MILL CREEK Vol. 11 Issue #3
THE CHRONICLE
CHRONICLE
NEW
ELECTIVES MENTAL
HEALTH VARSITY
BASEBALL SWIM AND DIVE
STATE MEET JAKE MAGAHEY BREAKS
NATIONAL RECORD
D L U O C YOUR AD ! E R E H E B S U H T I W E S I T R E V AD
PHOTO: Faith Montgomery Hutch Ezell (9) pitching against McEachern in the varsity season opener baseball game in which the Hawks won 11-0.
Front Cover: Jake Magahey with his gold medals won at the GHSA state swim meet. PHOTO: Abbie Key
CONTENTS PHOTO: Kimani Jackson
EDITORS Faith Montgomery Vanessa Medina Abbie Key
GENERAL
11 413 15
NEW ELECTIVES THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE VARSITY BASEBALL
PHOTO: Faith Montgomery
PHOTO: Cassidy Hettesheimer
Melanie Davoudlarian Evan Ferrell Isabelle Harrel Sydney Harris
SWIM AND DIVE
Kimani Jackson Madison Jackson Catelin Lee-Parker Peyton Oakes Reagan Rodriguez
Adviser Nora Neff The Mill Creek Chronicle is a student publication of Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, GA. It is distributed to VWXGHQWV IDFXOW\ VWDɣ DQG WKH 0LOO &UHHN community in print and online. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual ZULWHUV DQG GR QRW QHFHVVDULO\ UHÀHFW WKRVH RI WKH HQWLUH &KURQLFOH VWDɣ RU RI Gwinnett County Schools, Mill Creek +LJK 6FKRRO LWV VWXGHQWV IDFXOW\ VWDɣ RU administration. Content is designed and edited by student journalists.
5 7 9 11 13
Fast News Around the Creek New Year, New Semester Next Year’s New Classes Varsity Baseball
15 17 19 21 23
Swim and Dive Jake Magahey Spotlight Mental Health Seasonal Affective Disorder Mental Health Student Quotes
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FAST news GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN By: Evan Ferrell
Beginning on Dec. 22, 2018, the government started the longest federal shutdown in United States history. This is the second shutdown the government KDV H[SHULHQFHG XQGHU 3UHVLGHQW 7UXPS 7KH ÂżUVW RQH occurred in Jan. 2018, starting Jan. 20 and ending Jan. 22. The most recent one, however, lasted 35 days, ending Jan. 25. 7KH JRYHUQPHQW VKXWGRZQ DÉŁHFWHG PRUH WKDQ MXVW WKH FRQJUHVVPHQ LW DOVR DÉŁHFWHG DOO RI WKH IHGHUDO ZRUNHUV VXFK DV SROLFH RU ÂżUHPHQ DQG IHGHUDO DJHQFLHV like the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Homeland Security, along with National Parks. The shutdown was the result of a disagreement between President Trump and the congressional Democrats over the US-Mexico wall. Trump was asking for 5 billion dollars to build the wall, but the Democratic congressmen wouldn’t agree to that. AP News says, “A Democratic aide said none of the money (in the spending bill that would have been given to build the wall) was for the border wall.â€? Trump went to a meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 9 with Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democrat leader, Chuck Schumer, to try and work out a deal to get the government up and running again. This meeting didn’t end with a compromise, however, and Trump later tweeted that the meeting was “a total waste of time.â€? Locally, Kennesaw Mountain National %DWWOHÂżHOG 3DUN DQG WKH 0DUWLQ /XWKHU .LQJ -U Memorial were shut down due to the closing of the JRYHUQPHQW ,W ZDV HVWLPDWHG WKDW WKH VKXWGRZQ DÉŁHFWV more than 80,000 federal workers. These people were expected to work with deferred pay for the 35 days the government was shut down. 6RPH VWXGHQWV OLYHV ZHUH DOVR DÉŁHFWHG E\
the shutdown. Ethan Bishop (10) says, “My dad is a government worker, and we were relying on my mom IRU DOO RI RXU LQFRPH 6R ZKHQ KH ÂżUVW VWDUWHG JHWWLQJ SDLG DJDLQ LW WRRN D ORW RI VWUHVV RÉŁ RI P\ PRP ´ The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has stopped many RI LWV VHUYLFHV EXW RɤFLDOV VDLG WKH DJHQF\ ZRXOG continue issuing tax refunds. While all of the government was shut down and WKH ZRUNHUV DQG RɤFLDOV ZHUHQÂśW JHWWLQJ SDLG SHRSOH that worked government jobs in metro Atlanta were also not being paid, causing some uproar downtown. The MARTA is a public transportation that is partially funded by federal funds, also funded by sales tax, general revenue, and development funds. MARTA bus drivers staged a strike on Super Bowl Sunday because of the lower pay and not being “ready to handle the massive Super Bowl crowds.â€? The Atlanta Journal-Constitution conducted DQ LQWHUYLHZ ZLWK 0$57$ &(2 -HÉŁUH\ 3DUNHU KH VD\V “I wrote the union leadership a letter notifying them that any slow down or organized work stoppage was a violation of state law and MARTA would pursue all disciplinary and legal remedies available. The action today is unacceptable and we will use every tool available to make sure our riders are not harmed by this work stoppage.â€? This means that they are taking legal action to make sure that another “sickoutâ€? doesn’t happen again in the future.
PHOTO: NPCA Photos
LUNAR NEW YEAR, YEAR OF THE PIG By: Reagan Rodriguez
Feb. 5, was the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year. This year is the Year of the Pig. Chinese new year starts the “day of the second new moon before the spring equinox moon phase.� (chinahighlights.com). A festival was held to celebrate the new year. “In many Chinese cities, from New Year’s Day, traditional performances can be seen: dragon dances, lion dances, and imperial performances like an emperor’s wedding. It’s oddly called Spring Festival, with it being in winter for most of China, but that’s because it ‘looks forward to spring’ (chinahighlights.com). The pig is the last of the 12 animals on the Chinese zodiac and is thought as lucky and fortunate. “According to Chinese astrology, 2019 is a great year to make money, and a good year to invest!� (thechinesezodiac.org.)
PHOTO: Ivan Bandura
THE RISE OF DEEP FAKES By: Faith Montgomery
Within the past few months, there has been DQ LQĂ€X[ RI GHHS IDNHV RQ WKH LQWHUQHW $V +LONH Schellmann at “The Wall Street Journalâ€? puts it, deep fakes are “fake video and audio recordings that look strikingly real.â€? Essentially, these videos are the highTXDOLW\ YHUVLRQ RI WKH IDFH VZDS 6QDSFKDW ÂżOWHU The concept of video manipulation is not breaking news, as professional movie editors have been XVLQJ &*, HÉŁHFWV IRU \HDUV WR EULQJ GHDG DFWRUV EDFN WR life, like Paul Walker in “Furious 7.â€? However, now the technology is starting to become commercially available, in the hands of everyday citizens who don’t necessarily have video editing experience. 7KH FUHDWLRQ RI WKH DUWLÂżFLDO LQWHOOLJHQFH DSS “FakeAppâ€? has made it possible for anyone to create deep fakes. There are hundreds of YouTube tutorials explaining how to use the program, including “How to Merge Faces with FakeApp in 5 Minutes,â€? showing just how fast a false video can be created. According to Katyanna Quatch of “The Register,â€? after downloading the program, all anyone needs to produce a convincing deep fake is “photos of your victim to train the application’s deep-learning neural network, the video to paste the face onto, and a little tweaking here and there to render the output believable.â€? The rise of this new technology means that “seeing isn’t believing anymore,â€? as “The Wall Street
Journalâ€? says. In upcoming political elections, videos can easily be created to sabotage candidates. “Fortuneâ€? JLYHV VSHFLÂżF H[DPSOHV VD\LQJ Âł,PDJLQH IDOVLÂżHG YLGHRV depicting a presidential candidate molesting children, a police chief inciting violence against a minority group, or soldiers committing war crimes.â€? To make matters worse, “Fortuneâ€? goes on to say, “The kind of machine learning that produces deep fakes can’t easily be reversed to detect them.â€? Therefore, from this point forward, viewers can no longer believe with certainty that content in videos is 100 percent authentic. PHOTO: Creative Commons
A comparison between the footage from 'Rogue One" (top)versus the FakeApp version of the movie (bottom).
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around the creek
Super Six
By: Peyton Oakes
Lacrosse
Golf
There are two girls varsity lacrosse players here at Mill Creek that are in Gwinnett’s Super Six for Lacrosse: Lyndsey Lewis and Sara Grieco. /\QGVH\ /HZLV LV D VHQLRU DQG VKH SOD\V PLGÂżHOG She will be attending Mercer University in the fall, but says her favorite team for lacrosse is Georgia. She was Gwinnett County’s Player of the Year for DQG *ZLQQHWWÂśV 0LGÂżHOG 3OD\HU RI WKH \HDU IRU ERWK 2017 and 2018. Coach Brian Williamson says, “From the moment WKDW SUDFWLFH VWDUWV VKH JLYHV SHUFHQW XQWLO WKDW ÂżQDO whistle blows...She’s a huge reason why Mill Creek has been so successful over the past few years.â€? Sara Grieco is also in the Super Six, and she is also a senior, and plays attack. Grieco will be attending Lindenwood University in Missouri, but her favorite team for lacrosse is UNC. PHOTOS: Magic Moment Photography
Sara Grieco
³6KH GRHV D JUHDW MRE RI VHWWLQJ XS WKH RɣHQVH 6KH is a huge asset leadership-wise, even though she’s not loud about it,� Coach Williamson says. As the only girls golf senior, Tess Davenport has been named a super six golfer. She has signed with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Davenport says, "Vanderbilt has always been a dream school of mine. The academics are very impressive, and I trust that I'll come out of the school with a promising career. Next is obviously golf. The team and coaches DUH LQFUHGLEOH DQG , IHOW DV LI , G ¿W LQ ZHOO ZLWK WKH JROI program. I can't wait to start playing and competing against other SEC schools since it's always been a dream of mine, and I'm really excited to meet new people and form new friendships."
Courtesy of: Tess Davenport
Lyndsey Lewis
Tess Davenport
Mill Creek Dance Team Wins 1st and 2nd Place at State By: Abbie Key PHOTO: Debbie Douches and Heather Silver
Mill Creek Dance Team won GHSA State &KDPSLRQVKLS IRU WKH ÂżUVW WLPH RQ )HE 6LQFH WKH beginning of August and through February, the dance team practiced 2-3 times a week for two hours each practice to prepare for their competitions. Junior Alex Kopczynski, who has been on dance team for two years says, “practice is very hard-core and is meant to prepare you for competition days. For example, there would be members of our team who would be sick or injured and had to push through because you don’t know what will happen come time for competitions. It was about pushing your limits and keeping your energy up and making the movement as sharp as possible.â€? Kopczynski continues to explain that “this year we spent a lot more time during practices and at basketball games and analyzing what we had done wrong or what we QHHGHG WR Âż[ 7KLV PRVW GHÂżQLWHO\ PDGH D KXJH GLÉŁHUHQFH between us winning and getting lower places like we did last year because it allowed us to directly see the correction DQG Âż[ LW ´ 2YHU WKH SDVW WKUHH FRPSHWLWLRQV KHOG RQ -DQ at Heritage High School, Feb. 9 at McIntosh High School, DQG )HE DW 0RXQW =LRQ +LJK 6FKRRO 0LOO &UHHN 'DQFH WHDP KDV UHFHLYHG WKLUG VHFRQG DQG ÂżUVW SODFH WURSKLHV and are declared state champions. Each competition consists of a pom and jazz URXWLQH $W WKH ÂżUVW FRPSHWLWLRQ WKH\ ZRQ ÂżUVW SODFH IRU pom and jazz, along with best costume for jazz, and senior VPDOO JURXS JRW ÂżUVW DV ZHOO At the second competition, they won third for both SRP DQG MD]] 7KHQ WKH WKLUG DQG ÂżQDO FRPSHWLWLRQ WKH\ ZRQ VHFRQG IRU SRP DQG ÂżUVW IRU MD]] PDNLQJ WKHP WKH state champions. $ORQJ ZLWK WKH ÂżUVW DQG VHFRQG FRPSHWLWLRQ ZLQQLQJV WKH VRORLVWV ZRQ ÂżUVW VHFRQG DQG WKLUG LQ WKHLU GDQFHV 7KLV LV WKH ÂżUVW \HDU WKDW GDQFH WHDP LV FRQVLGHUHG D VSRUW DIWHU WZR \HDUV RI ZRUNLQJ WR PDNH LW RɤFLDO %\ winning the state championship, they are now held to the expectation of football and cheer champions in the future. Gabriella Martinez is a senior and is new to the dance team. She says her favorite part about competing is “when we perform our dance routines on the court. It’s so nerve-racking and exciting, but I love doing [competing]. No matter how stressed all of us were, we always came out and performed like the team we are.â€? Jillian Padula, one of the captains for dance team says that, “winning state was so surreal for me especially because it’s my last year RQ WKH WHDP DQG LWÂśV RXU ÂżUVW \HDU EHLQJ DQ DFWXDO VSRUW
When they announced our name, the only thing we could do is scream because we were all so excited. Tears were GH¿QLWHO\ VKHG EHFDXVH ZH ZHUH VR KDSS\ DQG ZH ZHUHQ W just doing it for ourselves but for our coach as well. She [Mrs. Muck] was very good friends with Ashley Taube, and our spirit cheer coach, Corbin, had texted us that morning with a quote from Ashley saying how she would have wanted us to win for her, and luckily we did.�
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20 19
PHOTO: Reagan Rodriguez
What's Happened This Year: A Satire By: Reagan Rodriguez
Courtesy of: Gwinnett County Public Schools
Ah, 2018. The people miss you already. Time to celebrate because it’s a ‘new year, new me’ and the time has come to prepare for the many changes soon to come. With 2018 long gone, it’s time to dive into 2019. Every new year, it’s tradition to make a new year’s resolution. Elaine Whitbeck (11) says she wants to “have a more positive outlook [on life] and lose weight.” Well, good luck because January is the time of year when the gyms fill with a bunch of try-hards/wannabes, don’t worry though, they’ll leave within a week. Well, that’s not a new change, but second semester is. Second semester has started, and students who made it this far get to choose which classes they are interested in taking next year.
Registration forms were given out on Jan. 31 and turned in on Feb. 1, a short window, but the forms were different from last year’s. Unnecessary change can be inconvenient at best, however, Sawyer Rodriguez (11) says, “I think the forms are a lot nicer. They are more organized, and the yellow really makes the black text stand out making it easier to read.” The drop-add period will be between April 12 and May 22, 2019. Hopefully, students will get the classes they want! Another (annoying) change this year, the Spout Springs Road bridge closed and traffic has been heavier in the mornings. It was closed by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) because of the expansion of the highway. The existing bridge was too small to fit the new lanes, and GDOT spokeswoman Katie Strickland says, “the bridge will be demolished and replaced" in order for it to fit the newly expanded highway. The bridge will remain closed for the next five months, to the dismay of all 3,998 students who attend Mill Creek. Another change affecting the community is proposal to integrate MARTA into Gwinnett County. Early voting started on Feb. 25 for whether or not MARTA buses (and possibly trains) should be added to the county. While public transportation can reduce “green house gas emissions and congestion in traffic” (www.transit.dot.gov), an argument was made that it would cost the county too much money to add MARTA. Political activist Joe Newton told WSB-TV, “This is going to be an astronomical amount of money [that will] do very little.” The polls will close March 19. It’s been an eventful year so far, and it’s only been a little over two months. What lies ahead in the future is unknown and... exciting isn't the right word.
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New Electives What’s new on the registration card
By: Kimani Jackson
Mill Creek’s curriculum is constantly adapted to the growing needs of the student body In the IDOO VHYHUDO QHZ HOHFWLYH FRXUVHV ZLOO EH RÉŁHUHG expanding to meet student interests in a variety of study areas. Principal Jason Lane and the curriculum team have implemented new classes in the 2020 school year such as Game Design, Music Tech, and Essentials to Healthcare, which will allow more students to be “content with and maybe even like school better since there is more openings for [us] to grow our creative minds,â€? stated Hannah Pho, a senior. Tom Kutter, an Audio Video Tech teacher, comments that the additional course choices have “positively impacted students by showing them that classes are available to the people who want to get DKHDG EHIRUH WKH\ JR RÉŁ WR FROOHJH ´ While in high school, students have the RSSRUWXQLW\ WR WU\ RXW QHZ HOHFWLYHV WR ÂżJXUH RXW ZKDWÂśV JRLQJ WR EH EHQHÂżFLDO WR WKHP LQ WKH IXWXUH Jayde Miller, a junior, says adding electives can help students, like herself, to feel “more free and creative since it can extend the possibilities for [us] to expand our minds and have new experiences with classes we’ve never thought of trying before.â€? In previous years, the arts department, in students’ opinion, has been limited to classic programs such as band, orchestra, chorus, sculpture and painting. Music savvy students, like David Jackson (11), feel like “ [we] have fewer options since there are more classes for people who love art instead of the people who just [want to] study music.â€? For the fall, Principal Lane and the curriculum team took the comments from students wanting to increase the music program and added a class dedicated to understanding the mechanics behind the scenes of music production.
Music Technology, or Music Tech, is described as a performing arts elective that helps students learn about the history and development of instruments along with how to make music using a FRPSXWHU 7KH FRXUVH ZDV RÉŁHUHG LQ WKH SDVW EXW KDV not been available in recent years. This year there were enough students interested in the program to add it back to the course list. Daniel Willson, 2015 graduate, commented that music tech was “one of those classes that a lot of people had fun in. I’m happy that now they’re bringing it back and letting others experience it too.â€?
PHOTOS: Kaitlin Fullerton Pictured: Top: Porter Wilbourne, Bottom: Jake Hernandez and Maira Cano
Pictured: Jake Philips
PHOTOS: Kimani Jackson
Pictured: Jayde Miller
Ms. Wildes, who will teach the class next fall, says the class is intended for “students who have a passion to make music” to be able to “mix beats and spread their creativeness to other people whether in school or on the internet.” Along with additions to the arts program, the electives Gaming Design: Animation and Simulation and Essentials of Healthcare have also recently became a part of Career and Technical electives. Gaming Design: Animation and Simulation is a dedicated class for students interested in learning the fundamentals of 2D and 3D gaming; instructor Mrs. Page describes the elective as often using “scripting, math, physics, and development” to compose games that could potentially “provide more information to people interested in wanting to be a game developer.” While Gaming Design is mainly designed as a computer applications course for budding programers, Essentials to Healthcare focuses n introducing students to career paths in healthcare, as well as some basic background knowledge for health professionals. Instructor Dr. Mike Taube commented
that the “students wanting to participate in this elective [have] a desire to save or change the lives of others.” The course consists of studying common diseases while grasping a better concept as to how prevention of viruses work and simultaneously helping students connect with the medical procedures related to diseases and or disorders. Even though class registration ended Feb. 1, students still have an opportunity to sign up for these electives or others during the drop/add period after Spring Break. Drop/add forms will be posted and made available to individuals in the curriculum and FRXQVHOLQJ RɤFHV Ms. Jakes, assistant principal for curriculum, states that the drop/add forms will be made available to students by “mid-April and [continue] through the last day[s] of school.” Information on drop/ DGG DV ZHOO DV D ÀLS ERRN GHWDLOLQJ WKH PDQ\ HOHFWLYH RɣHULQJV DYDLODEOH RQ WKH VFKRRO ZHEVLWH Follow this link to the course description ERRN KWWS RQOLQH ÀLSEXLOGHU FRP FLRU IGIN
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LET THE GAMES
BEGIN How varsity athletes are preparing for their upcoming season and looking to redeem themselves at state
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HITTING OFF THIS
SEASON By: Peyton Oakes
Pictured: Carson Renz, Lucas Schumm, Hutch Ezell, Alek Boychuk, Drew Cadena, and Keaton Anthony
players hungry for a state title: “ I just Baseball season is upon us, and want to go back out and prove people the players are ready to get back on the ZURQJ DQG VD\ WKDW LW ZDV D Ă€XNH DQG WKDW ÂżHOG DQG EULQJ VRPH YLFWRULHV WR 0LOO we’re better than that,â€? Sterwerf says. Creek. School is also something that This year’s team is packed with the players need to have in mind when WDOHQW $OHN %R\FKXN DQ ɲɲWK JUDGH playing baseball, according to Sterwerf. catcher, who is part of the Gwinnett He says, “We have practice pretty much Daily Post Super Six, and has been part every day and have games like three times of two national rankings, and is part of a week. I just try to work out what’s due the Gwinnett Daily Post Super Six, and the next day. So, if I know something is he is ready to play. due later in the week, I won’t even think “I’m excited about the grind for about it until the day before it’s due.â€? this season. We’re not expected to be Sterwerf also says though the best team, but we’re just “I’m excited about the that he still makes good going to pull through and grind for this season. grades and actually very much be the best we can be, like We’re not expected to be enjoys school because he gets throw a bunch of strikes, and the best team, but we’re to see his friends. kind of prove people wrong,â€? just going to pull through The greatest gift that the Boychuk says. and be the best we can baseball playershave received Along with Boychuk, be, like throw a bunch of in playing in the game, is the =DFK *UHHQ ɲɲ DQG .\OH strikes, and kind of prove gift of best friends. Boychuk 6WHUZHUI ɲɳ ERWK SLWFKHUV people wrong.â€? says, “Most of us are really on the team, are also very good friends outside of excited to play ball this -- Alek Boychuk (11) baseball too, so we like to hang season. They’re also looking outside of school. We’re all just one forward to traveling down the big family, one big group, and I feel like journey towards state. that helps us out as a team.â€? When asked if he could describe Sterwerf agrees, saying, the upcoming season in one word, Green “Baseball has given me my best friends. said, “Grind. Everyone is saying that All the people I’ve been growing up with, we’re not the best team out there, but I playing with, are my best friends. It has think if we can all come together and buy helped me grow friendships for life.â€? LQWR LW DQG JULQG ZHÂśOO EH ÂżQH DQG ZLQ D Overall, the team’s scores are high ton of games.â€? for the start of the season and the boys are Last year’s team placed second very energetic and eager to win. at state, which just left the returning
PHOTOS: Faith Montgomery
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WATER YOU
WADING FOR? By: Faith Montgomery
This year’s state swimming meet was held Feb. 8 and Feb. 9 at the Georgia Tech McAuley Aquatic Center. At this year’s meet, Mill Creek girls placed sixth and the boys placed seventh overall, with junior VZLPPHU -DNH 0DJDKH\ ¿QLVKLQJ LQ ¿UVW SODFH LQ ERWK the 200 free and the 500 free, in which he broke the high school national record. 1LFKRODV .DOHQLN DOVR ¿QLVKHG KLJK LQ WKH rankings, coming in third in the 500 free and fourth in the 200 free. As for the girls, Mia Walters placed fourth in ERWK WKH IUHH DQG À\ $ELJDLO 7DVKOHLQ ¿QLVKHG in sixth place in the individual medley and fourth in the 100 back.
Tashlein, who is team captain for the girls, says that in order to prepare for meets, the teams warm up together and “use the warm-up pool for additional swimming” to get in last minute preparation before competing in the meets. Overall, Tashlein says, “We have a strong freshman group this year,” which helped contribute to WKH VWURQJ VWDWH ¿QLVK Tashlein continues saying, “Boys and girls scored fourth in the county,and we were fourth overall,” which was a good indicator of how the team was going to perform at the state meet. In addition to individual swimmers, Mill Creek’s relay teams also placed high in the rankings. The boys
PHOTO: Cassidy Hettesheimer
400 free relay team of Logan Paugh, Jackson Ward, Nicholas Kalenik, and Jake Magahey placed fourth. Then, the boys 200 free relay team placed sixth, swum by Aidan Delliponti, Will Pierce, Nicholas Kalenik, and Jake Magahey. 7KH JLUOV IUHH UHOD\ ÂżQLVKHG VL[WK LQFOXGLQJ swimmers Isabelle Andrews, Jordan Hildebrand, Mia Walters, and Abigail Tashlein. They took home seventh LQ WKH JLUOV PHGOH\ UHOD\ HYHQW GXH WR WKH HÉŁRUWV RI Abigail Tashlein, Sydney Tashlein, Isabelle Andrews, and Jordan Hildebrand. In order to perform well in swimming events, according to Tashlein, swimmers must have qualities like “a good mindset, determination for when things
get rough, pain tolerance and discipline, and most importantly, patience.â€? At the end of the swimming season, Tashlein says, “My favorite part about swim is that I get to spend time with my friends, train hard, and stay healthy all at the same time.â€? As for next season’s goals, of course both the boys and girls teams are hoping to earn a state titles. $QG IRU $ELJDLO 7DVKOHLQ KHU JRDO LVQÂśW WRR GLÉŁHUHQW Tashlein says, “I’m hoping I can get on the podium at state next year.â€?
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PHOTOS: Cassidy Hettesheimer and Emily Laycock
Jake Magahey National Record Holder By: Faith Montgomery
At the state swim meet on Feb. 9, Jake Magahey broke the longest held high school national record, for WKH IUHH 0DJDKH\ EURNH -HÉŁ .RVWRÉŁÂśV UHFRUG ZLWK D WLPH RI )RU FRPSDULVRQ .RVWRÉŁ ZKR VHW WKH previous record in 1983, represented the United States in two Summer Olympic Games, starting in 1984. Magahey says, “Breaking the national record ZDV GHÂżQLWHO\ D JRDO HYHU VLQFH ODVW \HDU , PLVVHG LW E\ half a second, and that’s what I’ve been looking forward to this entire year since then. I actually went a time faster than that in December, but it wasn’t at a high VFKRRO PHHW VR LW GLGQÂśW FRXQW %XW , GHÂżQLWHO\ NQHZ , could get it. And, after breaking it, it was just a pretty emotional moment just because a year of hard work, well it wasn’t just a year. It was the accumulation of all WKH \HDUV RI KDUG ZRUN NLQG RI SDLG RÉŁ LQWR WKDW VR LW ZDV GHÂżQLWHO\ D ELJ PRPHQW IRU PH ,W ZDV SUREDEO\ WKH biggest moment of my career so far, I would say.â€? Ironically, Magahey started out not loving the sport. He says, “I didn’t like it very much. I just did it kind of because my sister did it. One day, I just kind of realized that my time swimming would be a lot better spent if I actually cared about what I was doing than if I didn’t care at all. So, I started actually caring about it, and I’ve been improving since that change.â€?
PHOTO: Cassidy Hettesheimer
In fact, Magahey goes on to say that he won KLV ÂżUVW VWDWH WLWOH DW WKH DJH RI $IWHU WKDW PRPHQW Magahey says, “I realized I could go somewhere with this. And, the improvement I’ve made since then has been crazy.â€? At Mill Creek, Magahey holds a slot on seven of the eleven leader-boards and won two state titles in this year alone. He also won the 500 free at the Winter Juniors-East Championships, which is when he swam DERXW D VHFRQG IDVWHU WKDQ KLV QDWLRQDO UHFRUG time. Magahey is ranked fourth in the nation for the class of 2020 recruits, according to College Swimming. And his secret? Magahey says: “I just want to be the best I can be. That’s my main motivator. I want to try to give everything 100 percent. I work as hard as I can every practice, and I think that’s a big part of my success.â€? But, he’s not done yet. Magahey is still pushing himself. He says, “Everybody wants to make the Olympics of course, but I try to set goals as realistically as possible, so this summer, I’m trying to make the junior world’s team for the United States. Probably next year, for high school, I want to break the 200 free state record.â€?
Courtesy of: Jake Magahey
At left: Aidan Delliponti, Isabelle Andrews, Abigail Tashlein, Sydney Tashlein, Chase Childs, Sarah Grant
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Mental Health in High School By: Sydney Harris
The education and well-being of children have been correlated to the progress and evolution of society. Studies conducted by Columbia University have found that when students are nourished and cared for, they are more likely to do well in school. In a 2004 study conducted by Columbia University’s National Center for Mental Health Check-Ups, it was found that “approximately 83 percent of students with emotional and behavioral disorders scored below the mean of the control group in reading, writing, and math.” Additionally, students in the study who had attempted suicide within the last year showed ³VLJQL¿FDQWO\ ORZHU OHYHOV RI VFKRRO SHUIRUPDQFH and school connectedness than non-attempters.” This data demonstrates the correlation between academic success and mental health, as well as social relationships. Studies by Johns Hopkins University have noted that “mood is strongly correlated to motivation, concentration, and energy levels.” Subsequently, “prolonged dips in mood can greatly impact a student’s ability to study and perform.” If schools were equipped to notice and diagnose emotional, social, and mental issues and disorders in their students, they may be better able to teach their students, and ensure not only their short-term success in grade school but also their progress and well-being as college students and young adults. Government-funded programs that SURYLGH IRU IUHH EUHDNIDVW LQ WKH PRUQLQJ UXQ Rɣ of this idea, as people who are not hungry can focus better in class. Students who have enough energy to go through the day are more focused, attentive, and engaged. While schools have things in place to ensure the physical health of students, such as DRAWING: Abbie Herrin
free and reduced-price lunch for low-income students and mandatory health and P.E. courses to graduate, programs for emotional and mental support are lacking. Although there are counselors who are educated on teenage behavior and development, High school counselors are not required to take courses specializing in emotional and mental health of students in order to be licensed. Georgia VFKRRO FRXQVHORUV QHHG RQO\ FHUWLÂżFDWHV LQ whichever area they are most interested in, such as career development or professional orientation (GaDoe and the American School Counselor Association). Thus, the counselors here may be better able at advising for academic-related issues and preparing students for their college and career plans rather than counseling students through emotional problems, if that was not the area they were trained in. School counselors are entrusted with “tasks like changing student schedules, administering building-wide tests, and constructing the school’s master schedule... [which] takes them away from the student-centered tasks that should be the core of their workâ€? (Phi Delta Kappan). With a school of about 4000 students, and only 8 counselors (one of whom is mostly in charge of dual enrollment and EPIC,) leaving each of them with URXQG VWXGHQWV WKH\ KDYH RYHUVLJKW RI who all have documentation and registration that must be handled, in addition to the emotional and social issues they may be asked to help with. Our counselors tell us that emotional KHDOWK LV QRW WKHLU VSHFLÂżF DUHD RI GHJUHH DQG that in order for students to seek help in crises— which counselors recommend— students should speak with their parents, seek therapy, and/or a doctor’s diagnosis. This is not to say counselors don’t care or
simply cannot help, but an on-campus counselor VSHFLÂżFDOO\ WUDLQHG IRU SURYLGLQJ HPRWLRQDO and social support to students could be of great service to our school. So, while it may cost more to hire more counselors, it may provide not only some relief to students struggling with matters other than schedules and course loads, but also lighten the load for Mill Creek’s current counseling team. Anonymous students dealing with emotional issues have stated that their anxiety “really gets in [their] way, even when it comes to simple daily activities, like participating in class.â€? Students interviewed who reported symptoms of depression spoke about how it has decreased their motivation in school, as well as decreased their interest in activities they used to enjoy. However, if students would like to improve how they treat their mental and emotional help, they don’t have to leave it up to the adults at school, or even at home. With the technology of today, there are so much more resources than 50 years ago, in terms of treating for mental illness and emotional/social GHÂżFLWV VXFK DV VHOI KHOS JXLGHV WR EHWWHU GHDO with anxiety, or even chat rooms where people struggling with suicidal thoughts and depression can speak with trained psychologists or peers, ZKR FDQ RÉŁHU DGYLFH RU MXVW VRPHRQH WKH\ FDQ talk their emotions out to. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America recommends apps such as “Happifyâ€? and “Headspaceâ€? and says they “may be applied to anxiety and depressive disorders, PTSD, and OCD, especially in conjunction with a health providerâ€? (AADA Review). Chatrooms and helplines include iprevail.com, im-in-crisis.org, and mind.org.
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S. A . D. Seasonal Affective Disorder By: Catelin Lee-Parker
6HDVRQDO $ÉŁHFWLYH 'LVRUGHU 6$' LV D W\SH RI depression that lasts for a few months, usually beginning in late fall to early winter and lasting until the start of spring or summer. But, SAD is not restricted to the winter months; it is merely marketed to only happen in the winter. Depressive episodes can still occur in the summer, but there are just many more cases of seasonal depression reported in the winter months, according to The National Institute of Mental Health. 6XPPHU VHDVRQ DÉŁHFWLYH GLVRUGHU V\PSWRPV include episodes of violence, weight loss, poor appetite, insomnia, restlessness, and anxiety. These are closely similar to the symptoms that happen in the winter. Unfortunately, this is a disorder where sometimes you have to let time take its course. According to Verywellmind.com, antidepressants can help alleviate the symptoms. There is no real “cureâ€? for this type of depression. Still, there are treatments available to lessen the intensity of SAD. The most popular treatments for SAD are medication, light therapy, psychotherapy, and vitamin D. However, light therapy usually works the best because it suppresses the body’s release of natural melatonin. Melatonin is released in darkness, so in winter, when it tends to be gloomy and have less sunlight, there is often more melatonin released. An anonymous student notices this trend, and says, “In the summer I’m super happy, then in fall/ winter there is less daylight and the cold comes, and I get sad and usually stay in the house and sleep.â€? Light therapy is a treatment that involves a SDWLHQWV H[SRVXUH WR DUWLÂżFLDO OLJKW IURP D OLJKW WKHUDS\ box. According to Mayoclinic.org, light therapy targets brain chemicals responsible for mood and sleep. This
has worked for a lot of people, like another anonymous student who says, “I used light therapy to help me get through my seasonal depression, which usually lasts from November to the end of March.â€? There are still other ways to treat SAD that could provide relief for some people, like certain hobbies, including coloring, painting, word searches, jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, and journaling. The treatments are all relative to the person, so in order to determine what works best for someone VXÉŁHULQJ IURP 6$' WKH\ ZRXOG QHHG WR WHVW RXW UHFRPPHQGHG VROXWLRQV 6$' FDQ DÉŁHFW PDQ\ GLÉŁHUHQW types of people, but it is really common among high school students. Additionally, women are more susceptible to getting this disorder, especially people living in the north since “shorter and darker days in the northern latitudes DÉŁHFW PRRG IRU PDQ\ SHRSOH $ERXW LQ SHRSOH experience seasonal variation in depression, with fall and winter showing a rise in depression. Of those people who DUH DÉŁHFWHG ZLWK VHDVRQDO GHSUHVVLRQ IRXU RXW RI ÂżYH DUH women,â€? says Dr. Jones of “Women’s Health.â€? To combat seasonal depression, there are preventative measures one can take, a lot of which are similar to common treatments, like increasing vitamin D intake and spending more time in the light. Cleveland Clinic also recommends exercising for 30 minutes a day, three times a week. It is best to start these measures at the beginning of fall, in hopes RI NHHSLQJ VHDVRQDO DÉŁHFWLYH GLVRUGHU IURP VKRZLQJ symptoms at the start of the colder season.
GRAPHIC: Faith Montgomery
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Anxiety makes me feel like I have no control over anything in my life, even the simplest of things.
My motivation is just shot...I don’t even enjoy anything anymore. It’s all so tiring.
Sometimes I wonder what it feels like to live without mental health issues, to just exist.
Depression isn’t just being sad. It’s complete agony that consumes your being.
Student Quotes about Mental Health
Living with depression means feeling empty all the time.
My grades have UHDOO\ VXɣHUHG these past couple of months. And it’s not because I’m dumb, I just don’t feel any desire to do my work.
I can’t even think about what I’m going through sometimes though, because even that triggers my anxiety, and I just start sobbing.
Any participation in class makes me anxious. I have to physically prepare to ask a question aloud, calm myself down and just get out of my own head.
Anxiety is constantly overanalyzing every detail of your life. I can never stop worrying.
We need to start looking at mental health issues with the same seriousness we use with physical health issues.
I can really tell a GLɣHUHQFH ZLWK KRZ mental health issues are being received. It’s become much easier for me to talk about my mental health recently. It’s no longer so hush hush.
A lot of my emotional issues have gotten in the way of my relationships, especially with friends and my partner.
I think the only way mental health will get close to being solved is if we continue to talk about it, to bring it out in the open.
It’s hard to even think about school work while living with depression. It WDNHV VR PXFK HɣRUW to do everyday tasks that school takes the back burner.
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