the sixth issue of the mill stream
DESCRIPTION
The sixth issue of the 2011-2012 Mill StreamTRANSCRIPT
mill stream
02.10.2012
www.mill-stream.org
v42.618111 Cumberland Rd. Noblesville IN, 46060
Story continued on page 6
Political Correctness
Page 2
SAC throws its own relay
Page 4
Student starts mentoring programPage 8
Athletic hall of famePage 10
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Jenna Larsoneditor-in-chief
Navar Watsonproduction editor
Ainee Jeongdesign editor
Sidney Huberbusiness manager
Jace Hodsonfeatures editor
Madi McNewopinions editor
Kendra Foleysports editor
Abraham Echarryphotography editor
Drew Musselmancirculation manager
Anna Kreutzweb master
Alejandra Coarweb editor
Brooke Dennyphotographer
Adam Reedartist/cartoonist
Sophia BorzabadiKennethia ChappleMacy CobbKeegan FischerPete FreemanCarlie JordanSkye ParksKelsey PenceAlex Shelleywriters
Krista Shieldsadviser
2011-2012Mill Stream Staff
Photo by K. Foley
Extend a loving hand
In the month of expensive valentines and rose bouquets, Valentine’s Day always seems to cater to couples in love. Long gone are the days when Valentines decked out in Spongebob or dalmatian puppies were passed out to classmates, and no one takes note of this more than those spending the holiday solo. However, one must be reminded that loving someone may have nothing to do with flowers and chocolates, but is instead something that comes from caring for friends, family and sometimes total strangers.
Alejandra [email protected]
Mill Stream is published by Block 7 journalism students and distributed free of charge. The staff will publish 12 issues during the 2011-2012 school year.
Mill Stream is a student newspaper, run for students, by students. We provide a public forum to serve as an outlet for student ideas and opinions; we work as an agent for change and provide credible, objective reporting to inform, entertain, educate the reader and better serve the reader.
We welcome both signed letters to the editor and guest columns, which cannot exceed 350 words in length.
Mill Stream reserves the right to correct grammatical errors and ask for the au-thor’s assistance in editing. Mill Stream will not print letters that attack individuals or that contain obscene language. Letters may be submitted to room 505, the Mill Stream mailbox located in the commons or via www.mill-stream.org.
The staff reserves the right to reject advertisements that are political in nature, false, promote illegal substances to minors, misleading, harmful, or not in the best interest of its readers.
Mill Stream is a member of the Indiana High School Press Association.
Mill
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eam
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18111 Cumberland Rd. Noblesville IN, 46060
2 opinion Mill Stream02.10.2012
[the way we see it] Mill Stream staff editorial
Some, when asked what showing love is, might say it’s when one’s boyfriend remem-bers her favorite flower on Valentine’s Day, or that it’s being dedicated enough to one’s girlfriend to stick around when everybody continues to tell you that she’s all wrong for you and very well may be.
However, an act of love can be so much more, or less, than that. Take a look outside the “Noblesville bubble.” When the television screen airs an image of an innocent baby with a belly swollen to the size of a basketball, people usually take the first step by simply thinking, “That child needs someone to care enough to help.” Sadly, many people don’t ask the follow up question, “How can I help?”
For men and women- human beings- in Africa, Colombia, or any other poverty-stricken country, donating a measly dollar is more than food for a day. It’s proof of love. Donating to a charity that provides people with a water filtration system, like Active:water, is proof of love.
If the idea of changing a life overseas is still too much to swallow, feel free to come back to the “Noblesville bubble.” To some people, a simple, non-romantic gesture of love is being invited to sit at someone’s table for the first time in their entire high school career or getting help in a class that may come easier to some more than others. Be that movement.
Maybe there’s a girl who’s absolutely dying to go to prom but can’t afford a Jovani or Sherri Hill gown, let alone any dress at all. Instead of saving that dress for the memory of wearing it, look back at the eight hundred pictures your parents took and let someone else make a memory by donating your gown to Project Cinderella.
No one is without blame when it comes to loving people well because all people have days where they are counting on someone to love them. On days when the family is fight-ing and everybody else walked out, consider what that day might be like if you reach out to one person a week.
Gandhi once said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” The Mill Stream staff would like to encourage the student body as a whole to love others differently. Whether it’s Valentine’s Day or Monday, loving someone can save not only him or her, but yourself as well.
Since when did the phrase “to die” become socially in-appropriate? Think about it. When referring to the deceased, one doesn’t normally say, “John died.” One says, “John passed away,” because “to die” is apparently too harsh.
I don’t think people realize that if I say, “John passed away,” it doesn’t change the fact that he died.
The same goes for the term “fat.” Just because I refer to Mary as “a big girl” doesn’t make her any less fat.
While sitting in on a college journalism class last fall, the professor tried to sell me on the term “differently abled” for some who is disabled.
“Differently abled”? Heck, I am “differently abled”! Everyone in this world is “differently abled”.
When I refer to someone as disabled, or mentally re-tarded for another example, I do not mean any harm. I don’t mean to offend anyone by using those terms, but there are always people who take things to the extreme.
Every time someone interrupts me in the middle of a sentence to say that what I just said was a “politically incor-rect” term, I lose a bit of respect for that person.
It’s the equivalent of me telling someone a story and, in the middle of the story, he or she says to me, “Hey, there’s a big nasty zit on your forehead. Can I pop it?” No, maybe I don’t notice the zit—or politically incorrect term in this case—but did he or she really have to point it out, make a huge deal out of it, and then go to correct it? Now who’s the one be-ing rude?
Yes, I do agree that some terms need to be limited in their use and substituted with a more acceptable term, such as the term “fat”. Though fat may be a true adjec-tive to describe one’s appearance, there is a better word.
I will not call someone fat because the word is informal. It’s childish, immature. I will, however, refer to someone as obese, and I won’t lose one bit of sleep over it. The same thing goes for calling someone black. I’ll call someone black and won’t regret it.
Of course, you still have people who say, “Oh, you mean African American.” Um, no, I meant black. That’s why I said it. I don’t mean any harm, and I am not act-ing racist.
We live in a hypersensitive society, a society that takes offense to everything. It censors anything it doesn’t want to hear, which is ironic due to the fact that we live in such an exposed world. We can show some tasteless, raunchy crap like Family Guy, but I can’t call someone a certain word just because one person might take it the wrong way?
Since when did I care about what people think? Why should I worry about people “taking offense” to the things I say? Why should anyone worry about what people think?
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “You wouldn’t worry about what people think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”
Chances are if I say something “politically incorrect,” no one is going to notice. No one will view me any differently. I shouldn’t have to worry about the stress of having to censor my words to fit other people’s standards because, like Roosevelt said, very few people are going to care, and those who do simply aren’t worth the worry.
Navar [email protected]
Fuzz & Hip by Adam Reed
Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a ( )insert politicallycorrect term here
?saywhat
Eavesdroppingat its funniest
3featuresMill Stream02.10.2012
“Mascara is made of bat poop. I couldn’t live without it.”-English Hallway
“If I went to Mexico, would there be a White Castle?”-Jr./Sr. Cafeteria
“I must mentally prepare myself to storm angrily. Want a Teddy Graham?”-The Commons
“It’s DJ Pauly D. Show the man some respect.”-Chemistry Honors
“Don’t snap your fingers, or Captain Underpants will come.”-Foreign Language Hallway
“I washed my hair in a gas station sink the other day...”-English Hallway
“Where’s the diver-sity? It’s just me and you, surrounded by all these pasty pastes.”-English Honors
“Approach her like she is a majestic stallion.”-AP Statistics
While many students are preparing for col-lege, a few are getting a taste of the real world. Although it is not uncommon for high school stu-dents to have jobs, it is rare to find any that run or own businesses. While it can be a lot of work and take a lot of time, having a business can be a great start to a potential career and can lead to many rewarding experiences.
“My business is a Christian clothing company called L.I.T.E [Love Isn’t the Enemy]. I’m the only one really working on the company at the mo-ment. I would like to eventually get more people on my team,” sophomore Trey Hutchinson said.
In order to run a successful business, one must have a plan and know where he is are going with finances.
“I’m doing [my business] to create clothing with a positive influence that people would actu-ally like to wear. I just feel like this is what I am being led to do,” Hutchinson said.
Some students keep their profits to save for their future, while others use the money to go elsewhere.
“I am not keeping any of the money I make. It is all going to charity, other small businesses, sponsoring mission trips, or wherever God wants to take it,” Hutchinson said.
Instead of starting a business, some choose to carry the torch and continue in the family busi-ness.
“I’ve been a day manager at the White River
Canoe Company for about two years now. It’s a family business with my dad and my two broth-ers,” senior Andy Cooley said.
Cooley is using his “great experience” as a step towards his future college career.
“I’m going to the OLS [Organization Leader-ship and Supervision] program at Purdue,” he said.
According to businesspundit.com, business is one of the fastest growing and highest paying careers in the United States. It is a trend that is reaching the younger generation.
“My business is called “I Yarn to Travel”, because I make hand-crocheted jewelry out of something called ‘ladder yarn’. So the name rep-resents that I’m always selling the necklaces for a future trip and ‘yarn’ instead of ‘yearn’ for the material. I started the business in 2009, in hopes of raising money to go on the Noblesville Rain-forest trip. I raised about $1,500 with it for that trip,” sophomore Alyssa Pfaus said.
Business can take away from school time, but gives real-world knowledge to a student.
”It has taught me a great sense of organiza-tion and a better understanding of working with actual customers. After high school, I plan to become a fashion designer, so that will require good business skills in order to market my cloth-ing. My business now is definitely helping me to learn about all of that,” Pfaus said.
Whether a student starts a business to give back, expand his/her horizons, or just gain expe-rience, it will surely teach him/her valuable les-sons that apply after high school. Such students prove that the early bird does get the worm.
Photo by B. Denny
Sophomore Alyssa Pfaus takes time out of her busy schedule to work with her new ladder yarn. She is working on a project for her business called “I Yarn To Travel.”
Sophia [email protected]
Warren Buffet, a salesman at the age of 17, kept a watchful eye on homeowners when distributing bubble gum, Coca-Cola, and magazines for spare pocket change. A mere 65 years later, Buffet is now a multi-billionaire, and 2011’s third richest man in the world.
Armed with a unique hobby and a mind like Buffet’s, sophomore Jacob Overton has set out to make his first million.
“Every month there’s some sort of bowl-ing tournament. If you get first place, you win money. Lots of money. Since I’ve started, I’ve won six or seven times, and it pays $150 for a first place finish,” Overton said.
Overton plans to bowl over the bowling competition in Noblesville and rack up the big bucks. He understands, however, that no man is a businessman if he does not own a business. In Overton’s case, it’s a lawn mow-ing business.
“Aside from bowling, I mow lawns. I some-times paint people’s outdoor things like re-pairing decks and fences. A jack-of-all-trades, I’m not. No, I just go around and help people who say they need help doing things and
then I usually get paid for it,” Overton said. “Mowing can be a risky business. Sometimes, I run over snakes with my mower. One time I cut one [a snake] in half, but I didn’t mean to. I don’t hate snakes; it wasn’t purposeful.”
Despite the occasional blood, guts and snake gore, Overton keeps his clothes clean and his one long-term goal at the forefront of his thought.
“It’s gonna pay for college, that’s for sure,” Overton said.
For Overton, the rush of mowing over snakes or bowling a perfect 300 is unique. Though, sophomore Cameron Beisel plays a hand in an equally dangerous, thrill seeking game.
“I started out playing online poker as a hobby. I had played for three years before fi-nally beating my dad at a game. He entered me in the neighborhood poker tournament that day,” Beisel said. “I won $120 in one night – three hours – I was up ‘til early in the morn-ing.”
Beisel continues to dabble in the gambling
game, aspiring to play in the major leagues when he is of age.
“You just have to play the odds and you have to practice a lot. No doubt, you’ll see me on the World Series when I grow up,” Beisel said.
“Playing the odds” has netted Beisel his gambling riches, but it has also introduced senior Erica Parker to an elderly woman and a $50 bill.
“For helping an older woman carry her suitcase from baggage claim into her car, I got $50. I honestly would’ve done it without the money, but the $50 was definitely nice for do-ing it!” Parker said.
From helping the elderly to helping friends go easy on the gas, a multitude of innovative techniques can fill empty pockets with mon-ey.
“I have a job, but I carpool with friends to save money,” junior Erika VonItter said.
Whether crushing a garden snake or car-rying an old woman’s baggage across the air-port, odd jobs abound. With his spare change, Buffet has amassed a $37 billion empire in 82 years. In fact, to keep pace with Buffet, one must make a minimum of $1,236,217.84 every single day for the rest of his or her life.
Odd jobs aboundPete [email protected]
$ $$
4 features Mill Stream02.10.2012
Skye [email protected]
Sidney [email protected]
“Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.” These are the words that Students Against Cancer is striving to put into action.
Every year the American Cancer Society hosts its signature event Relay For Life. But this year, NHS is joining in the awareness. Students Against Cancer is hosting its own “Mini Relay” event. According to club sponsor and English teacher Ms. Danielle Vale-nilla, the goal is to spread cancer awareness, become educated about cancer prevention, and walk around a track for all the lives that have been touched by the disease.
In the Mini Relay, a smaller version of Relay For Life, students along with their family and friends
will walk at the Hare Chevrolet Field on April 21. There will be an activity fair including games, activi-ties, and some guests of honor as well.
Students Against Cancer is recruiting members for the Mini Relay on Valentine’s Day in the LGI room at the MC during AL. Registration is only a dollar per person, and NHS has already raised $560 for the cause. The goal is to reach $1,500, and the only way this could be reached is by help from students.
“It’s a truly amazing and inspiring event to at-tend. . . This is the kind of tradition you want to say you were a part of when it began,” Valenilla said.
Any student interested in participating or donat-ing should contact Ms. Valenilla at the Freshman Campus or visit main.acsevents.org/goto/nhssac for more information. “[Help create] a world with more birthdays.”
Students Against Cancer throws its own relay
Sprinkles saves a life
“Alright now, Cinderella,” said the Fairy Godmoth-er. “That rings up to be $850.39. It was extra for the rush, and me taking time to listen to the sob story, and an extra fee was added for mindlessly losing that glass slipper (which must be found, because some other poor child needs it tomorrow night)!”
If only poor Cinderella had used Project Cinderella to get her dress.
“Two years ago I was concerned that prom was getting cost prohibitive for many students,” director of technol-ogy Mrs. Lorie Homan said, “so I started a campaign to collect formal dresses or suits that were barely worn and make them available for low or no cost to students.”
Students, staff members, and other community mem-bers donate these dresses and suits to the program. The program has now extended throughout the county and incorporates Westfield students as well. The first year reached 12 students, allowing them to party in style. It has since grown in the past few years reaching over 90 students, and collecting 300 and such dresses.
Prom is a big deal. For girls, it takes much preparation, from nail appoint-ments, to hair appointments; from the search for the perfect pair of shoes to the dress that fits just right and flatters her butt just so. The whole process can be quite expensive at the end.
Many girls today cannot afford to fork over big bucks for one night of exuberance, and for some of the girls who can, simply just don’t see the point in spending a tremendous amount of money for a one-night affair.
Some girls however, are not too keen on using pre-worn clothes.
“I just don’t have a thing for used clothes. It’s definitely not embarrassing, it’s just the fact that someone else has worn it,” sophomore Carly Baker said. She also says that for some girls, it could be an embarrassment factor that keeps them from buying second hand.
“I would have felt more embarrassed with a $300 dress that some girls buy. I’m going to wear this dress one, maybe two times. If I can get it for cheap, and it still looks good, then I don’t care where it comes from,” senior Rosemary James said.
Homan agrees with her “I always tell students that do-
ing this is promoting “going green” and how much money their parents
are saving. It’s exactly like going to a consignment store, though some consignments still charge $40 - $50 for prom dresses.”
Project Cinderella offers dresses in all sizes, shapes, col-ors, lengths, and however else dresses can come. According to James, the selection is far from skimpy.
“There were tons of dresses. I tried on six or seven before I found one that fit and I liked. It took a few hours to find dresses that were the right size and then it was just a mat-
ter of picking one that I liked,” said James.
Not only is there a vast selection, b u t the price alone is worth a
stop in.“[The dress] was $10
plus free shoes, which I thought was really
nice. It was a good deal for a nice dress and matching
shoes,” said James. According to Homan the charge
for “all dresses and suits and $10, unless the dress has a lot of bead-ing and sequins. Those are $20,
and all accessories cost $2.” So if the search for the
perfect dress is still on, think about searching through the racks of Project Cinderella dresses. Stop by the fresh-man campus on March 17 to take a gander.
Besides, a fairy god-mother costs too much.
Climb into bed. Feel the softness of a warm blanket and sink into the pillows. Let the mind wander, and with-in minutes, sleep hits. If you’re Kate Hanchon, the lack of consciousness is only temporary because in three hours, you’re awake again, fighting for your survival.
Students at NHS may recognize Kate as the girl living with Type 1 diabetes featured on the video played on an-nouncements all last week. Students sympathized with her and chipped in a donation when student government presented the opportunity through donations and ticket prices for Morp; while the dance was later canceled, dona-tions were still given to Kate’s family to help purchase a dog that can detect the dangerous levels of Kate’s blood sugar.
Still, Kate is a stranger to many, and her struggle from the very beginning has been exhausting.
“Kate was diagnosed on August 18, 2010. She was five years old,” Tanya Hanchon, Kate’s mother, said. “She lost a lot of weight that summer, and she drank constantly and had to use the bathroom a lot.”
Most people have a blood sugar that subsists right around 100, rarely falling below or above into a danger level. Kate’s initial blood sugar was 936.
“Our lives have changed dramatically since her diag-nosis. Since she has to be checked every three hours, she never gets a great night sleep since nighttime is the most dangerous for diabetics, when most kids die,” Hanchon said.
Twenty eight million Americans are troubled with dia-betes daily; therefore, with numbers like those, families even close to home in Noblesville aren’t immune to the repercussions of diabetes.
Junior Eric Baney has seen first hand how intolerably sensitive blood sugar can be.
“My mom has diabetes, and her blood sugar can vary between high and low so quickly,” Baney said. “One time we were at the Forest Park pool, and she had a seizure when her blood sugar just dropped. It was one of the scari-est moments of my life.”
In Kate’s situation, her family and doctors are planning on purchasing a dog, already named Sprinkles by Kate, in order to make her life more normal.
“Sprinkles will be able to detect if her blood sugar is rising or losing about 40 minutes prior to her feeling it. That means she can be treated before she starts to feel sick and decrease long-term side effects by stabilizing her blood sugar from large highs to lows,” Hanchon said. “Ev-eryone will get to sleep at night because Sprinkles will be on watch.”
The idea of this super hero dog has gained popu-larity at NHS. Freshman Kelsey Clayton was sur-prised with the training and intelligence the dog has been given.
“My dog is incredibly dumb. I don’t know how they can train a dog like that, but I’m definitely do-nating money for the cause,” Clayton said.
For the Hanchon family, any help they can give to Kate is appreciated, and rest assured NHS’s donations will change Kate’s life.
“When you’re struggling with problems like these, you can use any help you can get,” Baney said.
Cinderella story rewrittenAnna [email protected]
Sophomore Savan-nah Butler collected
a donation to help support the cause .
While Morp was can-celed, students still reached out to help
Kate.
Photo by K. Foley
Illustration by S. Parks
5advertisementsMill Stream02.10.2012
Student Contest(2) $100 cash awards
<Basketball sectionals T-shirt design> <NHS Sports magazine cover>
DEADLINE (see below): Submit all designs electronically to [email protected]
Any Noblesville student from the Class of 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and the incoming Freshmen Class of 2016 are eligible to participate.
1. Basketball Sectionals/ T-Shirt design Deadline: Noon, Sun. February 19 • One-color design for front of shirt• Short sleeve shirt will be black
2. NHS Sports Program/Magazine for 2012-2013 seasonDeadline: Friday, March 30, 5PMDesign Expectations: • Reflect the themes Miller Nation/Miller Strong• Vertical design 7” wide x 8” high• 4-Color design; attach to email as word doc. or pdf• Include Miller Man icon (optional) sports photo collage or illustrations (include all photography and/or illustrator credits)
All submitted designs should include your full name, what you are designing (t-shirt and/or magazine cover) class of 20__, your email and contact info. Multiple designs can be submitted
by one individual or work as team and split the potential award prize money. The winning designers will be published in the NHS 2012 Fall Sports Program/Magazine.
Sponsored by Miller Backers – your Athletic Booster organization
(Continued from cover)Just being a friend
In many cases, the love between friends is something that can be better expressed with actions as opposed to 50 word statuses posted up on Facebook or Twitter. When challenges arise in life, having a friend to lean on can be an invaluable asset. In the case of senior Tyler Howard, helping out a friend may mean making sure they have something so simple as a place to sleep for the night.
“I have let a few friends stay at my house for a few days or weeks when things became rough at home,” Howard said. “It’s nice to know that I’m able to do some-thing for them and to make sure that they are in a safe place.”
Giving a friend a place to stay may not be life changing, but Howard believes that by simply being there, he has the ability to make an impact in a friend’s life.
“It makes me feel good to know that I did what I could for my friends,” Howard said. “I felt that I was able to make a difference in their life, even if it was a small difference.”
While not everyone is able to house a friend in need, sometimes expressing love in a friendship can be as simple as celebrating a birthday.
“Every year since we’ve been friends, I have decorated lockers for birthdays,” freshman Abby Carter said. “It makes them all really happy, and I feel good know-ing that I made their birthday a little better.”
A chance encounterFate can have a hand in many events throughout life and sometimes it can bring
about something that will leave a special memory that will last a lifetime. Senior Sarah Line had one such experience that she will always remember.
“I volunteer to serve dinner at Dayspring Homeless shelter with my church about once a month. Since I’ve been helping out for a while, I’m pretty comfortable with going around and talking to the people after we’re done serving dinner,” Line said.
“There was one woman with a little boy, and I got to talk and play with him for a while. Later that week, I saw the little boy again and he immediately came to me and we spent the day together. His mom came into the room and saw him with me and smiled, and I’ll never forget what she said next: ‘I was so worried about him...I’m so glad it was you that was helping him.’ We talked and eventually I had to leave them, but we had a definite connection—Isaiah, his mom, and I,” Line said.
Volunteering gives teens a chance to take an active role in the community, and through it some teens find people and stories that touch their lives. Similar to Line, freshman Abby Carter encountered a complete stranger who made an impact on her.
“I help out with Good Samaritan during Thanksgiving to pass out food to those who can’t afford it,” Carter said. “There was one gentleman who saw how much he was able to get and refused to take it, saying that there were people there who needed it more than he did. We were touched by the gesture and decided to go to his house to hand deliver food for him. His house was really tiny and run-down. When we got there he was really surprised, but gave us the biggest smile.”
Love is all that’s neededWhether it’s saying ‘happy birthday’ to a best friend or connecting with a random stranger, love can come in many different forms. True love for another human being can be difficult to pin down ,and
even more difficult to describe, but taking advantage in the love already in abundance through friends and family can be just as important as a first kiss. Love is often defined as having strong feelings for another individual, and sometimes those feelings extend out beyond significant others and can reach those whose name isn’t always written on the “to:” section on a box of expensive chocolates.
6 the focus 02.10.2012
While the approach of Valentine’s Day might mean date night for many, other students have celebrity crushes on their minds instead, causing them to an-swer one question: If you could have Cupid shoot an arrow at any celebrity, who would it be?
Cupid is at it againJenna [email protected]
Extend a loving handAlejandra [email protected]
“Taylor Lautner. I’ve liked him since ‘Twilight’, and he’s just really cute, I think.”- sophomore Maddison Hovermale
Photo by J. Larson
Senior Sarah Line participates in an activity involving balancing on one foot and picking up paper bags without using any hands at Geist Christian Church on Jan. 29. As one of the leaders in her youth group, Line often leads volunteer projects, such as one involving donating pop tabs, while still making the service appealing to young church members by inspiring friendly competition between the boys and girls.
“I think love is the key to living. People need each other; we all have connec-tions.” - Senior Sarah Line
(Continued from cover)Just being a friend
In many cases, the love between friends is something that can be better expressed with actions as opposed to 50 word statuses posted up on Facebook or Twitter. When challenges arise in life, having a friend to lean on can be an invaluable asset. In the case of senior Tyler Howard, helping out a friend may mean making sure they have something so simple as a place to sleep for the night.
“I have let a few friends stay at my house for a few days or weeks when things became rough at home,” Howard said. “It’s nice to know that I’m able to do some-thing for them and to make sure that they are in a safe place.”
Giving a friend a place to stay may not be life changing, but Howard believes that by simply being there, he has the ability to make an impact in a friend’s life.
“It makes me feel good to know that I did what I could for my friends,” Howard said. “I felt that I was able to make a difference in their life, even if it was a small difference.”
While not everyone is able to house a friend in need, sometimes expressing love in a friendship can be as simple as celebrating a birthday.
“Every year since we’ve been friends, I have decorated lockers for birthdays,” freshman Abby Carter said. “It makes them all really happy, and I feel good know-ing that I made their birthday a little better.”
A chance encounterFate can have a hand in many events throughout life and sometimes it can bring
about something that will leave a special memory that will last a lifetime. Senior Sarah Line had one such experience that she will always remember.
“I volunteer to serve dinner at Dayspring Homeless shelter with my church about once a month. Since I’ve been helping out for a while, I’m pretty comfortable with going around and talking to the people after we’re done serving dinner,” Line said.
“There was one woman with a little boy, and I got to talk and play with him for a while. Later that week, I saw the little boy again and he immediately came to me and we spent the day together. His mom came into the room and saw him with me and smiled, and I’ll never forget what she said next: ‘I was so worried about him...I’m so glad it was you that was helping him.’ We talked and eventually I had to leave them, but we had a definite connection—Isaiah, his mom, and I,” Line said.
Volunteering gives teens a chance to take an active role in the community, and through it some teens find people and stories that touch their lives. Similar to Line, freshman Abby Carter encountered a complete stranger who made an impact on her.
“I help out with Good Samaritan during Thanksgiving to pass out food to those who can’t afford it,” Carter said. “There was one gentleman who saw how much he was able to get and refused to take it, saying that there were people there who needed it more than he did. We were touched by the gesture and decided to go to his house to hand deliver food for him. His house was really tiny and run-down. When we got there he was really surprised, but gave us the biggest smile.”
Love is all that’s neededWhether it’s saying ‘happy birthday’ to a best friend or connecting with a random stranger, love can come in many different forms. True love for another human being can be difficult to pin down ,and
even more difficult to describe, but taking advantage in the love already in abundance through friends and family can be just as important as a first kiss. Love is often defined as having strong feelings for another individual, and sometimes those feelings extend out beyond significant others and can reach those whose name isn’t always written on the “to:” section on a box of expensive chocolates.
the focus 702.10.2012
Giving gifts to all this Valentine’s Day
For a BoyfriendAccording to cliché, the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Try winning a man’s affection with these heart-themed recipes.Conversation Heart Fudge: Prepare any batch of fudge (find a recipe at mill-stream.org), placing conversation hearts on top while still warm. When cool, cut fudge into squares, place in foil cupcake liners, wrap in clear cellophane, and present.Cupcakes from the Heart: Prepare any recipe of cupcake batter (find a recipe at mill-stream.org). To shape the cupcakes like hearts, put a small foil ball or marble between the cupcake liner and a side of each cup in the muffin pan. Pour in batter and bake as directed. The cupcakes will come out looking like hearts. Frost and present.
For a GirlfriendChocolate and heartfelt sentiments are among a girl’s top wishes on Valentine’s Day. These homemade gifts offer a way to give both.Love and Kisses Jar: Fill a clear, label-free medium jar with assorted chocolate kisses and foil-wrapped hearts. Add in slips of colored paper with loving phrases, reminders, and compliments written on them. Attach a label with “Love from (name of giver)” and present.Rose Kisses: Attach two wrapped chocolate kisses, flat sides against each other, with a dot of glue or piece of tape. When dried, wrap this “rosebud” in pink or red cellophane, and attach to a green pipe cleaner. Add tissue paper leaves. Repeat to form several roses, place bouquet in a vase, and present.
For a Friend or SiblingDon’t forget friends and siblings on this day of love. These creative gifts take a couple steps to make. Notebook of Love: Cut a three-inch heart from colored paper (pink or red). Trace several same-sized hearts onto plain paper and cut out. Stack all paper hearts and poke small holes down the center of the heart. Thread yarn through the holes and tie with a bow. Decorate the cover with stickers and present.Love for Lips: Visit mill-stream.org to find a recipe for chocolate lip gloss. After preparing the gloss, pour into small, heart-shaped (or circular), lidded containers. Attach a few stickers and present.
Student FavoritesSeniors Katherine Raun, Danika Geisler, Kieran McCormack, and Junior Izzy Dittmar shared their favorite Valentine’s ideas.“I’d like something homemade and heartfelt, or maybe just to spend the day with [my girlfriend],” McCormack said.“One year my mom gave me a bouquet of chocolate roses, heart suckers, and Target gift cards. It was really cute,” Dittmar said.“My ideal gift would be something I need, like windshield wipers,” Raun said.“I’d like a cute pink stuffed animal,” Geisler said. “I’m a little girl at heart.”
Jace [email protected]
Illustrations by N. Watson
“Jennifer Aniston...it’s Jennifer An-iston! Have you seen ‘Friends’?” - senior Matt McWatters
“Daniel Radcliffe because his accent is hot.”- senior Erica Mackey
“Definitely Mariah Carey. She’s super attractive. She makes really nice music.”- sophomore Spencer Jacoby
Photo by J. Larson
Senior Sarah Line participates in an activity involving balancing on one foot and picking up paper bags without using any hands at Geist Christian Church on Jan. 29. As one of the leaders in her youth group, Line often leads volunteer projects, such as one involving donating pop tabs, while still making the service appealing to young church members by inspiring friendly competition between the boys and girls.
“Jennifer Aniston. She’s maintained her beauty over many years.”- Mr. Dan Nicholson
“Channing Tatum because he has a nice body.”- senior Mary Richardson
Information provided by familyfun.go.com
8 features Mill Stream02.10.2012
“It’s not so much when I help a student, it’s more when I see the changes… but when I see the positive changes, it definitely gives me hope,” sophomore and director of the Sparrow program CJ Fritz said.
Sparrow is a mentoring program that connects high school students with elementary students who have been faced with adversity. Examples of this include the impact of an abusive family, a dysfunctional family, or an unloving family.
“The Sparrow program is an opportunity for both the high school and elementary school stu-dent to learn and grow through forming a posi-tive relationship with each other. It’s a chance to show another person that someone cares,” Eng-lish teacher Mrs. Sarah Dunn said.
Showing compassion as well as preaching manners comprises the goals of the mentors for their mentees. However, that is not the only goal Fritz has set for himself and his staff. Some of Fritz’s goals include raising grades, boosting con-fidence, and providing a more comfortable learn-ing environment for grade-school students.
“All of our students’ grades and test-taking abilities have gone up,” Fritz said.
Bonding with the youth in various ways can boost their focus in the classroom. Yet, it may also enhance their outlook on life.
“We go to the gym a lot. We play kickball, football, or dodgeball. It’s a good way to get
some of their energy out and just have a good time, and that’s what the program is meant to do,” sopho-more Connor Hawkins said.
Both Hawkins and Fritz agree that the program’s outcome has exceeded their expectations. Sparrow has left a positive imprint on the minds of both men-tors’ students, and the two agree that the results are much greater than what meets the eye.
“It feels great to see results. Like when I found out my kid’s spelling grade had improved from an F to a B, it is probably one of the proudest moments I’ve had in a long time,” Hawkins said.
Before becoming the driving force for a child’s grade improvement, one must fill out an application for the program, specifically geared to highlight at-tributes best suited for mentoring a child. Attached to the back of an application is a policy sheet, outlining steps that are to be taken to ensure maximum men-toring benefit. Among these steps is a bullet point, stating that all students shall be kept in a safe envi-ronment.
“A lot of times, students are not at fault of the schools because of neglect, but just by sheer num-bers. It’s hard to specialize certain environments for certain students, so these students aren’t getting the basic rights that the world guarantees them, so we de-liver those rights,” Fritz said.
From class A politicians, to impoverished, under-privileged primary-schoolers, everyone deserves their basic human rights.
Imagine it like this: Sparrow is the river and the student is the ocean. When they con-nect, nothing but a brighter future can be obtained.
Students choose what to do after school
“What are you doing today?” It’s the commonly asked question when large crowds of stu-dents head to their lockers and pack up and head for the buses for after school affairs. Kids have the option of hanging out, joining a club or going home and relaxing.
“When I get home, I usually get on Twitter then do my homework. I’m not in any clubs,” freshman Mackenzie Fletcher said.
Joining a club can benefit a child. Clubs help students have the ability to go somewhere and express how much they are interested in a certain activity. Other beneficial qualities that clubs can help with are making new friends and socialization skills. More beneficial factors that clubs may offer is the idea of students coming together as a whole and promoting teamwork.
“I think that clubs help kids meet new kids or get their own opinions out or get self confi-dence like speech team or sports. It can help kids reach their full potential,” sophomore Daniel Crook said.
Improving social skills is a big thing for a student to do. It takes communication and being devoted to that club to be able to make new friends. It just depends on the type of club and type of students in that particular club. A club may be able to help a child learn and grow.
“I think it depends on the fact that a student could learn more and grow to be a good per-son. Some people make friends that way and he/she would find a club that intrigues them. On the other hand, a child is going to learn and grow either way, there are other things that contribute to a child’s growth and learning,” junior Jessica Corbett said.
Even if a student is not in a club, it does not mean that the student does not like clubs; some students may have jobs or volunteer work. They still are able to make friends at school.
“I do not do any clubs or anything. I work at my job and sometimes babysit for a daycare at my church. I used to want to be in a club but now I have no room to join any,” Corbett said.
A club, or sport can consume a student’s time after school, or it may be held during school. That shows the dedication students have towards the club they enjoy. Students that enjpy the clubs they are inAt Noblesville High school, clubs such as Fencing Club, German Club, Span-ish Club and Sparrow can take place after school.
“I only have a band event every few weeks I think they [clubs] help us build up our social skills and can help us pursue our interests. I would definitely advise a student to join a club because there is bound to be a club for everyone and if not it cannot be that hard to start one,” senior Nathaniel Taff said.
Kelsey [email protected]
Macy [email protected]
Sparrow isn’t just life-changing
Photo by K. PenceDuring AL, (right to left) sophomores Connor Hawkins, CJ Fritz, and Jack Trittipo plan and set goals for the Sparrow program. Fritz also looks through applications in order to choose high school mentors.
Pirates who couldn’t do anything...SOPA, PIPA, and piracy...are they dead? And are students well-informed?Not quite.
Get the full story at mill-stream.org.Illustration by A. Echarry and A. Jeong QR code provided by kaywa.com
9featuresMill Stream02.10.2012
This summer, one of Noblesville’s very own will have his or her name listed as architect on the deed of a house. For the first time, Habitat for Humanity will be selecting a student design from Mr. Joe Toms’ Civil Engineering & Architecture (CEA) class to build a house on South 9th Street.
Rhett Cecil, the director of Habitat for Humanity of Ham-ilton County, came in to talk to the class at the beginning of the project to talk about the organization. However, once he saw the students’ designs, he wanted to use one of them.
“Habitat houses are all built with no variation. With the students’ designs, he was seeing new things that had a fresh, young look,” Toms said.
It was decided that out of the 28 students in the CEA class, one design would be picked to build on site. Toms is also trying to give scholarships to stu-dents whose designs are of note.
“So far, we’ve made floor plans and renderings, which are 3D models of the house on the computer,” sophomore Madi Curnutt said.
The students use a complex software to help them visual-ize the design and engineering of the house as they progress through various stages of design.
“Technically speaking, the steps that we have taken into consideration are floor, roof, foundation, plumbing and elec-trical plans, which all factor in and play a huge role in how your house is designed and how it is engineered,” junior Zac Bish said.
All of the technical aspects come down to one point: the house must be functional.
“The Habitat houses are all buildable, affordable and sus-tainable. They are as economic as possible and must have easy maintenance,” Toms said.
The official wall raising will be held in the NHS parking lot in August. Everyone is invited to come build the walls in the parking lot, which will then be driven to the site, which is located just behind El Camino.
“I think the class and NHS as a whole should be proud of the work that is being put into this project and should also have that same sense of pride when the house is finally com-pleted,” senior Gaige Guire said.
Fellow senior Adam Blazier shares Guire’s pride in the house designs.
“I can’t wait to see ours built. It’s going to be great to see a house that our class has completely designed that will stand for years to come be-ing built right here in Noblesville,” Blazier said.
Currently, Toms is trying to get a $5,000 Lowe’s education grant to buy tools to build the house. This project has also paved the way for a new club that Toms plans on starting next school year, called “Foundations.”
“We will build wheelchair ramps and porches and fix gut-ters for community service and to give back. We’ll mainly find elderly people and do small projects in a day or a week-end,” Toms said.
Whether building a house from scratch or helping to maintain one, Toms is encouraging students to help give back to the community while giving his class real life application skills.
“There is a lot of work that goes into desinging a house; I’ve probably left out a lot.” -Senior Adam Blazier
Students strive to be architectsMadi [email protected]
(Top) Seniors Adam Blazier and Ryan Suiters help each other during block 4 CEA. The stu-dents often reviewed each other’s work.(Bottom) Blazier uses a special program to view through the roof of his house. The pro-gram let them view their designs in 3D with all of the dimensions to scale.
Photos by M. McNew
It’s the time of day to reenergize, the thing that everyone looks for on the announcements, and a time to possibly catch up on late homework for the next class. It’s lunch and it’s frankly the highlight of the day for some people, but how do the lunch ladies come up with a lunch menu for the week?
Students over the years have had mixed emotions about lunch in the NHS cafeteria. Some have wanted to add new things to the menu.
“It would be really cool if they added chicken quesadillas to the menu, and cheese fries,” junior Emily Reese said.
According to Mrs. Sue Dunn, Noblesville Schools Food Service Coordinator, these kinds of changes cannot be made because of the U.S. government, which sponsors the Na-tional School Breakfast and Lunch Program.
“Noblesville Schools participates in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program and must meet spe-cific meal pattern requirements, nu-tritional guidelines, and serving sizes that are age appropriate,” Dunn said.
Many students such as junior Chris Lang admittedly do not know
what limitations the lunch ladies have, and feel that they do not have much of a choice in what they can and cannot serve to students.
“I know enough about the lunch ladies’ limitations on the food that they can serve to know that they can’t make anything better,” said Lang.
Even with government-sanctioned regulations and limitations from time and money, the lunch ladies have ways of appeasing students’ appe-tites.
According to Mrs. Vickie Eli, head of the cafeteria, each lunch line keeps a tally of what students do and don’t take, and the information is used to either make more of a certain food or less of it.
“The homestyle is a three week rotation for lunch, the specialty line is a weekly rotation, and the break-fast menu is a two week rotation,” Eli said.
Some students don’t care as much about what is served, but rather the appreciation students at NHS need to give the cafeteria staff.
“I actually don’t know anything about the limitations that the lunch la-dies have. I think most students don’t know about the limitations either, so we should be gracious and thankful that they work so hard to make our meals,” junior Leah Linville said.
Cooking up a menuDrew [email protected]
France: a trip to remember
This summer, anyone taking French has the opportunity of a lifetime; they get to go on a trip to France, courtesy of French teacher Mrs. Debbie “Madame” Pierson. Here, attendees will have the opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime. The trip to France has proven to be an enjoyable experience for every-one involved.
“Oh, they [the kids] love it!” Pierson said, “I have yet to hear anyone say anything negative about it.”
Every trip has its memorable moments, both good and bad. One year, a student caught his clothes on fire on the Bunsen burner.
“That was a very scary--now we laugh about it--incident,” Pierson said.
However, one does not need to have an amusing anecdote to have a memorable time;
sometimes, the sights to be seen can be memo-rable in and of themselves. In particular, junior Quinn Miller raves about the Eiffel Tower. At night, the tower lights up and sparkles in a most spectacular manner.
Although visiting the tower isn’t mandatory, Miller said, “You had to do that.”
Other memorable destinations include the Louvre art museum, Montmartre Hill, and the Sacré-Cœur, a church famous for its beautiful, white walls.
While the trip may offer many sights to see and many things to do, junior Raaj Patel under-stands that it is not about what he did, but who he did it with.
“My favorite memory was being with my friends,” Patel said.
This year, the trip is taking place during the summer, in June. French students looking to make fond memories for themselves should talk to Mrs. Pierson for more information.
Alex [email protected]
Sandwiches ‘n Such Italian Bistro
Breaded Sandwich/ Hot Dog or Big Daddy Pizza/ Corn Dog and Baked Beans Pizza Dippers and Side Salad
Country Baked Steak Sandwich/ Big Daddy Pizza/ Rib BQ Sandwich and Peas & Meatball Sub and Side Carrots Salad
Spicy Chicken Sandwich/ Big Daddy Pizza Cheeseburger and Broccoli Bosco Sticks w/ Marinara and a Side Salad
Grilled Chicken Sandwich/ Big Daddy Pizza/ Sloppy Joe and Corn Pizzatos and a Side Salad
Hamburger Slammers/ BBQ Big Daddy Pizza/ Sandwich and Green Beans Ravioli w/ Wheat Roll and a Side Salad
Sophomore Geoffrey Gine-baugh: “Sam Roudebush because he ran to state all by his lonesome and received a top-10 award.”
Junior Connor Bolinger: “Zach Hall because he is our best diver.”
Freshman Austyn Ever-ingham: “Trace Bulger for his determination and being the only freshman starting varsity for football.”
Junior Trent
Elmer: “Justin
Pegues becuase
he never stops
helping others
and is a human
angel sent by
God to bless this
Earth.”
Senior Kelly
Miller: “Spen-
cer King because he’s
the golf team
captain and he’s
the best golfer I
know.”
Senior Bren-nen Dugger: “Daniel Purvli-cis becuase he has dominated basketball since freshman year.”
10 sports Mill Stream02.10.2012
Going down in athletic history
Freshman Holly
Tucker: “Helen
Willman
because she’s a
fast runner and
a good team
captain.”
ATTENTION ATHLETES! The time has come to be recognized for all the hard work put in. So lace up those cleats and get to work. The athletic department has recently created a hall of fame for Noblesville athletes who have gone above and beyond others.
“Our goal is to recognize past Noblesville High School athletes for their significant ac-complishments in their respective sports,” committee member Mr. Dwayne Brashers said. “We have had a lot of athletes that have contributed a lot to our athletic success but very few of them are actually recognized at our school.”
This year, they are only inducting athletes from before 1970 to catch up for lost time. In August of 2013, athletes from 1970-1979 will be added, in 2014 athletes from 1980-1989, in 2015 athletes from 1990-1999, and in 2016 athletes 2000-2009. After that, as many as five athletes will join the hall of fame every year.
“We will recognize them within the display area, honoring them at a football game in the fall, and we are also planning a banquet for the inductees that family, friends, and Miller fans can attend,” Brashers said.
“This [hall of fame] is long overdue at Noblesville; most other schools have them,” as-sistant athletic director Tony Oiler said.
Nominees for the award will be looked over by a committee and judged based on ath-letic merit in their past seasons.
“We will be looking at athletes that have been honored with some accomplishment at the state level. All-State, academic all-state, state champion, etc...” Brashers said.
Past athletes, like Dave Porter, will be members of the hall of fame. Porter won 16 varsity letters throughout his high school career.
“Back then there were only four sports at Noblesville, basketball, baseball, football, and track; Porter succeeded at all four,” Oiler said.
Measuring in at 6”4’, Porter was an all-state football and basketball player. He graduated in 1959 and went on to play basketball for Indiana University.
Many students like the idea of a hall of fame as well. “I think it’s a good idea; the people that work hard get to be acknowledged,” sophomore
Tyler Braun said. Look for the engravings next year displayed near the gym. And for any athletes out
there, keep working hard and leave a mark in Noblesville history.
Who should be in a hall of fame?
In the 1913 state track meet, two athletes, Paul Walton and Henry Cottingham won the state title with only 16 and 1/2 points. Walton placed first in the 100 yard dash, 200 yard dash and long jump. Cot-tingham placed third in the 440 yard and tied for third in high jump. Both Walton and Cottingham are nominees for the hall of fame.
Kendra [email protected]
Photo by K. Foley
For more student hall of fame picks, go on to out website, www.mill-stream.org.
11sportsMill Stream02.10.2012
Last week the winter sports sectional tourna-ments started for the wrestling and swimming teams. With teams and individuals placing in the tournaments to move on, overall the teams came away victorious placing first and second in regionals.
60 (approximately) more weight lifting machines are able to fit in the new Noblesville Hammer Strength weight room, giving students that are taking Athletic Weights more opportunities to train the total body.
5 times larger than the original weight room, the new Noblesville Hammer Strength is also the largest weight room in the region. Notably, not only did Ham-mer Strength partner with Noblesville to create such an impressive facility, but it is also the premiere training facility for Hammer Strength.
400 give or take, students at NHS are currently enrolled in Athletic Weights. This alone quadruples the amount of students enrolled in Ath-letic weights just a few years ago.
3 times 8 equals 24 which is also consequently the date of the first day that Noblesville is host-ing the Hammer Strength Clinic, with guest speakers like Ohio State Assistant Athletic Direc-tor for Football sport performance Mickey Ma-rotti, Owner/Director of Triple Threat perfomance Ethan Banning, and Louisville Performance Director of Olympic Sports Performance Teena Murray.
While wrestling at Hamilton Heights High School, senior Cody Bond holds his opponent to the mat. Bond won his match against Elwood and went on to be cham-pion in his weight division. While at regionals, Bond placed fourth, and advanced to semi-state.
Throwing his opponent to the mat, sophomore Niko Barrantes wrestles his way to a victory. Bar-rantes was champion of his weight class and advanced to compete in individual regionals losing only to his undefeated opponent from Lawrence North, causing him to place second in the tournament.
After winning his match against Anderson, junior Mitch Hensley is recognized by the referee. Hensley was one of three on the team to be champion in his weight class. While at regionals, Hensley placed second, losing only to his unde-feated opponent from Cathedral. In his weight class, Hensley was the only junior to advance to semi-state.
12 caboose Mill Stream09.03.2007
Weight r m built n change
Warming up before her competition, senior Rachel Thompson swims the breat stroke. Thompson will move on to state.
Swimming in the 100 yard breast stroke, junior Heather Hayes swam a 1:03.56. Her time qualified her not only for state, but made her the sectional champion in this event. Hayes was the only girl to place first and helped lead the team to its second place victory.
Abraham [email protected]
Brooke [email protected]
Out of the thirteen wrestlers to ompete in the sectional tournament, twelve moved on to the individual regionals.
Illustration by A. Echarry
Photos by B. Denny
12 caboose Mill Stream02.10.2012
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Many people would do anything to get out of school early. This semester, seniors get to do just that while following a personal goal. With the reinstatement of senior honor code comes the reinstatement of independent AL, an option for many seniors to leave school early and pursue a goal.
There is a slight catch, however. This time around they have to record their goals on Moodle.
“When the state changed the laws regarding what ‘counted’ as a school day, the seniors were no longer allowed to leave during Academic Lab because those gold days would not have been considered a full day,” math teacher Mrs. Amanda Giordano said.
Giordano was one of the teachers chosen, along with English teacher Mrs. Nicole Steele, to moderate the Moodle page for independent AL.
“We had to apply for a waiver with the state and one of the stipulations of the waiver was that the seniors had to complete some requirements,” Giordano said. “Those require-ments, however, were up to us. Mr. Bryant, Mr. Swickheimer, Mrs. Steele and I came up with the requirements that the students are now completing.”
Senior TJ Barton does not take part in Independent Academic Lab (IAL) but likes the
idea of it.“I love the idea of IAL. I think it allows us to study in a way that we couldn’t do in AL
and it gives us more freedom to study how we want,” Barton said.Giordano thinks highly of how IAL is turning out this year.“Overall, I feel that the seniors have taken this seriously and appreciate the extra free-
dom and responsibility,” Giordano said.Senior Max Stutesman is taking his IAL time to improve himself on a personal and
academic level.“As my goal, I listed that I would practice classical guitar and get an A on my final,”
Stutesman said.Giordano has seen some good goals while observing the students’ Moodle posts.“I have read that some students are using this time to tutor other students, as well as
elementary school students. It speaks volumes about the students at NHS that they would use extra time to help others,” Giordano said.
There is a catch, though. In IAL, if someone misses a post on Moodle, the privilege for IAL may be revoked.
“Make sure to get your logs in on time. Don’t wait until the last minute,” Stutesman said.
Seniors gain more independenceKeegan [email protected]
Fuzz & Hip by Adam Reed
“I’ve been practicing way more and gotten so much
better. I can definitely get an ‘A’ now on my final.”
- Senior Max Stutesman
Photo by K. Fischer