Millbrook High School Student Newspaper

Editorial - A Small Dose of Panic

By Julia Ouimet

For seniors in Millbrook High School and around the country, it’s crunch time. Most applications are due in January, and by now we’re supposed to have asked for recommendations, written our essays, and thoroughly researched which colleges will broaden our intellectual perspectives. Thirteen years worth of academic achievement must be condensed, sealed up an a few yellow envelopes, and mailed off to be reviewed by people who know nothing about us.
There are two kinds of high school seniors in the world. The first kind takes things one at a time, has a plan, and isn’t phased by minor difficulties that crop up along the way. The other kind-the kind I can relate to-is so stressed out by the big picture that they forget to make a plan, and ends up scrambling just to keep track of everything they have to do, let alone actually do it. If this is you, too, you probably thought you’d have all your essays written and all of your applications filled out by the time you got back to school in September. When that didn’t happen, you aimed to have everything done by Thanksgiving break. When that rolled around, and you concentrated more on eating pumpkin pie than writing that ever-important Common App essay, you figured you had a whole month to sit down, reflect on your life, and knock off a page or two on something deeply meaningful. Wait a minute, one month? That’s all the time you have left?
Procrastination is a delicate art. In order for it to have its full effect, equal parts of studiousness, laziness, and distraction must be mixed together and sprinkled with a small dose of panic. Maybe saving the college requiring three supplemental essays for last was not such a good idea, but there’s no excuse now; it’s do-or-die time. If your editorial for the school paper has to be rather brief because you actually do have three supplemental essays to write, then so be it. No matter what kind of senior you are, it’ll all get done in the end, one way or another.

Izzy’s Top Picks– Movies

By Izzy Tassinari

Now that it’s the month of December, it’s time for the holidays-and holiday movies! We all have our favorites, but if you’re looking to spice up your collection with a new variety of quality holiday films then look no further. This list includes movies which have proven that they stand the test of time, and some new ones that surely will.

5. ‘Bad Santa’ - This isn’t your conventional Christmas movie; in fact it’s rated ‘R’ for language, sexual content, and violence. This movie is about two crooks who work at a mall as Santa and his elf as they plan to pull off their annual holiday heist. ‘Bad Santa’ contains a balance of crude humor and Christmas morals, and it’s the perfect way to mix up the routine of formulaic holiday movies.
4. ‘The Polar Express’ - This is a typical holiday family film. It’s based on the popular children’s book, but it doesn’t strictly follow the story line-it contains some delightful surprises. The animation is as impressive as the story is mesmerizing, and it’s the perfect movie to get you in the spirit for the Christmas season.
3. ‘Home Alone’ - ‘Home Alone’ is another family film, about a young boy who is mistakenly left home alone and has to protect his house from being burglarized. This movie is great for children-who doesn’t want to see a young hero kick some robber butt?-and there are also many funny moments which appeal to all ages.
2. ‘A Christmas Story’- This classic from the eighties is sure to put a smile on any viewer’s face. The story is told from the point of view of a young boy named Ralphie, whose main goal is to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. When his mother uses the now renowned phrase “You’ll shoot your eye out,” Ralphie decides to take the matter up with a higher power-Santa Claus. This movie is funny, cheery, and it’s perfect for the holidays.
1. ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’- This is the quintessential Christmas movie with themes of love, family, and second chances. It’s a classic, and it’s known as one of the best Christmas movies of all time. It comes highly recommended for anyone who hasn’t seen it.

Millbrook Holiday Happenings

By Allison Reid

Holiday activities around town have already drawn large crowds. However, if you did miss out on the annual tree lighting or ginger bread house making at the firehouse, there are plenty of other festivities to attend on New Year’s Eve. Millbrook Rotary is celebrating their 6th year of New Year’s Eve Millbrook, Thursday, December 31st from 5PM-9:15PM. This event will be featuring several musical acts, as well as the Tanglewood Marionettes, and will be hosted at accommodating locations (like Lyall Church, Grace Church, and the Thorne Building) around the Village of Millbrook. The performances will repeat several times throughout the evening to allow you to attend them all! Buttons are available for a donation of $5 at Merritt Bookstore, Millbrook Variety Store, Reardon Briggs Hardware, and Village Wine & Spirits. Further detailed itineraries are also available at these locations, and the Rotary encourages everyone to take part and enjoy the evening!

The Annual MHS Winter Concert

By Chandani Harrindranauth

It’s that time of year again; when Millbrook High School showcases it’s students’ musical talent at the Winter Concert. There will be many performances at the upcoming concert, including the MHS Chorus and Concert Band.
Miss Clements, the choral director, is thrilled for this year’s concert. There are forty-eight students in the choir, all of whom have been rehearsing since the beginning of September for this event. Out of her selections for the concert, her favorites include Seal Lullaby and Masters in this Hall. Miss Clements enjoys Seal Lullaby because it is a relatively new piece, written in the 21st century, and it tells a nice story, which is reflected in the music. Masters in this Hall is a more traditional carol, one that Miss Clements has conducted before in other choirs. When asked about how this concert would be different from ones she’s conducted previously, Miss Clements replied that the students are more prepared. Miss Clements hopes the audience will enjoy the selection of songs the High School Chorus will perform, and believes that there is something in the concert for everyone to appreciate. From multi-carol, to traditional, to recent pieces of music, she thinks the audience should be well entertained. Miss Clements’ main goal for this concert is to have all of her students attend, in order to be able to showcase their abilities in front of an audience.
Another big attraction of the night is sure to be the Concert Band, directed by Mr. Fryer. Performers Emily Koehler and Kyla Karten both have high expectations for the band’s performance, and express that the band has been sounding great in rehearsal. The entire band has been working diligently on Mr. Fryer’s selections for this concert, which include Mr. Fryer’s own composition, Fanfare for a New Theatre, an Alfred Reed arrangement of Greensleeves, the march Fairest of the Fair, Circles of Light by John Prescott, and the holiday classic Sleigh Ride.
This year’s Holiday Concert is sure to be quite a festivity, and we welcome all to come out and support MHS’s talented students.

New Teacher Spotlight - Miss Browne

By John DeBella
One of the hardest things to be is a new student. There’s so much to get used to: a new environment, new peers, new teachers, and much more. Although this does seem tough, it can be even harder to be a new teacher. Not only do you have to face the normal challenges–but you have to teach as well! However, Miss Browne, the new 9th grade English teacher, makes it look simple. She says her time here has been enjoyable so far.
Miss Browne is very happy to be teaching at Millbrook High School. She said “My time spent at Millbrook has been fantastic. It is a wonderful place to be, but to be honest, what makes my experience unique and even better is my students!”
Miss Browne’s favorite teaching memory to date has been making children’s books for the students of Elm Drive. She was overjoyed to see how exceptionally hard her students worked to create them, and was very pleased with the finished products.
Before coming to our school Miss Browne attended Manhattanville College, where she received her degree, and taught at LaGrange Middle School in the Arlington School District. Being one of her students this year, I can say that my peers and I really like her as a teacher. Everyone seems to agree that she has a great, up-beat personality, and we enjoy being in her class because of this. Miss Browne has really fit in well at Millbrook High School, and I’m sure we will see her here for years to come.

Jonathan and Scott - Music Top Picks

By Jonathan Campbell and Scott Groffman

With the holidays coming around, people are buying music from sights like iTunes, Amazon, and Rhapsody to fill their iPods with holiday hits, hot new releases, and their favorite artists’ new albums. But who, according to the Bill Board Charts, are the most successful artists of this month? What album is the greatest hit? These findings are based upon the week’s most popular songs across all genres, ranked by radio airplay audience impressions as measured by Nielsen BDS, sales data as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and streaming activity data provided by online music sources.

Top 10 Singles:
1. Empire State of Mind - Jay Z + Alicia Keys
2. Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
3. Tik Tok - Kesha
4. Replay - Iyaz
5. Fireflies - Owl City
6. Watcha Say - Jason DeRulo
7. Sexy Chick - David Guetta feat. Akon
8. Meet Me Halfway - The Black Eyed Peas
9. 3 - Britney Spears
10. Down - Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne

Top 10 Songs Played On The Radio:
1. Empire State of Mind - Jay Z + Alicia Keys
2. Sweet Dreams - Beyonce
3. Watcha Say - Jason DeRulo
4. Paparazzi - Lady Gaga
5. Sexy Chick - David Guetta feat. Akon
6. Replay - Iyaz
7. Down - Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne
8. Already Gone - Kelly Clarkson
9. 3 - Britney Spears
10. Fireflies - Owl City

Musician Spotlight: Lady Gaga
Although she had her breakthrough with the hit single “Just Dance” back in April 2008, it was Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (alias Lady Gaga)’s “Poker Face” that launched her career as a pop superstar. Since then, she has had several more smash hits, including “Paparazzi” and “Bad Romance,” paving the way for her album “The Fame” to do exceedingly well on the music charts. Gaga is known for her eclectic fashion, racy stage performances, and avant-garde music videos. Her uniqueness has helped her develop a cult following, and her signature is unlike that of any other celebrity. Glitter, feathers, lace, and sequins are but a few of the various odd items regularly found on Gaga’s person, and fabulous displays of lights and smoke have become staples at her performances all over the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It is not her style or eccentric performances that will make Lady Gaga a pop culture icon of the twenty-first century, however. She has made revolutionary changes to pop music as we know it. Her style is a blend of electronic, dance-club music, and hip-hop, and her lyrics cover a range of scandalous topics. Gaga says her influences include famous musicians such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Queen, and Gwen Stefani.

Music Review of Top 3 Singles:
Empire State of Mind -
The song glorifies New York City, while talking about the urban lifestyles in which many of its inhabitants live. While it contains an explicit label for occasional swearing and drug references from hip-hop artist Jay-Z, the song’s message is, for the most part, an uplifting one: that we, as New Yorkers, are proud to come from New York. Our city gives us an identity that no other state can claim. With relatively simple chord progressions and melody, Empire State of Mind nevertheless makes you want to join in the chorus every time. In addition, Alicia Keys has also recorded her own cover of Empire State of Mind, which adds more musical depth and vocals to the song. All in all, this is a song that doesn’t get old very fast.

Bad Romance -
It cannot be denied that Lady Gaga’s new single is definitely catchy. With drum machines and synthesizers galore, we get a breath of relief as Gaga’s voice shines through for the chorus. Best reserved for club and dance settings, this song is certainly not the type of music you want to put on to relax. However, if you liked Gaga’s previous music, we’re sure you will like this one.

Tik Tok-
As a personal favorite of ours, Tik Tok is just simply fun. While its lyrics do contain some suggestive themes, Tik Tok is just as catchy as a Gaga tune, and as easy to dance to as Britney Spears. A great party song, it drops the cold robotic sound of Gaga, while still having the pop flavor of contemporary artists. I must warn you though, this song can get old fast!

Greatest Hit “Fireflies” -Owl City
Let’s face it; if you haven’t heard someone bellowing “I’d like to make myself belieeeve!” recently, you probably don’t come to school. The new single from electro-pop sensation Owl City has taken Millbrook High School by force with its catchy melody and heavily orchestrated choruses. Listeners wonder if solo artist Adam Young is hallucinating, or just really likes fireflies. Good luck getting this one out of your head!

Alternative/Indie “Hate Everyone” -Say Anything
The delightfully cynical pop-punk sextet is back with another radio-ready anthem, guaranteed to make you crack a smile. Psychotic lead singer Max Bemis rants about his teenage years and relationship woes, concluding “I guess that ‘everyone’ includes me! And that’s why I’m a humanist.” Weird? Sure. But anyone that can rhyme “I hate the rapper in the Lexus, I hate the pills I ate for breakfast” deserves a listen.

Suggested Listening “Cousins” -Vampire Weekend

The Teen Alternative Fashion Show

By Emily Walenta

Newspaper, old books, plastic bags, staples, duct tape, soda cans, and loads of other recycled and random items you have around the house might just seem like junk. However, in the minds of the artistic, enthusiastic kids of Millbrook High School, this junk is fashion! On Tuesday, November 10th, the Millbrook Free Library hosted its first annual Teen Alternative Fashion show, in which art students at MHS modeled and designed all sorts of unique outfits.
The fashion show drew a crowd of almost five times the amount of participants. The sixteen high school students all modeled outfits that told their own stories, and chose up-beat songs to strut down the runway to. It was an exciting even that brought together Millbrook High School and the community; we hope to see you there next time!

Best Dressed Teacher of the Month: Mrs. Sarr

By Kristin Schaad

Mrs. Sarr was flattered to be voted Best Dressed Teacher of the Month, but admitted she felt a bit silly.

When asked who her style icons were, she shamefully admitted she had none. She continues by saying, “My friends are my only style icons; I don’t really have any favorite actors or actresses either.”

She usually shops in thrift stores where she can find vintage items, but also enjoys shopping at stores such as H&M where she can purchase more recent trends.

She is inspired by the style and culture of the 1920s as well as the Hippie era. Mrs. Sarr loves the short hair and long pearls associated with the flappers. She continued by questioning the current resurgence of the 80s. “We didn’t look good then and we won’t look good now,” she said very matter-of-factly.

We can be sure that her tasteful style will not be affected by any future shoulder pads or sky-high hair.

An Interview with Mrs. Watz

By Allie Kohut

It is always difficult starting off a new year at a new school. However, Mrs. Watz, the new Chemistry teacher at Millbrook High School, seems to have no problem fitting in here. Being a proud graduate of Siena College, Mrs. Watz was not initially interested in teaching Chemistry. In fact, she entered Siena with the intention of eventually becoming a mathematics teacher. However, this all changed drastically when she took a chemistry course. “When I took this new course, I realized how much I enjoyed Chemistry!” Mrs. Watz said with enthusiasm.

Mrs. Watz came to Millbrook after teaching Chemistry, 8th grade science, and a forensics class at Germantown High School. When asked what the transition was like from Germantown to Millbrook, Mrs. Watz simply answered, “It was extremely easy! I was excited to teach just Chemistry.”

To rap up my interview with Mrs. Watz, I asked her what she enjoyed most about Millbrook High School. Without hesitation she answered, “The people. Everyone is so friendly, positive and hardworking! I come across great personalities in both the students and the teachers!”

It seems as though Mrs. Watz has enjoyed her move to Millbrook High School and I know that we all have too. After talking to some of her students, there is no doubt that they are all pleased with her decision to teach here. Being a student of our new Chemistry teacher, I most definitely agree.

If you are ever walking on the second floor and happen to pass the Science Wing, take the time to go and visit Mrs. Watz. She will make you realize just how fantastic Millbrook High School truly is.