The Mohawk Post
The Voice of Millis High School
SENIOR EDITION: Congratulations Class of 2018
Millis High School Announces Valedictorian Nick Steiner and Salutatorian Elana Carleton
From Millis High School Principal Robert Mullaney:
Millis High School is proud to announce the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for its graduating Class of 2018. Nicholas Steiner will be recognized at graduation ceremonies as the Class Valedictorian.
Nicholas achieved the highest cumulative grade point average for the class. He is a member of Millis High School’s Chorus and National Honor Society. He has been the recipient of the Harvard Book Award and the George Washington University Medal for Excellence in Science. Nicholas is very active at the Franklin School for the Performing Arts where he has been a member of the Broadway Lads and Broadway Light Musical Theater Troupe. He has performed in various musicals including Shrek, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Spamalot, and Les Miserables, and has served as accompanist for a number of shows. Nick will be attending Northeastern University where he will study engineering and also pursue vocal performance. Nicholas is the son of Brian and Christine Steiner of Millis.
Elana Carleton is Millis High School’s Salutatorian. Elana has been an active member of Leo’s Club, Amnesty Club, and Chemistry Club. She is president of Common Ground and secretary of National Honor Society. She was the recipient of the Barnard College Book Award. She has also been involved as a tutor and has participated in over two hundred hours of community service in high school. Elana will be majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Commonwealth College of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Elana is the daughter of Robert and Donna Carleton of Millis.
Millis High School will graduate a class of 109 students during its 115th commencement exercises on June 7 at 6:30 PM in the Millis High School gymnasium.
“The Mohawk Post” receives Superior Achievement Award Congrats and Good Luck to Senior Co-Editors Justin Matthews and Emily Miga
At the New England Scholastic Press Association’s
Spring Conference, the Millis High School Newspaper, The Mohawk Post, received a ‘Superior Achievement’ award for the Class IV division. Senior Co-Editors Justin Matthews and Emily Miga were very pleased. They have been part of the newspaper throughout high school, attended NESPA conferences in the past, where the paper received awards of merit. Over the time that Justin and Emily have been involved in the newspaper, the newsprint editions have expanded from once a year to four times a year. The paper also includes a number of features sections (Arts, Sports, “In Focus”) as well as columnists who review everything from video games and concerts to books and movies. Thanks for all your help, Justin and Emily! Good luck in college!
If you are interested in joining the Mohawk Post next year, contact Co-Editors Anna Pasquantonio ([email protected]) or
Madison Schofield ([email protected]).
Inside this Edition:
Terpsichore……………………………………………………………6 3D Printing…………………………………………………………...6 Book, Music & Movie Reviews………………………………….......5 Music & Book Review……………………………………………….7 Senior Word Search by Molly Andrews……………………………...7 Cartoon by Lauren Taylor………………………………………….....7 Senior Shout Outs!.......................……………………………………8
Photographers for this issue include Adriana Arguijo Gutierrez, Madison Schofield, Lauren Taylor, Mrs. Divver, and authors
Senior Projects Highlights…………………………………………...2, 3 Student Travelogues, Outdoor Pursuits White Water Trip…………….3 Mrs. Sears Class……………………………………………………….3 Sports and Seniors Signing, ……………………….....…………….. ..4 A Message from Coach Kraby………………………………………..4 The Arts: Show, Read-a-Latte, TV Emmys…………………………...5 Summer Reading Link……………………………….……..…….….5 Notes from the Band & Chorus……………………………………….6
- From the Prom
- From the Outdoor Pursuits trip
- Seniors in the Library
- Coming down the hall
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Senior Projects Exhibitions
Bathroom Bacteria Growth
arranged by Madison Schofield by Rebecca Azir
Millis High School Seniors Rebecca Azir and Elizabeth Lucas are looking forward to graduation and the culmination of a year long study they have conducted titled “The Impact of Small Scale Sanitation Procedures on Overall Bathroom Bacteria Growth.” This project, which ultimately became a team senior project at Millis High School, started as a final project in their AP Biology and Chemistry II classes at the end of their junior year.
With STEM careers being an area of high-need, science teachers at Millis High School are continually looking for ways to increase student exposure to real science and science processes. In both Chemistry II and AP Biology, the students are asked to develop and test a hypothesis as their final project for the year. By providing students with 4-8 weeks to explore a single research focus, the students will start to develop an appreciation for the iterative nature of science and how there are no “right” answers, just data that support conclusions.
Elizabeth and Rebecca were enrolled in both courses, so they teamed up and worked on a project that could span both content areas. They were curious whether or not a few simple sanitation measures, such as touchless paper towel dispensers and hand sanitizer dispensers in the bathrooms, would improve overall sanitation in the high school bathrooms over the course of a school day. As they worked to develop their question and protocols, the two realized that in order to follow through on this project, they were going to need a great deal more of time and financial resources. Thus what started as an end-of-year project morphed into their senior project.
Elizabeth and Rebecca’s project is unique to MHS senior projects because it is one of the only team projects to have gained approval by the senior project board in recent years, as well as the first science research project. Over the course of their 13 months’ work, they have experienced all components of scientific research, including, but not limited to, generating unique research ideas, designing protocols to address research questions and ideas, working with superiors and building supervisors to receive permission to conduct protocols, adjusting protocols when circumstances change, finally conducting the revised protocols and analyzing results. Ultimately, they devised a culture procedure where they swabbed bathrooms and incubated a nutrient broth so as to grow the bacteria. Then they utilized the school’s spectrophotometer to assess bacterial concentration. They cultured before implementation of sanitation procedures as well as after to ascertain if a difference existed.
One unexpected part of this experience was finding funding. As part of their project goals, these budding scientists wrote (and were turned down for) about 15 grants, solicited donations (thank you very much to Eye Works in Millis for supporting women in science), as well as conducted a fundraiser at numerous local events to fund their project. They were able to raise enough money to purchase the supplies necessary to gather, culture, and test bacterial concentrations in two of the ladies’ restrooms at the high school using the spectrophotometer, buy and install touchless paper towel dispensers, toilet seat covers, and hand sanitizers.
The results indicated, with a few anomalies, that there was a clear growth in bacteria in bathrooms throughout the school day and that the new devices installed in the test environment significantly reduced the growth of bacteria.
Elizabeth and Rebecca openly stated that they have truly expanded their understanding of what goes into scientific research. It is not just having an idea and writing a procedure. There are so many more aspects that can delay or even derail a project along the way. As they both hope to head into STEM fields, each feels more prepared to take on research at the collegiate and graduate level.
If you are interested in more information contact Rebecca at [email protected] or Elizabeth at [email protected].
Julia Krauss’s Middle School Spelling Bee
For her senior project, Julia Krauss planned and hosted this year’s annual National Honor Society’s Middle School spelling bee. The event took place on April 25 and was an immense success. Isabella Briones (grade 5) won the 5th and 6th grade title and Zoe Cabrel (grade 7) took home the 7th and 8th grade crown. Julia would like to thank “everyone who helped to make my senior project a success! It could not have been done without the help of some amazing people.”
Cleaning the Charles
by Ben Clark
If you’ve ever canoed down the Charles River on a hot summer day, then you undoubtedly know the peaceful beauty the slow moving river provides. The Charles has also served as a border between Millis and Medfield, and is full of history dating all the way back to the Pilgrims’ landing. Not only is the river aesthetically pleasing for us and a geographical marker, but it also serves as an essential part of the ecosystem built around it. The Charles is as a home for all walks of life: from fish to birds, plants, mammals, bacteria and more.
Unfortunately, it’s now hard to miss the trash that litters the banks and water of the Charles River in
Millis. This harms all the plants and animals that rely on the river for their survival, and it’s an eyesore for the town’s residents. For my senior project, I decided to clean up the Charles. With thorough planning, I was able to organize a group of volunteers to go out onto the river in canoes and collect trash.
Although it was easy in execution, the project did not come without its fair share of obstacles. The main issue was the cold weather, which pushed my project back to April break. However, many of my volunteers were very accommodating, and we were able to finish it before break had ended. Among the ten of us, we had five canoes, and collected almost 25 pounds of trash. Although this just a minor improvement, I’m proud of the positive impact we made within our community. It’s important for everyone to make an effort to protect the environment. If each of us does the small things like recycling and picking up litter, it will make a big difference. After all, it’s our responsibility as a community to protect both our town and our planet, because we get only one.
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The Clothesline Project
by Brittany Sullivan
For the past few months I have been working on a presentation about sexual assault. Some personal events that have occured in my life made me research to spread information and awareness to my classmates. I spent a few weeks researching a speaker that would be beneficial to come in school to give a presentation. Ariana Lee is a trauma and rape crisis counselor from Wayside Youth & Family in Milford MA. We worked closely together to figure out ways to bring awareness to Millis. We put together a presentation on “The Clothesline Project” for seniors going off to college. The presentation consisted of the reality of what happens on college campuses. Also, we out together a broad presentation on sexual assault for the junior class.
After the presentation the grade split into groups with two members of the
Game Change students. They discussed different scenarios about that topic and see what they would do or think is right. Overall, I think bringing Ariana to Millis will definitely bring awareness to our community.
Student Travelogues
The Netherlands
As part of the Millis High School Exchange program, a group of students travelled to the Netherlands over April break. Among the chaperones were Superintendent Nancy Gustafson and MHS Special Education teacher Bernadette Lindgren. It was both an exciting and enjoyable time for all.
Photo right—Seniors in the airport on their way home: Shane Joseph, Cameron Tessler, Margaux D’Aprile and Lucy
Clayton.
Spain and France Trip
by Madison Schofield
The Millis High School students took their annual trip during April vacation under the organization and direction of MHS Spanish teacher, Ms. Paladino, with Mrs. Fitzgerald and Mrs. Ames as additional chaperones.
This trip was to visit Europe and it was ‘a blast!’ Our group had a chance to explore such amazing places as Barcelone, Madrid, Paris, Toledo and Versailles. These pictures are only a glimpse of the wonders we explored.
If you would like more information and details, please visit my travel blog:
https://maddiesadventurejournal.wordpress.com
Above: Juniors Sofi Murray, Madison Schofield, Caroline Lebak, Anna Pasquantonio, and Trinh Lazare.
Left: Annalisa Molinaro, Rebecca Azir, and Justin Matthews
Left: Elina Tavarez, Shannon Welch, Vivian Hurwitz, Riley Donovan Lily Denman, Spanish teacher Nikki Paladino, Kristen O’Dowd, Georgia Riordan, Renee Reggio and Zac Clark in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Outdoor Pursuits Maine Trip by Sheeza Khan
For the Leadership & Outdoor Pursuits classes, May 10th through May 13th was a big weekend.
Leaving midday Thursday, they made their 6 hour journey to the West Forks in
Maine to test and utilize the survival skills they have been learning year long.
Many did not know the others who were joining them for the weekend all that well and were clearly nervous. But after a jam packed weekend of white water rafting on the Kennebec and Dead River and an exhilarating battle of paintball at CrabApple WhiteWater Rafting Co., the group had found themselves more bonded to each other then expected. Many refused to return.
“I didn't want to leave. The rafting was so much fun!” Meghan O’Brien, a junior on the trip, exclaimed enthusiastically. “It was a beautiful place and I’m so sad I left because I loved it so much.”
The group prepares for its first rafting adventure of the weekend.
Students agreed that the trip made them feel more connected to nature than ever, whether it be with the icy cold rapids of the Maine rivers, the extraordinary wildlife encountered on their Moose Safari, or the simple crackling of their log fire and the warm smiles under a clear, starry sky.
Congratulations, Long Ngyuen!
We’ll miss you at Millis High School! Best wishes from all your friends, especially Maura Fagan, Jamie Guindon, Jared Parker, Mrs. Allie Sears, (Long!) and Mrs. Simpson!
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Sports Around Millis
Millis Softball: Abby Doyle leads Mohawks to another tournament berth
by Ashley Lindberg
Millis Softball had a rough start but pulled themselves to be a team and have had a four-game winning streak. Abby Doyle, their leading pitcher, has led them to many victories, including a historic no-hitter against Dover Sherborn.
Over Memorial Day weekend, the Millis Mohawks played in Brockton at the Cardinal Spellman Tournament. They lost their first game but won their second game in the last inning, 10-9, with an outstanding hit from Emily Malewicz.
On Thursday, May 31, the Lady Mohawks beat Ipswich to qualify for the tournament. Abby Doyle struck out three batters in a row with bases loaded in the 7th.
Their senior captains are Sabrina DiBona, Emily Malewicz, and Amanda Guindon. Good luck, team!
More Mohawk Athletic Signings to Colleges
Congratulations to the Millis Senior Athletes who signed for athletic scholarships this April. Ryan Locke (photo left) will be running track at Gordon College. Dominic Zonfrelli, Ryan Daniel, Andrew Brooks and Lucy Clayton (photo right) will be attending UNH, Westfield State, WPI, and Highpoint University, respectively. Zonfrelli and Daniel both plan to play football. Brooks will be playing baseball. Clayton will run track. Good luck to all our student athletes going off to play collegiate sports.
MHS Tennis: No Courts? No Problem.
by Kate Spangenberg
The Millis High School Girls’ Tennis Team certainly went through a rough patch this year.
With the construction of the new Millis elementary school taking place, the tennis courts, and only place for the tennis team to practice, were knocked down. This was a hard hit to both the JV and Varsity teams. As the season approached, the question of where the girls would practice remained.
However now that the season has come to a close, both teams proved that Millis doesn’t back down for anything. The tennis teams balanced out practices in the gym along with some times in separate towns with actual courts. It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure, but the team remained strong. As long-time Varsity Coach Mr. Tom Ingraham said, “It didn’t affect wins or losses, it was inconvenient, but we persevered.”
Picture taken by Kate Spangenberg of Junior Kaitlyn Stallings who is the Varsity first singles player.
From our New Football Coach: Brian Kraby
I am honored and humbled to be the next head football coach at Millis High School. I grew up wanting to always be a part of this great sport that teaches us so much about life. Most importantly, being given this opportunity gives me the gift of teaching young students how to be young men. Teaching ethics and morality can change the world. Things are lining up in the most perfect way. John Chase, who has two children in the school system, connected with me recently. He has a marketing company called “Promotions in a Box.” We have been working together to create a wonderful event called “Millis Family Funfest” which we hope to build strong community bonds through it! Please join us from 5 to 10 pm on June 23rd at the football field. There will be food, music, games for all ages, and all around fun. Bring your family and friends for a tremendous, first of its kind event!
Senior Teams in the Library
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The Arts
Millis Public Art Gallery
by Lauren Taylor
It has become a Millis tradition for the Senior Projects be presented in the Community Room at the Millis Public
Library. This year, MHS Art Teacher Mrs. Haggerty also displayed some student artwork in the same room so that they could be seen when the presentations were occurring. Here are some of the art displays.
Emmy Awards
from Ms. Mannion
TV & Art students have been volunteering with The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (The Emmys) on a regional and national scale. Shane Joseph attended the Sports Emmy Awards in New York City .
Shane worked backstage shooting some clips for the National Student Production Awards show that will will take place in LA next October. The show is produced by our TV teacher Danielle Mannion.
The regional student production awards were held at WCVB-TV in Boston where our students organized statues and produced a sizzle reel to be shown on the www.newenglandemmy.org website. Congratulations producer Merydyth Curtis for winning a regional student production award in the Sports category.
The excitement continued on Friday June 1st as they headed to The Copley Marriott in Boston to help organize the Emmy statues for the New
England Emmy show. This work was done by Olivia Themosticles, Madeline Pudelka, Adriana Gutierrez and Anna Pasquantonio. At the event, these fabulous interns worked alongside Millis Alum Kristina O’Connell backstage. Madeline Pudelka was the Emmy Statue person on stage! Wearing her vintage prom dress, Madeline handed out the statues in front of an audience of over 700 broadcasting professionals. Millis High School is the only high school in New England honored with this opportunity! Congratulations to all of the students!
Read-a-Latte Night in the Library
by Ally Burke and Jackie Welby
“Read-a-Latte Night” was an evening event hosted by the Millis School Library Teen Council on May 9th, starting at 6:00 pm and ending at 8:00 pm. Students and teachers were able grab a drink and snack as other students and teachers would perform. Madison Schofield performed a magic act; Mrs. Neville and Mrs. Saccardo read their poetry; Nic Davies, Phoebe LaRose, Lauren Taylor, and Josh White added their vocal talents; and Kenyatta Harris and Callie Cassidy demonstrated their literary talents, all for a large variety of music acts and poetry reading. The event was hosted to raise money for the Millis Library Teen Council and support their efforts to renovate and reinvigorate the library.
While enjoying the snacks and performances, people were encouraged to fill out a survey to help the council could get an understanding of what people would like to see of the library. The survey is still available in the library and the staff encourages you to fill it out. Profits weren’t as successful as hoped, but everyone had a good a time and there is a high possibility it will be happening again.
Self Solace by Kenyatta Harris
They didn't see the tears that strolled down your face at 3 AM.
It's okay that you're lost. If you were to be asked “who are you?" you would have no words.
The time when every demon of loneliness crept up into your bed to comfort you. They didn't hear your cries.
- And that's okay.
- Cries that try as they might,
For now at least. It's okay to outgrow people. could never fully express the physical pain that dwelled within your heart.
It's okay to feel as though some people no longer deserve a seat at your table. You've been selfless to the point of which you left no food for yourself;
But it's okay now. You're learning of your self worth. You're realizing that your pain is valid. That your thoughts are valid.
To the point of which your soul was left malnourished You’ve never been anyone's first choice, So you've decided it's time you stop putting yourself last. People wonder why you're pulling away or acting differently. They simply don't understand that at one point you held on to them so tightly your hands bled.
That you as a whole are valid. So its it's okay to evanesce those who continue to make you feel otherwise. It's okay to let them fade into nothing but the past tense It's okay. You pray you'll be okay.
- They only saw you as a convenient companion.
- I know it's dark now,
But you'll touch the sun one day.
Summer Reading Summaries 2018 - Check it out! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BcrNVq5bABne4P5ElEGR7lJRcKlzBSCIQ3WUakBXKCQ/edit?usp=sharing
