8 September 2021 Vol. 82 Issue 1
Loma Linda Academy News Reflecting on LLA since 1940
9/12-15 HAVASU SENIOR TRIP
9/17 SA BEACH VESPERS
@lla.mirror
CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF STUDENT NEWS
Briefs
LLA Handshake BY ALEXANDER SALLES
On the evening of August 16 of 2021, LLA had the annual handshake on the high school football field. It was a historical moment for all students and teachers because it was the first handshake where we were not able to shake hands and the fist bumps had to be enough. LLA Handshake has been an annual tradition for more than thirty five years now, with the exception of last year. In 2020, when COVID-19 hit, we did not have the handshake celebration at all, breaking the streak. Though a welcome back drive through took its place. This year’s handshake was not only a way to bond with each other, but also a way to show to ourselves and everyone else that we made it through quarantine. We gathered and played but the entire school “handshake” greeting line was replaced with the fist bump greeting line.
9/13-15 MAP TESTING
@lla.mirror
MIR ROR
9/9-10 STUDENT OFFICE ELECTIONS
The event helped bond the student body. Students are excited to be back and to reconnect. We all look forward to this year as one of the best of our lives. As students, we are glad to be in a safe environment which involves sanitizing our hands, wearing masks and respecting each other and the guidelines given to deal with this virus. But most importantly, during this school year we look forward to establishing a strong relationship with God and our fellow students.
COVID-19
BY SAMANTHA ZANE
The US now has 61.61 percent of the populations at least partially vaccinated as of Sept. 6. There have been 648,468 total deaths in the United States from COVID-19, as of Sept. 5, according to worldindata.org.
Afghanistan
President Biden ordered the U.S. troops in Afghanistan to be fully evacuated by Aug. 31, leaving between 100-250 American people who wanted to leave, according to CNN.
Caldor Fire
In Californian History, the Dixie fire is now the 2nd largest fire, as of Sept. 6 at 7:40PM, and the Caldor fire is now the 15th largest wildfire, as of Sept. 6 at 7:36 pm. The Dixie fire is 58% contained and the Caldor fire is 48% contained, according to fire.ca.gov.
Hurricane Ida
Hurricane Ida was a category 4 storm which destroyed and injured many. It left over 884,000 customers with no power in Louisiana and 14,000 have no power in Mississippi, according to ABC News on Sept. 1.
Haiti Earthquake PHOTO BY STEPHANIE LOPEZ
A 7.2 earthquake Haiti on Aug. 16 leaving a death toll of over 1,200 people.
From Textbooks to Computers
A Musical Retreat
This year LLA is going more digital. Every student this year has received a personal computer on the first day of school to assist with online homework and textbooks. As school began, teachers gave out lists of what books to get for each class. Students then ordered them online and waited for the books to arrive. Tests in school were usually completed the ‘old fashioned’ way also through pencil and paper. However, this year in some classes now, teachers give a code to a digital copy of the text book instead of requiring the hard copy helping save money as well as the environment. Additionally, all teachers are using Canvas, the schools online platform, to administer tests rather than paper copies. These are just a few of the ways that LLA is switching ‘old school’ to digital.
The Pro Musica and Wind Symphony retreat took place from the 20th to the 22nd of August this year at Camp Cedar Falls. Loma Linda University Church Youth Pastor Chris Stanley went up to the camp to lead worship services. Both groups grew closer and bonded together through the spiritual and emotional connection of music. Additionally both groups performed music pieces for each other during the last day of camp.
PHOTO BY DANELLE TAYLOR JOHNSTON
BY STEPHANIE LOPEZ
Reporter
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Andrew
Jason
Adorador
GregoriusGrakov
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Alexander
Lopez
Salles
BY ERIN STONE
PHOTO BY NICOLE SEHEULT
Editor-inChief Allison Kim
Reporter Erin Stone
Copy Editor
Design Editor
Online Editor
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Larissa
Nicole
Abigail
Calixto
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Reporter Samantha Zane
Advisor Danelle Taylor Johnston
Publisher Hans Figueroa
New Teachers Join LLA BY THE MIRROR STAFF
Spring Benfield
Nestor Desia
Spring Benfield, vice principal, was very happy to return to LLA after leaving preCOVID. Benfield loves LLA and is happy to be back. She said she decided to return to LLA because “I prayed about it, and I have friends here that make me laugh. I like working with professionals that make me laugh. So when I was called and asked to come back, it was an answer to prayer. My response was one of jubilation.” Benfield enjoys reading mysteries, playing piano, cooking, and traveling when able.
Nestor Desia, history teacher, grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Desia graduated college in 1991 from Antillean Adventist University, Puerto Rico with a bachelor’s degree in Theology and History. He completed his education by getting a master’s degree in education in 2012 at La Sierra University, Riverside, CA. Since high school, Desia’s dream was to become either a pastor or a teacher because he believes that the purpose of both is to share Jesus with others. In his free time, Desia likes to play volleyball, soccer and tennis. He also enjoys cooking, gardening, photography, reading and riding a bike with his family. Desia knows several languages. His native language is Spanish and he also knows Portuguese and English.
Pendeza Lawrence
Dennis Richards
Pendeza Lawrence, Algebra teacher, came from teaching at the LLA junior high and now she teaches Financial Algebra, Algebra I and II for all grades in high school. Lawrence states, “I actually didn’t choose to teach math. I think it chose me in a weird way.” She taught Biology and was recruited to teach math twice. “I was a scientist and in public health,” Lawrence said. Some of her hobbies are singing, dancing, playing board games, and watching movies, but mostly hanging out with her daughter and family. Her favorite type of music is the genres that moves you with the lyrics. She grew up with R&B Soul, “It’s about the lyrics. And I listen to Christian Rap too,” Lawrence said. She states that the most important thing students must learn is, “God loves us with this love we’ll never understand. We can’t put Him in a box, which many people have done. He loves you regardless and that’s why you’re here. Serve Him is your choice, but He’ll still love you.
Dennis Richards, math teacher, has been teaching for 33 years. He said, “What has given me the greatest joy as a teacher is watching a student grow mentally, emotionally and spiritually over the 4 years of high-school. Seeing students mature and finally develop deeper thinking on the things that matter in life is refreshing.” Richards said that his LLA experience has been incredible, as there is more diversity in the student body, which is refreshing to see. Richards hobbies include whip cracking, which is a sport used during livestock driving and horseback riding. The sport has also become somewhat a type of art. He also likes reading about biblical archeology and reading the latest research in physics and science. “These things build my faith in God.” Richards added, “Students should know that I take their Christian walk seriously and want them to be in Heaven.”
Stephen Song
Karlie Rosario
Stephen Song, Chemistry and A&P teacher, was born in Daegu, South Korea and grew up in Toronto, Canada. Before he came to LLA, Song taught at Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy as a middle school teacher. He found his calling to be a teacher after going on a mission trip to the Philippines. There, he realized how much he loved teaching students, which influenced him to become a teacher. After that, he got a job as a teacher in Northern California. Song’s goals for this year are to learn all his student’s names, do a good job teaching them. In his free time, he loves to read books and sleep. He especially likes reading comic books and to collect them.
Karlie Rosario, or “Coach K” as most students know her, is the new study hall monitor and librarian at Loma Linda Academy. Coach K has been in the education system for almost 13 years. She grew up in Modesto, CA, and attended Modesto Adventist Academy. She lived in Hawaii for three years before coming to Loma Linda. Coach K loves sports and she coaches several of the sports teams at Redlands Adventist Academy including the Flag football and Basketball teams. She loves sports movies; her favorite one is Remember the Titans.
New Students Join LLA BY THE MIRROR STAFF
Emerson Ayal (9)
Emerson Ayal (9) loves playing soccer, reading, surfing and basically anything to do with the beach. “I like the ocean and I’m not scared of it,” Ayal said. He listens mainly to 80s and 90s rock as well as pop. His one and only sibling is his younger brother and they have a dog. “He is a mutt, mainly rottweiler and saint Bernard,” Ayal said. About coming to LLA Emerson says “It feels different. I’m not used to this big of a school because RAA is like the entirety of LLA. It’s been different but it’s a lot of fun.”
Dharene Dionson (9)
Dharene Dionson (9) came to LLA after being homeschooled for her whole life. She said, “I thought it would be nice to go to a Christian school and get new opportunities.” She said that so far she is really enjoying LLA and the people are really nice to her. Some of her hobbies include reading, playing volleyball, and bullet journaling, which is an organized calligraphy journal.
Landon Hamestra (10)
Ella Parsons (10)
Landon Hamestra (10) had a great dislike for homeschooling, that’s why he is very glad to be at LLA this year. “It feels great to be back at LLA. I hated Griggs because there was no socializing and I was not happy there, so I’m very glad I came back here”, stated Hamstra. Hamestra wishes to own a pet one day, since he doesn’t have one. He stated, “I want a dog or a cat. I don’t care, I just want a dog or a cat”. From the great controversy of pineapple on pizza, Hamstra expressed his opinion, “I don’t think it belongs there because the sweet kinda clashes with the pizza taste. It’s kinda salty and greasy, so as you can see, I don’t like pineapple on pizza”
Ella Parsons (10) is a new student coming from Valley View High School in Moreno Valley. Parsons said LLA is “really nice. The people are very friendly. A lot of people came up to me on the first days and kinda asked who I am and it’s just a lot different than public school.” Parsons also says that all the teachers are really nice and her favorite subject is math. She has played the ukulele since she was five and the violin for a year. She is now playing volleyball at LLA. She is happy for not having practice or games on Sabbath since she is a Seventh-day Adventist; she always had a hard time playing at her last school because of that. Her music taste is diverse and she says “whatever is playing is playing.”
Larry Cruz Jr. (11)
Thamarah Leon (11)
Larry Cruz Jr. (11) is a new student at Loma Linda Academy. He came from Colton High School and enjoys math, although it sometimes can be challenging. Cruz likes playing sports. He is versatile in different sports, but soccer is his favorite. In fact, Cruz states that he has practiced soccer for eleven years. In his free time, Cruz likes to do gardening and other physical activities. He enjoys hiking, swimming and hanging out with friends. Cruz also likes to take care of animals. “Oh, I have a lot of pets. I have 6 dogs, 4 fish, 20 chickens and 2 cats,’’ Cruz said.
Thamarah Leon (11) is a new student at Loma Linda Academy and during quarantine she began learning how to bake. She loves to make banana nut bread and carrot bread. She decided to come to LLA to get a closer relationship with God. She researched about LLA and saw that LLA had good programs so she wanted to come here to try it out. Before coming to LLA, she attended Jurupa Hills High School in Fontana. She likes the environment better here because the students are more welcoming and willing to help each other. Outside of school, Leon enjoys watching TikToks and shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Riverdale, and On My Block. Leon also started playing volleyball more competitively during quarantine and she is now on the school’s varsity volleyball team.
Joshua DeSenna (12)
Catalina Arrington (12)
Joshua De Senna (12) is happy to have joined LLA and feels like he has created many bonds with his fellow classmates. “This school has a very welcoming environment. I’ll be walking down the hall and people will wave at me and say ´hey, what´s up?´” De Senna enjoys PE the most. He loves to be active and spend time with his friends. He plans to try out for soccer and volleyball this year.
Before attending LLA, Catalina Arrington (12) attended Bloomington Christan and two other Charter Schools. She is excited to be attending LLA. “It’s really cool, friendly and everyone is involved. I love the environment here,” she said. “It’s really different from other schools.” She is impressed with how LLA has handled the COVID-19 restrictions. When she decided to come to LLA she knew that it had a good foundation through what she’s seen online and on Instagram. She was also familiar with LLA because she had competed against LLA in sports. Some of her hobbies she picked up during quarantine are doing acrylic nails and learning more about cosmetology. Arrington has two sisters which she likes to watch anime with.
HANDSHAKE WELCOME BACK PHOTOS BY: SCOTT GUPTILL, STEPHANIE LOPEZ, ERIN STONE, DANELLE TAYLOR JOHNSTON