The Undefeated Basketball Champions

By: Caleigh Burns

Bob Miller Middle School's Lady Bobcats went against Leavitt Middle School in the championship game. As the first quarter started, Miller was behind Leavitt, 10-5, with Sabrina Stewart hitting the main shots that were needed to stay in the game. At the end of the first quarter it was 14-10, Leavitt. As the second quarter began, Miller was still behind and having trouble getting their rhythm going, but very quickly, they got back into the game with AliAna Edwards and Ava Klaasen rebounding hard for their team.

The team had outstanding defense by Mia Marquez and Stewart staying on top of the ball and causing Leavitt to turn the ball over. Hitting important shots in the second quarter were Sabrina Stewart’s amazing 3 pointers, Ava Klaasen’s free throw, and Kaily Batoon’s fast break. Ending the first half, the score was 19-17, Leavitt.

Starting the third quarter within the first 15 seconds of the second half Mia Marquez hit a key 3-point shot to put Miller up for the first time, 20-19. It was only going up from there for the Lady Bobcats when Klaasen and Edwards started getting more rebounds and Stewart’s pressure defense made sure Miller was in possession of the ball.

Arianna Brewer was in foul trouble at the beginning of the game causing her to miss some important minutes, but she made up for it by scoring and getting fouled with 3 minutes left in the third to put Miller up, 24-22, but the quarter ended 30-25, Leavitt.

Then the fourth quarter started. The Lady Bobcats had 6 minutes left of their unbelievable, undefeated season. 6 minutes left to win the championship game. Within those 6 minutes, Brewer came in with a block to start the quarter. Sadly, she ended up fouling out, but she never gave up and cheered hard for her team. Bringing it up the court, Stewart hit a floater to keep the team in it offensively and Edwards played some tough defense to cause Leavitt to travel.

Photo provided by: Ava Klaasen

The girls basketball team once they get their championship trophy.

Picture provided by: Ava Klaasan

Bob Miller Lady Bobcats winning the championship game against Leavitt.

Catching Leavitt off guard right out of a timeout, Stewart hit Klaasen down low to score a bucket. But the biggest defensive move was Edwards who took a charge against a nationally ranked post player, which ended that 8th grader's final game as she fouled out. This was an opportunity for Miller to pull ahead now that she was out of the game.

In the last minute and a half of the fourth quarter, Miller trailed Leavitt, 29-34. As Leavitt brought the ball up the defense would not break. Maleah Shariff stopped the ball, causing a turnover for Leavitt. This allowed Edwards to grab it and pass it to a guard to push the ball up. Sharing the ball on offense and finding the open person, Shariff hit a 3-pointer to place Miller right on Leavitt’s tail, 32-34.

Edwards snared a rebound and lobbed it to Shariff for a fast break to tie the game, 34-34. Leavitt then hit a 3-pointer to put them up, 37-34. Miller had a couple of attempts at shots, but nothing fell. They needed a stop on defense and that’s what Marquez did when he got a hand on a pass. Edwards grabbed it and passed it back to Marquez to get it across half-court. Stewart dribbled into the defense, pulling the guards out, which left Marquez wide open for a deep 3-point shot to tie the game. With a few seconds left on the clock, Klaasen blocked a shot, Edwards grabbed possession looking for a guard and being patient, letting the clock tick. Shariff pivoted and passed to Stewart, who lobbed it to Marquez, who knew it was time. She dribbled past the defender and shot the ball into the hoop to score the game-winning shot. A near second later, time went out and the MILLER GIRLS WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP to top off their amazing undefeated season with yet another trophy.

Ari Brewer

By: Lilia Oates

Arianna Brewer is one of the highest scorers on the Bob Miller girls' basketball team and she is only in sixth grade.

Ari is one of the top scorers for the girls basketball team. She scored a total of 172 goals during the season with many assists and completed defensive plays. The team ended the season with 20 wins and 0 losses. Ari has been playing basketball for three years, and has made a lot of progress during that time. Ari has made some of her best friends while playing basketball. The club she plays for has introduced her to many amazing people and has created a loving community.

Ari plans to, “Play in the WNBA and get rich.”, after her college career. She is currently playing on M.O.B (Most Outstanding Ballers) basketball club along with fellow school team member Ava Klassen who is in seventh grade. This club is, “A Girls' Youth Basketball Club in Las Vegas that offers youth girls the opportunity to foster their love of the game”, states the club’s website.

Ari’s favorite part about basketball is getting to share the love of the game with her best friends. She says that love of the game brings her and many other people together. She says that the basketball community is very supportive and has many loving people that have helped her reach this point. “I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything.”, said Ari.

Although she specializes in basketball, Ari also played flag football for Bob Miller. She was the only sixth grader on the team this year. “It was really fun, but I think basketball is a better sport.” It was the second ever season of girls flag football at this school. The other experiences helped her with all around athleticism. Being an all around athlete is very important to her. Ari says that it has helped with her improvement as an athlete and as a person to help her open up to more opportunities.

Even as a sixth grader, Arianna Brewer is one of the highest scorers on the Bob Miller girls basketball team.

Photo by: Arianna Brewer

Ari Brewer warming up before a game.

How to Be a Better You

By: Emma Leibow

You see yourself on a nice hike, enjoying the wind blowing past you, the sound of the leaves breaking under your feet and a breath of fresh air. You pull out your granola bar and go to take a bite. . .Then you suddenly remember you are allergic to the bar and oh no, you have a 700 word essay due tomorrow and you’ve only done one sentence! And you have math homework you haven’t started yet. Hey you; take a deep breath because there are ways to help.

A lot of people are dealing with the stress of school and extracurricular activities. There are also many food restrictions in the world that make it hard for us to get the necessary nutrients we need.

According to PSY.COM, "a mental health day is a day to reset the nervous system by utilizing healthy coping skills to get out of the fight, flight, or freeze cycle that can occur when teens endure chronic stress. It’s also a chance to slow down and reflect. When teens and young adults take a day to attend to their mental health, they have the time and space to think about their triggers, what works to cope with stress, and what they might need to change going forward.” People have tight schedules and long weeks, and a mental health day may be what you need.

“I like to do relaxing activities,” said Kennedi Clarkson, 8th grade.

Picture by Emma Leibow

It is a figurative representation of mental and physical health and the "Well rounded effects"

Now, you may ask, “What do I do if I still feel overwhelmed after a mental health day?” You can meditate. It doesn’t have to be thirty minutes a day, it could only be for just three minutes before bed can make the greatest of differences. According to Mindful.org, "notice your body when you meditate. You should center your energy and stay focused during this time. Feel your breath and think of something that brings you joy!" If it’s organizing or even going downstairs to eat out of that one sad, half eaten chocolate bar after the meditation, go ahead! No one will judge your cravings.

With food restrictions and prices rising, it can be hard to find the right thing. “My goal for the new year is to eat healthier,” said Kennedi Clarkson, 8th grade. Well, According to the World Health Organization, "Anyone with food restrictions can stick to the simple rules. Increase your fruit and vegetable intake, the vegetables are high in fiber, Iron, vitamins and hidden minerals."

“I try to eat healthy. I eat strawberries and vegetables,” said Maddelyn Bundy, 8th grade. Legumes are a common allergy, so instead of beans as your protein, try fish. But, Unfortunately fish can be an allergy too, which leaves you with red meat, that is high in iron and nutrients. If you eat all of these in moderation you can now be one step closer to being your best.

Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety, but how can you save time to do it? Treat exercise importantly. Schedule it and fit it in with your day. Do it in a way you will enjoy it, or else you can easily give it up. Or, you can bike to school instead of getting on the bus, google an at home workout. Even if it only comes down to 10 minutes a day, it will make the greatest difference.

”Don’t overwork yourself, It takes time,” said Kennedi Clarkson, 8th grade. And it does, you won’t see results Immediately, but you will feel them within a week. For other students, their extracurricular activities are just what they need. For said Ella Moreau, she does just that.

“I dance six times a week, ranging from three to nine hours,” said Ella Moreau, 8th grade. But, with this exercise, you don’t want to push school priorities away.

“My goals are to take a new step going into High school and work hard in academics,” said Moreau

So, you are back in the woods, and you still have to finish that essay. You can’t necessarily write this essay at the moment, so what do you do now? Well, you can calm down through meditation, or take a mental health day to reset yourself. . . and finish that essay. Put the bar away, and search for a better option after the hike. All of these tips are only a guideline. What YOU do with them is completely up to you.

Twins at Miller

By: Ainsley Rolfe

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a twin? To have a person that is a copy of you, yet different? Some of our twins here at Miller are giving us insight on that and tell us how different it really is.

Did you know that identical twins DNA is also identical? To a standard DNA test they are indistinguishable, but their fingerprints are different. 6th grade twins, Delilah and Waverly McLoughin have said even their parents get them confused!

Celebrating birthdays are also a little different being a twin. When asked how they celebrated birthdays, “We choose a party to celebrate, then each choose a different dinner,” said 8th grade twins Addison and Brooke Wert.

There can be some parts of sharing a birthday that are annoying. “The shared gifts. It’s not just to one of us, it’s always to both,” said 7th grade twins Ava and Olivia Fortenberry.

Some experiences twins have are different from people who are just siblings. When asked about it, 8th grade twins Ali and Noah Shultz responded, “The connection similar to telepathy”. Twin telepathy isn’t unheard of. While they can’t speak in or read each other’s minds, they can read each other very well as they have similar experiences and their minds may go to the same place when asked a question.

How much time do twins spend around each other? 8th grade twins Addison and Brooke Wert said that they spend lots of time around each other and play soccer together. When 4 sets of twins were asked if they like being twins or would prefer to be siblings, 3 said they like being twins while the other 5 said they would like to be siblings.

You can now see some challenges and perks of being a twin. Would you have liked to be a twin? If so, how would your life be different?

Photo by: Ainsley Rolfe

Delilah and Waverly McLougin are 6 graders at Bob Miller Middle School.

When The World Turns Upside Down

By: Matthew Smoot

Many students know what it feels like to move to a new school, you may feel lonely or left out. Many people even dread waking up, having to adapt to a whole new setting. On the first day you may be anxious to fit in, possibly still missing how things used to be. Then there's the uneasy feeling of walking through the halls lost and eating lunch isolated. Not only are you in a new habitat, you feel like an invasive species. At least when you move to a new school you don’t have to learn a whole new language and way of life. Well, this is exactly what Jole and Jason Lee have experienced, although they didn’t simply move to a new school, they moved to a whole new country.

Jole and Jason Lee are students here at Bob Miller Middle School who moved to the United States in December with their parents Jimmy and Miu in hopes of more freedom and a better education for Jole and Jason. It has not been easy for the brothers and there have certainly been some ups and downs.

Just like how different schools have different rules, there have been some new cultural differences and customs of school and everyday life that the boys have had to adjust to. For example, Joe has found the rules in our school more lenient to those of his prior schools in Hong Kong.

“The teachers give us more freedom to turn in assignments, even if they are late. Also, we are able to have our phones a lot more, as opposed to China where we had to give our phones to the teacher and get them after the lesson, “ said Jason Lee, 7th grade.

Not only that, Joe and his brother have found the way we can buy everyday items is particularly different. In Hong Kong, it is customary to place orders for items like food ahead of time, sometimes even months in advance (mainly due to the covid pandemic), before being able to get the item. As we all know, in the U.S. we can head over to a store and purchase items on the spot.

In Hong Kong we would often place an order for food a while before getting it. Here in the U.S., you can simply walk to the store and buy food. The food also tastes better here in my opinion," said Joel.

However, perhaps one of the biggest differences between the two countries is the etiquette. In Korea, people are often reserved and well-mannered. It is also customary to bow as a sign of respect.

Jole and Jason have also had to work on the difficult task of learning their third language, English. Both of the boys know Mandarin as well as Hong Kong, but have had to pick up English which is a crucial part of communicating with most of the society. Not only that, while many of us know the language inside and out, English is one of the harder languages to pick up with all of the figures of speech, contractions, etc.

“It has been a struggle, but coming to America has definitely helped me learn the Language,” said Jason Lee, and while the boys did have to occasionally use google translate in interviews, it is amazing how they are able to communicate at a decent level despite English being their third language.

Coming to the states has certainly been a life changing experience for the family, but it won’t be very long before you see Jole and Jason lee contributing to the society of this great country.

“It has certainly been hard, but with the help and support of my classmates and teachers, I am learning about life in this country and I look forward to a great future here,” said Jason.

Photo By: Matthew Smoot

Jole (right), and Jason (left), are brothers who moved to the U.S. from Hong Kong

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