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CORYDON JANUARY 2007 Front Page News
When
Wendy Atwell's latest dramatic production, 'The Matchmaker', landed
on the Millikan stage it was a hit in true Atwell fashion.
"Working
with bustles isn't easy," said Atwell, director drama teacher,
as she spoke of the many strenuous hours of rehearsal that the entire
cast put in to make this production happen.
"Doing
this play was a very challenging experience but I had so much fun," said
Bashir Hassan, grade 12. Many of the actors spoke of their hard work
and how it was definitely worth the effort when they got to actually
perform on stage.
For many of the actors, the theater is
their passion and having this experience was truly a dream come true.
When
asked about her role as Mrs. Levi, junior Samantha Bartz said, "It
was fantastic. It was hard because it was my first lead, but once
I got on stage, I realized what it was all for."
The
costumes were authentic and the actors sounded natural in the difficult
Victorian dialogue. The
students who produced Thorton Wilder's play are members of the play
production class and they are held responsible for every part of
the play.
"I
have grown immensely, not only as an actress, but also as a human
being," said senior Melinda Murillo.
Evan
Ruiz, also a senior, said, "'The Matchmaker' was such an amazing
opportunity and a-once-in-a-lifetime chance for me to grow as an
actress. I got to work with my friends, and just had a great time.
I love everything about the theater, so this was a great experience.
Being part of a production of this caliber is always fun." Atwell
and her students will be performing Rogers and Hammerstein's 'Cinderella'
for the spring musical. All of students participating in the play have
high expectations and are looking forward to being a part of another
Atwell production.?
What
Is Right for LBUSD's Future?
"Ninth graders do
not belong in high school because they are too young and immature," declared
Felicia Anderson, parent of a Millikan student. While attending the
Building on Success: Schools for the Next Generation meeting. It
was held at Millikan on November 29. Plans
for future elementary, middle and high schools were discussed by
parents, students, school administrators, and LBUSD board members.
Schools such as Emerson Elementary, Marshall and DeMille were also
represented at this meeting.
The
facilities meeting addressed what grade levels should form elementary,
middle and high school, as well as academic issues and an ideal number
of students on each campus. Discussions were prompted by surveys.
The
majority of attendees agreed that high schools should be organized
into small learning communities. SLC's seem to be the right direction
for future high schools because they allow students to make friends
with others who have similar interests and goals in school. They
also create a sense of belonging on a campus with a student population
of 4,000 or more. Many students feel that small learning communities
work best because they encourage the individual interests of students.
The
ideal number of students for a high school is 2,000 - 3,000. (Millikan
has 4,000). However, smaller class sizes aren't realistic because
of a growing population. Configuration was also a highly debated
topic. Ms.
Anderson feels that high school is not the ideal location for today's
incoming freshmen. With
a K-8 system, students grow up with the same people and are less
likely to have the same behavioral issues that today's middle school
students deal with, such as bullying.
The
data collected will be analyzed and considered in the planning of future schools.
Opinion Page
The Hottest Console on the Market
By Jocelyn Rodriguez
The hottest toy on the
market over the holiday season was the PlayStation 3. Hundreds of game fans camped outside stores
all over the United States almost a week before the release of the
game just to be one the 20 lucky people who would get to buy the
PlayStation 3. With several technical
innovations, the newly renovated PlayStation has more than just video
game abilities: It is
designed to be the complete home entertainment system.
The basic model retails at $499.99 and the premier model
retails at $599.99. As the most expensive gaming console in the world,
the PlayStation has become the number one toy on the market this
year that money can't buy. It is crazy to think that Sony PlayStation has sold over 200,000 systems the day it was released. It is in such high demand that it was already selling for $1200 on E-Bay a few hours after its release. One
of the main selling points for the PlayStation 3 includes a non-renewable
rechargeable battery that is good for 30 hours of non-stop gaming.
Whether it is humanely possible to play for 30 hours
straight is another story. It
is crazy to think that people of all ages
crave this form of entertainment. People have become obsessed with
video games, rejecting those with positive messages and instead choosing
games which advocate mindless killing and violence. Playing
video games wastes money and destracts from other more worthwhile
pursuits such as a preparing for college. The
PlayStation is such a waste that even the producers aren't able to
break even just selling the console alone. It takes Sony $805.85
to make the basic console. And at a retail price of $499.99 for the
basic model, for every console sold Sony loses $306.85, according
to iSuppli. The
PlayStation profits solely on
the sale of videogames and special features such as the new on-line
gaming ability. The PlayStation has proven
itself this time around to be a completely unnecessary purchase and
the worst toy this year.
Raise Ram Spirit
ASB Commissioner of Environmental
Campus Brittney Biffle says this year's rallies are not well attended
she says, "We can do better." Although
ASB has organized several entertaining games and activities to promote
support for Millikan teams and events, it's obvious that RamHi students
have been decidedly lacking in enthusiasm.
This
year's rallies were meant to be an enjoyable change from last year. At
the football rally peanut butter and Fruit Loops were smeared over
the faces of the football players. And at the cross country rally,
runners struggled to slap balls with potatoes in stockings tied to
their waists in a comical game. And let's not forget this year's
homecoming rally, "Happiest Place on Earth," where
homecoming nominees actually bobbed for apples in their formal dresses.
Still
student attendance at Millikan's rallies has continued to remain
minimal. Though it is not for lack of trying, ASB has attempted to
boost attendance this year by offering incentives
like popcorn at the rally stage for students who wore their ties, "stunna" shades, and
brought their bling during Spirit Week. And at other rally games
winners relieved gift certificates.
In
order to boost school spirit at Millikan Bari Stevens Chapman, [ASB
advisor] encourages students to sign up for ASB to participate in
the rallies. Or just jump on stage not only to win a prize, but also
to show Ram pride.
Students
have to help ASB by attending rallies and school events to support
Millikan. "All we need to do is come together as Rams," urges
Brittany Biffle.
Technological Advances
Emphasis on teaching technology
has increased significantly. This has been brought about by the recent
explosion in technological advances and improvements in computers.
While the subsequent innovations in technology have allowed for a
more interesting classroom atmosphere, it
seems to me that computers are merely replacing valuable face-to-face
learning as opposed to enhancing it. There
is much emphasis on
technology in schools today, but not much is done to attain a level
of competence. In many high schools, the technology is so outdated
that it is difficult for students to work from home to school. Even
the learning community programs in high schools that promote technology
as an integral part of their curriculum do little to surpass average
computer literacy.
Technology
sometimes takes the pace of teachers. For instance, instead of performing
a lab in a chemistry class; there is science
software that stimulates the experiment. All you have to do is follow
the instructions and press a few buttons and voila, no goggles necessary.
Even
textbooks now offer supplements such as DVD's and CD-ROMs. Many times
these materials do compliment
learning in the hands of a good teacher. But there is also the danger
of simply displaying PowerPoints to copy for notes and using CD-ROMs
in the place of genuine instruction. Says
student Shannon Diaz, "I
feel like I'm learning by myself, most of my time is just spent copying
notes."
Instead
of aiding our learning, technology has cheated
students out of an authentic education.
Letters to the Editor
Child Labor I
recently read Jennifer Pletcher's article concerning child labor
laws and I completely agree
that current labor laws are insufficient. I know that U.S. companies
are saving a lot of money but I wonder if the
savings are worth compromising the lives of children. I feel that it is time for countries to cooperate on reforming work conditions for children. At this point an international governing body such as the U.N. should intervene and save these children from a life of poverty and grueling hard work. I hope Pletcher's article inspires students at Millikan to take action and try to help these poor exploited children. -Darlene
Ly, 12th grade Message to Muslims
Regarding
the current war in Iraq, we did not enter the war for all the right
reasons. Geo-politically, it was the best time to invade- not to bring peace but rather for our own incentives. There
are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, yet we continue to remain
there in the name of "democracy". It is not bad to bring
democracy to unstable nations, but we are doing it for our own incentive.
Also,
in response to the Pope's remark on the Islamic religion, a man with
a reputation of peace and harmony should not express insulting views
towards another religion. The Pope is suppose to set an example to
people not insult other religions.
-Andrew Ashari, 11th grade
UC's Modifies Admission I
read your article on UC modifications and I think that the changes
to the UC's are a good thing because with so many people applying the
changes make it easier for the schools to make a choice. And let's
face it, students below a 3.0 GPA are not likely to make it into a
UC anyway. When you are competing with students in the whole state,
and even some top students from out of state, your odds are slim to
none of getting into a UC with below a 3.0 GPA. Even
if people have problems at home, have a job, or are taking care of
their siblings, if they can't handle it now in high school, there
is no way they can handle it in college.
-David Mejia, 11th grade
Sports Page Millikan Polo Misses Moore League
By Brooke Posen
On February 8, Millikan, the returning
champions, took on Wilson for the Moore League title. Wilson had
claimed this title for 30 years until last year when Millikan finally
broke their winning streak. This
year, the crowds poured in for a great game. Wilson scored the first
two goals. Junior, Kallie Berry scored Millikan's first goal, and
Senior and team captain, Mieke Howell scored again bringing the score
to two to three, Wilson. Senior, Briana Moyer, made some great blocks
and by half time, Millikan was up by one. "Halftime was the
scariest part of the whole game, I was freaking out. The crowd was
going crazy and we were trying to figure out what we were going to
do for the rest of the game. It was really intense and really exciting
at the same time," said senior Jenna Stain.
Wilson
came out strong scoring three quick goals in the third quarter. Jenna
Stain scored one more followed by a second goal from Mieke Howell. Opportunities
came late in the fourth quarter for Millikan. But Wilson prevailed
with a final score of 5-6. We went out there and gave it our all, our
hearts and souls were in that poool. "Every girl on our team has worked so hard. We've trained
for this for so long. We just missed some opportunities, and didn't
capitalize on all of our opportunities. We let them get away in the
third quarter," said team captain Margaux Fitoussi. |
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Updated December 19, 2007 Copyright 2003-2006
Millikan High School. All rights reserved |
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