The Squawk December 2018

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HARTFIELD’S NEWS

DECEMBER 2018

FOR TO US A CHILD IS BORN, TO US A SON IS GIVEN, AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ON HIS SHOULDERS. AND HE WILL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE. -ISAIAH 9:6

L E T ’ S TA L K A B O U T T H O S E C H A M P I O N S H I P S ! By: Kathryn Moss Hartfield’s 2018 varsity volleyball team had a phenomenal season this year with twenty-two victories and five losses over all. They won the state title with their victory over Jackson Academy in the final round of the championship. Jackson Academy had won the state title the past three years. When asked how she felt about this year’s season and the championship, junior Stevie Nesbit said, “We had a lot of people on the team that I thought could be really good if they had more practice time. We did not have much practice during the summer, but we started summer league after about three practices. “When we started the actual season and began to practice regularly the team became really good. As we became really good, we were no longer humble and began to slack off during games. We would win the first set and

lose the second. At the beginning of the Jackson Academy game, I didn’t think we were gonna win, but once the game got started and we won the first set, I knew we were going to win.” This year’s varsity volleyball team not only won the state championship, but had some outstanding players. Julia Dyess was nominated for MS Max Player of the week, and there were four players who were selected to be in the 2018 All MAIS Team Members. Emma Dyess, Stevie Nesbit, Heidi Klein, and Julia Dyess were chosen to represent Hartfield on the team. As the four girls play for the MAIS Team, they will not only represent themselves, but Hartfield as well. Nesbit added, “It is very exciting, but I am more excited for the three of my other team members who are on there with me. The entire team is almost on there and that is really good for Hartfield.” (See volleyball pictures on page 4)

The Hartfield girls won the school’s first cross country state championship at Choctaw Trails in Clinton on October 23. The girls finished ahead of 2nd place Lamar School by 6 points to take home the crown. Avery Rankin won the girls’ individual title and Kaitlyn Elliot was the runnerup. Other top finishers were Anne Maree Crechale in 7th place, Mary Margaret Rankin in 12th place, and Mollie Warden in 15th place. The boys team won their 2nd consecutive state title by outpacing runnerup Simpson Academy by 19 points. The Hawks had 5 of the top 10 finishers in the meet: Matthew Robinson was the individual champion and Hill Savell was 2nd. Other top 10 finishers: Mac Magee in 6th place, Anderson Crechale in 7th place, and Luke Sanders in 10th place. Four other runners made the top 20: Caleb Warden, Caleb Jones, Owen Makamson and Jonas Cox.

NEW BUILDING: NEW OPPORTUNITIES

By: Nick Blakely As one drives by the campus at night, the hard work of so many dedicated people can be seen in the new high school building with the outdoor lighting. Walking in the courtyard creates an atmosphere unlike anything Hartfield has seen before. With only a little landscaping left to do, the new addition is nearly complete. Head of School David Horner said he is excited that all work was completed by the start of basketball season. Since the beginning of the school year, students have enjoyed multiple new classrooms, a theater, and an extended courtyard. For many students who were at Hartfield last year, the new building is a very exciting change. Last year all high school, middle school, and elementary students were housed in Building A (now the elementary and lower school administration building) and B (now the middle school building). This is a great year to be a Hawk!

Community Service: A Chore or a Lifestyle By Trevor Gartman

Donor Spotlight Thomas W. Colbert Senior Chairman of the Board Community Bank

Dorothy Height, an American administrator and educator, once said, “Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It’s important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It’s the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.” Community service is defined as “voluntary work intended to help people in a particular area.” However, this definition of community service does not give justice to the true effect community service has on a community. Volunteers are considered the “glue that holds a community together.” Without community service, communities all around the world would simply fall apart. Even the smallest task can change a person’s life forever. So, what exactly is community service? It is going

out into the world or even traveling to different places not to benefit yourself, but to benefit those whose may be less fortunate or those who just simply need help. It involves you going out into your community and making some kind of legacy or impact. 1 Peter 4:10 states, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” Each and every one of us has been given a special gift specifically by God. We don’t need to sit around and waste those precious gifts given to us. We need to use those gifts to give to others just as Christ has given to us. There are four main benefits that come from community service. First, it helps connect you to others. Volunteering allows you the opportunity to meet new people, especially if you are in a new area. It also strengthens your ties to

the community and broadens your support network. Second, community service is good for your mind and body. Volunteering helps relieve stress, anger, anxiety, combats depression, increases self-confidence, and helps you stay physically happy among many other things. Third, community service helps advance your career. It helps you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the same field as you. Community service also gives you the opportunity to practice important workplace skills that you will use later in life. Finally, community service brings fun and fulfillment to your life. It is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Service work helps you escape your boring day-today routine and try something new in life. A very popular community service opportunity is

Hartfield Academy’s Arise Week. Every year during spring break, Hartfield provides the opportunity for students to become active in community service. Some students stay in the state and help out in the community with services opportunities at We Will Go and Mission First. Others travel to foreign countries to aid in any problems they may have and to spread the word of God, to places such as Guatemala, the Dominican Republic or Haiti. Whether you go on an international trip or stay to help in the community, Arise Week helps create an impact that is felt throughout the entire world.

Be the first to find the feather! Email and tell us where you found it at oadams@hartfield. org! The winner will recieve a ten-dollar gift card and be announced in the next issue!


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DECEMBER 2018

HARTFIELD’S NEWS - THE SQUAWK

ACADEMICS AND CLUBS

MOCK TRIAL ON TRIAL: Injustice In Our Fictional Justice System By: Laura Wingo

Justice is an idea inherent in humanity. Despite the tendency for each person to have a slightly different idea of what is and is not fair, most agree that there is such a thing as equity. For this reason, society has created rules and set standards to keep humanity behaving fairly, installing a justice system in the government to enforce these standards. High schoolers can be introduced to this world of enforcement through the Mock Trial system, a competitive event where students pretend to be lawyers or witnesses involved in a fictional case that raises questions about justice. Students learn much about what can be fairly interpreted from a set of facts

and what justice even truly means. The Hartfield Hawks have participated in these competitions for two years, going on three, and have already encountered and overcome significant hurdles, advancing to the state competitions in only their second year. For the participants, education about the justice system strengthens each year. Each fictional case reinforces a different idea about fairness and honesty, and students gain new insight with each year’s experience. But sometimes justice sleeps, even in the courts. As Hartfield’s Mock Trial experience improves and expands with the years, they continue to face formidable foes that wield an unfair advantage: a class period per day set aside specifically for the studying

and practicing of the case. “Why doesn’t Hartfield simply start a class of their own?” you might ask. The answer? Honesty. Rule eight in the Young Lawyers Division rulebook states that “The [case] shall not be used as a basis for any course of study, at any instructional level, during the competition year for which the [case] is created until such time as the Final Round of the State Competition has been completed and scored.” Later on, another section of the rule clarifies that no exceptions exist to this prohibition. Some schools, however, think they have found ways to get around what they seem to see as a suggestion. During the first year of our competition against Madison Central High School,

Youth Legislature: An Experience to Never Forget By: Nick Blakely Hartfield’s largest delegation yet participated in Mississippi’s Youth Legislature from November 14-17 in downtown Jackson. Twenty-nine students received hands-on experience in state government by writing pieces of legislation and then debating with delegates from other schools across the state to try and get proposed laws passed. Students gave speeches, negotiated, and lobbied just like the real legislators do in order to get bills enacted

into law. Delegates also participated in other activities such as political rallies, press conferences, and elections. Junior Daniel Walters ran for Speaker of the House. In the end, the Hartfield delegation impressed. Their outstanding performance earned them the Premier Delegation Award, the highest recognition a delegation can earn. The award is given to a delegation based on number of bills timely submitted, 100 percent on-time attendance at all scheduled events, high participation in debates, high

voter turnout for elections, and exceptional overall behavior of the delegation. This is the first time Hartfield Academy has won this designation. Several individual students were also recognized for exceptional performances. Sophomore David Dick won outstanding Senator. Sophomore Cole Anderson and Juniors Sohan Patel and Jack Gaskin were awarded outstanding Representatives. Seniors Julie Thompson and Katie Long won outstanding lobbyists.

participants and coaches admitted that they have a class called Learning Strategies. “I had read the rules, so it was really surprising when the coach openly admitted their students practiced the case in the classroom,” said Leslie Lee, Hartfield’s Mock Trial coach. “A couple of the students confirmed they actually had a class dedicated to Mock Trial.” Lee submitted two unofficial inquiries to the Mississippi Bar to clarify whether this type of class

No response has been provided as of yet. It seems a bit unsportsmanlike that some schools have daily in-depth studies of the case, when other schools like Hartfield and Brandon High School follow the rules and work outside of school hours to get any sort of practice at all. As this year’s team begins practice, hopefully the future holds a fair solution to the injustice in our fictional justice system.

violated the rules.

TEACHER SPOTLIGHT By: Lorelai Hayden Hartfield Academy is home to some truly amazing teachers. In each issue, one teacher will be featured and a Q&A interview with them will be published. This month the featured teacher is Mrs. Hatcliff. The Squawk: Was teaching your first choice? Mrs. Hatcliff: “No, originally I wanted to be an opera singer.” The Squawk: How did you end up becoming a teacher? Mrs. Hatcliff: “I took a year off before going to grad school and needed a job in that year. A position opened up at University Christian School to teach elementary music, and the rest is history. I went to Mississippi College to get my Master of Art and Science in Music Education, and instead of continuing with opera stayed as a teacher at Hartfield.”

My mom has the ability to love everyone, even those who are hard to love. I wish I had that. My grandmother had this unwavering faith as a Christian. Even when she had Alzheimer’s, she still remembered the hymns from church. That always amazed me. The Squawk: Who was your favorite teacher in high school and why? Mrs. Hatcliff: “Mr. Shargel was my favorite teacher. He always had a high standard and treated us like adults. His teaching style was the perfect example of the Socratic method. He would ask a question and not give us the answer even when we answered it. We were challenged to think deeper and to be confident in our answers. He was kind of like Mrs. Hall and Coach DeLaughter combined into one teacher.”

The Squawk: If you weren’t a teacher what would you do? Mrs. Hatcliff: I would probably be an event planner. Weddings, parties, anything that needs an atmosphere. The Squawk: Is there a person you look up to? Mrs. Hatcliff: “I look up to my mother and grandmother.

INTERACT CHRISTMAS CARD PROJECT By: Nick Blakely Hartfield Academy grades 7-12, in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Flowood and the 172nd Airlift Wing of the Mississippi Air National Guard, took part in a very special Christmas project for overseas military troops from our state. All students were asked to write a brief message in a Christmas card to a military member they will probably never meet. This was a great way to thank them for their service and let them know we are thinking of them during the holidays. The Interact Club at Hartfield provided the cards to Bible classes last week for students to write a brief note telling service members a little about themselves. During the holidays, it is important for our service members who are away from home to know we appreciate their service to our country. “It was beautiful to see the response we received from both the Hartfield interact club and the interact students at Northwest Rankin High School,” said Randy Tinney, president of the Rotary Club of Flowood. “Between the two schools, approximately 1,000 holiday cards were sent to our servicemen and women with the 155th Airlift Squadron, a unit of the Tennessee Air National Guard 164th Airlift Wing. “The 155th is serving overseas during the Christmas holidays and includes many troops from Mississippi, which is one of the reasons we were so excited about the project. “We loved the heartfelt messages from the Hartfield students and are very grateful to the school for its contribution,” Tinney added. “And we were thrilled to hear that the cards will make it to the base in time for Christmas.” The Christmas cards were mailed on November 28th by the Flowood Rotary Club and will arrive overseas in time for Christmas.

Blakney Hatcliff

INTERACT CHRISTMAS CARD MAKING! Hartfield 2018 Youth Legislature delegates

From left to right: Jessie Isshie, Mary Presely Harrington, David Dick, and Jackson Sykes

A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT JULIE THOMPSON The Squawk: How has being student body president impacted your day-to-day life? Julie Thompson: It is a lot of hard work, but it really does pay off. I really love leading and helping people. Walking around the school people know who I am and I know them. It truly is an amazing experience. The Squawk: What are some of your duties as Student Body President? Julie Thompson: I make speeches to students and teachers regularly, plan events such as Homecoming and Heart and Soul, and I present new ideas to the administration.

Julie Thompson: I might become president or governor. I’m not really sure where I’ll be but I’m going to do something I love. The Squawk: What do you enjoy doing outside of school? Julie Thompson: Hanging out with friends and eating food, probably s’mores. I also like watching the news, or TV shows and documentaries on Netflix. I also like listening to music (all kinds), and I like going to museums and other historical places. I also like driving. I love eating sushi and Cane’s.

The Squawk: What would you tell somebody that wanted to run for Student Body President? Julie Thompson: Do it! Face your fears. Write a great speech. Run! And let the people know you love them. The Squawk: What are your plans after high school?

Julie Thompson

P H O T O S !


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DECEMBER 2018

HARTFIELD’S NEWS - THE SQUAWK

USA

Christmas: Tis the Season to be Shopping By: Laura Wingo Every year, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who came from heavenly glory to a humble origin, even by earthly standards. We celebrate the beginning of the life that would save us with sacrificial, generous love. Culture, however, celebrates something different this time of year. They celebrate celebration, spending, and glittering decoration. Nothing as simple as the stable central to the holiday. Each year, Christmas decorations, foods, gifts, and ads appear sooner and sooner.

It seems once Halloween is over, companies want to sell as much Christmas merchandise as they can, so they put it out as soon as possible. The more they push it, the more people will buy it up, right? At best, businesses give no credit to the baby in a manger, but focus on how much money they can make by selling his image in cards, posters, and inflatable lawn decorations. At worst, they stop at Santa, reindeer, and the Grinch. Even my church’s Christmas play this year alludes to the over-commercialization of the season, describing ur-

ban Christmas as a hustle of preoccupied parents buying up expensive toys for their children in a mad rush on the stores. H o w e v e r, C h r i s t m a s should not depend on overspending and decoration to have meaning, no matter what the newest Christmas commercial tells you. Avoid this trap. Ignore the new ads, over-publicized sales, and seasonal items. Remember that the holiday is about love, but most importantly about the incarnation of the One who loved more than anyone else ever has.

Stan Lee at the 2010 San Diego Comic Con from Wikimedia Commons (photo by Gage Skidmore)

A MODERN DAY SUPER HERO: STAN LEE PASSES AT 95 By: Trevor Gartman

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Are Teens Ditching Television for Netflix, YouTube? By: Henry Nhan With the rise in Internet trends and usage across the United States, young people prefer to watch the content on the Internet over the content on their TV from their TV subscription. While some people continue to watch TV to this day, others do not see the need for cable or satellite TV subscription. On the Internet, YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and other streaming providers offer an alternative way to get shows in

streamed digital format than television screens. In fact, the streaming providers have TV shows and movies that happen to come with a TV subscription which makes streaming services more accessible. Young people spend more time on the Internet than actually watching TV, and the reason mainly comes from the variety of content on the Internet. For example, YouTube hosts a huge amount of content which anyone can browse and watch videos. If some people pay for the

premium, they would have to access to shows that originally appear on the YouTube platform. Netflix and Hulu provide a variety of shows and movies which TV subscriptions do provide, but the content in these streaming platforms can be original from the same platforms. Overall, young people prefer the content on the Internet and streaming services over the TV subscription because of the content of the services and their accessibility.

The superhero community has been shaken to its core. Stan Lee, cofounder of Marvel and creator of some of the most popular superheroes today such as the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, died at the age of ninety-five. For nine decades, this man captivated people with his fantastical stories and intricate designs. The hundreds of comic books that he has helped produce have been passed down from generation to generation of families. His impact is worldwide. Stanley Martin Lieber was born on December 28, 1922, in New York City to Romanian immigrants Celia and Jack Lieber. With a lot of his childhood spent during the Great Depression, Stan and his younger brother Larry watched his parents struggle to make ends meet. He later went on to be hired as an office assistant at Timely Comics in 1939 and later became an interim editor for the company in the early 1940s. Lee also served in the Army during World War II, working as a writer and illustrator. During the early sixties, Lee was asked to create a series for Timely Comics (now known as Marvel Comics) that could compete with rival DC Com-

ic’s Justice League of America Comics. Citing writing influences like Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, and the encouragement of his wife Joan, Lee did away with some of the usual superhero conventions. With help from artist and co-creator Jack Kirby, the Fantastic Four was born in 1961. Following the success of the Fantastic Four, new characters began to be created, such as the Hulk, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Daredevil, and the X-Men. Lee was known for imbuing his characters with a sense of humanity and tackling real-world issues such as bigotry and drug use. Marvel Comics became a highly popular franchise and Lee was promoted to editorial director and publisher in 1972. In 2001, he started his intellectual-property company, POW! Entertainment, in 2001. Lee’s later life saw many struggles. His wife of nearly 70 years, Joan, died in July 2017. Lee had a health scare of his own when he was checked into a local hospital for an irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath. There were also many legal battles that were fought over the care of his estate before his death. He died on November 12, 2018. People from different ages remember the impact that Lee

had on people’s lives. Hartfield Academy Elementary School Principal John Bakelaar stated that he enjoyed comic books growing up, and that one of his favorite Marvel superheroes was Spider-Man. Unlike the hefty price tag that some comics sell for today, the comic books during Mr. Bakelaar’s time only cost around five to ten cents. Mr. Bakelaar added that the superheroes of today “are nothing like the superheroes of, say, 1960.” Hartfield junior Nate Bunger has been a fan of superheroes since he was very young. He was fascinated by them because of the creativity that is put into each and every one of them and the idea of them being able to do more than you ever thought you could. Bunger’s favorite superhero of all time is Captain America. “Everything he believes in is what I have grown up believing in,” Bunger said. “We share so many similarities that he’s really an image of what I want to do with my life. I may not be a super soldier, but I can lead others and fight for my country. Lee created characters that people could relate to and look up to. His work inspired many to be creative like him.”


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DECEMBER 2018

HARTFIELD’S NEWS - THE SQUAWK

MISSISSIPPI

MISSISSIPPI’S RACE TO THE SENATE AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN By: Julie Thompson

These past weeks were filled with all kinds of political campaigns as we finally approached the Midterms. Boldly standing out among the Mississippi candidates for Thad Cochran’s U.S. Senate seat were the two candidates who ended up in a runoff on November 27, Democrat Mike Espy and incumbent, Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith. This was a very important election for not only Mississippi but the agenda of President Donald Trump as well. If Republicans were unable to maintain a vast majority in the Senate, Trump’s agenda could come to a halt. Also, in this particular case, the results of this elec-

tion would be historic no matter the winner. If Espy were to defeat Smith, he would be the first African American senator that Mississippi has seen since Reconstruction. Smith , on the other hand, would be the state’s first female senator. Smith, the former Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce, won comfortably. But she will return to Washington carrying baggage. Not long after the Senate race began to heat up, a photo of her sporting a Confederate cap while holding a rifle began to spread like wildfire and spark concern among voters. While campaigning at Mississippi State University, she spoke of suppressing the votes of “liberal folks” from

“those other schools”. When confronted about it, Smith claimed it was only a joke. Lastly, and certainly most controversial of all, were her remarks concerning public hangings. While in Tupelo, Smith referred to a supporter, Colin Hutchinson, saying, “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.” The comment drew nationwide criticism, with some accusing her of being a racist. It’s important to learn about the candidates you are voting for and, most importantly, go vote for the ones you want to be in office. Mississippi can only be as good as we allow it to be. You have no room to complain if you don’t exercise your right to vote.

SPORTS Basketball By Emma Abrams Preparing for the upcoming basketball season, the players put in dedication and hard work through practice. The boys are focusing on being a united front and helping to keep their teammates in check. Senior player Anderson Crechale said, “We are working extremely hard to be in the best shape and the best basketball players we can be. More importantly, we are holding each other accountable as teammates.” The players focus on building each other up rather than focusing on individual gain. Looking forward to a great season, the boys practice with great effort. “It’s going to be an unforgettable season.”Anderson said, “we have high expectations of the games to come.” Since the boys are playing as a team, they have strengthened their bonds with each another. When asked why this season would be different from the rest, Anderson replied, “because we are such a close group of brothers on the court.” With the bond between the boys strengthened, they are able to focus on playing the game together as a team, not as individuals. “We know how much potential we have when we play together like that,” said Anderson.

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE SQUAWK?

INTERESTED IN JOINING THE SQUAWK? Any students 7th-12th who might be interested in being a part of our th team th can email us at: oadams@hartfield.org.

Any students 7 -12 who might be interested in being a part of our team can email us at: oadams@hartfield.org.

Volleyball Pictures Story from Page 1

Mike Espy, left, and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith during a debate on November 20th in Jackson, Miss. (Rogelio V. Solis / Pool via AP)


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