Millbrook High School Student Newspaper

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.

Girl’s Varsity Basketball

By Deanna Dubois

The girl’s varsity basketball season has finally begun, and will continue into the new year. The ambitious team has been very committed to the sport, and they are looking forward to a successful season. The girls practice six days a week and continuously run drills in order to keep them prepared for future opponents. Even though they lost their first two games, they remain positive and are keeping their heads held high.
Heather Iannucci has replaced Brian Devincenzi as coach for the 2009 season. She was assistant coach last year, and the team refers to her as “Coach I,” according to senior Trish McGrath. McGrath is a veteran basketball player and has participated in the sport throughout her high school career at Millbrook. Four other seniors are returning for their final season at Millbrook, including Kai Germano, Nicole Battistoni, Nicole Shanks, and Chrissy Robertson. The entire varsity team is striving to make this a memorable season for these five seniors.
One individual who will be playing a significant role this season is Sunit McDermott. She keeps track of the team’s statistics, which are eventually used to help the team improve as a whole. Regina Stewart and Coach Stoliker have also helped out by keeping score during games. Everyone involved with the girls’ team this year would really appreciate support from fans and the community. Come watch a Girls’ Basketball game and support their hard work!

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.

Halloween at MHS

By Denise Martin

Halloween hit full-force this year in Millbrook. The high school was full of ghosts, movie characters, and music legends. It was nice to see that all grades participated in dressing up and everyone seemed very excited and fully embraced the spirit of the holiday.
There were so many amazing costumes and characters roaming the hallways of Millbrook High School this year. Costumes ranging from football players to a “cereal-killer.” There was certainly no lack of originality when it came to dressing up. Freshmen Izzy Hurley and Carli Ross dressed up as Toad and Toadette from Mario Bros. MHS faculty also participated by wearing costumes or hanging ghoulish creatures from their ceilings.
Many of the Halloween costumes seemed to be themed this year; movies, books, bands, and more. A reoccurring freshman theme seemed to be ‘Alice in Wonderland’; the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, and Alice as well as a few other characters from the book were all seen around the school. Flying down the halls were members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and representatives of The Four Different Seasons also made an appearance.
Despite Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, many students still celebrated during school on Friday. The day was all-around fun and entertaining; everyone seemed to have a really great time. It was a very Happy Halloween .

MHS’s Male Athlete of the Week: Jonathan Campbell

By Emma Lovett

Jonathan Campbell has been named Athlete of the Week and, in my opinion, it’s a fitting choice. Jonathan is a part of the Cross-Country team in the fall and also runs on the Track team in the winter and spring. He has been running for five years and usually runs the longer distances for Cross-Country and does long-distance workouts when practicing. When it comes to up-and-coming Cross-Country meets, he is most excited about seeing friends from other schools. He says that “Cross-Country and Track meets can be wonderful social events. It all depends on what you make of them.” When competing he always tries to be friendly to all his competitors and to not take himself extremely seriously.
When asked what he enjoys about the sport, he answered “Both Track and Cross-Country are like no other mainstream sports. I love the fact that the sports help me deal with stress, pressure, as well as keep me in shape both physically and mentally. They are, for the most part, fun because as difficult as running can be, it is also so simple. I find that simplicity exhilarating.” He also talked about his team and how great they are to work with.
I know that a basketball team works together by passing the ball, as does a soccer team. What I wasn’t entirely sure about, however, was how a Track or Cross-Country team works together. Jonathan told me that being supportive of each other is the main way they work together. Also, helping with training whenever possible helps too. When I asked Jonathan how much practice is required, he answered, “A LOT! More than most people would think.” He also practices on his own, outside of school, something he feels is very important, because “sometimes the team training isn’t adequate enough to provide solely for the individual needs of each member of the team.”
I also decided to ask Jonathan about something called “runner’s high;” a supposedly peaceful and happy state-of-mind which is said to occur when strenuous exercise activates endorphin production in the brain. I wanted to know if he ever experienced it, or if it is just a myth. He replied that “Runner’s high is real. Basically, when your body has been running for so long, your body transitions into a weird state of euphoria where you start to forget pain and exhaustion. You start to feel relaxed and actually happy.” He also told me about a term called “Runner’s Heaven.” He only experienced it one time, but he lost feeling in his legs while he was running, and was then able to sprint 400 meters quickly without feeling tired or out of breath. After the sprint though, he said “I felt terrible.”
Jonathan doesn’t play any other sports, but is a fan of soccer and basketball. When it comes to other activities he participates in, he said “there’s too many to count.” With all those activities he involves himself in, I was really curious as to how he manages to balance homework and other responsibilities with running. Jonathan says he finds it difficult at times to manage all of that, but he says you need to learn to discipline yourself and it can be tough. “It all pays off in the end,” said Campbell.
I wanted to make sure I asked him about his plans for the future and how he feels about moving on from Millbrook. He definitely wants to attend college, and his top two choices are University of Notre Dame and Northeastern University. He wants to major in Music Management and Marketing or Pre-Law. “Millbrook will always be my hometown, and I will miss everyone, but I’m ready to move on. I’m sure college will be a fun new experience.”
Lastly, I wanted to know if he was still planning on continuing running on a team when he heads off to college. He doesn’t really plan on running on a competitive team, but he definitely will keep in the habit of running. I really appreciate him answering my questions and I wish only the best for this talented and interesting person.