January 17, 2024

The Highlander

1

THE HIGHLANDER • January 17, 2024

January 17. 2024 - Vol. 1. Issue 10

HOLIDAY CORNER

Christmas traditions Pg.7

WORLD NEWS

MENTAL HEALTH

The world’s first successful eye transplant Pg.2

Getting rid of bad habits Pg.3

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS Melissa Weisner and Lulu Lopez

Bible teachers, says this year he wants to practice positivity. He also says that the reason for this is that

Every new year, a

group of people decide to make a list of goals they want to achieve for the upcoming year. Now, if you are wondering what new resolutions are, they are exactly what it sounds like. New Year’s is the most popular time of the year for people to hit the proverbial “reset button.” A new year brings new things, new memories, and new moments, and that’s what makes it the perfect time to start new habits.

other more health conscious decisions.

It is said that this is the busiest time of year for the gyms as memberships increase dramatically in January of each year. Students on campus have also The YouGov addressed this making association made better health a priority a poll and came to such as Caitlin Murrell, the conclusion that sophomore. She, only about 37% of however, is not the only Americans have New one. The cafeteria is Year’s resolutions. But packed with students they end up quitting eating more fruits and two months in, if not vegetables. The salad sooner. The success bar line is longer. People rate of those who are focussing on taking actually create new care of themselves in habits and stick to their the coming year. Aurora resolutions is only Gomez, senior, wants to 9%, and even though start working out and it’s not that many, keeping her body healthy people who keep their as well as her mind. She resolve to stick with it says, grow to become even “ I just think last more successful in year was hard for making other needed me because I let changes in their lives. go of my physical Doctors, teachers, and health and that psychologists actually also affected my recommend making mental health and New Year resolutions I want to change even if you are part of that for next year.” the 91% who let them fall by the wayside That is what making as these allow you to resolutions is all about; reflect and refocus. admitting where you A lot of our students went wrong, and wanting on Highland Academy to do better. Other campus have New students on Highland Year resolutions and Academy campus who goals they want to made resolutions for achieve. The number the new year included one resolution across John Mark Armstrong, the country is to get senior, who said he healthier whether that wanted to develop a be by changing eating better relationship with habits, exercising, God this year. This weight training, or could include more

“I just want to make my circle a better place by raising positive vibes.”

Photos by: Google photos

time in scripture, doing studies and devotionals as well as more time in prayer. Melissa Weisner, guidance counselor and English teacher says that writing down the requests one has and going back to them as God answers to write down His answers is a great way to build faith and to see how God truly does answer prayers. He is not the only one focussing on Godly things this year. Casi Demaree, junior, also says that reading her Bible more in 2024 is a priority for her.

Personal improvement is also a category that one sees across the country.

People focus on building relationships, reading, finding a hobby or even making time for a hobby they already have. This is not a new concept on campus either. Katie McConnell, senior says that she wants to finish reading a book she started.

Mrs. Stephanie Rufo, staff member, says that her goal is to be more intentional with friendships. She said she wants to reach out to friends more frequently and respond more regularly being intentional in staying in touch. She also said that she wants to deepen her friendships that she has making them more meaningful. The best part about resolutions is that even the people you wouldn’t expect to create a resolution do consider changes for the new year.

For example, Pastor Will Labrenz, chaplain and one of Highland Academy’s

That’s a great way to start the year, considering that part of having a good life is to keep a positive mindset and to spread that to those around us. It takes a minimum of three weeks to start a habit, but if it’s a little harder for you then the average recommended time is two months. In those two periods of time, your body and mind get used to that new routine. Both mental and physical habits take an average of 66 days to fully get accustomed to an addition or subtraction to the new routine with a range of between 18 and 254 days. Some people use the 21 to 90-day lifestyle challenge and that has been proven to mark permanent change.

The new year brings its own challenges and adventures. The recurring themes of resolutions each year include a more active approach to health and fitness, improved finances, and learning new things for personal and professional development. The best way to enter this fresh start is with better and new habits.

If we don’t set goals, we end up wasting our time, money and energy. Sometimes not knowing what you want can be overwhelming, and that could affect your root of motivation It’s time to reflect and decide now what changes you would like to make for the coming year.

Determine in your heart to make a difference, not only for yourself but for those around you. Make 2024 your year of improvment.

2

Visit us at highland-academy.com

Campus Life Kyle Dudegon

CAMPUS LIGHTING IS A SUCCESS

November 29 was Highland Academy’s annual campus lighting. Campus Lighting is an event that consists of three things; The lighting of the gazebo, singing christmas songs, and the christmas decoration contest. All around, this event is a lot of fun for everyone. hey get to enjoy hot cocoa, cookies, and the fruits of their labor when everyone gets to see the rooms that they worked so hard to decorate.

At 7:00 p.m. everyone assembled outside and started talking around the gazebo and the mini bonfires that had been set up. Once everyone got out there, they told everyone to start getting in line for hot chocolate and cookies.

Bertien Shyaka Said, “The Hot Chocolate was pretty good.”

As people were getting the refreshments, S.A. started to sing Christmas songs in front of Ray Hall. They sang classic Christmas hits like Rudoph the Rednosed Reindeer and Silent Night. Once the songs were done, The people on stage got everyone to quiet down. They then announced that they were about to light the gazebo, so everyone started a countdown. When

Photos by: ana anderson

the gazebo lit up you could hear all of the oohs and ahs as people looked at the beautiful work that was done to it.

of how it loops around in a circle. Some of the girls had even had themes to their room. Megan Schoenthal and Soon after the lighting they Jasmine Warren had their announced it was time to go room themed around Narnia: see the girls’ decorations. Right The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, it was furnished after the announcements, with fake snow, fake plants, the girls started running as a lamp post, and pretty blue fast as they could to their lights. Karissa Hood and Iletsy dorm so that they could Perez had their room Grinchmake all of their last minute themed with tons of green adjustments. The girls’ dorm lights, a hand drawing of the lobby was decorated with Grinch, and the song “You’re a large tree with presents A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” under. Ben Fernandez said playing in the background.

“It [the girls’ dorm] was very Seth Gagatam Said,“I liked extravagant.” Some of the Karissa’s [room] because it guys who had never been was the most Christmassy” in the girls dorm before said that it looked like a “never After being in the girls’ ending labyrinth” because dorm for about 20 minutes,

everyone was told to clear out and head towards the guys’ dorm. The guys’ dorm lobby was nice with the wall wrapped in wrapping paper, and all of the lights that were put up.Emma Ruckle said, “I loved the boys dorm lobby, it was wonderful.”

Some of the rooms in the guys’ dorm were truly impressive. For example Brandon Patton and Ethan Roth wrapped up every wall in their room, and had a beautiful nativity scene fitted with a Bible opened up to Luke 2, which details Jesus’ birth and the shepherds and wise men showing up. Josias Velasquez and Nikita Charchian’s room looked amazing with their large Christmas tree and their little toy T.V. that had a model of The North Pole inside of it.

So many people put so much effort into making their rooms look amazing for this event. Nadia Bibulivic said, “I loved Brandon and Ethen’s room, they put wall paper all on the ceiling.” And the rooms that had snacks in them seemed to be enjoyed just a little more than the ones without.The lobbies also looked amazing thanks to The dorm workers of each respective dorm. It seemed like everyone had a good time with this event and enjoyed the opportunity to show off their creative spirits. This year’s Campus lighting was a huge success and everyone that participated should be proud of all the hard work that they put into decorating.

World News

WORLD’S FIRST EYE TRANSPLANT IS SUCESSFUL! Kyle Dudegon

On May 27, 2023, for

the first time, surgeons managed to transplant an entire human eyeball.

The surgery lasted 21 hours and had a team of over 140 surgeons, nurses, and other medical professionals.

It was led by Eduardo D. Rodriguez, MD, DDS, who is the director of the face transplant program, the Helen L. Kimmel Professor of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, and chair of the Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery at NYU Langone.

Aaron James,who was the recipient of the surgery, was working in Mississippi when a live wire touched his face and sent a 7200-volt electric shock through his entire body. Aaron sustained significant injuries from the accident, and doctors wondered if he would even survive. He suffered multiorgan system failure and spent six weeks in a medically induced coma.

Back in Arkansas his wife, Meagan James and their daughter Allie, who was in high school at the time, were driving back from the grocery store when she had her phone ring. She said she did not recognize the number

but decided to answer.

When she answered, she said she was told about Aaron being in a serious accident. She then proceeded to pack a bag immediately when she got

okay or if he was going to be okay. The doctor said that the only thing he could promise was that Aaron would not die before she got there.

Aaron was transported to

home, and started on the four-and-a-half-hour drive to Mississippi.

On her way to the hospital, a doctor called her and described Aaron’s condition to her, saying that he had been electrocuted. Meagan began asking if Aaron was

different medical centers for more intensive care, reconstructive surgeries, and to have his left arm amputated. He was then flown to a burn unit inside of Dallas, and his daughter Allie, who was staying with her grandmother at the time, got to visit him.

Photos by: Google photos

“When I saw him, his chinbone was exposed,” Allie said. “I could see his eye socket and everything. I was seeing his skull, and I think that is the part that was kind of freaky for me. I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, his face is gone.’ Most of my worries were just how he was going to be when he was awake and aware.”

Aaron said he didn’t even remember the accident at all, citing that he got up, went to work, and woke up six weeks later in Texas. He said, “it’s a weird feeling when you all of a sudden wake up in a hospital.”

The first time Aaron saw himself was when he asked Meagan to take a photo of him. She hesitated and asked him if he was sure about that.

He replied, saying that he would be fine. When he saw the photo of himself, he said, “oh my goodness, this is a bad deal right here.”

The medical care team assigned to Aaron had mentioned the possibility of a face transplant to Meagan; she then brought the idea to Aaron, who said he was all for it.

“As soon as the face transplant got talked about, I thought, ‘Man, this is a big deal,’ because they just don’t do those every day,’ Aaron said.

After they had removed his left eye due to the amount of pain it caused him, Dr. Rodriguz talked to Aaron about the possibility of not just doing the partial face transplant but a whole-eye transplant. However, the doctor warned Aaron that the transplanted eye may not restore his vision. “But even if it don’t work, I’ll have an eye and will at least be normal looking, and then you all could learn something from this.

You have to have a patient zero,” said Aaron.

3

THE HIGHLANDER • January 17, 2024

Mental Health

GETTING RID OF BAD HABITS Shiloh Bushey

When it comes to personal growth and self-improvement, getting rid of bad habits is essential. Whether it’s not going to bed early enough, eating the wrong foods, or not doing homework, our bad habits can hold us back from accomplishing great things and finding our true potential.

To break a habit, you have to identify the habit, set clear goals, and be patient.

When it comes to identifying a bad habit, start by looking at your values. Ask yourself, “Do I put value in this bad thing rather than in this good thing?” When you care more about your phone than you do your sleep, sleep becomes less of a priority which leads to a bad habit. You can also ask friends or family to help identify some habits you haven’t noticed. Keeping a journal is also a very good way to keep track of what you do in a day. So keep a journal of all your habits and go over it once a week to see what you can improve. A journal can also help identify what triggers a habit. When you lie down with your phone in your hand,

Lulu Lopez Have you ever wondered about JP Mathis? This month’s highlight presents Ms. JP Mathis. She is the Dean of the girls’ dorm, and she helps coach gymnastics. She loves to travel, and she’s very active. She likes to keep her body healthy as much as her mind. JP is a counselor and mentor for many students, especially in the girls’ dorm.

Where did Miss JP grow up?

Miss JP is actually from Prattville, Michigan. She has two brothers, two sisters and four foster brothers. When asked what it was like, JP said, “My parents are great people who love to help. Even though times got rocky and it was sometimes hard, we were always surrounded by love.``Our very JP is one of the most humble people you'll meet and it seems she's always been that way. You can also tell JP is a family person, the moment you meet her and she tries to help the girls in the dorm stay close with their family too. She reminds them how our parents only have good intentions for us, and encourages us to break down any walls we might have.

Where does JP like to travel to?

Miss JP loves to travel.

Since she likes to be active, she enjoys going to places that cater to that. Her favorite ones

it triggers the brain into thinking “Oh! I’m going to scroll or text friends.” Rather than “Oh! I’m in bed now, time to sleep.” After noticing what triggers a bad habit, notice what gives you motivation for this habit. Is this habit a need? Or is it simply for comfort?

Identifying a bad habit is only the first step. Once you’ve identified a bad habit you can take action to get rid of it.

Setting a clear goal makes it easier to take the steps to being free of a bad habit. Think about the future. Where are you? What are you doing? Identify what you want, like a career, a relationship, and health. Now that you have a picture in your head, make your goals more specific. Make sure these goals are clear and measurable and stay realistic.

An example would be instead of saying, “I want to get more sleep,” say, “I will start going to bed at 9:00 p.m. every night.”

Next, break it down into smaller milestones. This way you can keep track and stay motivated.

Work-Life by Atlassian says to use an acronym called SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Writing down goals using SMART helps solidify what you want to accomplish so you don’t get lost. Identify what may hold

you back and think of solutions.

Develop alternatives. Let’s say you want to stay at your friend’s house overnight but you want to go to bed at 9:00pm. Knowing your friend, you expect they will want to be up late so make sure they know when you want to be in bed. If you don’t think they will respect that or if you think it is too easy to accidentally stay up too late, just don’t go. At least not until your new habit has been very well established in your life. Seek support and accountability. Ask your friend or family to check in on you and remind you to stay on track.

Develop patience. Changing a habit takes lots of time. It doesn’t happen overnight. Remember everyone moves at their own speed.

There are many benefits to being patient. It’s not about the wait. It’s about the growth you experience in the time of waiting. Calmness and a mentality of less worry come with patience. Consider what you can and can’t control before making expectations, allow for flexibility and keep them realistic, otherwise, the wait will seem even more treacherous.

Break tasks into smaller bites so you don’t feel like you’re

falling behind and get impatient.

Notice what triggers you to become anxious and impatient. Practice noticing what you’re grateful for and try to keep a positive mindset.

When you do this you begin to realize you already have so much and so worrying is pointless. Seek support from those around you.

In the bible, there is a story of a man who was crippled. His friends brought him to Jesus was healed.

Who we choose to be our friends is important. Therefore, choose friends who will be a good influence and who have good patience so you can reach out for help.

We all struggle with bad habits.

Some more than others, but the truth is we can all always improve.

By reflecting on our values, setting a realistic timeline, and developing patience, we can work on our bad habits one at a time. No one is perfect, but there are always ways to change for the better. Remember to regularly review your goals and seek support. Setting your goals is for your own personal growth, not someone else. With the right motivation and determination, you have the power to turn your life around. When it seems impossible, lean on God and He will absolutely deliver you.

Highland Highlight

LEARN MORE ABOUT DEAN JP are Gatlinburg and Cades’ covers. But these are her honorable mentions: “Downtown Chattanooga, the Nashville General Jackson boat ride is fun, and the Opryland hotel is beautiful this time of year.”

All of these places are very JP. What is one way JP likes to stay connected with God? JP likes to memorize bible verses “That remind me how powerful God’s

promises are, especially if something is going on.”

She also says, “I like to remember that I am not alone, so I look for verses in the Bible about that.” JP always tells the girls “There is always something to be grateful for,” and she is right. Her positive energy and spirit inspire a lot of girls. Keeping a positive mindset during the school year.

Why is JP a dean?

How did she become a dean you ask?

She said God called her to be a dean. It was back in 1993-1994, and before being a dean she was a physical education teacher and coach. When asked why she is a dean, she answered “I love being a dean. It is like being a mom, and what greater ministry.”

What is JP's favorite food?

JP is vegetarian, and even though that means there are limitations, her favorite

foods are very common. Her most favorite dish is Thai, ‘I like the spice and they have a variety of veggie dishes”.

It makes sense for Miss JP to be vegetarian; she loves to stay healthy. Her second runner up is a veggie burger and fries, and who doesn't love a good fry.

Lastly, how long did JP date Mr. Mathis until they got married, and how did she know he was the one?

They got married a few

weeks after she graduated from Andrews University. “we were good friends for 2 years, and then dated for two years.” JP she had prayed a lot and says she knew he was the one because “he checked all the boxes of a Godly man, great humps, easy to talk with, he loved kids and treated his mom with great love and respect, he opened the door for girls, and kept a clean car and room” Jp encourages the girls to make a checkbox too whenever we start looking for spouse. She also says “all these traits I realized before we even started dating” And still to this day, Mr. Mathis and Miss JP are still together, growing spiritually, and learning from each other while still in love. I think we can agree that that's the kind of love we want for our future, so I think I'm going to start my own list of things.

Miss JP is not only a mentor; she also inspires a lot of the young girls here at Highland. Her high positive spirits, no matter the circumstances, make some of our bumpy roads easier. She always offers a prayer, whether it is to celebrate success, or to remember what we have to study, JP isa always there.

She's the kind of person you never forget and always want around. We love our JP!

Picture provided by: Stephanie Rufo

4

Visit us at highland-academy.com

World News cont.

Aaron was listed as a eye transplant with a face Looking ahead, Aaron, potential recipient in is a tremendous feat many Meagan, and Allie are February 2023. The have long thought was not preparing to celebrate opportunity came for possible. We’ve made one Christmas together in a few weeks. Aaron can the surgery in May, just major step forward and now smell and taste a few months later. It have paved the way for was a risky operation the next chapter to restore and looks forward to the Thanksgiving meal. He for Dr. Rodriguez and vision.” also still holds out hope his colleagues. No This new surgery brings medical team had ever an unprecedented window that one day, he may be able to see out of his performed a successful into how the human eye human eye transplant tries to heal itself. Doctors donor’s eye. Aaron said, “A transplant of this kind in a living patient. “It’s said there appears to be has never been done, and completely uncharted a direct blood flow to the transplants have a unique territory,” Dr. Rodriguez retina, which is the part said. of the eye that allows the way to work, and even in face transplants, things The surgeons at NYU eye to send messages have occurred that we who performed the to the brain. “We’re not would not have imagined, surgery said that Aaron claiming that we are was recovering well going to restore sight,” Dr. so I’m hopeful.” and that the donated Rodiguez said. “But there Credit: Jacqueline Howard CNN eye looked remarkably is no doubt in my mind Karen Welntraub healthy. When Dr. [that] we are one step NYC Langone Health Writers Rodriguez was asked closer.” While there is no about the surgery, he certainty that Aaron will said, “The mere fact that regain vision in his new we’ve accomplished the eye, doctors do not rule first successful whole- out the possibility either.

Photo By: Google Photos

THE DANGERS OF THE POPULAR APP TEMU Kyle Dudegon

Back in July 2022, the online marketplace “Temu” was founded. Temu is a website that proclaims that you can “shop like a billionaire” while only spending a fraction of the cost. According to Google, by September 2022, Temu had become the most downloaded app in America, with over 24 million downloads, but now has over 250 million.

Around this time, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) started receiving many complaints ranging from bad quality items to items never showing up.

The company that owns Temu (PDD Holdings) has a history of stealing user information via malware, aka malicious software, with Temu’s sister app, Pinduoduo. Pinduoduo was removed from the Google Play store in March 2023 for malware found in its source code, according to CBS news. And because of the affiliation, some people are concerned about whether or not their information is safe on Temu.

Photo By:Google Photos

makes them a very lucrative target for cybercriminals.

Another permission that the app doesn’t ask for, that makes experts nervous is their access to your Wi-Fi information. With this permission, a person could potentially open up a pathway to infiltrate your sensitive information through the network. Says Kim Kommando, Cyber security expert.

Comments on the BBB website suggest that Temu has been stealing credit card information and making unverified purchases with the While Temu does stolen credit cards. Some of want to capture as much These comments proclaim that information from you as upwards of $2000 in purchases they can, they are not were taken from accounts soon alone in that. Many apps such as Facebook, Google, after using Temu. A customer said that Temu took $400 from and Amazon do take and her over two months. She said use a lot of information that once a day, a charge for about you. But unlike $3 would show up, a small these other apps, Temu enough amount of money that will take information would go unnoticed. She said such as your computer she received emails from her or phone’s operating bank warning her of suspicious system information, your activity and possible fraud.

IP address, GPS location, She believed the emails were a browsing data, and scam and said, “I’m not falling biometric data. Cyber security experts say there is for this. I know they just want no need for an e-commerce me to click the link so they can hack me.” Eventually, she app to collect and realized these charges were store biometrics. Unlike accurate after checking her passwords, biometric data account statement and seeing can’t be changed, which

three pages of fraudulent charges, all coming from different parts of the world.

According to Daily Dot. Outside of the concerns about the information being stolen, there is also concern for the items you order even arriving at your house or arriving damaged. A complaint on the BBB website talks about how they had placed a couple of orders with Temu, but the order was in a damaged and torn box, and items were missing. When he went to Temu’s customer service to resolve the problem, he was refused a refund and ignored. Another customer said he ordered $50 worth of merchandise, and none of it ever arrived at his house.

class action lawsuit against them by a man named Eric Hu because he claims that “Temu has relaxed its security policies that allow the widespread and systematic theft of its customers’ personal and financial information,” Hu claims. He also states that Temu saves costs by failing to comply with reasonable security standards that would protect the personal information of its customers.

Hu goes on to argue that users of Temu are at an ongoing risk of having personal data compromised because of the company’s “knowing violation of its obligations to abide by the best practices and industry standards in protecting customers’ personal information.”

The Class action states, “Defendant’s actions did not come close to meeting the standards of commercially reasonable steps that should be taken to protect customers’ personally identifying information.” Hu states that he wants to represent a nationwide class and consumer fraud multistate class of consumers who have regenerated their accounts with Temu at any time between July 2022 and the present day.

As with anything promising a wide range of benefits, it’s only natural for someone to sit down and wonder if it’s too Other Customers’ complaints are about the lack good to be true. Temu seems to be one of the things that is of quality in the items they receive, citing that the quality too good to be true. They have a spotty history of delivering of the items are horrible and products, products arriving in saying that you are “basically good condition, information buying garbage wrapped in theft, and privacy invasion. plastic”. Another customer While Temu appears to be this talked about how she amazing place where you can ordered multiple shirts and nightgowns. She said that only “shop like a billionaire”, the socalled positives don’t seem to one of the shirts she received outweigh the evident risks. was wearable and that the quality was so bad “it was not even worth two dollars.”

Temu is also receiving a

5

THE HIGHLANDER • January 17, 2024

Religion

SPREAD THE WORD GOES TO 4 CHURCHES Stephanie Rufo

Highland Academy has many longstanding traditions, one being “Spread the Word,” which began around 2013.

Spread the Word started with the intention of helping the school grow enrollment, but also as a way to connect with the community that supports Highland and its mission to develop Christ-like characters and lifelong learners.

At its conception, the entire school would set out to visit churches; as time passed and enrollment increased, sending the 130+ students out became challenging, so sign-ups began.

This year, we had 44 students sign up, not knowing what part of the service they would help with but signing up wanting to serve God. Four groups were created, with a staff member guiding them as they decided who would take the different roles. The groups committed to visiting two churches, one in November and the other in February.

Visiting smaller churches, not equipped to hold the school’s choir or band, allows each church to open its doors to young people and make them feel welcome. Data shows that most young

people will leave the church when they don’t feel like they belong or have a role to play. We pray that our Spread the Word shows our students and others that our young people can lead, serve and share God. Brandon Patton, a senior, has been working on a sermon to present, not knowing when God would use him to share the message titled “The veil over the heart.” He was excited to visit Zomi Bowling Green

church.

Adriel Garcia, a senior, had the privilege of participating in Spread the Word for the first time.

His group visited the Nashville Spanish church with their leader, Mrs. Lopez. As part of planning, they decided to have a theme, “God and His Divine Plans,” to help correlate the songs, children’s stories, special music, and who would share a testimony. Adriel helped with song service and spoke of

happy that she participated in offering prayer throughout the service. Naomi enjoyed being with her friends and stepping out of her comfort zone.

Student leadership in our churches helps to develop ownership by participating in ministry areas, discovering new gifts, and being mentored. Spreading the Word allows each student to deepen their faith in God and equip them for leadership in the future.

Many students attended Spread the

church, which presented a challenge for a firsttime speaker of having a translator.

Though it did make it difficult, Brandon leaned on God to deliver his message.

He is looking forward to writing another sermon and being able to share it in February when he visits the Nashville Korean

his experience on last year’s mission trip to Nicaragua.

Naomi Houston, a shy sophomore new to Highland Academy, signed up for Spread the Word because a friend encouraged her to.

Naomi didn’t even know what it was about! She typically doesn’t like being upfront but was

Word for the first time. They said it was a wonderful experience and enjoyed meeting the congregation and sharing a meal. Students said spreading God’s word in our community was a blessing and look forward to being able to go out again this spring.

Photos By: Stephanie Rufo

6

Visit us at highland-academy.com

Holiday corner

GIRL’S CLUB PARTY IS A SUCCESS Shiloh Bushey and Abi Hosler

On December 9, 2023, the Highland Academy Girls Club held its annual Christmas party in the dorm. The night, unfortunately, began with an unexpected storm that turned into a tornado in the Madison and Hendersonville area, with all the girls having to shelter in the cafeteria for safety while awaiting the storm to pass.

Fortunately, it never made its way to Portland.

Once the storm passed, everyone made their way to the dining room to play games such as the Name Game, in which everyone writes the Bible character’s name down and people must guess who wrote it. Then you start guessing who wrote the people’s names and build a team. For example, Tanya, a senior, wrote the name Ruth and Sabrina’s team guessed right, so then Tanya and Sabrina began their team. The group with the largest number of members wins! It was very competitive and fun trying to guess.

The shoe game was next; this is where you find a partner and trade shoes to then answer questions.

Mia, one of the girls club officers, asked questions to the

Photos by: Casi Demaree

“contestants” that were sitting backto-back, but not touching. You hold up the shoe of the person you think best fits the question.

“Who has better fashion” and “Who is most likely to be a celebrity” were just a few of the questions.

By the end of each round if you have a certain amount right you stay for the next round, but if you didn’t get enough right, you are out.

Another fun activity of the night was cookie decorating, which Tessa, a freshman, won with her Christmas Sweater cookie. The final game before opening gifts was dressing up the girls’ RA (Resident Assistants) with wrapping paper, bows, ribbons,

or other Christmas items. The freshmen decorated their RA Fawn, sophomores got creative with Callian, the juniors worked with Tanya and seniors had a blast decorating Aurora. The seniors won this exciting competition.

Before going on Thanksgiving break, girls had drawn names for a gift exchange.

It has been exciting to try and figure out who picked who and purchase gifts for each other. We finished off the evening by revealing our names and handing out the long-awaited gifts.

Martina stated, “It was wonderful to see all the happy faces.”

The deans also gave everyone a beanie with a sunflower on it.

Dean JP explained the sentiment behind this gift was because when a

sunflower is young and immature, they always face the sun to grow, and they hope we’ll do the same.

The evening ended, but the memories will remain, Nadia said “It was fun to celebrate the season with my friends in the dorm.” What a great way to end the first semester and celebrate Christmas 2023.

7

THE HIGHLANDER • January 17, 2024

Holiday Corner

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS AT HIGHLAND Maggie Carlson

Christmas, December 25, is the most celebrated holiday in the world.

Many families celebrate Christmas in numerous different ways. Christmas is an annual celebration to memorialize the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Every family usually has their own “thing” or tradition that they do every year. These traditions unite families through memories, fun games, and good food.

There are many different traditions around the world.

Elf on the Shelf has always been a popular tradition when younger children are in a house. Elf on the Shelf is an elf that “scouts out” the naughty and nice children for Santa.

The children cannot touch the elf nor move it in any way.

The elf moves to a new spot every night because it “traveled to the North Pole to report to Santa.”

Caitlin Murrel said, “My mom puts an ornament on the Christmas tree for us to find.” First thing on Christmas morning, they compete to see who can find the pickleshaped ornament on the tree that an adult hid. Many people refuse to have anything to do with Christmas before Thanksgiving every year. However, they will go all out with the Christmas theme once it is over. Connor Silva said, “Immediately after Thanksgiving is over we start playing Christmas music and

Photo by: Maggie Carlson

we put our tree up.”

Houses are decorated, trees are put up, and some presents are already put under the tree the day after Thanksgiving.

Each family’s tradition is unique.

Luke Hallam said,

“When my siblings come home for Christmas, we play a musical piece together.

All of us play an instrument.

Sometimes, there are solo pieces or duets. It is always a great time to hang out and have fun!”

Advent Calendars are used to count down the days until Christmas Day. For each day, there is a little gift. Some advent calendars have makeup, coffee, bath bombs, and candy. It is usually uniquely picked out for the person one is given to so it matches their liking.

Another tradition is opening one present

on Christmas Eve. Because many gifts are under the tree, you get to pick one and open it before Christmas begins.

The game White Elephant is popularly played on Christmas.

Every participant places a wrapped gift in the same general area as all the other gifts. The number is typically drawn to determine the order you pick. Once the first person chooses a gift from the pile, they unwrap it and show everyone what it is. The second person who picks can select one out of the pile or steal the first person’s gift. It goes like this until everyone has gone through it. Whoever was stolen from gets the option to steal or take one of the gifts that had not been picked yet.

Secret Santa is a commonly played gift exchange.

Highland Academy set one up for all of the students. To participate in Secret Santa, first, you pick a name from a hat.

Whoever’s name you get is who you are

getting a present for, but you cannot tell them that you picked their name, hence the name “Secret Santa.”

The gift exchange day is when everyone will receive their present from the secret person. If you successfully guess who gave you the present, a prize is usually involved.

There are many more traditions out there than just these.

Christmas means countless different things to different people. It could trigger memories of loved ones and past experiences or have the joy of making new memories with family. “The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other,” is a quote by Bill Vaughan. Christmas is not just about getting presents. It is also about giving to others, spending time with family, cherishing moments, and worshiping Jesus’s birth.

8

Visit us at highland-academy.com

Activities

Samantha Roddy

Creative Corner

SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE NEW YEAR! Casi Demaree

The Highlander Staff Editor-in-chief Abi Hosler

Designer and Art Director Isabelle Laneville

Reporters

Maggie Carlson Abi Hosler LuLu Lopez Kyle Dudegon

Photographers

Activities

Ana Anderson Kyle Dudegon Naomi Housten Sabrina Mann

Casi Demaree Samantha Roddy

Sponsors

Social Media

Melissa Weisner Stephanie Rufo

Stephanie Rufo Shara Juanita Cabrales