Rylee Learn ~Harleigh Crowl Mr. Hammer, for unintentionally teaching me life Mr. Kelly, for making me into the confident and out- lessons. going person I am today. ~Airelle Cottrill ~Kaylee Cooper Mrs. Strosnider, for keeping me focused and on the Mrs. Harrison, for never giving up on me. right path. ~Arely Modesto ~Mike Cockrell Ms. Finny, for always being there for me beyond the Mrs. Rucker, for always giving me good advice when academic levels.

I’m in a tough situation. ~Ally White ~Brittney McDaniel Mr. Lemieux, for helping me through so much and Ms. Greynolds, for helping me become more secure inspiring me to pursue IT. in writing and also helping me make major deci~Kaylee Amann sons. ~Zach Jennings Ms. Barker, if it wasn’t for her I probably wouldn’t have made it through high school.

Mrs. Merschen, for giving me advice on personal ~Kayla Haines problems. ~Ashley Heuser Ms. Perrault, for being positive and always seeing the best in everone.

Ms. Bethke, for helping me through school. ~Kelly Miller ~Madalyn Swaner

Mrs. Suire, for bringing me where I am today. ~Bradley Sampson

Coach Haymore because he made me realize how Mr. Prosser, for sparking my passion for English. much fun football is. ~Bethany Melvin ~Nick Harrell Mr. Butler, for being my coach, you rock homie Mr. Haskiell for always giving me a head nod in the ~Trey Braithwaite hallway.

Mrs. Gianino is my favortie teacher because she is ~Sage Helsley chill and super sarcastic in a good way!

Mrs. Merschen, because she opened so many doors ~Emma Chamberlain for me.

Mrs. Sipe ~Aidan Davis ~Haley Smoot Mrs. Harrison, for helping me understand the main Mrs. Buehler things in anatomy. ~Laken Nordin ~Ansleigh White Mr. Borst and Ms. Bethke for teaching me a lot. ~Tyler Baker Mr. Kelly for reinvigorating my love of music. ~Tyler Cox-Philyaw Mr. Hammond, for being extremely motivational. ~Ricardo Nolazco

Mrs. Gianino is really honest and funny. She prepares us for life. ~Annie Cebrzynski Ms. Madden ~Logan Priest

Mrs. Fout ~John Keefe Mr. Arney for being a great teacher and making me Mr. Ratliff is a great teacher. He’s funny and a great try harder. person to talk to and he’s always there for you. ~Luis Salazar ~Lorenzo Guzman Mr. Jones for opening my eyes and making life less Mr. Uhler complicated. ~Kamal Todd ~Ryan McCarty

Mrs. Merschen, for giving me advice on personal problems. ~Ashley Heuser

Mr. Griffis, for encouraging me to continue with my Ms. Walker is a really great teacher and I always have fun playing the games. She’s been a good role writing. model for me. ~Trent Bennie ~Megan Clowser Tammy for making lunch fun.

Mr. Hunter and Mr. Ratliff ~Hailey Steffen ~Lauren Reed Mr. Hammond, for making me laugh every day.

Mr. Mankins, Mr. Hunter, and Mr. Uhler ~Kellie Schartow ~Jacob Grew Mr. Ratliff, for going the extra mile.

The Office Ladies, Mrs. Keeler, and Mr. Pendleton ~Brian McGuire ~Megan Haan Mrs. Henshaw and Ms. Riordan for contributing to my success.

Mr. Tucker ~Zechariah Somers ~Ty Martin and Noah Biedrzycki Mrs. Suire, because she gives me the best advice Mrs. Hillyer and is a wonderful person. ~Kaylee Amann ~Ashleigh Barnes Ms. Finny - Thank you for letting me rant and making study hall the highlight of my day.

Ms. Bean for helping me through so much. ~Catherine Gomez ~Alex Ganse

Mrs. Lingo, for always being there for me and being an amazing person and teacher. ~Bethany Hagenbuch

Ms. Lacey is always there for advice and she’s like Mrs. Redcay and Mrs. Henshaw my second mom. ~Jonathan Blades ~Laken Pope Mr. Wehn and The Lunch Ladies Mrs. Suire has a great sense of humor and truly un~Alyx Muhlhauser derstands all her students.

Mr. Friend for keeping it real. ~Allison Mason ~Nazeeh Johnson Mr. Friend for never getting mad at us when Mr. Campbell for being down to earth and were wild. welcoming. ~Zack Nith ~Meaghan Walters Mrs. Barker for helping me with my college paperwork.

Mr. Kelly and Mr. Asbury for helping me build my confidence and helping me grow as a singer. ~Stuart Hackney ~Bailey McKee Mrs. Suire for just being awesome.

Mr. Campbell and Mrs. Carmichael for being the ~Taylor Linder funniest people in the school. ~Juan Garcia

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Senior Seniors at Work

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2016 Bucket List Compiled by | Anica Moran and Emily Keller

Story by | Jacob Aguilar As seniors prepare to graduate, they also start finding jobs to expand their funds for the new responsibilities of adulthood. From putting payments on a car to wanting to buy a new pair of Yeezy Boost 350’s, teens are getting jobs to prepare themselves for the expenditures of life.

Some students work at places only found here in Winchester. Dillon Hanna works at Greenwood Grocery. Other students go to the larger, more well-known places like Ryan Rawlings, who works at Food Lion. Ryan said, “I’m working there for the money.”

Unlike him, Ashley McManamay stated, “I have to pay the bills for my house.” Ashley works two jobs, at Hobby Lobby and also at a senior favorite, Chick-fil-a. She’s not alone at the popular fast food chain though. Chick-fil-a employs many other seniors as well such as Ashleigh Barnes, Brooke Goodwin, and Bridget Kline.

John Lam provides his services here in Millbrook’s IT department, as well as working at Food Lion. The Apple Blossom Mall offers many shifts that seniors fill. Nina Gormas has shifted from working at Claire’s to working right across the aisle at Hot Topic.

Farther down the concourse, Mckailah Boyle and Jake Bingman work at American Eagle. Mckailah has also recently started working at The Alamo Drafthouse in Kernstown Commons to “help with the payments for my car.”

Nazeeh Johnson once held a job at its competitor, Apple Blossom 12, but now Ryan Anderson fill his position. From serving lunch at Subway to serving breakfast at Ihop, Carmen Aruano has switched jobs while still in high school.

One student takes on an “at home” position as a part-time humorous picture maker, or a “Memer”, as he refers to the job. Jacob Grew tackled one of the retail jobs at Sears while Emma Myers worked in the food industry at Tropical Smoothie and also Cracker Barrel.

Teens normally fill the crew position at jobs, but one of our seniors, Larry Biddle, has taken a managerial position at Little Caesars. Byron Dinges, Michael Lee, and Tyler Russell have all also worked with their friend at Little Caesars too. Some of the other types of jobs are Tommie Hubbard and Madison Poteat who worked at Chuck E. Cheese and Carter Taylor who worked at Skyline Paintball as a referee.

The many varieties of jobs that vary from senior to senior show their paths to future progression in the workplace as dignified, unique individuals.

Class Flower

Carnations Class Colors

Carolina Blue Class Song

How Far We’ve Come

by Matchbox Twenty

Senior Favorites Favorite movie of 2015

1 2 3 4 5

Deadpool Star Wars: The Force Awakens Batman v Superman Zootopia Ride Along 2

Favorite TV Show

1 2 3 4 5

Walking Dead Friends

Criminal Minds Game of Thrones Grey’s Anatomy

Favorite Music Artist

1 2 3 4 5

Drake twenty one pilots

Adele Kanye Walk the Moon

Farewell Finny Story by | Zeth Beazer

Image by | Abby Valladares Ms. Shea Finny hanging out with her beloved study hall during 6B. Finny is pursuing a different teaching position next year. Her smiling face will be missed in the halls of Millbrook.

Ms. Finny, teacher of AP English 12, will not be returning to Millbrook next year. Instead, she’ll be teaching in either Woodstock or Loudoun County. She has been teaching English her whole career, working at the university level for 2 years before switching to high school. She loves teaching English because she enjoys having “a lot more freedom than other subject areas,” and to her, writing is a major form of expressing yourself and speaking your truth.

Seniors are her favorite grade to teach because they have a better sense of humor. Finny said, “I feel like they get me and I get them on a different level.” She likes the maturity level of seniors and feels that it allows for them to talk about deep topics and to “tap into who they really are.”

Many students have made an impact on Finny’s life. “I could name kids from every year who have had an impact on me… I could literally tell you stories for days,” Finny commented. The same could be said about her co-workers. She said, “There’s just so many people here who have been amazing over the years.”

The friends she has made have made her life more “enjoyable.”

The biggest thing Ms. Finny is going to miss is the faculty at Millbrook that have “been like a family” to her. However, she said, “I also think there’s a time to move on, and I think it’ll make me grow.”

Ms. Finny’s advice to the teacher replacing her is to simply “be good to your kids.” She went on to say, “Form a good rapport with them, because rapport is everything and I think the most important thing in the classroom is connecting with your kids.”

Finny believes if you can’t connect with your students then you can’t get to them on any level to effectively teach them. Her advice to rising seniors is to “get all you can out of it.” She said to keep your head up because it always gets harder and high school is “just the beginning.”

Ms. Finny’s final words as a Millbrook employee, caused her to tear up. “I think this school has shaped me… the faculty here... and the kids I have taught over the years are weaved into my story. It’s a bittersweet farewell, but I’m glad I get to graduate with this group because there’s quite a few kids in this crew that I’ve become very close to, so I’m very glad I get to do that with them.”

Apple takes third in International Science Fair Story by | Emily Keller

Logan Apple, a junior, recently went to the International Science Fair held in Phoenix, Arizona where he placed third out of a field of 1770 competitors. In February of last year, Logan learned how to do sign language and got really interested in it. Over the summer, he was looking for an idea that could help solve some world problems, when he realized that there are no ASL to English translators currently present. He decided to construct a mobile-based ASL to English translator to aid in communication called Eyesight.

Apple said, “The processing to designing was time consuming and I spent a couple of months just on research and looking up what was needed to be done in order to create it for a Windows computer as a template or a base for what I was doing. Then,

another month trying to convert it to the iPad and a few weeks afterwards getting ready for the Science Fair.” At the event, Apple was nervous. “You’ve got the judges coming to see your work, so I just attempted to present the best that I could. I tried to persuade them that this is worthy of achieving first place.” The device now works on the iPad, iPhones, and Android phones.

Eyesight reads people’s hand movements and translates what they are saying into English. What Logan’s really looking forward to is working with the deaf students here at Millbrook, along with places such as the local medical facility. Apple’s best advice is to aspiring scientist and inventors is to “just get started and experiment with the programs, you never know what you will find.”

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Graduating Class of 2016

Collage created by Bryndan Swaner. In order to create this collage, random faces were selected by the software program and duplicated.

Looking Forward, Looking Back Story by | Gwen Zirkle Millbrook is saying goodbye to its seniors and with so many leaving one can only wonder what they are looking forward to after they graduate and what their biggest regrets are as they leave high school?

Seniors have shared what they regret as they leave high school and hopefully their experience will help others to not make the same mistakes. “Caring too much about people’s opinions,” is Harleigh Crowl’s biggest regret. Elijah Doyle said, “Not devoting more time to studying.” Lindsay Lockhart regrets not trying her hardest, while Reyna Fajardo-Escobar wishes she’d made more friends. “Not living in the moment and being too worried about the future,” said Lauren Brocious. Kaylee Cooper said, “Not knowing how important the decisions I was making were.” Bradley Sampson wished he would’ve been more open with

himself and Ansleigh White said, “Not having as much fun as I should have.”

Autumn Potts wished would have she taken herself more seriously. “Procrastinating a lot,” is Ricardo Nolazco biggest regret. “Getting into dumb arguments that are not worth it,” said Andrea Haines. Michaela Blankenship said, “I held myself back a lot because of friends and I wish I had just done what I wanted to, not what they wanted me to do.” Nina Gormas was sorry about “Not putting in enough effort. I could have gone so much farther and worked so much harder but I just didn’t realize that’s what I needed to do until it was too late.” Having regrets is something everyone experiences. It’s a life lesson and sharing these regrets can help others learn from one’s mistakes along with them.

Regrets are in the past and when looking back, it also important to look toward the future. Many seniors are most looking forward to college, a place of their own or the new freedoms that come along with graduating. Nadia Dahimene looks forward to “Not being stressed anymore.” Ashley McManamay is excited to broaden her horizons, as she is moving to South Carolina and can’t wait. “Starting fresh at a new school,” said Elizabeth McDonald. Kayla Haines said “being on my own.” Riley Learn is looking forward to “The freedom of college and meeting new people.” Lakin Nordan looks forward “To seeing the real world” and Mayra Diaz wants to start and finish college so she can begin a career. The future has in store so much for everyone and most people can’t wait for tomorrow.

Operation Checklist Lists compiled by | Gwen Zirkle

College Cheats

Favorite Class

College life is hard and stressful. Below is a list of thing you can do to make college life easier. If your dorm smells bad you can tape a dryer sheet to a fan or an air conditioner to freshen it up. Put a selfie stick between something and use it to hold your phone when you’re watching TV on it. Put an old newspaper at the bottom of your trash can, it absorbs food juices. Put cords in the cardboard tubes from old toilet paper rolls to avoid tangling.

Use a hanging shoe rack to store cleaning supplies. Use a cup to store your phone so you don’t hit the snooze button, this also amplifies the sound. Use a hair straightener to iron the collar of your shirt. You can the seat warmers in your car to keep pizza warm. Velcro remotes to your coffee table. Put a small glass of water in the microwave with your pizza so the crust doesn’t get chewy. Wrap banana stems in plastic wrap to keep them fresh longer.

Journalism - Juan Garcia (Winky Face/Promotion/Hint/Take Journalism) Food and Nutrition - Timothy Holzer Lunch - Sean Madison Web Design - Amber Riley Early Childhood Education - Brittney McDaniel AP English 12 - Nina Gormas Outdoor Education - Trent Bennie Sociology - Nadia Dahimene

Songs that will never get old

Man Buns - Martina Wilson Damn Daniel back at it again with the white vans - Nosh Biedrzycki “SQUAD” - Harleigh Crowl Wearing half your hair in a bun and the other half down - Ansleigh White Parachute pants - Alyx Muhlhauser Jorts - Logan Chrisinger YOLO - Bradley Sampson Calling people “bae” - Mike Cockrell The whip and nae nae - Carter Taylor “What are THOSE?” - Malcolm Evans The galaxy pants or anything that has galaxies - Ivette Martinez

Hakuna Matata from The Lion King - Aidan Davis Carry on my Wayward Son by Kansas - Katherine Phipps No Matter What by Papa Roach - Luis Salazar Fireflies by Owl City - Lindsey Lockhart All You Need is Love by The Beatles - Meaghan Walters Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant - Nina Gormas Follow Me by Uncle Kracker - Ashley McManamay Don’t Stop Believing by Journey - Brooke Goodwin Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen - Ricardo Nolazco Footloose from Footloose - Josh Cordova

Trend that you hope never come back

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Senior

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This

• Netflix • Chick-fil-a Breakfast • Backstreet Boys • • • • •

Beach Conservative Tattoos Man-buns Laptop

• Apple • Leave school early • Cereal before milk

Image by | Miranda Husband

• No crocs

Tim Holtzer’s proudest moment was making the Varsity Soccer team.

Proudest Moments Story by | Anica Moran

Image by |Mrs. Henderson

NOT

The feeling of satisfaction when a student accomplishes an achievement, whether it’s significant or not, leaves an imprint in their memory. As students get closer to the end of their senior year, they start to reminiscence about their proudest moments. “I graduated,“ Luis Montano stated simply. Many like Luis are celebrating their achievement of making it to graduation.

Being in a sport helps students in multiple ways; making long lasting friendship, feeling the rush of playing the game well and as a way to escape. Timothy Holzer and Krystianna Praml are proud of making it into varsity soccer. Ryan McCarty’s proudest moment was throwing the first no-hitter in school history. For Corinne Nakagawa’s proudest moment, she said, “Making it into NHS and keeping my grades up with while doing sports.”

Some of the best memories someone can make are with friends. Danielle Gonzalez stated that, “Chiara Mosher made me a scrapbook full of letters to me from all the underclassman that call me mom. I cried three separate times. It was the most touching gift I’ve ever been given.” Nina Gormas’ rewarding memory? “One of my proudest moments was sharing a really personal writing piece in Ms. Finny’s class. It was hard for me since I suffer from anxiety, but the feedback I got from the class was all amazing and I’m so glad that I did it.” Ashley McManamay’s most memorable moment was, “Standing up for those who could not stand up for themselves.”

Many seniors such as Michaela Blankenship, Meaghan Walters, and Luke Mosher are proud that they will be getting into college. Ashley Heuser’s proudest moment is graduating as Valedictorian of the class. “Finishing my first year of college before graduating,” was Aidan Davis’s greatest achievement and “Being handed my diploma will be my proudest moment,” according to Mick Cockrell.

Junior Emily Mills and Senior Jamie Washington strike their best Charlie’s Angels pose as they enter prom.

That

• Amazon Prime • McDonald’s Breakfast • NSYNC • Mountains • Liberal • Piercings • Ponytails • iPad • Android • Come to school late • Milk before cereal • Crocs

Seniors Hannah Croyle and Trenton Burgreen take a break from the dance floor during Prom 2016.

A Thousand Wishes Story by | Gwen Zirkle

Over four hundred and ten kids attended Millbrook’s prom on April 16. This year’s theme was A Thousand Wishes. The planned budget was $10,000, but they attempted to keep the expenses under $7,000. Junior class sponsors Mrs. Henshaw and Ms. Barker as well as the prom committee spent the better part of this school year, beginning in August, to plan the extravaganza.

Students and staff agreed that the gymnasium looked wonderful. “I loved the decorations. They were really awesome. I liked how it was much more classy than Homecoming.

It was a lot more fun,” said Grace Rector, a junior.

The decorations included wishing wells, weeping willow arches, and a wishing pond. One money-saving technique came from borrowing the trees that were used in Shrek: The Musical. Then, the junior class created a wishing vine that was made from the wishes written down by students when they bought tickets.

Another popular feature of prom was the food. “I really liked the food. It was out on a table in front of the gym. They had Chick-fil-a My prom wish was to get accepted into chicken nuggets, grapes, crackers, cheese and pepper- my dream college, MASS-ART. oni. My favorite were the little brownie cubes,” Bradley -Kiara Torrey Sampson said.

Music always makes or breaks a prom. This year, the junior class hit the right note when they brought back the very popular DJ Stevie C. Joseph Kaiser really liked the deejay and said, “The deejay was better than last year. He played some of my favorite songs. I liked slow dancing with this girl I met.”

Prom 2016 was a hit and the bar has been set for next year’s junior class to bring the magic.

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B8

Senior Life

Cool Courses Story by | Ariel Payne

Millbrook has many cool classes that have made a big impression on our student body. Seniors have strong opinions about what made these classes so memorable. According to Lauren Brocious, AP Government is a hit. “I love that class and Kat Gianino.” Tyler Cox-Philyaw shared that his favorite class was choir because “Choir kids are the best people.”

Many people enjoyed lunch, joking that it was their favorite class each day. Megan Haan said, “Lunch shout out to Mrs. Donna!”

Food and Nutrition is a very popular class with the student body. In the class, students learn about cooking healthy meals. Kaylee Amann enjoyed the class because “I get to eat my school work.”

Outdoor Education teaches students to have a lifetime experience that involves the outdoors. Students who have mastered the class will be able to go on a camping trip for a weekend. Mike Cockrell mentioned that Outdoor Ed was his favorite class because “It taught me how to be one with nature.” Jared Ornelas also mentioned that Outdoor Education was one of his favorite classes.

Nina Gormas said, “AP English 12 with Ms. Finny, and Anatomy with Mrs. Harrison were my favorite classes of my school year.” AP English accelerates the curriculum to get students ready for college life. This class is recommended for students who will be able to study broadly and deeply. Anatomy is where you learn about the human body.

According to Carmen Aruanno, “All of my art classes” were her favorites at Millbrook. Jennifer Aguirre-Agueta agreed when she said, “ Art, because I am always trying new things and seeing new things.” Millbrook has a variety of art classes for all types of interest, including painting, drawing and sculpting.

Competitive Team Sports is an intensive experience for all age groups. Students play all sort of different sports like basketball, volleyball, speedball, flag football, soccer, regular football, angleball, softball. “Competitive Team Sports is my favorite classes because it is so intense,” said Zechariah Somers.

Most students have a lot of favorite classes which makes it is hard for them

to choose just one favorite. Joshua Merriman couldn’t decide. “It’s a toss up between AP Chemistry and Electronic ll.” AP Chemistry allows students to do hands on investigations and seventy hours of instruction during the school year, while in Electronic Technology ll, students work with electronic devices all of kinds. Students study digital circuit devices and systems.

All the classes that are provided at Millbrook have made small and big impacts on every student at this school. No matter if it was the teacher, classmates, or even learning about the subject, the seniors had great memories about their favorite class.

Coolest Class Piechart

Graphics English Food Nutrition Biology

All information used for this graphic came from the senior surveys taken at the end of the year.

Science Outdoor Ed. Chemistry Sports Marketing

Graphic by | Michael Contreras

Best Excuses for Being Late Composed by | Bethany Melvin, Eliza Grigsby and Sammy Burke

Missing Millbrook Story by | Anica Moran and Gwen Zirkle Most graduating seniors have been going to this school for four year and it is certain they will have things they will miss. Alex Hicks said he will miss “My friends who are attending different colleges.” In fact, several students said they will miss their friends and teachers. “Teachers like Ms. Finny,” said Ally White, while Ashley Heuser said she’ll miss “personable teachers.” “Being around teacher who believe in me,” said Jennifer Aguirre-Argueta. “All of the people I’ve met. It’s sad that we seniors are all parting ways, but also from teachers, staff, and underclassmen,”

said John Lam. Several senior are going to miss their sports teams. “Cheerleading competitions and sideline,” said Hailey Steffen. “My softball team,” said Hairliegh Crowl. “Volleyball and choir,” said Imani Major.

“Student mentoring,” said James Iverson. Amber Monk said, “The simplicity.” Autumn Branch will miss “Having something to do.” “Free food at the senior meetings” is something Bradley Sampson will miss. One thing Danielle Gonzalez is sad to leave is “being a part of clubs.” “Just having a fun time during

class and outside of class,” said Jonathan Blades. “MHS Chicken Bowls,” said Joshua Merriman. Kayla Haines said she’ll miss her “organized schedule.” Logan Chrisinger will miss “the hallway shenanigans.”

“The consistency, you wake up everyday, go to school for 6 hours, then do it all over again the next day. You can always count on the consistency of it all, it doesn’t fluctuate.,” said Meaghan Walters. The seniors will miss all these things about school but what will be missed most by the school is them.

Image by | Abby Valadares Senior Bradley Sampson and sophomores Jose Villatoro and Emily Keller share their memories about Millbrook High School.

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Memories

B9

Six Word Memoir Contributed by | Ms. Finny’s Senior English Class Speak your truth. This is the advice I offer my seniors as I introduce the Six Word Memory Project. The class of 2016 took my advice to heart because their truths- whether they be joyous, honest, painful or hilarious, are beautifully embedded in the words they wove together last September. Thank you for being brave enough to share a part of who you are on paper; and for always keeping it real with me and each other. Keep speaking your truth. It’s one of the most powerful things any of us has to offer.

-Ms. Finny

SIX WORD MEMORY PROJECT Write a list of words that describe you.

Pick one word and free write about it for ten minutes.

Pick a six word theme out of that free write and describe how those words have affected your life.

She was 138.3 pounds of beauty.

Behind this mask is an idea.

I’m trapped in a glass box.

Joshua Merrimen

Sydney Woodward

Katherine Baker

No labels can define my worth.

Vulnerab ility is st ronger than a moun tain.

Alex Am os

Danielle Gonzalez

genbugh Bethany Ha

Sharing’s caring unl ess it’s my feelings.

Marshmallow fluff encased in black stone.

Cassidy Dennis

Nina Gorman

Your wick will never burn away.

Michaela Blackenship

ntents; : Human co Disclamer unstable. fragile and

My life is not always in color.

to a turns ilight ..

As Tw t. h ig n velvet

Kelly Miller

My own self-sacrifice will never suffice.

orton John M

Jamie Washington

What Was Your Best Year?

Compiled by | Abby Valladares

Meaghan Walters

Wyatt Skinner

Ansleigh White

Colin Hood

Rylee Learn

Junior year, because I met my best friend.

Senior year, because I grew as a person.

Sophomore year, because I was in cross country and the classes were easy.

Junior year, because I got involved in clubs and the community.

Senior year, because my classes were my favorite and growing closer to friends.

AJ Brandon

Taylor Linder

Austin McManaway

Annie Cebrzynski

Ryan Rawlings

Senior year, because of football. I almost made the record for the most sacks.

Senior year, because it was the most fun.

Senior year, because it was a joyful year.

Senior year, because I’m approaching a new step.

Senior year, becasue I am almost done with high school.

Imani Major

Trae Sine

Katie O’ Brien

John Morton

Megan Clowser

Senior year, because volleyball did good and I like my classes a lot.

Senior year, because I have a lot of good memories.

Junior year, because I made a lot of friends and I was an upperclassmen.

Senior year, because you get more respect from teachers and more opportunities.

Senior year, because it’s been an easy year. I know what I’m doing with my life.

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B10 Sports Spotlight: Tyler Cox-Phillyaw Senior recaps successful running career at Millbrook

Story by | Brandon Wyatt

“I try not to think about [the awards] most of the time because I don’t want to reflect on it yet, I don’t want to get to that point because I want to be hungry for more,” Tyler Cox-Philyaw stated about his successful career as a distance runner for Millbrook’s varsity Cross Country and Track and Field teams. The senior has earned countless honors and awards while running for the Pioneers and is excited to see what the future holds for him.

Cox-Philyaw was first introduced to running in kindergarten through Sacred Heart Academy’s Cross Country program. “I kinda just did it for fun because all of my friends did it,” he explained. A few years later, he began to enjoy competing even more, and after managing his middle school’s cross country program in sixth grade, Cox-Philyaw was finally able to begin competing the following year. From there, his running career soared.

When the young superstar entered high school as a freshman, he immediately began to show his dominance. Cox-Philyaw earned a plethora of feats including: an invitation to the Penn Relays for two consecutive years, an invitation to the Millrose Games, placing 14th in Nationals for the indoor 1600m, holding school records for Track and Field in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m, three state titles (two in the 1600m and one in the 3200m), and he has never lost a conference race. Even with all this, Cox-Philyaw is still looking for more, hoping to earn another state title in his senior year for Millbrook, and then getting ready to perform for his future college, William & Mary.

Trying to recount a favorite memory is hard when having such a successful career, but Cox-Philyaw remembered one moment in particular that he will never forget. “My favorite memory from running is probably my third state championship in the two-mile (3200m),“ he recalled. “That was just an unbelievable race because of how good I felt during the race. It was unreal.”

While attending Millbrook, Cox-Philyaw has made some great friends and enjoyed what the school’s Cross Country and Track and Field programs have offered for him. “I’ll miss the camaraderie we had on the Cross Country team. We were all really close friends and we’re still going to be close friends after I graduate,” he said. The senior also stated how he liked the work ethic of the varsity team and how “everyone put their heads down and started to work this year.”

Before Cox-Philyaw heads off to a bright and successful future at William & Mary, where the senior plans to not only run, but dual major in International Studies and Music, he has many people he wants to thank for all the success he has earned. “Definitely my parents, who have encouraged me the entire time, and Coach Shirk, who ran with me almost every single practice.”

“I’m excited to see where I am next year endurance wise,” Cox-Philyaw concluded. “I’m going to pump my mileage up during the summer and definitely be fit and

Image provided by | Tyler Cox-Phillyaw Tyler Cox-Philyaw celebrates as he finihses first in the 3200m for the 2015 Indoor Track and Field state championship. The young superstar stated that this was his most memorable moment and that the entire race felt “unreal”. ready for Cross Country next year.”

After having such a spectacular career in his time at Millbrook High School, Cox-Philyaw’s future looks to be just as triumphant. Best of luck to Tyler as he begins a new and exciting chapter in his life.

Knocking the Competition Out of the Park Story by | Brandon Wyatt

Image by | Kiara Torrey

The Millbrook baseball team walks off the field after a triumphant win against Handley.

The Millbrook Varsity Baseball team has been off to yet another explosive start following their spectacular performance last season, and are continuing to show their dominance on the field, with superstar athletes filling every position on the roster.

With a current overall record of 14-2 and standing 7-0 in the region, no one can disagree that the Pioneers have a fighting chance to secure the top position in the district. Only losing twice to Potomac Falls, a team located in Sterling, Virginia, it appears that all the Pioneers must do is decipher how to defeat their opponent from Loudoun County come post-season.

One advantage to the Pioneer baseball team that has helped contribute to their success is the number of talented athletes dedicated to the sport. This year alone, the Millbrook baseball team has four senior athletes signed to colleges and universities across the nation to continue their baseball careers, including Josh Sherman, Trey Braithwaite, Alex Amos, and Trenton Burgreen. The team also contains three younger athletes who have verbally committed to future colleges, juniors Conor Hartigan, Anthony Simonelli, and Ryan Kennedy, with many other potential candidates who could very well shine in the future just as they have now.

There are only a few more games left for the Pioneers, one against the James Wood Colonels and then the next against the Sherando Warriors. In both games Millbrook will be facing district rivals and they are sure to be a thrilling end to an incredible regular season. If all plays out as speculated, the Pioneers should finish 16-2 and have a nice seeding in the post-season.

While the post-season matchups have yet to be determined, if the Pioneer baseball team continues to dominate the way they have been for the past few weeks, they have a fighting chance to possibly earn a state championship, something they have strived for since the beginning of the season.

Shining Seniors Sign Story by | Brandon Wyatt BASEBALL

FOOTBALL

Trenton Burgreen

Jake Mihill

VOLLEYBALL

BASKETBALL

Lauren Reed

Imani Major

With the end of the school year rapidly approaching, seniors have already begun counting down the days until they are officially finished with their high school careers and tackling the new and exciting challenges of what the future has in store for them. Following graduation, twelve students will be pursuing a challenging yet admirable feat, as they will not only be continuing their education, but also their athletics at colleges and universities all over the country.

To kick off the signings this year was volleyball superstar Imani Major, who committed to Shepherd University. Major was a key player Millbrook’s volleyball team, who earned countless honors over her career including All-Conference 21 2nd team her sophomore and junior years and earning All-Conference 1st team as well as Conference 21A Player of the Year her senior year. Following her signing, Major stated, “Even though I love my team, I am so excited to be able to travel to different states at a more competitive level.”

Following Major, two more Pioneers also signed to become a member of the Shepherd Rams athletic department. The first was girl’s basketball player Lauren Reed who fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing at the next level. “I chose Shepherd because of the relationship I had with the coach, it’s all about trust,” she said.

Signing on the same day as Reed to the very same

college was Trenton Burgreen, a talented member of the dominant Pioneer baseball team. Burgreen has contributed greatly to the team with his role as second baseman, but at Shepherd he will be transitioning to the shortstop position. “I chose Shepherd because I’ll be able to play right away, and I love the campus because of the layout and short distance from home,” he explained. While at Shepherd, Burgreen plans to study business and is looking forward to the future ahead of him.

Many other members of the Pioneer baseball team also signed to continue their athletic and educational careers at schools around the country. Alex Amos committed to the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, Josh Sherman signed with Bluefield College in Virginia, and Trey Braithwaite earned an impressive commitment to the Naval Academy.

Tyler Cox-Philyaw, one of Millbrook’s best Cross Country and Track stars, signed to the college of William & Mary with an impressive scholarship. “[My choice] was a combination of academics and athletics, and I really like their coach, Chris Solinsky,” he stated. Cox-Philyaw has earned countless state championships in track and has set school records in the 800m, 1600m, and the 3200m. He plans to dual-major in International Relations and Music and will be a great asset to the Tribe’s distance teams.

TRACK

SOCCER

Tyler Cox-Phillyaw

David Myers

Next to sign was Jake Mihill, a linebacker and running back for the Pioneer football team. Mihill committed to Alderson-Broaddus University located in Philippi, West Virginia, to continue his career as a Battler. His choice came not only due to their interest in him for their football program, but also due to their highly acclaimed Biology program. Mihill plans to focus on Pre-med and to hopefully become a chiropractor.

Fellow teammate Nazeeh Johnson signed to become a member of the Marshall University football team.

Johnson was a key player for the Pioneer football team, as his speed and agility filled the roles of cornerback and running back perfectly, as it will for the Buffalo team.

Last to sign were members of the Millbrook boys and girls soccer teams. Rylee Learn signed off to Frostburg State University, located in Maryland and David Myers committed to Eastern Mennonite University, located in Virginia. Both will be continuing their soccer careers and will be great additions to their future schools programs.

The BlueXpress, as well as Millbrook High School, wish these seniors the best of luck on the next chapter of their athletic and academic careers.

FOOTBALL

BASEBALL

BASEBALL

BASEBALL

SOCCER

Nazeeh Johnson

Trey Braithwaite

Josh Sherman

Alex Amos

Rylee Learn

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Faculty Farewells B11 Compiled by | Bethany Melvin

To the senior class,

Make time for people you love. Choose joy daily.

Life is short; make good choices

The past cannot be changed.

The future is yet in your power! -Ms. Sanders Continue to work hard because good things come to those who work hard! Best of Luck and hope to hear good things about all of you. Make us proud!

-Mrs. Steblein Canaan, Keshown, and Ridge, it has been a crazy 4 years with you 3!!! You were part of “the boys” for so long, it will not be the same without you. I have watched you grow into wonderful young men. Keep reminding yourself “But what would Mrs. Garrett say??”. Good luck as you move on to another exciting chapter in your life!

-Mrs. Garrett

you came back to the department for one more year.

Allen...I don’t know what to say...And then there is Austin. I will only take a little time to say this, in the short time I have known you, you have grown as a individual, and have added a little to each class you have taken. There are 16 other things I could say...To any I forgot, forgive me, I am old and memory fades.

I am glad you all walked through our doors. Best of luck in all your future endeavors. -Mr. Borst Good Luck Seniors!

My first year at MHS was your freshman year.

It’s been nice getting to know you and seeing you all become seniors. May you strive for excellence in everything you do. -Mrs. Jenkins

Everything you’ve ever wanted is one step outside your comfort zone. Persist until you succeed. Be stubborn about your goals. It won’t be easy, but it will be so worth it.

-Mrs. Suire Bridget, Meghan, Ashleigh and Harleigh: Behind every successful woman is a squad of other successful women who have her back.

Thanks for making me an unofficial member of the squad. -Mom Suire To my GIS seniors - Rylee, Colin, Sarah W., Tyler, Brian, Amanda, Elijah, Ashley H., Micaela M. and Cassidy D. - Thank you for allowing me to be part of your educational journey through GIS. It has been an honor and a privilege to watch you grow through semesters of experiential learning through your mentorships, development and presentation of your independent study projects, and your efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Thank you for your encouragement through this year and your support as you knew the challenges I faced recovering from last year’s accident. Your support and genuine concern meant the world to me. And remember, according to Jimmy Dean, “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

-Mrs. Owens To the senior band members - What a pleasure it has been to watch you grow immensely through music the past four years! You have risen above every challenge and have always put your very best effort into everything. I know you have had tons of fun and you’ve encountered some obstacles, but each difficulty brought you together as a team and helped you grow. I will miss you.

-Mrs. Owens, Ty’s mom, band mom To my son Ty Martin - I have always been proud of you and even to this day you never cease to amaze me. You have discovered your passion for music and it has moved you in wonderful ways. So happy that you have found the perfect fit for you at the Glenn Korff School of Music at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Even though you will be more than halfway across the country, mom will always be here for you and I’m just a call or a text away. I love you, Ty, and I am so very proud of all that you have accomplished, and I know that your future is extremely bright so work hard, make good choices, and be a positive example for others. And what I want you to remember - “Family - the secret to having it all is knowing that you already do.” and “Home is where you treat your friends like family and your family like friends.”

-Mom And to all graduating seniors in the Class of 2016 - Make good choices. You have what it takes to be successful and make a difference.

“Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.” ~ John Gardner -Mrs. Owens When you look back on your years at Millbrook High School, I hope you remember the people here who cared about you and wanted you to succeed. Go out and do your best to create a life that is rewarding and meaningful. Strive for the good life, and work hard. In the words of Shakespeare’s Friar Francis, “Have patience and endure.”

-Mr. Friend You have provided many laughs along the way.

Who can forget Baker calling himself and telling everyone I would buy them lunch? Or Beaver wiping paint off with his hand? And Logan, ah Logan... from watering mishaps to somehow catching your electrical project on fire, I am just happy we both lived through your high school career. And one could never forget Lindsey’s attitude or Kristianna’s phone. And how about Brody’s orange shirt messing up the computer signal. And the Mad Swan was one of kind, her sass and directness will be missed around our department. And Stewie...I am glad you got involved and hung around for four years. And Harleigh, glad

hope that you find your joy.

Dear Nuggets of 2016, This year has definitely been one of growth and change for all of us. I realize that some of you already have one foot out the door, while others are not quite ready to leave this place. Regardless, I hope that as you move forward into your future, you look back at the last four years and remember the good stuff. If some of the bad stuff gets sprinkled in, that’s okay too, that’s what grows us. I wish you all the best and

P.S. Special shout out to my study hall . . .you guys are the bomb.com and thanks for all the gum!

Much Love, Finny The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. -Robert Frost You have promises to keep.Keep your promises, especially those you have made to yourself. You have hopes and dreams that are only yours.

Never stop reaching for your dream. Life is what you make of it. Are you approaching life by letting things happen to you, or are you making things happen for you. You may have miles to go before you sleep so go and make a good life for yourself. I wish only the best for you.

-Mr. Wehn Every bright day must eventually come to a close, but there is still beauty in the stars. As the sun sets on your senior year, may YOU be the shining stars in your own future. Thanks for the memories!

-Mr. Jones Best Wishes 2016 Graduates! I look forward to hearing about your successes in the future!

-Mrs. Hedrick To my former 2011-2012 8th grade Spanish I students (18 males, 6 females) at Admiral Byrd who followed me to Millbrook freshman year.... You are my first graduating class where I will be sad to see you walk by me one last time. Remember to behave, respect your elders and never forget that talk Mr. Whittle had to have with most of you. Best of luck to all in anything you do!

-Sra. Keffer To Sra. Keffer’s Spanish students in the Class of 2016, remember.... SOLs have come and gone but Spanish stays with you forever. Good luck in all your future Spanish-speaking encounters.... major & minor.... I promise, you’ll have them. ¡Buena Suerte!

To the class of 2016, Now that you have graduated just remember bosses don’t accept notes from your mother!

James B. can’t wait to eat at your restaurant.

John Quincy forget the oreos take the Big Apple!

Emma C. although you’re not my daughter, we will always share a heart.

Laken P. facial expressions do tell a story, now go grab that Ram by the horns Annie C. now it’s time to write your own speech B. Parsons keep making the world smile -Ms. Lacey First and foremost, Congratulations Class of 2016.

Whatever you plans from here are, work hard, try hard, it won’t all be easy, but never give up.

-Mr. Popp

-Ms. Madden and Ms. Greynolds –Class of 2016 sponsors

Congratulations to the world’s greatest library aides: Austin McManaway, Haley Smoot and Ally White. This place won’t be the same without your smiling faces next year. Best of luck. We’re going to miss you! -Mrs. Carmichael Wishing you the best in your next chapter. “Today I close the door to the past, open the door to the future, take a deep breath, step on through and start a new chapter in my life.” -Ms. Sipe I had Cullen Koons for two years of English, and I STILL don’t know what “Not a bear” means. In no particular order, the top three students to ask to go the bathroom in English 10: Oscar Reyes, Christian Jose-Antonio, and Laken Nordin. I will miss seeing each of you in the hallways. John Lam: Thank you for being you: conscientious, attentive, and generous. I will miss your stops by my room to discuss life and hope that your life evolves into everything that you want it to be. -Ms. Buehler The Millbrook basketball family would like to wish Alex Amos, Taryk Baylor, Trey Braithwaite, Nick Harrell, Donte Weaver, and the rest of the seniors good luck with all of their future plans. -Mr. Butler Thank you Darrell Bryant for always turning in quality assignments on time. Simple things like this will assure that you go far! Congratulations Class of 2016!!! Thank you for keeping me amused the last couple of years!!! Best wishes! -Ms. Carper Be safe, seek to increase your knowledge, and always remember that if you ever need a friend you always have one at Millbrook. -Mrs. Kaminski To the class of 2016, it was a pleasure to be your teacher as juniors and to see you grow into the young adults you are today. I learned so much from you all. I admire your ability to keep an open mind and to be accepting of others. Never lose that. You have so much to teach the world, and you have a powerful voice. Remember Emerson as you venture out into the real world, “Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world.” Trust your gut, stay true to yourself, and never stop learning!

-Much love, Mrs. Henderson To my student mentors, Bethany, Jamie, Nick and Maddie: Thank you for being a tremendous help to our department this year.

I enjoyed having the opportunity to work with you again and to see you mentor to other students who were once in your shoes. You guys rock! Best of luck next year.

-Much love, Mrs. Henderson To the Class of 2016 - I wish all the best for you in your future pursuits - congratulations! To my three year students - Anmol, James, John, Kayla, and Kristen - it’s been awesome getting to know you since you were sophomores! I am so excited to see how your futures turn out. I am always here for you.

To my spirit club seniors - Ashleigh, Bridget, Harleigh, and Meghan - thanks for working so hard during your study hall time to support Millbrook. I am very thankful for each of you!

To the 6B senior crew - For many of you, this is our second round of study hall and/or class. Thank you for always keeping 6B entertaining. We may joke around a lot, but you all have been a wonderful study hall, and I will miss you next year. Congratulations on this awesome milestone!

To my AP Chem seniors - I’m so proud of each of you for being willing to take AP Chem as seniors.

Thank you for working so hard! You have each been a delight to teach this year. Thanks for putting up with the afternoon labs, lab reports, and evil Chapter 18. I wish you all the best in your future plans!

-Ms. Barker Live each day with an ATTITUDE of GRATITUDE. - Mrs. Hartman Life can be difficult at times, but sometimes all it takes is a change in your attitude to make things better. I hope you all choose to be winners! Wishing each of you the best in life.

-Love, Mrs. Harrison To my seniors: Vet Science - Thank you for all the unique discussions that could only be had in a vet science class and all the unique laughs...Sara Animal Science - Thank you for the endless pictures and stories about your animals.

Welding - Please remember to use your filters!

Straight pipes are not acceptable all the time!

FFA Officers - Madalyn, Austin, Allen, Stuart, and Lindsay….Thank you for all your help this year and all of the many good times that we have shared over the years. From mini golfing for the first time to our camping trip and our time in Louisville….Thank you for everything!

-Sincerely, Bethke Best Wishes and Good Luck to the Class of 2016!

-Mrs. Ravn

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B12 Goodbye Staff We Bid Adieu to the Senior Crew!

Tribute by | Brandon Wyatt Images by | Abby Valladares

Bethany Melvin

Ashley McManamay

Juan Garcia

Editor in Chief Future Plans: Hunt the Four Toed Elf in northern Wyoming with my cousin Cheryl.

Section Editor Future Plans: Become a certified sleeper, adopt a tiger and live in a tree.

Section Editor and Video Producer Future Plans: To be able to smile someday.

Charles Wann

Joseph Kaiser

Mackenzie Shrout

Video Production Future Plans: To live forever after taking Kanye’s place as the 47th President of the United States.

Section Editor Future Plans: Work the beauty department at Kohl’s in Manhattan.

Section Editor Future Plans: To create a revival of High School Musical 3 in 2025.

Ashley Pink

Bradley Sampson

Jacob Aguilar

Section Editor Future Plans: Win the lottery just to spend the money on more lottery tickets.

Graphic Designer Future Plans: Attend Monster’s University and spend the the rest of my life with Mike and Sulley

Section Editor and Video Producer Future Plans: Hitchhike to Hawaii.

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

A letter from your senior class president We did it seniors! We finally made it to the time that we have all been waiting for. Graduation. We are finally getting that diploma and moving on to the next step in our lives whether that is going to college, joining the military, or going straight into the workforce. Each of you have the potential to make a positive difference in the world in whatever field you choose to go into. Use the life lessons you have learned these past four years and apply them to your life after high school.

I would like to thank the faculty first and foremost.

All of you have worked your hardest to get us to this point and I don’t think you get Image by | Abby Valladares the recognition you deserve.

The bond between a student and a teacher is a strong one. You motivated us to give all that we had, in and out of the classroom, and to learn the definition of a deadline. Thank you for your hard work and dedication these past four years. At this time I would like to share a special thank you to Hillary Suire, my U.S. history teacher. With-

out you, I do not think school would have been as enjoyable as it was. You were always a person to share my thoughts and feelings with as well as a laugh during any free time that I had. I would like to thank you for helping to mold me into the person I am today. I can only hope that each student had a teacher like you to lean on.

Next, I would like to thank the parents and guardians of the senior class. Without you, we would not be here. With your love and hard work, you encouraged us to be our best and to make a difference. As teenagers, it is natural for us to think that we know everything and that you are only out to ruin our lives. In the years to come, I know we will be able to look back on a past grounding or argument and see the point you were making at the time. Thank you for all the patience and love that you gave and continue to give. Speaking for my fellow students, I know we can never thank you enough for all that you do.

Lastly, I would like to thank my fellow students.

Thank you for voting me president and allowing me to have this experience to work first hand to help make your senior year wonderful.

Class of 2016, I challenge you. I challenge you to not waste a moment of the time you have on this earth because we don’t know when that time will be up. I want you to be able to look back in 50 years and say that you made a difference and have no regrets. Use your time wisely and enjoy the life you create for yourself! This is only the beginning.

I am honored I was able to share these past four years with you. Good luck Class of 2016!

With much love, Ashleigh Barnes