Vol. 12 Issue 1
MILL CREEK
CHRONICLE Fall 2019
In This Issue Harvey The Hawk 2020 Election Area 51 Disney Live Action
The Mill Creek Chronicle Volume 12 Issue 1
Sydney Silver performs at the Fine Arts Showcase PHOTO: Cassidy Hettesheimer COVER PHOTO: Cassidy Hettesheimer
Editors Evan Ferrell Isabelle Harrel
Staff Writers
Christian Donayre, 12, during the fine PHOTO: Abbie Herrin arts showcase.
Amiyah Garner Madeline Goodheart Madi Lineberry Joelin Linonge Taylor Maurer Abby McCoy Jillian McMahon Emma Kate Mountjoy Stiles Ramsey Leena Sheikh Natalie Ursetta Whitney West Madison Whitehead
Table Of Contents Chorus Sings At Braves Game....4 Harvey the Hawk....6 Dress Code....8 Colt Stops Production....10 Flynn Effect: What it is and why it happens....12 Presidential Election....14 Photo collage....16 Vaping and its Effects....18 Area 51: What Really Happened....20 Amazon Rainforest....22 Heartbeat Bill....24 Live Action vs. Original....26 Report on Sex Trafficking ... 28 Climate Change....30
Elena Rodriguez, 12, and Henry Boston, 11, acting in The Rabbit Hole. PHOTO: Kamari Taylor
T he Hawk s and T he Braves Chor us Sings National Anthem at Braves Stadium By: Stiles Ramsey Members of the Mill Creek High School chorus, along with members of the Glenn C. Jones Middle School and Osborne Middle School’s eighth grade choruses, sang the National Anthem at SunTrust Park for the Atlanta Braves baseball game against the San Francisco Giants on September 21. Mill Creek has performed at one of the Braves games before, so this wasn’t anything new for Mrs. Archer, the chorus instructor. However, this was something new for two sophomores, Belle Sansone and Madi Hester, who didn’t attend last year or their eighth grade year. Both girls were thrilled when they found out they’d be singing at the game this year.
Evan Archer, 11, Jamey Terry, 11, and Harrison Eason, 11, sitting in Suntrust Park bleachers during the game. PHOTO: Allison Llanos
the year before because they knew what it was like,” Sansone said. The chorus had special practices before the game in preparation for the performance “We had two extra practices, and they were so stressful because we had one practice that was just the high schoolers, and then we only had one practice with all of us together,” Sansone said. Previous experiences singing in front of a big group helped prepare Sansone and calm her nerves.
“I was so excited when I found out we were singing at the Braves game because I went to their games all the time when I was little, so I was excited to be a part of one of them,” Hester said.
“I wasn’t nervous. There was only excitement,” Sansone said. “I’m on the worship team at my church, and singing there makes me way more nervous than I was out on the field. I think that because there were so many people, it was hard to focus too much on them. I feel like it also helped [that I was] singing with a group, so I wasn’t alone.”
“We couldn’t wait. We were all super excited, especially the people that went
When brought onto the field the chorus faced thousands of people in the
Mill Creek Chorus on the stadium jumbotron while singing the National Anthem.PHOTO: Allison Llanos
stadium seats, Hester was amazed. “Seeing all of the people in the stands was crazy. There were so many people there, and before we went onto the field, just thinking that we were going to sing in front of them was crazy,” Hester said. “I couldn’t wait to get out there and do it.” Hester was taken aback by the feelings of honor and joy that she got while singing. PHOTO: Harrison Eason
“While we were singing, it was just surreal.It didn’t feel like it was actually happening until the end when everyone started cheering for us before we even finished. I got goosebumps everywhere. It was just so fun,” Hester said. Sansone and Hester both had memorable experiences and said that “It was [Sansone’s and my] first time singing for the Braves game, but it won’t be our last for sure,” Hester said.
Chorus members Caroline Leonard, 12, Elijah Johnson, 10, Bailey Dassow, 10, and Holly Smith, 10, at Braves game.
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Harvey the Hawk, Behind the Mask
By: Whitney West
Harvey The Hawk, Mill Creek’s Mascot who is played by a junior, went to mascot camp this summer to master his craft. Harvey traveled to San Antonio, Texas for a day- long camp led by several professional NFL teams’ former mascots to give tips and advice to mascots in training from all around America.
Harvey not only has to maintain the life of the school mascot on the outside, but he also must keep his personal life on track as well. He is involved in many clubs at school that also require his attention. He feels there is a distinct difference being a speaker in many leadership clubs and being Harvey.
“At first, we learned how to do skits and create props,” Harvey said. Then as the camp progressed they had talks about how to look forward into the future. Colleges give out scholarships to mascots, and that is something Harvey has said he is interested in.
“Through clubs, I support more behind the scenes, but through Harvey, I am more active and out in the open and getting people hyped up,” Harvey said.
“They taught us how to get our names out to college coaches,” Harvey said. “I would have to audition some time [during] my senior year, and if I were selected as one of the mascots they were interested in, I would go to that college and receive a small scholarship.”
With only seven games left in the season, Harvey is eager to go out and do his part to make sure Mill Creek students show their spirit. “I’m really excited to round out the season on a high note and send our seniors off in a spirited way,” Harvey said.
Harvey greeting fans at the preseason football game. PHOTO: Karen Suiter
Mill Creek Book Reviews: “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter” By: Emma Kate Mountjoy Hispanic author Erika L. Sanchez’s debut novel, “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,” is a popular realistic fiction book among high schoolers, being nominated for the 2017 National Book Finalist Award and listed as one of the book choices for the Mill Creek 10th Grade Summer Reading List for the 2019-2020 school year. The story takes place in the city of Chicago, Illinois, and it chronicles around 11th grader Julia Reyes, who wants to be a writer, PHOTO: Gabby Dillard but her illegal immigrant parents won’t let her because of their very strict Mexican beliefs. Things between Julia and her family get worse when Olga, Julia’s perfect older sister, dies after being hit by a semi truck, leaving Julia and her entire family distraught, with Julia’s mother constantly ridiculing Julia about all the ways she was different from her perfect sister. One night while sleeping in Olga’s now abandoned bedroom, Julia finds some of Olga’s old things, which makes Julia wonder if her sister Olga was as perfect as everybody thought she was. Julia then decides to find out the truth about her dead older sister, with the help of her best friends Lorena and Connor, and without her parents finding out about what she’s doing. According to an interview on the Latino Book Reviews website, Sanchez said, “The characters are fictional, but I did draw upon my experiences. Some of them are amalgams of
people I’ve known. Mr. Ingman, for instance, is a mash-up of my most influential teachers.” When asked about the book, Sanchez told the reporter, “I had so many high hopes for this book. My primary goal was to have it reach as many young people as possible. I knew that it would speak to girls of color in particular, especially immigrant daughters. This is a common story that isn’t a part of mainstream literature or media. I want to change this.” The book is proven popular among students here at Mill Creek as it is continually coming in and out of the school’s media center. “I liked the book ‘I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter’, because it had different plot twists. When you think you know what is going to happen,something totally different happens. I don’t think that you recommend this to little kids because it has a lot of suicidal themes. But to older people I really think you should read it,” said sophomore Madison Clarey. “I would recommend it for people who like drama and a plot that kinda ‘stretches’ out,” said Brooke Fugate, 10. If you want to read this book, you can find “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter” in the realistic fiction section of the media center. MCHS Chronicle 7
Oppression or Self Expression? By: Amiyah Garner
The dress code is one of the sets of rules that students have to abide by. Dress code has pros and cons to the students. There are so many different opinions with dress code; some support it and others don’t. Janeya Williams,10, said, “It’s unfair. I can get unconfident at times. [The administrators] make me feel like I’m exposing myself, and I’m really not.” Bailey Clements, 10, said “It depends on what it is. There are just some things that should be on there.” Not only females get dress coded, so do boys, but it pertains more to females than males. It’s not only females that feel biased against the dress code. There are boys that also feel as if the dress code is very harsh and unneeded. Amory Gomes,10, said, “They (females) should be entitled to what they want to wear because it’s their body.” Females go shopping for school clothes during the end of summer. Some feel their money is being wasted because they can’t wear the clothes that they bought. According to the Dress Code published on the Mill Creek website “It is essential that students respect the learning environment by being appropriately dressed for school. The purpose of the student dress code is not to inhibit any person’s taste in
attire, but rather to better facilitate the process of education through reasonable guidelines of dress, instilling dignity and pride.” This means that females can’t wear off the shoulder shirts, crop tops, or some shorts because they are a distraction to the learning environment. Clements said, “ In PE girls are not able to wear tank tops and I feel as that’s messed up because it can get really hot. I agree that females should not wear short shorts or crop tops because nobody wants to see all of that.” Dr. Monica Hudson Cook, one of the assistant principals, usually works with sophomores, but when it comes to the dress code, she sees almost every grade. The administrators keep a log of the students who have been dress coded to see how many times they have been dress coded before. PHOTO: Amiyah Garner
Jason Daniels wears a durag, but has to take it off when on campus.
Dr. Cook said, “We typically see anywhere from four to five, maybe even six (students) a day, but that does not mean that they’re receiving a referral for not following the dress code. It could be (that they are being seen) for the very first time.” If this is the first time the student is being dress coded they are let off with a warning, but are to change their clothes. The way that works is you give the administrator the shirt you were dress coded for and take the shirt they give you. They keep your shirt until you wash and bring back their shirt. If the student continues to disobey the dress code the next step would be ISS (In School Suspension).
PHOTO: Amiyah Garner
Eva Poole and Daniela Banos are wearing t-shirts that are longer than their shorts, which is a dress code violation.
There are some dress code issues that come up regularly with female students. Dr. Cook said, “It’s the midriff that shows, or maybe spaghetti strap shirts, or some type of crop top, or a shirt that does not have straps for shoulders, and sometimes, it’s the short shorts that are too short that we have to deal with.” The purpose of the dress code is to establish the school as a business environment. PHOTO: Amiyah Garner
Alec Wirtzberger is wearing his pants below the waistline which is the most common dress code violation for males.
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Colt Stops AR-15 Production By: Jillian McMahon
The gun manufacturing company, Colt, stopped production of their best selling gun, the AR-15, on September 19. According to the New York Times, Colt claims the decision is based on a change in the demand in the style of gun. Times said, “Major retailers and other businesses linked to the gun industry have faced growing public pressure to take steps to curb gun violence in response to recent mass shootings.” The New York Times also mentions that Timothy D. Lytton, an expert in the gun industry, said that, “If there’s market demand, I’m sure there are other companies with the capacity to fill it,” and that this will not prevent customers from getting powerful semi-automatic weapons. However, Lytton claims that school shootings like the ones in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, and a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 in Connecticut influence this decision to stop producing the specific gun, considering that Colt’s manufacturing headquarters is based nearby the school in Connecticut where the shootings occurred. Time.com stated on their website, “AR15-style rifles were used in the mass shootings that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012, an Aurora, Colo., movie theater in 2012, the Vegas Harvest music festival in 2017 and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. The Las
Vegas gunman had several Colt rifles among the 24 guns in his hotel rooms.” The Washington Post states,“Given this level of manufacturing capacity, we believe there is adequate supply for modern sporting rifles for the foreseeable future,’ Dennis Veilleux [the manufacturer’s president and chief executive] said.” However, ABCnews.com states that, “Colt will continue to make weapons, including rifles, for the military and law enforcement. It will also continue to produce its signature 1911s and revolvers.” Although many civilians claim that, by stopping production of this one gun, the company is going against the people’s right to the second amendment, the right to bear arms. CBSnews.com says, “The West Hartford, Connecticut-based company has received some criticism from gun rights advocates for moving away from the civilian market.” On the other hand, NPR.org states, “In his statement, however, Veilleux insisted that the West Hartford, Conn., based gun-maker ‘is committed to the Second
A model of the AR-15 Rifle Stijn Van Impe at behance.com from Creative Commons
An example of the AR-15 rifle Archer762 on wikimedia.org from Creative Commons
Amendment, highly values its customers and continues to manufacture the world’s finest quality firearms for the consumer market.’” An anonymous Mill Creek High School student said that stopping production of the AR-15 does not go against any human rights because “our rights say that we have the right to bear arms, not that the gun companies have to produce them.” One student said, “[Colt’s CEO] made the right choice, because he could be saving lives in the process. He also isn’t stopping anyone from using guns; he just stopped the company from making them.” Time.com explains how Colt stopping production of the AR-15 has caused a trend, and other stores and companies are putting limits to the guns that they sell. Wal-Mart has claimed they are going to stop selling ammunition for military-style assault weapons after a mass shooter started firing in a Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas on August 3, and usatoday.com states that Dick’s
Sporting Goods has claimed they are going to remove firearms altogether from 125 of its retail locations due to the Parkland, Florida shooting and the fact that the shooter had bought his gun from Dick’s Sporting Goods. Also, The Washington Post said that local retail stores, such as CVS, Walgreens, and Kroger, have asked customers to stop openly carrying firearms in their stores. However, not everyone agrees that reducing the production of weaponry will keep schools and citizens safer. A ninth grade MCHS student said, “I believe that this move against the Colt company will not prevent school shootings in the future. I say this because even if we remove firearms from teens or the entire American population, people will find a way around this. Instead of school shootings, we may end up with school bombings or mass stabbings. I believe [that] to stop the violence issues in America, we need to focus on the violent people in America, not the things they use.”
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Flynn EffectWhat It Is and Why It Happens By: Abby McCoy
Over the past few decades, the average IQ has been increasing. Researchers call this phenomenon the Flynn effect. The average IQ is between 90 and 110. IQ is based off of a person’s spatial, mathematical, language, and memory abilities. Spatial ability is a person’s ability to manipulate shapes and their position. A person’s mathematical ability is his or her ability to solve mathematical equations. “How Stuff Works” explains that language ability is a person’s ability to comprehend words and speak fluently. The language ability is sometimes separated into two different categories: verbal and non-verbal. The fifth factor in IQ is the memory ability, which is a person’s capability to quickly retrieve information from their long-term memory. The Flynn-Effect was first noticed in the 1950’s by James R. Flynn according to healthline.com. No one has been able to come up with an explanation as to why the Flynn effect exists. Some people say it’s environmental. According to “123test”, an institute that measures IQ, personality, and more psychological factors, this means that because the level and quality of education has spread to more areas of the world, the average IQ has gone up. This is because across the planet more people are getting a better education than they were 50-100 years ago. However “Scientific American” argues that the Flynn effect must be caused by genetics, since some believe intelligence is connected to genetics.
There are multiple sources that say the Flynn effect may not have only one cause.Based on data provided from Our World in Data, the Flynn effect is a global event. Each continent has data on how that part of the world is impacted by the Flynn effect. The continent that is most impacted by the Flynn effect varies over time. Despite the ever changing data, the part of the world that is most heavily affected by the Flynn effect is Asia. The second most affected regions are tied between the North and South America. Following those two are Oceania and Europe. The continent that is least affected is Africa. Based on data provided from Our World in Data, the Flynn effect is a global event. Each continent has data on how that part of the world is impacted by the Flynn effect. The continent that is most impacted by the Flynn effect varies over time. Despite the ever changing data, the part of the world that is most heavily affected by the Flynn effect is Asia. The second most affected regions are tied between the North and South America. Following those two are Oceania and Europe. The continent that is least affected is Africa. The Flynn effect is named after James R. Flynn. However, Flynn didn’t name the phenomenon himself. The person credited for coining the name Flynn-Effect is Harvard graduate Richard Herrnstein. He later wrote a book on one of his discoveries with James Q. Wilson titled “Crime and Nature.” To learn more about the Flynn effect, you can read “Are We Getting Smarter?” written by James Flynn himself.
Social Media and Body Image By: Joelin Linonge
Every day social media presents the same female body type, and this is affects young girls’ self esteem.
2017, a 2 percent increase over 2016.” Dakota Clary, 9, said, “I think [social media] makes them feel like they have to look a certain way or have certain things to be important and to be like everyone else. [There are] influencers like Kylie Jenner who have lip injections and stuff [that make] other people want to be like them. It’s back to the body thing. If you see a body that you like, and you hate your body, it’s likely you’ll want to get surgery to get the body you like”.
According to Pew Research Center, statistics show that “95 percent of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45 percent say they’re online constantly.” It goes on to say that “5 percent of American adults used at least one of the social media platforms.” In other words, the main people who idolize celebrities who promote these body types are young, The reason why impressionable social media has such teenagers. a big influence and Young girls are impact on today’s continuously seeing youth is because it the same body is so intriguing to types over and over, Nickelle Linonge comparing her body to an Instagram young, developing model, which makes them teens. believe that is the ideal.PHOTO: Joelin Linonge A study by York University in Canada Miranda Gomez, 10, said, “Especially states, “Young women who actively engage with celebrities and stuff, you always see them with social media images of friends who they having plastic surgery, and girls think ‘Well, think are more attractive than themselves if they look like that, then I should, too.’” She report feeling worse about their own continued, “Often, girls follow [Instagram] appearance afterward.” If celebrities continue pages, and they’ll just look up to girls and to promote these expectations of the ideal their bodies. So they just keep liking that body, it will not only hurt girls’ self esteem, [ideal body type] and wish they could look like but it’ll persuade them into feeling the need to that.” pursue those bodies. Many people undergo cosmetic procedures to enhance or change their features. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, annual plastic surgery procedural statistics show that “there were 17.5 million surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures performed in the U.S in
Miranda Gomez, 10, said, “I think showing more body diversity in society and media will definitely improve how girls feel about themselves [instead of] just limiting [what people see on social media] to one perfect body type.” MCHS Chronicle
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2020 Presidential Election By: Natalie Ursetta
Graphic by Maus Bullhorst
With a year left in the race, there are still many candidates left.
With only one-year until the 2020 presidential election, there are 20 Democratic candidates and four Republican candidates at the start of campaigning. The Democratic Party seems to have a heavy lead on American citizens so far. According to RealClearPolitics. com’s “National General Election Polls,” when voters were given a choice between current president Donald J. Trump or another candidate, the data showed that other candidates have a higher percentage than President Trump with a 56 percent lead to the Democratic Party to a 44 percent vote towards the Republican Party, percentages were according to The New York Times. Democratic Senator, Elizabeth Warren, leads President Trump by four percentage points in a new
national poll done by Harvard University, surveying over 1,500 American citizens during the week of October 7. When asked the same question about former Vice President Joe Biden, 12% fewer people responded they would vote for Biden when compared to the polls on Warren versus Trump. There have been recent debates on whether Trump should be impeached before the election because of a whistle blower report. The report suggests that Trump, his lawyer, and top Trump administration officials asked the Ukrainian government to investigate one of Trump’s opponents in the election, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter Biden in exchange for United States military aid to Ukraine.
According to Prospect.org, “[The polls] show so many Democrats were wrong to hold out for so long [on impeachment],” said Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Institute.“It showed that conventional wisdom was wrong. Democrats should be emboldened to pursue the inquiry without political fears.” If impeachment were to occur, it may affect who will be running. Rumors have speculated that 2016 candidate Hillary Clinton will be running again because of the impeachment inquiry. Democratic 1. Joe Biden 2. Pete Buttigieg 3. Elizabeth Warren 4. Bernie Sanders 5. Amy Klobuchar 6. Michael Bloomberg 7. Andrew Yang 8. Cory Booker 9. Tom Steyer 10. Julian Castro In a recent interview with News 12 in Scarsdale, New York, she said, “I’m not running, but I’m going to keep on working and speaking and standing up for what I believe.” Even after denying her re-run in the presidential race a few times, people are still left to believe she will end up running. A survey done on Mill Creek students showed that almost 80 percent of students believe Trump will either be impeached or will not win the 2020 presidential election. “Based on the recent news stories [about Trump’s impeachment inquiries], if he is not impeached, I highly doubt he will be serving a second term as president,” an anonymous student said.
Georgia’s sixth Congressional District representative, Lucy McBath, does not believe we should impeach President Trump, stating, “Congress has a responsibility to further investigate the president’s obstructive conduct outlined in Special Counsel Mueller’s report.” Special counsel Robert Mueller’s report notably says “Congress should be the body that determines whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice.” Republican 1. Donald Trump 2. Roque De La Fuente 3. Joe Walsh 4. Bill Weld
Who’s left and their position According to CNN:Politics, Dan Pfieffer, the former Obama White House communications director, believes that the political parties are not the main cause of the divide between Americans’ political views. “The biggest divide in the party is not between left and center,” Pfieffer said. “It’s between those who believe once Trump is gone, things will go back to normal, and those that believe that our democracy is under a threat that goes beyond Trump.” By the end of all the debates, as of November 1st, the total number of candidates for the 2020 Presidential elections has fallen from 24 to 17 according to USAToday.com.
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Girls varsity volleyball against Hebron August 13. PHOTO: Cassidy Hettesheimer
Boys cross country meet Oct 12
Varsity softball against Collins Hill August 21.
PHOTO: Sidney Chansamone
PHOTO: Hanna Tricic
Varsity football against Mountain View October 25.
Color guard at varsity football game against Mountain View October 25. PHOTO: Gabby Dillard
PHOTO: Gabby Dillard
Marching band at varsity football game against Mountain View October 25. PHOTO: Gabby Dillard
Varsity compition cheer at Peachtree Ridge.
PHOTO: Abbie Herrin
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Mill Creek Takes On Vaping Epidemic Graphic and story by: Taylor Maurer Within the last year, the rate of teen vaping has gone up two times the number of teen users in 2018. According to CNN, one in four seniors, one in five sophomores, and one in 11 eighth graders vape. A recent report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that there have now been 11 vape-related deaths in the United States, and they are looking into at least 805 cases of lung illness associated with e-cigarettes. Nevertheless, most teens do not know the effects of vaping. “Trust me, my parents are always telling me about how vaping can affect me, but honestly, what are the chances of that?” a Mill Creek senior boy said. Kids Health says that, even though the longterm health effects are not known, vaping can cause serious lung damage, lung disease, and death. In fact, on September 25, a man in Georgia died from excessive vaping, according to CNN. Vaping caused him to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome, which occurs when fluid fills the air sacs in your lungs. This then can lower the amount of oxygen, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide that flows into your bloodstream. If left untreated, it can cause organ failure or organ damage, or, as in this case, death. Often times, teens simply believe it can not happen to them. “Yes, I understand vaping can hurt me, but I only do it after school, and [the harmful effects will] never happen to me,” a junior girl said. “Honestly, I started vaping last year because all my friends were doing it. Vaping started as a joke, and I could post it on Snapchat.” According to Teens Health,because some vapes contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main chemical found in cannabis, a couple of uses is all it takes to become addicted.
The same junior girl said, “I went home two days later after we had been smoking all day, and I started to get headaches on Sunday. All week at school, I was getting anxious, and I couldn’t focus.” She realized she was feeling symptoms of addiction and decided to continue vaping in order to get rid of the side effects. Now, she vapes every day.
Not all students vape in order to seem cool.
A sophomore girl said, “I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in June of 2019, and although I take the medicine [that is prescribed to me], sometimes, smoking just works. I know this isn’t an excuse, but it definitely is not the same. In fact, only my close friends even know I vape.” While many teenagers do vape, the majority still do not. A sophomore boy said, “A lot of my friends vape, but I have seen a lot of the consequences, and it’s definitely is not worth it.” His older brother has developed some lung problems, and they think it may have something to do with vaping. “He is 29, and he has been vaping for a couple years. He went to the doctor about three months ago for breathing problems. The doctor ran some tests and found [that] his lungs were in bad shape,” he said. “I was already against vaping, but for this to be so close to home, it really showed how dangerous and scary vaping can be.” Many teens believe people should be able to choose whether or not they can vape, but for their safety, they should know the risks. Kaitlyn Freitag, 9, said, “Whether people vape or not is their choice, but they should know the risks before taking a chance to getting addicted.”
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Area 51What Really Went Down By: Madi Lineberry
The Area 51 raid on September 20th was a nationally known event, and many new details on what happened have become clearer. The Facebook post that started as a joke has turned into a national phenomenon. Matty Roberts, who released the post on August 3, thought it was comedic and no one would take it seriously, but he was wrong. The Facebook post wrote, “Storm Area 51, they can’t stop us all.” Area 51 has always had the impression of holding
was stupid because everyone was going to raid this base when they weren’t even sure if there were aliens in there.You really don’t get explanations for all [of] the Egyptian pyramids and other unexplained events that have happened. If aliens have been to Earth before, they’re bound to come back, but aliens being stuck in a military base is highly unlikely.” The raid took place near Rachel and Hiko, Nevada. Though, the raid turned into alienthemed festivals because of Roberts, who created the idea. “The event blew up to epic proportions, and my planning partner Brock Daily – he owns a company in Arkansas and throws smaller events – messaged me with the idea of throwing some kind of music event,” Roberts [told] USA Today. Micheal Ian Borer, a sociologist at the University of Nevada said that the raid consisted of ‘“a perfect blend of interest in aliens and the supernatural, government conspiracy, and the desire to know what we don’t.”’
On the road to Area 51, there are many alien themed restaurants and business. Anthony Quintano-(Creative Commons)
extraterrestrial life, but it was mostly overlooked until August, which was when the Facebook post was published. Abigail Schiesser, 9, said, “It (Area 51 Raid)
Many people showed up in alien costumes, and some even protested in favor of letting the aliens go by using slogans such as, “Locked Up For What?” PBS news hour explains. The Defense Visual Information Distribution Services (DVIDS) threatened on Twitter to use stealth bombs on anyone who showed up to Area 51. Though, the tweet was later deleted off the page, and the
DVIDS issued an apology after it received a lot of backlash. The apology wrote, “Last night a DVIDSHUB employee posted a Tweet that in NO WAY supports the stance of the Department of Defense.”
which person or character runs leaning forward with their arms stretched out behind them, past the camera. The man, a YouTuber named Elixir, who claimed to be in the news tape, was later interviewed after the news clip went viral.
The DVIDS explained that Area 51 is a highly classified United States Air Force facility.
”I [was here] a month ago, and I was practicing my Naruto running in front of Area 51,” Elixir said on Channel 13 Action News. “We filled up the car with a lot of food and water, and hopefully, I capture some aliens.”
The DVIDS explicitly warned Area 51 raiders that the military base is still strictly forbidden for people to come into, but this didn’t seem to affect the crowds. “We can dodge the bullets with our Naruto running. If we Naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets,” the original Facebook post said. “Let’s see them aliens.” At the raid, Channel 13 Action News was reporting when a young man began to Naruto run, which is a style of running
The event was a worldwide moment, and many people from all over the world came to get more insight on what happens in Rachel, Nevada. Borer explains to PBS news hour,“Area 51 is a place where normal, ordinary citizens can’t go. When you tell people they can’t do something, they just want to do it more.”
One of Nevada's alien attractions, used to catch eyes of wandering tourists near Area 51. Anthony Quintano(Creative Commons)
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The 2019 Amazon Forest Fires By: Emma Kate Mountjoy
The Amazon is the world’s largest rain forest, and it is home to numerous types of plant and animal life, both in the canopy and on the ground. The Amazon serves a purpose in helping to slow down global warming, as it stores large amounts of carbon dioxide in the plants that live in the dense jungle, and the plants and trees growing there release oxygen into the environment, which reduces the emission of carbon dioxide. According to CNN News, “Estimates show that nearly twenty percent of the oxygen produced by the Earth’s land comes from the Amazon rain forest.” Several wildfires have been burning in the Amazon since July. Some of them were the result of the dry season, but most of the fires came from the Brazilian government clearing land for their own purposes. “I think the Amazon Rain forest fires were very devastating. This is because we get a lot of oxygen from the rain forest. Also, the rain forest is a pretty sight to see, and the fires are ruining it, ” Abby Dahlberg, 9, said. BBC reports that, “More than 80,000 fires have broken out in the Amazon rain forest so far this year.” The fires were not covered by newspapers and news channels until August 20, when the sky began to darken in Sao Paulo, Brazil around 2 p.m. It wasn’t until NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) published satellite imagery of the fires that the fires in the Amazon became a major news topic.
Even after the Amazon fires were stopped, there were a lot of harmful effects not only to the environment, but to the many inhabitants that live there. “I think the Amazon fires were deadly to the animals environments, but I also think that it’s natural. Forest fires are common and not a big concern, unless the fires are intentionally set,” E.J. Simpson, 11, said. Many animals in the Amazon, most of them endangered species, are still at risk because of their home being burned down. “Different groups of animals will fare differently,” Dr. Claudio Sillero, a professor of conservation biology at the University of Oxford, said to BBC news last month. “But we really need to worry [about] amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. They live in microhabitats, and if these microhabitats get hit by fire then they will disappear completely, and these animals will die.” The larger animals, such as jaguars and parrots, have a much better chance than amphibians and reptiles to survive the fire, but they still experience harmful effects because of their home being destroyed. According to Green Planet, “Jaguars are common in the Amazon Pantanal, a tropical wetland area in Brazil. Unfortunately, the Panatal is one of the areas affected by the Amazon fires. And with the fires, the jaguars lose their safe habitat.” Despite the massive protests from the Brazilian people against burning the Amazon, the Brazilian government has intentions of clearing the rain forest for their own purposes.
ABC News said, “Bolsonaro [the president of Brazil] has repeatedly said he wants to promote economic development and regularize small-scale illegal mining, known as garimpo.” The fires are still going on through November, but while many measures have been taken to stop the fires, the experts believe that stopping the fires isn’t enough to make up for what has been done to the rain forest. Phys.org claims, “‘The nature is being destroyed,’ Teresa Correa, from the northern state of Para, said to the Association Of Fundraising Professionals.
‘The situation [has gotten worse] since [Bolsonaro] became president [because] he wants to explore and destroy everything.’” When the fires are over, many people believe that the entire world has a part to play in saving the Amazon from destruction. Vox News states, “The most critical task at hand is to retain what’s left. That means stopping the ongoing fires and deforestation as quickly as possible. From there, Brazil’s government and the world as a whole will have to pick up the thorny task of developing a mechanism to protect and restore the Amazon rain forest in the face of rising demand for food, fuel, and land for a growing population.”
This satellite image shows the destruction the fires caused to the Amazon. PHOTO: “Fire in the Amazon” by davesag is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
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Legalizing Life The Heartbeat Bill in Georgia By: Leena Sheikh
On May 7, the idea of “The Heartbeat Bill” in Georgia was introduced to the population.
anything. I was scared because my mom found out immediately because she was waiting for me [outside the bathroom.]”
The Heartbeat Bill states, “Unless otherwise provided by law, any natural person, including an unborn child at any stage of development who is carried in the womb, shall be included in state population.” This means that abortion after six weeks of pregnancy would legally be considered murder.
Many girls, Georgians or not, have been either forced to get abortions or they’ve been forced to keep their babies before the Heartbeat Bill made that decision for them. The source was one of those girls.
Many citizens didn’t agree with the illegalization of abortion after six weeks, causing a string of protests across the country. As stated by NPR, “Organizers [of the protests] include the ACLU, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and NARAL ProChoice America. More than 400 events were planned for a national day of action outside statehouses and courts, united under the ‘#StopTheBans’ moniker.” As many civilians marched in the streets, dozens of artists took to Twitter, Instagram, and televised interviews to speak out against the Heartbeat Bill. As reported by CNN, “So far, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Lady Gaga, Beck, Bon Iver, John Legend, Nine Inch Nails, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Nicki Minaj, Troye Sivan, Hayley Kiyoko, and Kacey Musgraves have signed on and were featured in a full-page Billboard ad over the weekend [of August 24], called ‘Band Together, Bans Off.’” Over 100 artists have joined in the campaign. An anonymous student, a student who had previously gotten an abortion, came out to the paper to speak about the Heartbeat Bill. She was sixteen years old when she found out she was pregnant.
She said, “I was really shocked more than
She said, “My dad was threatening to file me as legal incompetent because at the time. It would be really easy to make me unable to make rational medical decisions. And on top of that, he was threatening to cut my mom and sister off from all their money. He was their only source of income at the time.” The anonymous source, even though she didn’t want the abortion, is pro-choice. She said, “Yes, I definitely would [block the Hearteat Bill if I could] because as much as having an abortion was extremely traumatizing because I didn’t want it, having a child when you don’t want to have a child is also a really traumatic thing.” The same source also believe that prohibiting abortion would be a violation of women’s rights. “Either way [abortion is a] violation. Like, if you’re a teen mom, and you just made a mistake. You still don’t want to have a child [because] that’s still [a] violation, or if you were raped, you might not want to keep your child, and you shouldn’t be shamed for that.” Another anonymous senior, agrees with letting women decide what to do with their bodies when it comes to terminating their pregnancies. When placed in the hypothetical situation of getting a female student pregnant, he would want her to make her own decision about whether or not she would keep the baby.
He said, “Personally, myself, I would want her to do what she wanted [and] what she felt was best for her at the time.” The source believes in legalizing abortion after six weeks. He said, “Even though it goes against my own personal religion, being Catholic, I am aware that there are situations in which raising a child is just not appropriate at the time. It just might not be the best decision for a woman, so I have to be kind of respectful of that. Even if she just wants to get [an abortion] because she wants to get it, it’s still not my decision. In the end, it’s her body, and it’s a hard decision.” Because of the legal challenge from the ACLU in Georgia -a nonprofit organization that defends and preserves the rights of every resident
of the United States- the Heartbeat Bill has been blocked by Federal Court. The ACLU challenged U.S Court on the legalization of The Heartbeat Bill, which was filed in June. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported about the results of the court case in favor of the ACLU, “The law, which bans most abortions once a doctor can detect fetal cardiac activity, violates a woman’s constitutional right to abortion as established by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade.” Roe v. Wade, a court case in 1973, declared that a woman’s choice to terminate her pregnancy would be her decision and hers alone. Due to the case in June, Roe v. Wade blocked The Heartbeat Bill from going into effect in January. As of October 2019, the prohibiting of abortion has been banned on a national level.
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Disney Live Action vs Original Graphic and Story By: Madison Whitehead
Over the past decade, Disney has produced live-action remakes of original animated movies. In a survey taken recently from students, 49% said there was no need for a live-action remake and 72% said they prefer original movies compared to live-action movies.
Some say that Disney has changed the plot of the story from the original and is no longer the same tale.
Globally, Disney’s recent live-action movies were successful in succeeding over their original budget. Disney’s live action movie “The Jungle Book” was released on April 4, 2016. The movie was a remake of the 1967 original movie “The Jungle Book,” which was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman.
However, others believe that the different takes on the live-action movie are what make the film different, exciting, and new.
Walt Disney’s original “The Jungle Book” animation received 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and made $378 million in the box office. The 2016 live-action remake received 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and made $966.6 million in the box office(BoxOfficeMojo.com). The use of technology advances in movies has brought a lot of money to Disney. This past decade, the budget for Walt Disney’s liveaction movies are $180 million on average according to Forbes. There have been disagreements of whether or not Disney is putting much effort into their live-action films. Lillie Galvin, 11, said, “The live-action movies don’t try as hard, they cut corners and take the easy way out. Like in Lion King, it was literally just like a shot for shot remake of the animated Lion King... Disney is just trying to make a quick dollar, rather than bring these beloved stories back to life.”
Sarah Brown, 9, said, “You should keep the original story if you’re going to recreate it.”
Galvin said that she likes the different takes on the movies because they “bring something new and different to the table.” There has been a quarrel on whether Disney’s live-action movies represent the characters well. According to a survey 48% said maybe the actors represent the characters in live-action movies. This can mean students don’t particularly care about the actor portraying the character. Galvin said, “I like the different takes on original classics, as long as the characters show the same traits or the same character. [Referring to the remake Maleficent] I did like the whole story better than the original because the characters were more fleshed out. ” People care about keeping the characters the same as they were in the original picture. Even if the storyline is different, they feel that the story should keep the essence of the characters. Some people fear Disney is going downhill and feel as if the quality of the films has gotten weaker.
Galvin, when talking about her opinions of where Disney was heading, said, “It’s either changed to the point where it’s not recognizable anymore, or the same thing over and over again, just with none of the original magic.” A movie making history is the live-action movie “The Little Mermaid.” According to RadioTimes, the film is having actress Halle Bailey -an African American- play Ariel, who was originally portrayed as Caucasian. This is the first live-action movie to have someone of color play a Disney princess who was originally Caucasian .
Data, charts, and quotes from a survey of 100 students. Graphic by: Madison Whitehead
Galvin, when asked about the “Little Mermaid” live-action, said, “I can’t say that I’m excited given how all the Disney remakes have been done before… They just really went downhill.” The live-action remake movie “Lady and the Tramp” was released in the U.S. on November 12, and it is supposedly featured actual dogs according to RadioTimes. Sophia McNeill, 12, said, “I feel like a lot of the live-action movies coming out recently just shouldn’t. There’s no point to them. ”
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The Battle Against Sex Trafficking BY: Whitney West
Human sex trafficking has been an illegal act in America dating all the way back to the 1800s. According to Dictionary.com, sex trafficking is “the action or practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another for the purpose of sexual exploitation.” Atlanta is one of the biggest hubs of sex trafficking nationwide, according to Wabe.org. While the common thought is that sex trafficking only occurs in the city, that is actually a false narrative. A study by the Schapiro Group revealed that 65 percent of men who purchase sex with female children live in suburban areas. Pat McDonough is an attorney who represents victims of sex trafficking in court. McDonough started off as a prosecutor who represented victims of a wide variety. He then moved on to be a criminal defense attorney and represented people who were charged with different crimes. What really encouraged him to represent sex trafficking victims though, he stated, was his volunteer work with United Way, where he did a lot with the homeless. McDonough said, “I realized a big part of [the homeless] population were mostly young girls or young boys, too, and they were being pulled into sex trafficking and how horrific that was. So I think it’s a combination of my job and my nonprofit work.” He has learned a lot about what sex trafficking is and how it operates due to being so closely involved. McDonough listed a series of precautions girls can take to be smart and protect themselves, he said, “I would say to be very careful on their social media. I think that they should keep things private and not public as much as they’re able to do.” He also stated, “Now, a lot of the traffickers are targeting
young people through the internet.” He recommends that you should be suspicious of anyone who is offering you possible modeling contracts or saying that they will give you “freedom” or allow you to do things that your parents won’t let you do. Although Mill Creek High School is located in a suburban area, that does not entirely eliminate the threat of sex trafficking. McDonough said, “I think it should be a concern for everybody. I think awareness is a really important part of it because the real way people get pulled into [sex trafficking] is what they call grooming. And it’s kind of a manipulation. It always starts with trying to impress someone or make them feel better about themselves. So I think everyone should worry, but it’s more about the types of people that have some challenges in their life. There are people who have real challenges in their home life and might run away or be more susceptible to being convinced whether it be through the internet or meeting somebody that helps them make bad choices. Then, they end up in what they call the ‘lifestyle,’ but I don’t want to overplay it like people should worry about being snatched because I don’t think that’s really an issue.” McDonough stated, one of the main ways to avoid danger and just be cautious some general things are, “Don’t ever do anything by yourself. If you did something, even if it was a mistake, it would be better to make sure that you were together with a group of people. If you go to a party or you go somewhere where you’re not 100 percent sure of your safety, make sure you stay with a group of folks that you know. There’s safety in numbers.”
Climate Change: W hat’s Trending By: Madeline Goodheart
Protests are happening all around the world due to people being unhappy with the lack of progress made in stopping climate change. According to the Consumer News and Business Channel, some of the trending protests include New York City, Stockholm, Poland, and Nigeria. All of the protesters came together to encourage efforts to climate change and pollution. According to Business Insider, “Burning fossil fuels like oil and natural gas, for instance, emits harmful air pollutants… Plus, it sends large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere — which leads to more heat to get trapped on Earth.” However, there are ways that you can help out in order to reduce pollution. According to a popular website, Love to Know, “Cutting down on fossil fuel by using clean energy and alternate technologies [will reduce pollution] as producing and burning these are the biggest cause of emissions globally.” Many students believe that change is needed, yet some think that we are still safe. “Natural disasters do happen, but
we adapt,” an anonymous Mill Creek student said. However, others believe that people need to make significant changes in order to reduce the effects of climate change. Greta Thunberg, a 16- year -old climate activist, is one of the most outspoken voices when it comes to climate change. “Since our leaders are behaving like children, we will have to take the responsibility they should have taken long ago,” Thunberg said at a climate summit in Poland last year. Other events related to climate change are going on as well. Climate summits, which are meetings where international leaders come together to discuss climate issues, are another way that climate issues are discussed. However, this event is exclusive to leaders only, but a lot of trending topics are discussed, and solutions are created. According to Australian news channel 7 News, more than 100,000 people took part in the protest in Melbourne, Australia. Many students, including Castlemaine student Harriet O’Shea Carre, skipped school in order to attend this protest.
‘“The politicians aren’t listening to us when we try to ask nicely for what we want and for what we need,”’ she said to ABC news in Australia. Climate change protests have also occurred locally. On September 27, protesters gathered in Atlanta to speak out against climate change. According to Atlanta’s channel 11 Alive, 19 people were arrested at this protest because they blocked traffic. One of the participants in the Atlanta protest believes that choosing the
Buckhead area, regardless of the risk of getting arrested, was the right choice. ‘“This is a very powerful area, you know, lots of upper class business folks commute here and live here. So we wanted to get folks’ attention that might not otherwise know what a big deal it is and how action needs to be made now,”’ Chelsea Allen said to 11 Alive at the protest. ‘“We have to be active about it,’” Danae Antoine, a Georgia State University student, said to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “This is our future.’”
On September 17. a climate change protest occurred in Los Angeles, California. PHOTO: Chelsea Gonzales
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PHOTO: Cassidy Hettesheimer PICTURED: Alexandria Brandstetter
