The McNicholas Milestone

By Ayla Dickerson Every year, one educator from each school in the Forest Hills School District is selected as “Educator of the Year” by the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce. Administrative assistant to the principal Mrs. Jennifer Tumser said that “although McNicholas is outside of the city limits to be considered a part of Forest … More Esz named Educator of the Year

By Meghan Runte McNicholas High School’s speech and debate class, taught by English teacher Mr. Dan Freeman, has been growing in popularity since it started in 2024. Sophomores Izzy Payne and Morgan Taleff took the initiative to begin a Speech and Debate Club, focused on sharing the skills they learned through the class.   Freeman said that he was approached by “two sophomore students … More The advent of a growing club; How speech and debate club originated

By Alex Minella In a recent Milestone survey, forty students at McNicholas High School ranked their favorite cafe lunches, with chicken nuggets taking the top spot.  Cafe manager Ms. Tanya Gorden said, “Cooking is an art; it is something that comes natural.” She also explained that quality ingredients are important when preparing meals for students. “I don’t like to serve anything that comes from a can,” she said.   Gorden said some … More Chicken nuggets take top spot in the McNicholas Cafe

By Maeve Rice From January to February, the Midwest states receive an accumulation of snow over time from anywhere between 10-30 inches, according to The Weather Channel. Not only does this affect running errands, keeping warm, or being outside, but it also affects the school day.  Principal Mr. Paul Romolo, President Mr. Bob Noll, Director of Facilities Mr. Mike Orlando, both maintenance technicians: Mr. Nathan Emmich, Mr. Tony Hall, and Manager of Facilities Mr. Chris Terry are all involved in the snow day process. Romolo said that some factors they consider when deciding … More Winter flurries: How McNick snow days are called 

By Rosie Smith Every Ash Wednesday, since the 2020-2021 school year, McNicholas adopted donating rice bowls during lent as a way to help those in need of food and to bring a new reality to the students at McNick. Each CREW is asked to fill a “rice bowl” during lent with change to fight hunger … More McNick honors rice bowl tradition

By Meghan Runte The 2026 Lenten Season in the Catholic Church started on Feb. 18 with the annual celebration of Ash Wednesday. During Lent, there are many saints that teachers and students can look to for guidance, temperance, and strength.   According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Saint Katharine Drexel, Saint Dominic Savio, Saint Patrick, and Saint … More A Lenten Season with many role models: Saints to guide us to Easter

By Alexandra Minella At McNicholas High School, students participate in Lenten commitments in different ways. While some students said they are giving something up, others are choosing to add new habits into their routine. Students are finding small, practical strategies to help themselves stay committed to their Lenten promises.   According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Lent is a 40-day season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving … More Lenten life hacks: How Rockets stay committed

The season of Lent leading up to Easter Sunday, kicked off the time when millions of Catholics across the globe start abstaining from meat on Fridays.   According to Father Kevin Scalf, McNicholas High School teacher and chaplain, “Catholics and most Protestants abstain from eating meat on Fridays as a form of penance to honor the sacrifice of Jesus, who … More From penance to plate: The origins of Friday fish fries

With graduation approaching, the Milestone decided to see if the seniors of McNicholas High School feel prepared for life after graduation, whether that is attending college, pursuing a trade, joining the military, or immediately joining the workforce. The Class of 2026 shared their reasons for choosing their specific life paths and how faculty and staff have assisted them with feeling their level of preparedness.  Madison Zurmehly said, “Yes, I do feel prepared for life after graduation. I have my college decision [University of Louisville] and major [nursing] made, and I’m excited for the rest.”   Melinda … More Caps, gowns, and big decisions: McNicholas seniors prepare for life after graduation 

By Maeve Rice **Disclaimer: Information mentioned in this article is from research;, this is not medical advice. Please drink any levels of caffeine at your own risk and do your own research.  Caffeine at McNicholas High School seems to be a hot topic, from Alani’s to Starbucks cups. But do students really know the consequences of their drink decisions?   According to the National Library of Medicine, “The first energy drink … More Caffeine crazies: Research causes students to rethinks their drink

By Rosie Smith Seasonal depression is a common struggle amongst high school students, and because of that the reliance on phones becomes greater. When students have spent too much time on their phones, it starts to affect their social life. Ms. Missy Gomez, McNicholas’s mental health and wellness therapist, helped explain the benefits of a … More Taking a break: How phone breaks benefit students

By Rosie Smith From a young age, I knew I was different. I couldn’t brush my hair like my other friends who had fine hair. My skin got dry easily, and I had this skin disease, eczema, that I would itch until I created open wounds and had to use an Aquaphor mixture to heal … More Rocket reflection on living as an African American

Five icons of the 20th century: Black musicians who shaped the music industry  Black musicians have shaped the music industry throughout the eras because of their notable influence on a variety of genres such as jazz, soul, gospel, pop, R&B and rap. Although they have impacted and formed the music industry to what it is today, they often go unrecognized by the general population due to being overshadowed by the newest artists or … More Five black musicians you need to know 

By Alexandra Minella McNicholas High School will celebrate its annual Mardi Gras Pageant and Ball on February 15, 2026. The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the school gymnasium with the presentation of the sophomore and junior honor guards and senior court, followed by the announcement of the king and queen. After the ceremony ends, the event will transition into a dance.    The structure of Mardi … More Mardi Gras tradition continues into 74th year

By Whitley Sway As McNicholas celebrates the 74th annual Mardi Gras ceremony, the tradition continues this year with the court being announced on January 16. Recognized for their service and commitment to McNick, this year’s Maid of Honor is Grace Emmaline McCafferty and Captain of the Ball is Steven Daniel Meltebrink. Here is a Q and A to get to know them.   Maid of Honor: Grace McCafferty  Q: How did it feel … More Get to know the Maid and Captain

By Meghan Runte The Annual Science Fair occurred on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, where seven students were recognized with two honorable mentions, two special awards, and the four overall winners.  Students presented their research to a group of judges and answered questions from the judges before receiving their final scores on their projects.   Science teacher … More McNick’s Science Scholars shine at Annual Science Fair

The new McNicholas club, Stronger TogetHER, which is focused on empowering young women, was founded by senior Gracie Mastruserio in the fall of 2025. Mastruserio is one of ten girls and twenty women selected to serve The Hamilton County Commission on Women & Girls to represent Hamilton County in local policy decisions. The August 2025 … More Stronger TogetHER: Empowering women for a better tomorrow  

By Maeve Rice For many teens, screen time begins with their morning alarm, then checking social media accounts then moves to tablets during school hours with Teams messages popping up. The growing number of screen time causes daily struggles in students’ lives.   In a recent survey, students and faculty of McNick ranked their most used category on their devices. The vast majority of students ranked social … More Screen teens: Studies show the effects of a high screen time 

By Alex Minella Catholic Schools Week is a nationwide celebration during the last week in January each year that highlights the importance of faith-based education and strong school communities. Theology teacher Mrs. Mary Beth Sandmann explained that Catholic Schools Week is important because it shows how “Catholic schools commit to an education rooted in faith.” Sandmann also shared that “faith and community go hand in hand; we are … More Rockets celebrate faith, community, and service

By Rosie Smith For the past ten years, McNicholas has participated in Poetry Out Loud, a national dynamic poetry recitation competition for high school students.  The 1st place contestant from the school competition continues to the regional competition that will take place on Friday, Jan. 30. The top three winners from the McNicholas competition held … More Junior wins Poetry Out Loud; Reflects on experience

By Meghan Runte During winter break, many McNicholas students and teachers spent time watching movies. But do students and teachers prefer going to a movie theatre, or streaming movies at home?  In a recent survey, 55% of students and teachers said that they would prefer to watch a movie at home.   Freshman Alexis Hood shared that she prefers … More At home or at the theatre? Rockets decide how they prefer to watch movies

By Abigail Mason At McNicholas, students can participate in a program that helps get into fields of IT early in their high school career.   The Cyber Patriots is a group of students at McNicholas, involved in a bigger National Youth Cyber education program connected to the Air Force. The group works on activities sent from the Air Force to build technology skills. Students who are a part of this group work to find cyber security flaws and vulnerabilities.   “Our team is built … More CyberPatriot program builds future careers for Rockets 

By Lydia Woodburn McNicholas High School student athletes across several winter sports described their goals, experiences, and expectations for winter season.  Elizabeth Wolfer, a swimmer, said she had participated in the sport since she was young. “I’ve been swimming since I was four,” Wolfer said. She said her goal for the season was to improve her performance. “I want to get better at my backstroke,” she added.  … More Freshman athletes share goals, expectations

By Lauren Korchok Every part of McNicholas High School has a story about its history, but how much of the history do students know? The students know the hallways by the subjects they house, but the hallways have given names that represent the roots of the school.   The original name for the “SAIL Hallway” is McNicholas Hall. McNicholas Hall was the first hallway added to the convent building. “When we started letting in boys, we had to add more rooms,” Theology teacher and Mission and Ministry Team member, Mrs. Mary Beth Sandman said. McNicholas Hall was named after former Cincinnati Archbishop and … More From original to present day; McNick’s hallways take on different names 

By Lauren Korchok Every student travels among eight different classrooms each week, and the classroom decorations they encounter are as varied as the teaching personalities, but they all work to make each teacher’s classroom feel like home for themselves and their students.  From those in their first year through their 38th year of teaching, each classroom looks different. No matter how the classroom looks, teachers try to make their classroom bring peace to the atmosphere of learning.   “Students learn the best when they are comfortable and when the subject they are learning is hard,” math teacher Mr. Steve … More Decorative classrooms create comfortable learning spaces 

By Sean Bursk Archbishop McNicholas High School and Stephen T. Badin High School came head-to-head on the court last Tuesday evening. The Rockets Varsity Boys’ Basketball Team defeated the Rams at McNicholas, continuing their 3-0 win streak.  The game on December 12, 2025, was the home opener for McNick. Since the theme for the game was “white out,” students had the opportunity during lunches to win an old white basketball jersey by playing a game of knockout. Tip-off for the varsity game was at 7:30 p.m. Starting center, senior Matthew Ehlers said the Rockets came into game with a focused … More Men’s basketball beats Badin in home opener

By Ayla Dickerson Ms. Missy Gomez is McNicholas High School’s Mental Health and Wellness Therapist. She started at McNicholas in the fall of 2022 and helps students with their emotional well-being. Unlike the guidance counselors, Gomez is here to discuss anything school related or not. Director of Curriculum Mrs. Katie Hambly said, “I think that … More A safe space in the school day; Gomez’s journey to McNicholas 

By Emma Porter From romance books to science-fiction, McNick students had a lot to say about their choice for their favorite book for 2025. Freshman Ally Hood said, “My favorite book is No One Knows by Osamu Dazai. It just has many relatable topics that I resonate with.” Like Hood, many students found themselves drawn … More Rockets name favorite books of 2025

By Ashley McEntush With the first semester coming to an end, the Teen Library Advisor Board (TLAB) has many plans and upcoming activities for the library. Librarian Mrs. Chelsea Almer shared that she wants the library to be a “fun and inviting place for students.”   Almer said that her goal for the programs taking place in the library is to “make kids want to come into the … More Teen Library Advisory Board drives a wave of new programs 

By Whitley Sway With the winter season approaching, a great way to spend a cold snowy day is to bundle up and watch movies. Whether it’s a scary, funny, or action-packed film, there are dozens of movies that would make an amusing reality. It’s easy to envision ourselves in some of those movies to have another, maybe more fun reality. Movies can create a universe with things that are beyond what we have now, and it allows us to want to know what it’s like, such as flying … More Switching it up; When movies become reality  

By Abigail Mason Around the McNicholas school building, there are multiple symbolic artifacts that represent the culture and faith throughout the school.   Located in front of the McNicholas on Beechmont Avenue, is a Celtic cross. Designed by an artist in Texas, it represents the Irish and Catholic faith of the school.  Director of Mission and … More McNicholas showcases Catholic identity through religious symbols 

By Alex Minella At McNicholas High School, students shop in different ways. Some prefer the convenience of online browsing, while others prefer trying on items before purchasing.  With Christmas coming up, students are weighing their options between heading to a store or heading to a website.    Many students expressed that shopping online feels faster and more efficient. Freshman Anna Ernst said she likes being able to “check … More Shopping showdown: Online convenience vs. in-person experience

By Rosie Smith When students need to visit the school nurse, Mrs. Amy Powderly, they might have noticed shelves of food behind the door between Powderly’s office and the main office. This new addition is the Rocket Fuel Pantry, added for the 2025-2026 school year. In October, Mrs. Jenni Tumser, administrative assistant to the principal, … More Rocket Fuel Pantry provides nourishment for students

By Ashley McEntush With Thanksgiving just a few days away, students are already starting to decorate for Christmas. Senior Liliana McHugh said, “I start decorating for Christmas after Thanksgiving.”   Sophomore Izzy Payne said she starts decorating “any time after Halloween or right after Thanksgiving.” Payne also shared that she and her family have fun … More ‘Tis the season or too soon? The great Christmas-before-Thanksgiving debate

By Ayla Dickerson Mrs. Mary Kiger returned to McNicholas High School in the fall of 2021 as a teacher in the SAIL department. For the 2025-2026 school year, Kiger switched disciplines and can now be found in room 167 teaching AP Psychology and Financial Literacy. She is also the teacher representative of the newly founded … More Around the nation and back again; Kiger returns to McNicholas