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Vol. 8 Issue 4
THE CHRONICLE
Chronicle
REDISTRICTING News for 2016-2017 Black History Month
Dance Team Megan Govedich AP Classes: Worthwhile or waste of time?
Swim and Dive
STATE
Mill Creek January / February 2016
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Table of
Contents 4 Redistricting
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What it means for Mill Creek students
6 Which AP Class is Right for You? 8 Elective Quiz
Which elective should you take?
10 Swim & Dive County Meets and State
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12 Basketball 16 Dance Team
Get the scoop on Mill Creek’s dance team, a group of girls guaranteed to take your two left feet and waltz away with your heart
Masthead Editors
Alyssa Casole Marisa Hernandez Kaitlyn Neher
20 Movie Adaptations
Online Editor
21 Theater: MusicMan
Management
22 Hip Hop Hawks:
Photographer
promoting Mill Creek’s musically talented
24 Digital Footprints 26 Seasonal Depression 28 Leap Year 30 Black History Month
Gavin Childers
Ashley Baptiste Olivia Parks Kyle Lowe
Staff Writers
Julie Akin Kelsey Bruce Faith Montgomery Madeleine Moody Eric O’Hara Michelle Ortiz Amauri Richardson Collins Sainovich Megan Smith Camron Williams Cover Design: Ashley Baptiste, Kaitlyn Neher Cover Photo Credits: Abbey Robertson Cover - Megan Govedich Top Photo Credits (From Left to Right)- Magic Moment Photography, Mari Bachan, Kyle Lowe. Side (From Top to Bottom) Haley Eason, Brigitte Norton, Madeleine Moody.
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Redistricting 2016-2017
By: Faith Montgomery
The Plan On November 15, 2015, Gwinnett County Schools started the redistricting process for the 2016-2017 school year. The original plan proposed that Patrick Elementary would be removed from the Mill Creek cluster and added to Mountain View’s cluster. This change means that Patrick would no longer feed into Jones but instead students would attend Twin Rivers. Gwinnett county residents were able to voice their concerns about the proposed plans through December 11th. Afterwards, two public meetings were held in January of 2016 in order for the Board of Education to reach their final decision on the plan. At the January 7th meeting, community members curently districted in the affected schools were able to comment their opinions on the redistricting plan.
Christy McCall, a parent who has had three children attend MCHS, spoke of how she believes the redistricting is the school board’s attempt of improving the Mountain View cluster, saying “They (the school board) are trying to boost the values and scores at Mountain View.” According to Niche.com, Mountain View is ranked as the 65th Public School in Georgia with 85 percent of students being proficient in either Reading and/or Math. On the other hand, Mill Creek is ranked 29th with 90 percent of students proficient in Reading and/or Math. The following meeting on January 21st allowed for any Gwinnett community member to voice their opinion of redistricting before the Board of Education voted on the final redistricting plan.
District 17
In the 2015-2016 school year, District
17 (shown to the left) fed into Harmony Elementary, Jones Middle, and Mill Creek. In the original redistricting plan proposed in December of 2015, District 17 was zoned to Sugar Hill Elementary, Lanier Middle, and Lanier High. After so many parent concerns at the January 7th meeting, the Gwinnett School Board decided to abort the changes that they had originally made which meant District 17 is now zoned to Patrick Elementary, Twin Rivers, and Mountain View. Photos: Gwinnett County Public Schools
The Decision After the verdict, Gwinnett’s redistricting plan was approved; beginning in August 2016 Patrick Elementary will feed to Twin Rivers which is in the Mountain View cluster. The Effect Principal Lane said that for current Mill Creek students, any student that will be able to provide their own transportation will be able to remain at Mill Creek rather than transferring to Mountain View. If a rising 9th grader has a sibling that currently attends Mill Creek and also wants to attend MCHS next year, they too will be allowed to attend provided that they have transportation. Their parents must contact Mr. Lane and ask for permission for the rising 9th grader to enroll at MCHS. Applications for parking for the 2016-2017 school year will open during Spring Break of 2016 in order to allow students who are relying on transportation to determine their 2016-2017 school. This year, parking will open first to seniors and then to juniors. The availability of classes at Mountain View will be relatively the same as MCHS as most classes are offered at both schools. When registration for Mountain View is being completed, the school will contact students to ensure the classes that the student applied for are the ones on their schedule. Approximately 10 positions wll shift from Mill
Creek to Mountain View. Who these teachers are will be determined when the registration is completed so that the administration will know what subjects are needed at Mountain View. The teachers at Mill Creek who transfer to Mountain View go by the normal county guidelines, which is the teachers at MCHS who teach in the subject area needed at Mountain View will be given the opportunity to transfer voluntarily. If not enough teachers volunteer, then the teachers will be assigned to Mountain View based on who meets the requirements and who has been at MCHS the shortest amount of time.
District 21 District 21 in 2015-2016 was zoned to Patrick Elementary, Jones Middle, and MCHS. However, the December 2015 redistricting plans rezoned the district to the Mountain View High School cluster. When the final decision for redistricting was made, the school board made the decision to go through with the redistricting which means that the district will feed into Patrick Elementary, Twin Rivers Middle, and Mountain View High.
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Computer Science 2D Design Portfolio Design Portfolio Music Theory French German Latin: Vergil Spanish Language English Lang: American Literature English Literature Calculus AB Calculus BC Statistics Biology Chemistry Environmental Science Physics 1 & C European History Government Human Geography Macroeconomics Psychology US History World History
AP
AP Classes: Worthwhile, or Waste of Time?
By: Olivia Parks AP Class (noun): an advanced placement class which students take in high school for the possible reward of college credit though can be terrifying and overwhelming as well. Used in a sentence, “The AP Class AP Biology was the worst decision I’ve ever made, I should’ve never taken that class,” says Sang Kim, 12. The prospect of enrolling in an AP course can be frightening, especially based on the horror stories you’ve heard from other AP alumni. Though, it doesn’t have to be. Avoid anxiety, and possible future struggles, by being informed on the courses available at Mill Creek along with your own strengths and weaknesses, college’s accepted scores and the credit you would receive for said score. There are a total of 25 different AP courses offered at Mill Creek. These courses are offered to different grade levels. As a freshman, you can only take AP Human Geography. As you go up the ladder in the grade levels, more AP courses are available to you as a student. At the end of the year, each of these classes has an optional AP exam for students to take. If you chose to take the exam, you may receive a score which can give you credit for a college class. This enables the student to not have to retake the class in college, saving time and money. Sarah Bonds, 10, says, “I took AP Human Geography last year and am currently taking AP World History. I was told that AP World
would be super tough and terrible, but I feel as if it is preparing me for college. Both of these classes have enabled me to push myself and it looks good on college applications because of the higher level of rigor.” She suggests to take AP classes that you are strong in and also to make sure to read. “People only say AP World is tough because they don’t or didn’t read the book, but if you make sure to read, you’ll do fine. Also, get the book 5-Steps to a 5.” Like Bonds, Jenna Pangilinan, 10, also says she doesn’t regret AP World, “though I do regret Physics 1, only because I’m not strong in sciences and so it is harder for me, though if you are strong in science it’d be a fine class to take. I’m lucky to have my older brother for help in the class, also I make sure to go in for tutoring.” “The AP courses that I took helped my average and my class rank a lot,” says Branton Fletcher, 11. “I don’t regret any of the classes I took because I did well in them, though I did carefully choose the ones I took based on the subject I knew I would be good at.” Fletcher has taken eight AP classes so far and plans on taking more in the future, “The class itself looks good on college applications and if you get credit you’re able to exempt the class in college.” Morgan Welch, 11, says she only regrets AP World History, “and that’s only because I didn’t ever read the textbook. It wasn’t the material or the teacher’s fault, only my own fault since I didn’t do the work I was supposed to do.” Welch says though
she regrets AP World she doesn’t regret the other courses she took, “I enjoyed the classes. I felt like I learned more in the AP classes than I would have in a lower level.” At the end of their high school career, seniors at Mill Creek like Kylie Siegmund have had much experience with AP classes. “I feel more prepared for college next year because of the AP classes I took,” says Siegmund, “I only regret Physics 1 because I feel like I didn’t get the credit I deserved. I worked super hard and put in a ton of work and didn’t do as well on the exam and I wanted to.” Along with Siegmund, Sang Kim also says he only regrets one class, “AP Biology, it was a super hard class and ruined my GPA honestly. It wasn’t worth it.” Though Kim says, “I felt like my classes challenged me and honestly helped me in
“I felt like I learned more in the AP classes than I would have in a lower level.” more than just academics and education. I feel like I’m strong as a person and can handle anything.” Before signing up for any AP course, make sure you know your strengths and weaknesses. For example, if you are not naturally strong in math, you probably shouldn’t consider an AP math. Though if you are strong in history or language arts, consider an AP history or AP English course to challenge yourself. AP World History teacher, Mr. Garcia, says the students who are best fit for the course are “organized, intrinsically responsible, and who possess a strong work ethic are usually best suited for the course.” Although he also says if a student wants to be successful, “is to read every night. Students will be asked to read 60-70 pages per week and most students may not be used to having a reading assignment every night.” Likewise, AP Physics 1 teacher, Ms. Corbin, says the best student for AP Physics is one who, “is highly motivated… are self-starters and not afraid to work with their teacher.” It is easy to get behind or lost in this class, but according to Ms. Corbin this can be prevented by, “completing all assignments, asking questions as soon as you do not understand, and having someone to study with outside of class.” Knowing possible colleges you would be looking into going to also can help the decision. On College Board, you can find information for almost every college in the United States including the scores they accept on the exam and what classes you can receive credit for from these scores. On their website as well, information on each AP course, the exam, and they even offer example essays, free-response and multiple choice questions.
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QUIZ Which Elective should I take?
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Lydia Evans (9), Sebastian Rodriguez (10), and Owen Pendley (9) swim butterfly at a meet against Brookwood. Evans went a seasonal best at state in the 100 breaststroke swimming a 1:08:39. Rodriguez was right behind his former personal best swimming a 53:69. Pendley went a personal best in the 200 IM by over 3 seconds, swimming a 2:05:96. Photos courtesy: Magic Moment Photography. The Hawks had an outstanding season. The girls team finished in third place at the Gwinnett County High School Swimming Championship while the boys team finished fifth. Two Hawks won county events. Senior Katherine Parker won the 100 backstroke and junior Christopher Pierce won the 200 freestyle. Parker broke the county meet record and the school record with a time of 55:22. “County is always a fun meet and a great way to prepare for state,”
Swimming
swimming a 1:47.14. Katherine Parker won By Collins Sainovich the 100 backstroke with a time of 54.09 and also broke her school record from county. Several other Hawks also finished in the top 20. “I’m excited for state this year, but I am even more excited to see what happens in the coming years as the current underclassmen grow and get older,” says Pierce. State swimmers swam at the says freshman Owen usually comes two state championships for Pendley. weeks after county, but the Hawks. It looks to The Hawks have because of the snow be the best performance high hopes for future delay the Hawks only Mill Creek has ever had seasons. It will be had a week and a half to at state. The girls’ medley exciting to see what the prepare for it. relay broke the previous Hawks will do in the Over 20 school record of 1:48.25 next few years!
Katherine Parker (12) swims the 100 Butterfly against Parkview. Photo courtesy: Magic Moment Photography.
Seniors Ally Simm and Robyn Peterson pose for a photo. Photo courtesy: Magic Moment Photography.
Chris Pierce swims the 200 Freestyle against Brookwood. Photo courtesy: Magic Moment Photography.
Reecy Brown (10) dives against Brookwood. Brown also dove at state. Regan Cox dives against Brookwood. Cox missed qualifying for state by only six points. Ambria D’Alonzo (11) dives against Brookwood. D’Alonzo placed 10th at state, even after failing one of her dives. Photos courtesy: Magic Moment Photography.
The diving team this year had an outstanding season. Newcomers Kinsey Miller and Regan Cox scored points for the team at county while barely missing state. Returning diver Reecy Brown qualified for state again this year with a respectable 6th place at county scoring much- needed points for the team. Also, newcomer Ambria D’Alonzo qualified for state and smashed the team record by over 60 points. D’Alonzo has a background in gymnastics, which aided her in her diving. D’Alonzo placed 10th at state, which is very impressive considering she failed one of her dives and still managed to place top ten. In previous years, the Hawks had lost a lot of points
Diving By Collins Sainovich
Ambria D’Alonzo (11) dives at the county meet. D’Alonzo won county and broke her school record. Photo courtesy: Kyle Hess.
Kinsey Miller (10) prepares to dive against Brookwood. Photo courtesy: Magic Moment Photography.
because of diving. The swimming and diving scores combine at the end of the meet, and so while the swim team may have had a great meet, if the dive team only had one or two divers, the other team would score points in that area, which would cause the Hawks to lose the meet. This year though, there were five girls and one boy on the team. Sophomore Ethan Santiago was the sole male diver for the Hawks. However, even only one diver makes a difference as last year, the Hawks did not have a male diver at all and could not score any points in that area. “Diving was fun, and I was glad to help the team out,” says Santiago.
Reecy Brown (10) prepares to dive against Brookwood. Photo courtesy: Magic Moment Photography.
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Keetone Glover Point Guard
Height: 5’10”
Years played: 10
Year: Senior
Favorite Team: Mavericks
Breaking News: As we go to press, both the Boys and Girls varsity Basketball teams have advanced to the state tournament by defeating Duluth at the reginal matchup. The girls team won 49-37 and the boys won in OT 65-62. Both teams face Norcross in the State semi-final round on February 12 to earn their place on the state bracket.
Tre Rice Small Forward
Height: 6’1�
Years played: 8
Year: Junior
Favorite Team: Bucks
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Leap Year at Mill Creek By: Megan Smith
This year, 2016, happens to be a leap year meaning this year there are 366 days, as opposed to a common year, which has 365. Interestingly enough, there are three Mill Creek students born on February 29, 2000 and one Mill Creek teacher. They only get to celebrate their “real” birthdays every four years. When it is not leap year, of course, the choice is theirs when deciding which day to celebrate. Lauren Davlin said, “On nonleap year birthdays I celebrate on February 28, only because my cousin’s is on March 1 and we wouldn’t want to clash. But even if my cousin wasn’t born on March 1 I like having the earlier of the two.” While people born on leap year can choose, most states legally account the “leapling” turning a year older on March 1. Surprisingly, some people choose to only celebrate their birthdays on February 29th itself and not celebrate at all on nonleap years. This unique, uncontrollable situation is sometimes undesirable but sometimes adored. Out of all the people born on leap year at Mill Creek, all actually love the fact that their birthdays land on leap day. Ms. Diona Guy said,
“Having a birthday on leap day makes my birthday that much more special. If given the chance to change it there is no way I would.”
Being born on leap day is very rare and unique. According to infoplease.com there are about 187,000 people in the US and 4 million people in the world who were born on Leap Day. Although those numbers look big, 4 million people make up only .0000005715% of Earth’s population. Davlin said, “I love how it’s different. I can always be ‘younger’ than everyone else…when all of my friends are 60 I will be turning 15. It is cool to talk about and a great conversation starter.” What will you do on your extra day of 2016? I know that Lauren Davlin, Ian Moore, and Caroline Holmes will be celebrating their fourth birthday…well sort of, leaving them to wait until 2020 to celebrate their fifth.
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“I don’t think people realize just how much time we put into making it look easy.” Joyanna Peterson, a dancer for Mill Creek’s dance team, said, revealing exactly how the members of this team feel about the public reception of their sport. “We train just as hard as other sports, but don’t get the same recognition.”
By Olivia Parks
PHOTO: Abby Teany
In a community thrilled by action sports, most people don’t see the team for what it truly is, a competitive fine art. Dance team takes elements from both the sports and fine arts worlds, and as a result, ends up being a very difficult activity to perfect. Mill Creek’s dance team works tirelessly to bring their A game to each competition they attend, and just like every other sports team; they make some memories in the process.
A dance competition can be an all-day event, with teams from all over Georgia and sometimes other states competing against each other. Separated by their different divisions, teams perform their routines one at a time. The team doesn’t find out how well they placed until the end of the day when they attend awards. While this wait can cause anxiety, the reality is the meet itself is just a fraction of the time they spend working on this team. “We practice 2-3 times per week,” said dancer Abby Teany. Furthermore, each one of these practices can last up to 4 hours. A dance practice requires a great deal of precision training. “We run the dance over and over again, then go through each step specifically
Dance Team looking at head, leg, arm and feet placement,” said Teany. The team must dedicate themselves to this level of training because dance routines they run are so complex. Luckily, this year the team has some tricks up their sleeve. One of the things that make the team stand out is their odd number of dancers. With just 13 members, the team had to find a way to make formations with a team size that is relativity new to them. Amazingly, they found a way to make the novelty work to their advantage by focusing most of their routines around a center point. “There is always a center point which makes formations equal on each side,” said Teany. They also have a new choreographer this year to help them with the more tricky dances. Another specialty of theirs is the high number of special moves in their routines. “We have a lot of trick turns and lifts in our routines which will look really awesome,” said Peterson. Furthermore, the team bonds are very strong, allowing them to truly connect with one another on the dance floor. For the dancers, the fun they have with each other transcends everything else. “My favorite thing about dance team is 17
being able to dance with such a talented group of girls,� said Teany. Dancing is more than just a sport to these girls, as it is also a hobby and even a study. In fact, twins Maddie and Megan Govedich are even semifinalists for studying dance for GHP. The twins have been dancing for 13 years, and recently it became one of their biggest focuses. “Dancing has definitely been a huge part of my life over the last few years,� said Maddie Govedich. After a long audition process, they were selected as semi-finalists to potentially spend a month over the summer perfecting their dancing skills at Valdosta State University. This would potentially be a great opportunity for these dancers who hope to continue their dancing at the college level.
PHOTO: Maddie Govedich
Dance team getting ready to perform thier pom routine at one of their competitions.
Dance team successfully preforming an aerial as part of their performance at a competition.
Megan Govedich, Maddie Govedich, Joyanna Peterson, Reagan Willis.
PHOTO: Joyanna Peterson
“Dancing has definitely been a huge part of my life over the last few years,� Maddie Govedich.
PHOTO: Maddie Govedich
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to
Movie By: Kelsey Bruce
Popular book titles are circulating right now and many of those same book titles are being adapted into movies this upcoming year, 2016. Exciting books such as The Fifth Wave and Allegiant are being released to audiences as movies this year. The Fifth Wave follows the story of Cassie Sullivan who has been thrown into a world where aliens have taken over and now she is fighting to survive against this apocalyptic world. Written by Rick Yancey, the first book in The Fifth Wave series to be made into a movie, is being highly anticipated by captivated readers. Filled with a breakout cast such as Chloe Grace Moretz (Cassie Sullivan), Alex Roe (Evan Walker), and Zackary Arthur (Sam Sullivan), the movie is set to be released January 22, 2016. Allegiant, the third installment of the Divergent book series is wrapping up the movie trilogy this
year. The final movie in the series, after Divergent and Insurgent, follows the struggles that Tris Prior, played by Shailene Woodley, faces when she has to escape from jail and go beyond the wall enclosing the city with her partner, Tobias Eaton, played by Theo James. Allegiant, the Teen Choice Award winning book written Me Before You, a by Veronica Roth is set to movie adaptation of the novel be released into theaters on under the same name, stars March 18, 2016. actors such as Emilia Clarke The Girl on the Train, who plays Louisa Clark, a new psychological thriller and Sam Claflin who plays written in 2015 by British William Traynor. William author Paula Hawkins is to Traynor is a successful man be released into theaters on who enjoys most aspects of October 7 2016. The book was his life including his beautiful #1 on the New York Times girlfriend, interesting job, Best Sellers list in 2015. The and life. Everything changes movie adaptation stars Emily when he is involved in a Blunt as the main character, car accident that paralyzes Rachel Watson and follows him. Louisa Clark becomes her life as an alcoholic who his caretaker shortly after rides the train to London the paralysis and the movie daily and watches the life of a follows the story of the happy couple progress, until unlikely bond made between she begins to get mixed up in them. The movie, inspired the murder of the woman in by the novel written by Joj0 the couple, Megan Hipwell Moyes, is set to be released on March 4, 2016. played by Haley Bennett.
PHOTOS:Loyola Phoenix, Word and Film, DailyMail
By: Eric O’Hara
From the audience’s perspective, theatre is a complex, intricate production that produces beautiful and comedic plays that wow and astound them, but they typically fail to realize the amount of energy and work that goes into a play. For instance, the average theatre participant spends an hour in class every day for about 4-5 months practicing for in class shows. If a theatre cast member elects to audition for the musical, he or she must rehearse for three Hours every day in order to nail their roles. As if this isn’t enough, the students are required to learn the script in the relatively short time frame of 3-4 weeks, posing a difficult challenge for characters with multiple roles or with a large amount of lines. Moreover, set and costume designers must have their appropriate ideas completed three months before the play. Senior Emily Brown, on set design said, “We make the costumes and props the week leading up to the show. That whole week is when we get organized and spend the most money.” During this time, Students are required to procure the materials needed from several local stores in a small time frame. If they are unable to get the materials from businesses, the crew in charge of props or clothes either orders the materials online or brings them from home. Building the sets and designing the costumes takes a total of just a few weeks with the help of at least five or six crew members but the
planning takes the bulk of the time. Finally, the last and probably most important aspect of performing a play is the lighting, because lighting dictates the whole atmosphere of the play. During the course of a production, a computer program controls all the lights in the theatre, which is coordinated by the director onstage to determine what lights are necessary for the scene. For example, Brown said, “If theres a battle scene, more often than not, a director will ask for darker lights with hints of red and black. For a fairy forest, I’d be much brighter lights with pinks or blues.” In addition to different color tones, the light technician is in charge of the black outs on stage and listening in, and making sure the lights change at the right moment onstage. While an underrated position, this is arguably one of the most important in producing a fluid and aesthetically pleasing play. Even under the stress and pressure of a tight deadline, everyone still pulls together and perseveres to produce an incredible show. “Before every play”, said Junior Paiven Maloney, “we do an energy circle which is when we all hold hands and don’t talk and just reflect on hard we’ve worked and its calming.” Maloney and other actors relish in the fact that “everyone has worked so hard” for one common goal. Come out and support MC theatre, who will be performing The Music Man in late March, and recognize their hard work!
21 PHOTO: Mill Creek Highschool website
HIP HOP HAWKS
BY AMAURI RICHARDSON
Often times as students we don’t realize what our peers do outside of our classrooms; we only see them as friends, and classmates. But, what if you knew that kid you sit next to at lunch but never really talked to was on their way to being the next pop star? Amongst our peers and staff, we have a multitude of Mill Creek Hawks who SOAR musically. Imagine interacting with the next Beyoncé, Dr. Dre, Alison Kraus, or Kendrick Lamar. There are very talented and interesting individuals throughout the halls. We show our sports teams and academic leaders love, let’s shed the spotlight on our musically inclined students as well. Singer/songwriter, producer/engineer, instrumentalist or all of those things in one, you deserve to be acknowledged for chasing and striving for your dreams and goals regardless of age. Here are our Hip-Hop Hawks!
Monica Guirguis: 9 Singer “It started when I was 6, I performed for my church, I did this big Arabic hymn,” said Monica Guirguis, freshman, on how she began singing. There are many motives behind why people do music, some in hopes of reaching stardom, some because they just love the art, Guirguis says she loves music because,” It’s always been my go to, it’s the only thing that helps me when I’m in my feelings.” Though, Guirguis uses music as her muse, she has very big dreams and aspirations stating, “I would love to be internationally known for my music, perform and go on tours, and be very successful in the music business.” She would like to attain the same kind of fame and recognition as some of her favorite artist such as, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Usher, and Whitney Houston. Guirguis told us she would be very interested in working with artist such as, Drake, Madison Anderson (Junior here at Mill Creek), and Justin Bieber.” You have to keep striving for it and go after what you want,” are Monica Guirguis’ words of encouragement to anyone who has dreams of being a musician like she does.
PHOTOS BY KYLE LOWE (FAR LEFT, FAR RIGHT) AND HARRISON WRIGHT (MIDDLE)
Harrison Wright: 11 Producer/engineer Harrison Wright is a Hip-Hop Hawk, though Wright is known for his role on our Mill Creek football team. In addition to a student athlete, Wright is also a music producer and engineer. “I went down to Atlanta to see my uncle with my dad. My uncle, JohnBoyOnTheTrack (music producer), started messing around with his software, and from there I got really interested, so then I got my own software,” said Wright on how he started doing music. Wright says he fell in love with producing because of,” The fact that you can come up with so many different outcomes, so many opportunities in the music industry and it’s very influential.” As an artist, of any genre, typically your first product is very special, Wright spoke on his first beat saying,” It was horrible, terrible, it was a program called Dubturbo, and it was very repetitive and boring.” Though Wrights first production wasn’t very good he was still able to learn from saying,” It made me realize it was something that was fun and that ultimately if I made it good people would give me props.” Wright describes his sound/style as “ever-changing,” depending upon how he feels as he is making the track. Some artist Wright would love to work with are, “A.T.G. (Amauri the Great), Migos, and Drake,” Harrison says,” I’d much rather work with someone (local) and they blow up from there instead of a high level guy.” Wright’s top 5 favorite producers are, Sonny, Digital Alchemist, Metro Boomin, Ace Banks, and Inkredible (who is a Mill Creek graduate). Wright gives a word to other young artist like himself aspiring to do music and says, “If you want to make it (music) something serious, do it yourself, don’t ask for handouts, and be self-made because the satisfaction is a lot greater. Lordyz-Jireh Tataw:12 Singer/Songwriter Lordyz-Jireh “LJ” Tataw, an active senior here at Mill Creek, is this editions leading Hip-Hop Hawk. Tataw has been a singer and songwriter since the age of 6. She says, “I’ll never forget because I had a toy computer with broken strings on that I used as a guitar for my very first song.” Tataw titled her first song, “If You Go to a Rock Stars Place, They’ll Eat Lots of Chicken,” she said that the song was very meaningless, but “the impact behind it had a meaning.” Tataw’s love for music came from a sentimental part of her, she says, “I fell in love with it (music) because, even though I talk a lot, I don’t express my feelings, but when you put your feelings on that paper, you can express anything. Put your story into a 1-minute song that has a long-lasting impact.” She would describe her sound as, “Soulful, diverse, it’s like my soul is crying.” Her sound resembles a lot of the artists she considers to be her favorite such as: Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Willow smith, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson. “Don’t do it for other people, do it for yourself cause, if you only do what other people expect, you’ll lose sight of why you wanted to do it in the first place,” Is some advice Tataw would give to her peers who aspire to music. 23
By: Madeleine Moody
Leaving? u o Y e
Students at Mill Creek on their phones during lunch.
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PHOTO: Madeleine Moody
r T t r a i l A a h
The Number of Social Media Accounts Mill creek Students Have
PHOTO: Graphic designer
PHOTO: courtesy of Michelle Ortiz
While the majority of people do not think about what they’re doing on the internet, or how many people can view it, this is an important topic to keep in mind. Every time you go online or log into social networks or even email someone, other people have a way of viewing what you’re doing. These other people may be businesses, corporations, police, colleges, interviewers, even recruiters and scouts. Anyone interested in knowing your internet history are able to find it. You’re leaving a digital footprint. This may come as a shock to some people because at one point you believed that what you were doing online was private but in reality you have no idea who could be watching your every internet move. This is why it is important that you are educated on how to
manage and be aware of the trails you’re leaving behind. Mill Creek students were surveyed and asked if their accounts were on private or public and a shocking 79% of students accounts are public and only 29% of students have their accounts on private. Everything done on the internet is stored in an internet database as a “hit”. The footprints user may be known through the user’s IP address, meaning the exact computer/ technology that was used when the footprint was created. By knowing the IP address searchers are able to find when, where, and who left the footprint. This sounds kind of scary but this is a serious matter that no one seems to address. While what you are doing on the internet may not seem important to you this can give outsiders an impression of you
that may not be true. By posting everything you’re doing, who you’re with, or tweeting sayings and what is on your mind other people are able to make their own assumptions about you. This raises the question what assumptions are people making about you, what does your footprint say about you? Senior, Daniel Leconte said, “I recently deactivated my social media due to recruiters.” Yes, even college scouts and recruiters have access to your social media and internet history. Even though you may be the best player in the state, if you come across as an irresponsible or incapable student your recruitment could be excavated. Being aware of your digital footprint is important but
Photo credit: meta-chart
knowing how to fix and manage it is important as well. Your digital footprint previous to reading this article cannot be changed but know you have the ability to change it. Start by thinking about what you’re posting and who’s going to see it before posting. Try your best not to over share, meaning do not share everything you’re doing. Try googling yourself whatever you find is what everyone else sees when they search you. Lastly Remember sending or posting is like sending or posting forever. Think about it, what type of message are you leaving behind? Is it one you want other people to think about you? Are you portraying the true you through the internet? What does your digital footprint look like? This graph represents the percent of the social media apps that are most used by Mill Creek students. Snapchat is the second most used app with 32% of students useing it the most. Twitter the most used with 36% of students using it the most. Instagram and youtube are equal with 11% of students using them the most. 7% of students use tumblr the most and 4% of students use pinterest the most.
“In the future, your “digital footprint” will carry far more weight than anything you might include on a resume,” Professor Chris Betcher
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Seasonal Depression
Did you know that seasonal blues has a name?
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that is related to changes in seasons. SAD begins and ends at about the same times every year. Most commonly, people with the disorder have symptoms that start during the fall and continue into the winter months. SAD can also cause depression in the spring or early summer in some cases. SAD is a very common disorder with more than 3 million US cases per year. Be alert and aware of this disorder. Symptoms Often times, you can notice the factors that come along with having the disorder. Symptoms such as irritability, tiredness or low energy, problems getting along with other people, hypersensitivity to rejection, heaviness of arms of legs, oversleeping, appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates, and weight gain are common side effects. Behaving as if you are agitated, excessive crying, irritability, self-harm, or social isolation are also symptoms of clinical depression. Causes of SAD Causes of SAD include, Melatonin levels decreasing, Serotonin levels dropping, and your biological clock (circadian rhythm). The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter can trigger SAD. This decrease in sunlight may disrupt your body’s internal clock and lead to feelings of depression. A drop in serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that affects mood, might play a role in SAD. Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may cause depression. The change in season can disrupt the balance of the body’s level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood. The cause of seasonal depression is not just the dark, cold weather; the depression just worsens during the colder months. Targets Females: SAD is diagnosed more often in women than in men, but men may have more-severe symptoms. Age: Young people have a higher risk of winter SAD, and winter SAD is less likely to occur in older adults says women’s health.
By: Julie Akin
Family history: People with SAD may be more likely to have blood relatives with SAD or another form of depression. Those with clinical depression or bipolar disorder: Symptoms of depression may worsen seasonally if already present. Living far from the equator: SAD appears to be more common among people who live far north or south of the equator. This may be due to decreased sunlight during the winter and longer days during the summer months. The effects Anxiety attacks an anxiety attack is a mental health disorder characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety, or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one’s daily activities. An anxiety attack can be triggered by anything, even events and occurances that are only picked up by a person’s subconscious. Anxiety and anxiety attacks can leech the energy from a person, causing exhaustion. Take a person seriously if they tell you they are having an anxiety attack since the symptoms are not always visible or obvious. Substance addictions such as drug and alcohol abuse could increase while being in this state of mind state. This can create more problems in the long-run, rather than solving the current problem. Look out for symptoms of substance abuse to try to prevent this issue. Activities Many people that suffer from depression need to be distracted from their reality. Reality can be made better by spending your time doing positive activities. Exercising this usually makes you feel more fit, energized, confident, and overall happier. if you feel as if you look better you feel better.Meditation this is a way to let your mind release bad thoughts, and gain better onesVolunteering if you make another person feel better can make you feel better. Music it can help take your mind off of bad, negative thoughts.
PHOTO: Creative Commons
27
Magic Moment Photography
OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF EVERY MILL CREEK MAGIC MOMENT 770-979-4203
Teacher discount: Get 15% off your purchase of $39.99 or higher! Mall of Georgia 3333 Buford Drive, Buford, GA 30519
(678)-541-6440 Host a private shoe party- have fun with friends while you shop for shoes. Fill out the online shoe party form at Aerosoles.com
Cold Snap: Students took to the outdoor areas to take pictures while it snowed.
Photo By Hannah Yike
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Atlanta History A
By: Michelle Ortiz
Must See Sites to Celebrate Black History
ccording to the Association for the Study of African American Life & History or ASALH, Black History Month is a time “when the contributions and achievements of black people are celebrated and studied in schools and libraries across the nation.” To highlight the history of black people the ASALH chooses a theme every year, this year’s theme is called “Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories.” The ASALH has selected this annual theme to bring attention to the centennial celebration of the National Park Service and the more than twenty-five sites in the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom that are part of America’s hallowed grounds. “One cannot in tell the story of America without preserving and reflecting on the places where African Americans have made history. They retain and refresh the memories of our forbears’ struggles for freedom and justice, and their belief in God’s grace and mercy...they tell of our struggle for equal citizenship during the American century,” says the ASALH.
“One cannot in tell the story of America without preserving and reflecting on the places where African Americans have made history.”
Discover Atlanta’s civil rights history in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood. From the birth home of Martin Luther King Jr., to the Sweet Auburn Curb Market, guests and locals alike can spend a full day exploring this historic area.
PHOTO: National Park Service Digital Image Archive
The Historic Oakland Foundation and
City of Atlanta is hosting guided African American History walking tours at Oakland Cemetery. Free and open to the public, visit the final resting place of some of Atlanta’s black history pioneers. PHOTO: J. Glover
Ebenezer Baptist Church – Atlanta, Georgia Located near the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. and Freedom Hall, a nonviolence exhibition, Ebenezer Baptist Church is an important part of the King family legacy as his grandfather and father, Martin Luther King Sr., served as pastors before he took over in 1960. PHOTO: Atlanta Sites 31
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