February 29, 2024

The Highlander

The Chiefs win the superbowl Pg.2

ACROFEST IS A SUCCESS!

Thursday, January 25, began the 29th annual Acrofest hosted by Highland Academy. The gymnasium filled up with gymnasts from 11 schools across the Kentucky/Tennessee conference wanting to practice gymnastics skills and learn new ones as Southern Adventist University’s gymnastics team, Gym Masters, did a gymnastics clinic for the conference schools. The event lasted from Thursday until they showcased their talents that Saturday night, January 27.

Acrofest is an annual event that brings together the elementary schools and junior academies from around the conference. Both Highland and Madison academies, with Southern Adventist University (SAU), provided the workshops. Gymnastics teams from each school worked hard throughout the first semester on skills and a routine they could perform during the Saturday night showcase. The event, however, is open to more than just conference schools with teams. Students who are not part of a team, as well as homeschooled and public school students, are all invited to participate. After registration, the students head to the gymnasium and that is where the fun begins. Students look forward, not only to learning the skills taught by the university, they also look forward to seeing old friends from other schools and making new friends throughout the event. Some of them only see each other at events such as Acrofest, which makes it an anticipated event for many. Students worked in various stations that were set up for groups and individuals. There were eight different stations. Circus station was where they got to learn silks and juggling. At the tumbling station, the Gym Masters taught different moves and skills like dive rolls, round-offs, and cartwheels. What was amazing was that there were so many unique skills everyone had, so some had a back tuck, or a back handspring. The elevator and tossing stations are very similar. When tossing, they had to use a similar skill that they learned while working on elevators. The flier or top would jump into the bases’ hands and while using that momentum they would be tossed into the air. There was a headstand station that conditioned them to have a stronger core, but they also practiced handstands against the walls. The 2 high/3 high station many people liked.

Aiden Naumaan and Sam Dennis could do a great 2-high and were practicing for a

3-high, getting so very close to their goal. When asked about what they like about Acrofest, students seem to agree that the new skills and the patience of the Gym Masters from SAU made a tremendous impact making the event a positive experience. Rebecca Bouza from Murfreesboro Seventh Day Adventist Elementary commented

“Besides the amazing activities, I really appreciated the Gym Masters’ willingness to help and demonstrate skills. I really loved their encouraging attitudes. It made the whole experience even more amazing.”

Michaela Fuentes from Madison Academy Acros echoed this saying, “It was amazing and so many nice people willing to have fun and teach us new skills!” Still, others shared that their favorite part of the weekend was learning and practicing a certain skill they wanted to try. Luke Weisner from Highland Elementary School stated that he was excited that he successfully based a 3-high. He said that even though it was difficult, the flyers as well as the Gym Masters’ efforts and encouragement made it easier to just keep pushing until he got it. Sam Dennis from Highland Academy said that he also

appreciated the 2-high station. Saturday night, the teams gathered to share all they learned by participating in competitions and performing their routines. The local churches, community, and family members of each participant are all invited to the performance. The gymnasium was packed as the event began. Participants and audience members began with competitions. There were headstand competitions as the announcer, Raphan Ley challenged participants not only to do a headstand but to clap their hands, reposition into a frog stand, take their feet almost to the ground and back up, clap behind their backs and more. One by one people fell while trying to keep up with the commands. There was a handstand competition and a butterfly competition where bases struggled to hold up a person on their shoulders in a 2-high and their top held up a person on each side making “wings” out of people. This is as difficult as it sounds and one by one, groups began to drop. The last challenge of the evening prior to the performances was “pinning the beam.” Each year, tossing groups from Highland Academy Gymnix, Madison Academy Acros, SAU Gym Masters, and various other groups attempt to toss their flier all the way to the beams overhead. Try after try, the different teams started walking off the mats giving

up on being the first. Finally, one team from SAU and one team from Highland Academy were left taking turns and giving each other the room they needed to make it happen. The crowd went wild as Carson Watkins from the Highland Academy team flew up, grabbed the beam and started doing pull-ups! Connor Cheney from Highland Academy Gymnix said, “Acrofest was awesome, and seeing our gym team pin the beam made it so much cooler!” Academy students jumped and screamed in celebration of Watkins’ accomplishment as this is the first time in several years that Highland has managed to pin the beam first.

After the challenges, the music started and various teams started showcasing their routines and what they learned throughout the week with the SAU Gym Masters performing intermittently throughout the evening. The evening came to a close as the Gym Masters wrapped the event up with their tribute to scripture. They demonstrated artistically various stories from scripture beginning with Creation. One of the greatest portrayed scenes they did was Jonah and the Whale. The Gym Masters created a whale-looking shape with their bodies and inside they literally threw “Jonah” out onto a mat. And of course, they finished with the second coming with Jesus coming back for everyone. The only part of the event that no one looked forward to was Acrofest weekend being over. It was so much fun for so many as new skills and new friends were made. Michaela Fuentes said it best saying, “I can’t wait til next year.”

Pictures by:

Katie McConnell and Juanita Cabralas

Magdalen Carlson

THE CHIEFS WIN THE SUPER BOWL

Abi Hosler

This year over 70 thousand people gathered at Allegiant Stadium on February 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada for the 58th annual Super Bowl. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers were the competitors after a suspenseful season. The game went into overtime before the Chiefs ended in victory, making them the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls in nearly 20 years. It was a great success with 123 million viewers! This is America’s biggest television audience since the moon landing according to CNN.

The Super Bowl, this year, made history as it was only the second Super Bowl to ever go into overtime. By the fourth quarter both teams were tied 19-19. Everyone was on the edge of their seats. Highland Academy math teacher, Mrs. Lopez said,” I thought it was going to be a lame game in the first half, but at the very end when it was tied, I liked that part because it was exciting. I wanted to see how Patrick Mahomes would pull it out.” The game ended 22-25 with the Chiefs winning the victory.

Everything down to

Photos from: google photos

the percentage of time the teams had control of the ball, was extremely close. The 49ers had the ball 42.5% of the time in the second half. In an interview with the independent interviewer David Lombardi, the 49ers quarterback, Brock Purdy shared his thoughts on the result. He states “I’m trying to have the perspective that this is happening for a reason, it’s a part of all of our stories…and our testimonies so that’s sort of the hope I have for it and more than anything just being grateful for the kind of season that we had.”

The Super Bowl was also a bit different this year as viewing increased since pop star Taylor Swift started dating the Chief’s tight end, Travis Kelce. His jersey sales have increased by 400% according

to ESPN. The relationship has allegedly brought $331.5 million of brand value to the Chiefs according to Newsweek. Since she showed interest in the sport, her fan base has shown support, too.

At Highland Academy, the students were ready to watch the game like millions of other Americans throughout the country. Students and staff gathered in the gymnasium for a Super Bowl party. The game was streaming on the large projectors and the bleachers were set up, which gave it a bit more of the live football game feel. Around 5:00 p.m. the students headed down to the gym for dinner. There was pizza, soda, fruit, candy, and Super Bowl themed cupcakes waiting for them to eat while they watched the game.

Senior at Highland Academy, Miguel Rodrigues says,

“My favorite part of the game was when the Chiefs got 3 points in a free kick when they had only 3 [points] to tie the game.”

The Super Bowl Party did not involve just watching the game. Students also enjoyed games and other fun activities. Rodgrigues continues saying, “My favorite part of all was when we had some fun activities like trying to score in the basket with the football.” He is referring to one of the competitions the staff came up with for the students to play during the commercials. The first competition was to see who could be the first to throw a football in the basketball hoop from the half-court line. They had one round for the girls, then the guys, then both together. The next competition was a strength contest for the girls to see who could balance on one hand and one foot. Then it was the guys’ turn. Each competitor had a goal of winning the prize of 10 dollars.

Like many Americans around the country, Highland students had an awesome time watching the Super Bowl LVIII. We can’t wait to see what history is made for next year’s season.

World News

THE TAYLOR SWIFT EFFECT

It is not a secret to anyone that Taylor Swift has taken over the world. With her music tour and very supportive fans, Swift has managed to become one of the most influential artists ever. Recently Swift got into a relationship with Travis Kelce, a wellknown football player for the Kansas City Chiefs. Their relationship on the internet really showed how influential Taylor Swift actually is in the media and that's how the phrase “the taylor swift effect” came to be. Her relationship with Kelce brought a new viewing audience to football: young girls and teens from across the country. Girls all across the U.S. got excited to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday in hopes of seeing Swift appear on the big screen This season it appeared as though Swift was the Chiefs’ lucky charm and it's taken them all the way to their second consecutive Super Bowl win.

The NFL has tried countless times to grow their female fanbase. For example the “shrink it and pink it” promotion, which involved the

organization shrinking a jersey and making it pink in hopes of attracting a more feminine audience. Although it sold, the appearance of Taylor Swift at just one of Kelce’s games led to a greater success. Swift at one of Kelce’s games led to 27 million in viewership and that is the largest number of viewers since the super bowl. Swift’s presence also led to a spike in the sales of the No. 87 jerseys, Kelce's number, by 400%. According to the NFL the viewership has increased with the majority being young women and/girls. 53% of the growth is from ages 12-17. 34% are girls ages 18-24 and 24% are women above the age of 35. The Swift fans have been showing their support for her new relationship but also for Kelce and his team.

Taylor Swift has impacted the NFL and many young girls all across the country making sports something females can take an interest

in watching. Her presence has made views, sales, publicity and event marketing grow more than before. A lot of fathers have gained a new bonding experience with their daughters and the interest in the football community has also increased. Seeing women and football is something the world was not prepared for, but there is so much good because of it. She didn't lie when she said “I'm on the bleachers” in her song You Belong With Me. Cbs news outlet interviewed a woman who says "To have Taylor Swift be a part of football makes it all worthwhile. I really enjoy when cameras pan to Taylor Swift. I don’t need to see a player chewing on his mouth guard. It's more fun for me as a woman seeing her." Swift's influence on the football world has made a major change and almost all new female viewers agree with her

statement. USA Today National Sports columnist Nancy Armour agreed. "Particularly young and teenage girls who didn’t care about football before now watch it," says Armour. "Recognition for the female audience makes games more fun and relevant. I've definitely watched more football because of this. It's exciting to see her there and cheer for her and for him," said Morgan. Not just the NFL has benefited from Swift coming on the football scene. Families also have experienced something unexpected. Dads all across the U.S. can now sit with their daughters and wife on Sunday for the game they might be watching. It may be for different reasons, but they enjoy being able to have that shared interest. Cbs also quotes former Charger John Carney saying he can’t get away from “Swifties.” "My wife and daughter are Swifties. When I retire, next thing I know, she turns on Chiefs games in hopes to see Taylor. She has brought my wife back to football."

It is no secret that Taylor Swift is one of the most influential people in the world right now, and maybe forever. She has made for herself a pretty “Big Reputation” and as much hate as she gets it is overpowered by love and support.

Lulu Lopez

Picture provided by: google photos

Shiloh Bushey

Fear comes in all shapes and sizes. Depending on the day, fear can control a lot of our life. Maybe you're scared to go to that event or talk to that person, or perhaps you’re afraid of the dark. Fear stops you from growing into who God made you to be, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” NIV. And there are ways to control your fear. A good place to start is by talking to someone you trust. Working it out with a loved one may help you realize you have nothing to fear. Most of the time, our brain likes to play tricks on us, and we think there is danger when really everything is okay. sometimes, there is a reason to be afraid. Talking to someone can provide the necessary insight, support and protection. Talk to an

adult if someone is making you uncomfortable or if someone you know plans on hurting you, others, or themselves. Fear is uncomfortable, but it is a warning system that lets you know something is wrong, even if it doesn't always work how you want it to. So, challenge those thoughts and fears and grow from each experience.

Gradual exposure helps you get used to what scares you. If you are afraid of spiders, start by looking at pictures of them, then go outside and look at one from a distance; then get closer and closer.

Soon enough, when you see a spider in your room, you won’t freak out because you've seen enough to know it’s nothing to be freaked out about. Provoking mild

controlled anxiety helps you get used to that feeling of fear and trains your brain to understand that most fears are not dangerous. So, take small steps and visualize success. Visualize yourself holding a spider and being totally okay with it.

Embrace failure. Understand that fear is a difficult thing to overcome. Don’t expect to fail, but don’t beat yourself up if you do. Failures and setbacks are simply part of the process. So, if you’re trying to overcome your fear of heights but you bailed when you went to a zipline, don’t worry! It is okay to go back to square one. When you fail, do some self-care, like taking a hot shower or listening to music. Failure is a part of success. Fear often triggers a physical reaction like goosebumps, a raised heart rate and sweating. So learn good ways to calm yourself down, like breathing techniques.

Jenna Fletcher with MedicalNewsToday talks about the 4-7-8 rule, “The 4-7-8 breathing technique involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds.”

Jenna Fletcher October 4, 2023.

Prayer is always the best option for overcoming fears. Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” NIV. God cares about your dayto-day life and every little detail that comes with it. Not only does he care, but he relates. The night before Jesus was crucified, he went to the garden and prayed to the Father because he was so scared. No fear is too small or too big for God to handle. So don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.

Picture provided by: google photos

Campus Life

HA MISSIONARIES GO TO NICARAGUA

This year, 18 Highland Academy students had the opportunity to go to Corn Island, Nicaragua for a mission trip! They left the academy Monday morning, January 28, and got to have many exciting experiences like helping build a Seventh Day Adventist school, leading a Vacation Bible School Program, and doing community outreach. The trip was a great opportunity to travel and help others learn more about Jesus.

A typical day began with worship and breakfast before heading to the construction site to work on the school. Students laid down concrete, painted the building, laid down dirt to level the concrete floors, and used weed-eaters to make a clearing. After that, it was lunchtime. There would usually be an afternoon break to rest at the beach before heading to the Vacation Bible School Program (VBS). The evening would start with some fun songs and a skit. Then there was a memory verse and lesson academy students got to teach to the children. Once that was done, academy students gathered groups of children together to make crafts that reflected the evening’s lesson. This was a great time for the students to visit and bond with the children. Then it was snack time before it was time to

dismiss. Sometimes, after meetings, it was apparent the children did not want to leave. This gave academy students the opportunity to stick around a bit longer to play volleyball or teach gymnastics to the kids. You could tell the students were having just as much fun as the children and enjoyed getting involved. Senior, Adriel Garcia says, “My favorite part of mission trip was being able to do the children’s program in the afternoon. It was such a blessing to see the children participate in singing and the activities, as well as seeing the smiles on their faces

when we gave them snacks and juice boxes.” Any little gesture seemed to make an impression on the children we came to serve. It truly was a blessing to see how much they appreciated the academy students and their involvement. Next, it was time for dinner, and everyone could relax for a couple of hours before worship. Many people used this time to explore the island and go to the different shops that were nearby. One really popular thing to do was to go out and get ice cream on most nights. Then, a student or two would lead out in

evening worship before they were dismissed until curfew. Students chatted and played games until it was time for lights out.

On Saturday afternoon the students went to the church service and helped the kids perform the songs they taught them throughout the week from VBS. Throughout this trip, it was obvious that the Holy Spirit was moving, and before we knew it, several Highland students asked to be baptized. These Highland Academy students decided to give their lives to Christ through baptism (or rebaptism, as some of them had been baptized before when they were younger). These students included: Sara Scott, Allison Harrison, Hannah Rice, and Abigail Hosler. Allison said,

“I just felt the Holy Spirit bring upon me that it was something I needed to do, and all the people there and seeing how they live and still choosing to follow God made me feel like it was something I needed to do.”

It was wonderful to see how the mission trip didn’t only help the people on the island, but the people who were there to help as well. God truly moved in Nicaragua and He is moving on our campus.

Abi Hosler

KENYA MISSON TRIP IS A SUCCESS!

Magdalen Carlson

Going to Kenya can change lives for the better. This year, from January 28 to February 9, around 30 students from Highland Academy traveled to Kenya, Africa. In Africa, they put on Vacation Bible School (VBS) for the kids at the school they were working at. On Saturday, the reserve took the entire group on a safari. They discovered God’s beauty by traveling, serving His people, and seeing all the animals there.

Sunday, January 28, the students, staff, and chaperones left. They arrived at Nairobi airport safely on January 29 without their luggage, unfortunately. They were told their luggage was still in Amsterdam when they got to the baggage claim. Halfway through the six-hour car ride to Narok where they planned to stay for the trip, they all stopped and ate. When they went to get back in the cars, sellers with various goods swarmed them, wanting them to buy jewelry and hats.

Logan Darrell purchased a hat from them but realized afterward that he had bought it for double the price. They finally arrived at Mara West Camp, a reserve in Narok, and were greeted with smiling faces.

At VBS, from Wednesday to Friday, they had classes from Kindergarten to 8th Grade come through. Almost all the children wanted to hold their hands, and the small ones would sit on everyone’s lap. They loved the interactions with their visitors taking advantage of every moment they could especially with the academy students. The children were intrigued by hair because they all had a buzz cut and had probably never seen straight hair or the various textures of everyone in our group. They also loved Carson Watkin’s sunglasses as they would try them on and get pictures taken with them wearing them.

Ethan Atlee said, “My favorite memory was the safari or meeting all of the little kids and seeing how different their lives are compared to ours, and still seeing how happy they were.”

Students had options of where they could participate in missions and while some worked

VBS, others volunteered at the clinic. The day Clara Reading, a sophomore, was volunteering, she was helping the dentist out when he told her she could pull one of the patient’s teeth. She was shocked, but she did it. She said, “It was a little intimidating, but Emmanual showed me how to use the tools. It was an amazing experience, but I’m not sure if I will ever do it again!”

During lunch one day, Sara Bagshaw, Highland staff, grabbed Reading and had her come to the clinic where she witnessed a birth and held the baby afterward.

Maggie Carlson, a freshman, also volunteered and helped with the ultrasounds. While helping, she noticed on the screen that there were two babies’ heads, not just one. She is the one who discovered the patient had twins. “It was honestly a pretty amazing thing to see.

I have never done anything like it before, but I am definitely keeping this as an option for my future,” She

Another moment was when a lion strutted right up to one of the vans and lay in the car’s shade as if God brought the vehicle just for the purpose of providing him shade. Being that close to such beautiful beasts was incredible.

said.

When VBS was over at the school, Carson Watkins got a hold of the three soccer or “footballs” at the site and yelled across the campus, “Who wants to play football?”

The children got super excited and raced out to play. Highland students and the children enjoyed the game and playing together. It built a comradery among them that probably wouldn’t have happened any other way. At the end of the trip, Highland Academy gave three soccer balls to the school.

As a Sabbath activity, everyone got to witness the beauty of God’s creation in a new and exciting way. Going on the safari in the Mara, they saw many animals, but there were a few best moments. They came upon a cheetah but wanted it to run, so their driver drove at it to try to scare it. The cheetah was unfazed and walked right in front of the car.

Before the entire group returned to America, they went to the all-girls high school that had been built a few years before with Highland Academy students getting to participate in that build in previous years. The principal explained that if they did not have a dorm, most of those girls would not have the chance to go to college because of pregnancy. The youngest they had who had been pregnant was 12 years old. They sang beautiful songs with harmonies to welcome Highland Academy to their school. Everyone on the HIghland Academy Gymnix team who went on the mission trip pulled together a routine and did a mini-show for them. They screamed and gasped whenever one of the fliers was thrown. Whenever one of the boys would do a flip, the girls would excitedly yell for them to do it again. Bright and early the following day, many of the staff, students, and chaperones got up early to watch the sunrise for the last time. All of them were sharing the different things they would miss. The main thing was the Massai children and community. When everyone finally got home, there was not a story left untold. Even though they had nothing, those children were joyful and grateful for everything. They were open to learning about Christ and asked so many questions about Him.

Pure joy comes from the community and people, not merchandise that can be bought or sold. God helps people focus on the right things: significantly impacting others for His name’s sake. Maasai culture is what everyone fell in love with on this mission trip. They are beautiful people, and their art, songs, jewelry, and ornaments are beautiful. The place was breathtaking. Sunsets and sunrises are just on the edge of being heaven on earth. Picture being in a scene from “The Lion King” and you only have a glimpse of how beautiful it truly was.

Picture provided by: Magdalen Carlson and Andy Wade

Six-year-old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor, which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten.

Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn’t know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove and he didn’t know how the stove worked! Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he

MAKING PANCAKES

tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky.

And just then, he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon’s eyes. All he’d wanted to do was something good, but he’d made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking. But, his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process!

That’s how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend, or we can’t stand our job, or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can’t think of anything else to do. That’s when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him.

But just because we might mess up, we can’t stop trying to “make pancakes” for God or for others. Sooner or later

we’ll get it right, and then they’ll be glad we tried. I was thinking, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that need rekindling or three words needing to be said… sometimes, “I love you” can heal and bless!

Suppose one morning you were called to God… do all of your friends know you care about them? Remind your special friends and relatives that you love them dearly, while you can, even if you don’t think they love back. You would be amazed at what those three little words, a smile, and a reminder like this can do.

Pass some of this love on to others… send this to everyone you love… and never stop “making pancakes.”

http://kingdompursuits. com/devotional-humor-andinspirational-stories/

Picture provided by: google photos

Mental health

WHY SLEEP IS SO IMPORTANT

Way too often, life gets hectic. We have so much on our plate; sometimes, there just needs to be more time in a day. Nevertheless, no matter how much you have to do, you cannot do it to your full capability when you are tired. Prioritizing sleep will keep you more motivated, healthy and capable.

Sleep is necessary for your body to restore itself. An adult needs a minimum of 9 hours of sleep to complete the Rapid Eye Movement (R.E.M.) cycle. This is when the body begins to truly relax. Breathing and heart rate begin to slow down, and muscles become temporarily paralyzed, a condition known as atonia. Sleep Foundation says, “This keeps the legs and arms from flailing in response to dream content. Respiratory and eye muscles stay active, though, and the darting of the eyes behind closed eyelids is the inspiration for the name rapid eye movement sleep.” Jung, C. M., Melanson, E. L., Frydendall, E. J., Perreault, L., Eckel, R. H.,

& Wright, K. P. (2011). The Journal of Physiology, 589(Pt 1), 235–244.

Teens and children need more sleep than adults. A teen’s recommended amount of sleep is 10-12 hours per night, with the recommended time to wake up being 7:30-8:00. R.E.M. requires a few hormones to begin, like one you may have heard of, melatonin. Steve White says: “Melatonin can also help: teen brains don’t release this sleepinducing chemical until much later in the night than adult brains (typically 11 p.m. to midnight).”

Be sure to talk to your doctor if you are not getting the proper amount of sleep or finding it hard to fall asleep. Jay Summer from the Sleep Foundation says: “Melatonin is safe for short-term use and can be helpful for sleep issues. Longterm use of melatonin may lead to decreased effectiveness and impact your natural melatonin production. Watch for side effects of excessive melatonin use, including headaches, nausea, and fatigue.”

Cognitive function and mental health decline when you don’t get enough sleep. Some teens ignore it while others turn to substance abuse or

act in harmful ways to themselves and/or others. Exercise helps with getting good sleep and improving cognitive function. Exercise is good for sleep but it’s also a good opportunity for social interaction. Here at Highland Academy, we have plenty of options for socializing your exercise time like, openrec, intramurals, and gymnix, the gymnastics team. Along with these opportunities for recreation and exercise , you can also, jump rope, skate, swim, and so much more. Staff like Logan Johnson, school psychologist, takes students off campus to go swimming, for instance. Another way to get better sleep is limiting caffeine intake. Caffeine gives a boost of energy but too much energy makes it difficult to sleep. Sometimes we use caffeine to help with headaches and energy so if you feel like this might be you, schedule a time early in the day to stop so that it does not affect sleep patterns.. Another thing that may cause you to find it difficult to sleep is stress. To counter this, you might want to take the time to make a list of the things you need to do the next day and work through it.This will save your brain the trouble of doing that while you try to sleep. If it is something else that is stressing

you, pray about it and ask God to take it from you and give you peace and rest as He promises he will do when we come to Him. This will save your brain the trouble of doing that while you try to sleep.

Getting good sleep might feel elusive at times, but it’s not impossible. When you look at the “pros and cons” of getting good sleep you realize, that getting to bed on time is difficult, but living a life constantly exhausted you realize getting to bed early seems more and more easy. Sleep is critical for restoring your body, metabolism regulation, cognitive function, and cardiovascular health.

Without sleep, you become angry, anxious and depressed with difficulty staying motivated and taking care of yourself. So try your best to exercise, limit or control caffeine intake, and manage your stress so that when the time comes to go to bed, you’re ready.

Shiloh Bushey

THE PROS AND CONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media is something that has become more and more normal every day. It is most known for creating a very easy way for people to communicate all over the world. People have also been able to use social media to foster friendships, or strengthen the friendships that they have offline. With most good things, however, there are those who use it for bad.

Social media as a whole can be a good thing for society, but there are glaring cons that make people weary of using it.

One of the best things about social media is being able to communicate with so many people anonymously. It can help those with social anxiety by removing the barrier put up by one’s selfconsciousness that comes when they try to have a faceto-face interaction. That anonymity, however, is a double edged sword: people can use social media to cyberbully people for instance. (Cyberbullying is the act of bullying someone with the use of technologies). This can also worsen the condition of those who already get bullied in their offline lives.

Social media companies have tried to fight against cyberbullying by

adding features like “blocking.” When you block someone on a platform like Instagram, they are stopped from being able to text you, call you, and their comments will be hidden from you and everyone that follows you. They will also not be able to see your comments to others.

Another problem with social media is how addicting it is. Social media becomes addictive because it abuses our brain’s reward system by giving us a constant stream of dopamine according to psychologists at Harvard. Every time one receives a like or a positive comment, the brain will reward them for it. Because of this, when something that you post does not receive the validation that you are used to receiving, you can become saddened by it. This will cause a person to continue posting and commenting to receive the validation and dopamine they desire creating an addictive cycle.

There is also the mass amounts of artificial stuff you see. People will post photos that make their life look extravagant and amazing, and that makes other people feel worse in

comparison. This could lead someone into thinking poorly about themselves, whether it is what their life is like, or how their body looks in comparison to someone else.

Another example of how social media can affect its populace negatively, is the way information and misinformation is shared.

Often, people will stumble on an article or video that is propaganda or only tells half truths. People will post these and share these articles without any further research to confirm the reality of the information within the article. Social media can be a breeding ground for sharing such information with others jumping on the band-wagon and also not researching the validity of the information. Some of the information is satirical, yet people choose to believe the satire as reality. This is considered misinformation. According to researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), this type of “news” can spread up to 10 times more that actual

factual information. This type of “news” is also significantly more likely to go viral. This is an issue because even when correction to the information is actually made, people rarely pay attention and it can be viewed as untrue.All social media platforms have an algorithm that pushes things that you seem to like so that you stay on social media longer. The algorithm is also used to send you more targeted advertisements that use information that is gathered about you to see what you are interested in viewing. The algorithm doesn’t check to see if news is true or not. it will simply check to see how much engagement it receives. People who want to spread fake news will post these articles that are exciting or make people angry, which will lead to more engagement, which will lead to the post being pushed out even more.

Social media is an amazing invention that has been beneficial to society in many different ways. People have been able to connect worldwide, and are able to make good friends, and it provides entertainment for hours on end. However, social media is a double edged sword that can also be harmful to individuals as well as the wider world with things like fake news, social bullying, and hate speech. While nothing is perfect and everything has a cost, it is still good to see something like social media to be a good thing for people.

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Kyle Dudegon

Cultural

CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH US!

Lulu Lopez

Black History Month is an annual celebration to acknowledge African Americans’ achievements and recognize their influence in U.S. history. During Black History Month, people reflect on the impact the culture and voices created over the years. The point of this month’s celebration is to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States.

There are many black icons the world sometimes forgets to mention when considering the African heritage and contributions to our history as a whole.. For example, Jane Bolin was the first Black woman to graduate from Yale Law School, and in 1939, she became the first black female judge. Some might say Bolin was a pioneer and led the way for many young black women, not only in the field of law, but in other fields previously closed to black women. At U.S. law firms, 0.86% of partners are Black women. The number might not be high, but she inspires many young black Americans to go against the “odds” and chase their dreams. Another example of a pioneer is Robert Sengstacke Abbott. Abbott laid the foundation for what would eventually birth many Black publications, including Ebony, Jet, Essence, Black Enterprise,

Right On!, Sheen Magazine, and more. His story is inspirational and a pathway for young black youth to be confident and express themselves in any way, even if it is something not so talked about. He gave black people across the country a voice. Here at Highland, we use our voices and express ourselves in many ways. Highland Academy encourages its students to share and appreciate each other’s cultures.

Tanya Lunga, a senior

not with what I want. and helped me realize that the possibilities are endless and I can do so much with hair if I Just try.” Ms. C.J. once said “Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them” and although she was talking about her career, Lunga has adapted that for herself in her life and hair journey. Black History Month’s beauty is how it encourages our differences and makes us realize how beautiful

student whose heritage is Zimbabwe, says that one of her favorite people in black history is Madam C.J. Walker. She said, “I love how she brought to light the struggle of black hair and how she to this day has a brand and her memory still lives. As a young girl when I first heard about her I was surprised because I didn’t think my type of hair is something that would get recognition, and I think that’s why she is my favorite because she taught me to work with what I have and

these differences can be. Even if it is something as simple as hair, it is still a special and important part of people’s culture. Alexandria Reid, another senior says, “my favorite person in black history is Maya Angelou. Her words have been inspiring lots of young women for years. One of my favorite poems by her is called Phenomenal Woman, and she talks about insecurities and expectations but portrays it as a strength. It has stuck

with me through the years.” Black History Month allows people to engage with black histories, go beyond discussions of racism and slavery, and highlight as well as celebrate black leaders and accomplishments. Black history goes beyond the past and has become part of our modern-day history. Cultures are meant to be shared, and as a society, There is no denying that black is beautiful. Black culture, black history, black hair and black foods all make up this fantastic culture, and in February, it is celebrated. Black History Month gives an opportunity to enlighten everyone to how far black people have made it as a whole and how much their contributions to our history and culture overall is important to recognize and remember. Bringing awareness to the good that black Americans have contributed to society, Black History Month is dedicated to honoring the changes and triumphs of African Americans throughout American history. Acknowledging the sacrifice some made and the path

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CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH US!

1. Madam C.J Walker- In 1905, Madam C.J. Walker was the first to create a portable electric heating comb that is now famously known as a hot comb many black women used to straighten and style their hair.

2. George Washington Carver- Dr. Carver is known as one of the most prominent black scientists of the early 20th century. He put in place an agriculture extension in Alabama. He founded an industrial research lab where he worked on end and diligently in the department of many applications for new plants. He developed 300 hundred products from peanuts and 118 from sweet potatoes; he used waste from materials like recycled oil and paint stains to make clay and new products.

3. Aretha Franklin- Now, where have you been if you don’t know who Mrs. Aretha Franklin is? She was a singer, songwriter, actress, civil rights activist, and a self-taught pianist. She created a lot of well-known songs like Respect; You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, I Say a Little Prayer and many others. She was famously known as the “Queen of Soul” and

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the Greatest singer of all time for her fantastic work in the music industry.

4. Jackie Robinson- In 1947, Jackie Robinson became a player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was the first African American Professional baseball player at the time in U.S. Major League baseball. He was also the first African American to win the Hall of Fame, Most Valuable Player, and a batting title.

5. Duke Ellington- Duke was an American jazz pianist, composer, and jazz orchestra leader from 1923 to the end of his life. He is one of the originators of big jazz bands. He led his band for over 50 years and composed thousands of scores. He won 13 Grammys for his outstanding musical work and 16 university degrees.

6. Annie Easley- Annie was a rocket scientist, computer scientist, and

mathematician. She worked with NASA on cellular technology. She was responsible for calculating complex mathematical functions by hand in the science lab there. She developed code used in researching energy conservation systems for NASA. She worked with NASA from 1958 to 1999.

7. Katherine Johnson- Katherine Johnson was crucial in many NASA missions during the space race. She helped calculate trajectories, Launch windows, and emergency return paths for project Mercury space flights. She assisted NASA in sending astronauts to the moon and safely returning them to their homes. She was given the nickname computer because of her love for math and how she used it to do better than NASA projects.

8. John Standard - 1891, he created manually filled ice chambers for chilling, also known as the refrigerator. We were using Regular ice boxes. By improving the design of refrigerators, he revolutionized how we store and keep our food for a long time.

Art Contest Rules

-Theme: New Life – In anticipation of spring, what does new life bring to mind for you? Express your excitement or apprehension, or whatever the feeling may be, in an art form!

-Media: Black ink on white, White ink on black, watercolor, pencil, charcoal, acrylic, oil

-Final submission must be of square dimensions with a title.

- Turn in to Mrs. Weisner by March 4.

Editor-in-chief

Magdalen Carlson

Designer and Art Director

Isabelle Laneville

Reporters

Magdalen Carlson

Abi Hosler

LuLu Lopez

Kyle Dudegon

Alexandria Reid

Photographers

Ana Anderson

Kyle Dudegon

Naomi Housten

Sabrina Mann

Melissa Weisner

Casi Demaree

Stephanie Rufo

Casi Demaree

Picture provided by: google photos

Alexandria Reid

Picture provided by: google photos