Skip to Main Content
The student news site of Millbrook High School

Cat Talk

The student news site of Millbrook High School

Cat Talk

The student news site of Millbrook High School

Cat Talk

Emily Ficker

Emily Ficker, Section Editor

Cat Talk reader:

thank you for checking out my profile. To tell you a little bit about myself, I am a second-year Newspaper student as well as the News Section Editor. I am on the Newspaper staff because I thoroughly enjoy writing and following the news. My favorite news publication (besides The Cat Talk) is The New Yorker; I always enjoy their Daily Cartoons and The Borowitz Report. Among my favorite journalists are John Cassidy, Nicholas Thompson, Colin Stokes, and Dana Schwartz. I typically write about politics or the environment, but my regular feature is Critic’s Corner, where I review local restaurants in the Triangle. Outside of journalism, I am an IB student and a member of the Tempest magazine and DECA. Those who know me know that I have a passion for politics; this past year I was honored to work on the campaign staff for Deborah Ross’s campaign for U.S. Senate as well as volunteer for the Roy Cooper campaign.

All in all, my goal is for every Cat Talk reader to feel like part of our newspaper family.

Happy reading!

All content by Emily Ficker
Shining brightly overhead, an array of star lights enliven the dining room at Gonza Tacos y Tequila. The surrounding pop-art features prominent Latin American figures, such as Frida Kahlo. Book your reservation at gonzatacosytequila.com

Critic’s Corner

Emily Ficker, Section Editor
May 22, 2017
Served to their scenic outdoor seating area, four popular Relish menu items, including their renowned mac n’ cheese, are plated to perfection. Relish makes it a goal to serve nostalgic homestyle cooking while sourcing fresh and local ingredients. For more info, visit www.relishraleigh.com.

Critic’s Corner: Relish

Emily Ficker, Section Editor
March 16, 2017
Speaking at a conference in 2010, Steve Bannon answers questions on a panel. As President Trump’s Chief of Staff, Bannon, along with other Cabinet-level members, has been highly critical of the media’s reporting.

CNN v. Spicer

Emily Ficker, Section Editor
February 3, 2017
Topped with a scoop of ice cream and a caramel glaze, the seasonal apple cobbler (shown left) is Driftwood’s winter specialty. Shown right are the scrumptious mini donuts with a trio of chocolate, caramel and berry dipping sauces. Make reservations and view Driftwood’s seasonal menus at driftwoodraleigh.com

Critic’s Corner

Emily Ficker, Section Editor
February 3, 2017
Exemplified through his bright self portrait, former President George Bush has enjoyed painting portraits, dogs, and foreign leaders upon his retirement. Now that Barack Obama’s two terms have ended, many are beginning to wonder what passion the 44th president will pursue.

The flipside of America’s leaders

Emily Ficker, Section Editor
February 1, 2017
Standing side-by-side, Cabinet members Mike Pence and Jeff Sessions address a crowd at an immigration policy speech in Phoenix, AZ. Jeff Sessions will preside over the Department of Justice as Attorney General in the U.S. Cabinet.

The $11 Billion Cabinet

Emily Ficker, Section Editor
January 18, 2017
Served in a contemporary, zero-waste bottle, Living Kitchen’s cold-pressed juices are a top item on the vegan restaurant’s menu. Living Kitchen uses fresh, locally-sourced, and organic ingredients in all of their dishes.

Critic’s Corner: Living Kitchen

Emily Ficker, Section Editor
December 6, 2016
Forced to reside outside of its natural, Arctic habitat, a polar bear exemplifies the effects of climate change on Arctic species. In Leonardo DiCaprio’s film, Before the Flood, DiCaprio explores the severity of the ever growing global surface temperature.

Climate change: an inconvenient truth

Emily Ficker, Section Editor
November 7, 2016
Holding up a suspect, private detective Barba Becker from the 1983 Mystery film Confidentially Yours takes matters into her own hands. Other hard-to-find titles like Confidentially Yours will be exclusively streaming on FilmStruck this November.

Straying from the main-“stream”

Emily Ficker, Section Editor
October 21, 2016
Recovered from her unfortunate case of pneumonia, a healthy Hillary Clinton attends the first Presidential debate after her break from the campaign trail. Conservative media outlet claims of Clinton’s poor mental and physical health have resurfaced after her stumble at a 9/11 memorial service.

Hillary Dispels All

Emily Ficker, Section Editor
October 19, 2016
Sitting at her desk, Ms. Edwards takes a break from planning for her three science courses. Ms. Edwards has been teaching at Millbrook since 2002.

Making the sciences “click”

Emily Ficker, Staff Reporter
May 19, 2016
Balanced on a branch, the colorful Cuban tody perches in its natural habitat: the Zapata Swamp. While visiting Cuba, biologist Joe Roman and his students spotted the tody as well as six other endemic birds.

From prison to paradise

Emily Ficker, Staff Reporter
April 21, 2016
Gathered in her classroom, Ms. Van Wagnen poses with her first block students before school starts. Ms. Van Wagnen is often at school early for tutoring.

Going above and beyond

Emily Ficker, Staff Reporter
February 19, 2016
Testing out an HD Prototype of the Oculus Rift, a gamer immerses himself in the world of virtual reality. Pre-orders of The Rift will be arriving March.

The future of gaming

Emily Ficker, Staff Reporter
February 19, 2016
Near Woodson’s former home in Washington, D.C., local artists painted a mural to remember the founder of Black History Month. Carter G. Woodson, the son of a slave, was one of the first scholars to study African American history.

The evolution of Black History Month

Emily Ficker, Staff Reporter
February 17, 2016
Stocked on nearly every supermarket shelf in the country, Clean & Clear facewash is just one of the many cleansers containing microbeads. The Microbead-Free Waters act, starting in 2017, will ban products containing these harmful plastics.

A victory for environmentalists

Emily Ficker, Staff Reporter
January 15, 2016
Sitting in her home, a Japanese woman hand sews a kimono. Kimonos have been a treasured tradition in Japan since the 7th century, but recently have not been honored by companies like Target and Walmart

Appropriation vs. Appreciation

Emily Ficker, Staff Reporter
December 16, 2015
Pumping her fists in the air, Senior Maggie Leahy celebrates winning Homecoming Queen. This is the first year that a special needs student has been nominated for the coveted title at Millbrook.

A magical moment for Maggie

Emily Ficker, Staff Reporter
November 4, 2015
(Left to right) Arianna Rosario, Alex McCloskey, Alex LaRocca, Brooke Bennett

Getting to know the student council

Emily Ficker, Staff Reporter
October 19, 2015
Load More Stories