LLA Mirror 2018-2019 Issue 4

ACADEMY’S

M I R R O R

LINDA

T H E

LOMA

RR

14 Dec. 2018 | Vol. 87 Issue 4 | Loma Linda Academy News | Established 1940s

The Mirror

Table of Contents

Briefs..........................................................................................03 Loma Linda Farmer’s Market..................................................04 Red, White, and Chocolate.....................................................05 Awesome Christmas Gift Ideas...............................................06 SA Christmas Banquet Photos................................................07 Diversity.....................................................................................08 Tolerance in the Village...........................................................10 Finals are on Their Way...........................................................12 Finals Advice.............................................................................13 Christmas Crossword..............................................................14 Flu Season..................................................................................15 Campfire Consumes Paradise Adventist Academy..............16 The Meaning of Christmas......................................................18 Christmas Playlists...................................................................19 Comics.......................................................................................20

Cover Picture: (Front Row) Alison Handysides, Serena Bhaskerrao, Amy Gonzalez, Marinah Tamura, Alyssa Knecht, Yuna Joe, Delaina Mangunsong, Abby Inostroza, Sophia Zhao; (Second Row) Andy Sandiford, Funanya Ikechukwu, Gabrielle Razzouk, Natalia Drachenburg, Amanda Bora, Danelle Taylor Johnston; (Third Row) Don Krpalek, Narintoin Chaiyakitpattana, William Herrmann, Kevin Zbierski Editor-inChief Grace Morales

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Design Editor Maya Townsend

Photo Editor Angela Jin

Copy-editor, Reporter

s Reporter

Reporter

Reporter

Mai-Mai Ty

Ethan Cruz

Cheerleen Hu

Funanya Ikechukwu

Reporter

Reporter

Reporter

Publisher

Noah Hernandez

Cyndee Xu

Lucia You

Advisor Danelle Taylor Johnston

Donald Krpalek

Briefs

• Jr./Sr. Bible Conference sign-ups were on December 6 at 9:00 pm at livelifeabundantly.org/biblecamp. Those who made the list will be posted after the weekend.

• The LLA Student Association Christmas Banquet took place at the Ritz Carlton, Rancho Mirage on December 2 from 4:30 - 9:30 pm.

• The high school SA elections results will be posted soon.

• Enjoy Christmas break from December 24 - January 7 with the start of our third quarter • Second semester starts January 7.

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Loma Linda Farmer’s Market By: Maya Townsend One of the most popular features of the area around Loma Linda is Market Night in Redlands.

Many students make their way to Downtown Redlands during breaks and during the holiday season. However, for the past several weeks, Loma Linda has also been hosting a farmer’s market on Tuesdays from 4-8 pm.

They have fresh produce, live music, clothing, jewelry, and a variety of food items. These options include tamales, vegan sushi, and fresh pizza.

I had a Margherita pizza from the PIE X CO concession stand. It was a bit on the pricey side, with the total check coming out to $10 for just the pizza.

The wait was also a bit long, despite having no one in the line in front of me. It was understandable due to the fact that they made the pizza fresh and it had to sit in the oven for a certain amount of time. Once the pizza came out, however, all the anticipation paid off.

The pizza was perfect for such a cold night. It was so cheesy and stayed hot until I finished it. Next time I go, I would like to try a vegan tamale from the Vegan Tamale Company or vegan sushi from Jades Sushi.

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On Tuesday, December 4, the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the Loma Linda Civic Center was held at 5 pm. On this particular occasion, the Farmer’s Market had a Santa Claus for people to take pictures with, a children’s petting zoo, live music, and, of course, food. The tree can now be seen outside the civic center off Barton Road and lights up as the sun is setting.

The Loma Linda Farmers Market has a warm, comfortable environment, even as the weather cools down. It is perfect for a night out with friends and family. If you’re ever bored on a Tuesday night or over break, stop by Loma Linda City Hall off Loma Linda Drive, to check it out. Although it may not seem like much now, hopefully in the future, the market will expand to include more food and drink options and attract a larger group of people.

Red, White, and Chocolate By: Funanya Ikechukwu

Peppermint bark is a dark chocolate candy lay-

ered with white chocolate, and sprinkled with peppermint candies. Peppermint bark is a recipe that requires few ingredient and can be an eye-pleasing, delicious Christmas gift. This recipe is based on allrecipes.com version of peppermint bark.

Ingredients

12 ounces of chopped, dark or semi-sweet baking chocolate; it is recommended to use chocolate with a minimum of 31% cocoa butter ( you may also use chocolate chips) 12 ounces of chopped, white baking chocolate; it is recommended to use chocolate with a minimum of 31% cocoa butter (you may also use chocolate chips) 6-8 full- sized peppermint candy canes or 16-28 peppermint hard candies.

Supplies

Rubber spatula or metal spoon Microwaveable or heat-safe bowl and pot Parchment paper Cookie sheet

Directions The first step is to crush your candy canes. Put the candy canes in a food processor and pulse roughly three times for about 5-10 seconds each pulse. If you do not have a food processor available, you can place the peppermint candy into a Ziploc bag, grab a rolling pin, and smash the peppermint candy into the size you desire.

Now, it is time to temper your chocolate. There are two ways to temper chocolate: in the microwave or on the stove. To temper chocolate in the microwave: put the dark chocolate in the microwave in microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave on high for 10-15 seconds, and carefully but quickly take out the chocolate, and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat, until the chocolate is almost completely melted. The chocolate should be a bit lumpy, and stir it until it is completely smooth. Take caution to not burn yourself on the warm chocolate.

To temper on the stove, fill a pot with a couple of cups water and bring the it to a simmer. Place a bowl on top of the pot with the the chocolate inside. The bowl should not touch the water, and there should be at least 2 inches to 3 inches of space between the bowl and the pot. Stir as the

chocolate is melting, and then scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix until it is smooth. Put the batch of chocolate and spread it out thinly on the parchment lined cookie sheet and into the freezer. The chocolate should freeze almost completely in 30 minutes.

Repeat the previous step for the second batch of chocolate. Use a spatula or a back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly. Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candy onto the chocolate. Freeze until the peppermint chocolate candy is solid, which may take about 30 minutes.

Cut the bark into pieces and enjoy. If you want to serve the bark at a later time, store the bark into the freezer.

Notes: Do not add peppermint flavorings or colorings to the chocolate. If you want your bark to be colorful, use candy melts in place of or with the white chocolate.

The candy melts are not chocolate, so do not expect any chocolate taste. When tempering the chocolate, watch the chocolate carefully, because you do not want it to boil or burn.

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Awesome Christmas Gift Ideas

By Cyndee Xu

What can be better than a tasty holiday?

This Cinnamon Spice candle can be \ a great gift for all ages.

Key Words: Cinnamon Spice, candles

Make the cat lovers happy and keep their feet warm.

Key Words: cotton socks, cats

Quit wasting papers.

Take notes, scan the pages using your phone to store on the Cloud, and wipe the notes off using water. You are just three easy steps away from saving those poor trees. This ever-lasting notebook will be a great gift for a student and probably yourself.

Key Words: Rocketbook, Everlast

“Alexa! Christmas Vibe!”

This year, personal assistant Alexa is making your Christmas easier than ever.

Key Word(s): Echo Dot

These socks have pug, corgi, dachshund and golden retriever on them! And they come in a gift box. Great gift for dog lovers Key Words: cotton socks, dogs

This cool book with more than 150 recipes including entrées, desserts, snacks, and drinks will turn your muggle meals into magical culinary masterpieces. Every Harry Potter fan will love this as a gift.

Key Words: Harry Potter, cookbook

All the items above can be purchased on Amazon.com. All photos from Amazon.

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SA Christmas Banquet

Photo by Noah Hernandez and Grace Morales 7

Diversity Serena Bhaskerrao (12)

Narintorn Chaiyakitpattana (12)

William Herrmann (12)

Abby Inostroza (10)

I’m Indian, and the culture is part of my everyday life. We have Indian food almost everyday. We also have many traditions like doing henna before weddings.

I am Thai. Yes of course my culture is a big part of my life.

Most of my culture is based on my ancestors, so we often go to visit my grandparents, or go to temples to pray for them and even spend time with my parents.

I am American, and yes, I’d say American culture is part of my life. My family likes to celebrate Fourth of July by watching fireworks and spending time together as a family.

My main ethnicities are Mexican and Chilean. My culture is a very big part of who I am as a person. September 18 is the Independence Day in Chile and the way we celebrate is we have a family reunion and eat traditional Chilean food while listening to their old folk songs. The people from the Andes mountains have bigger lungs and noses due to the oxygen level there and the tribe that live in the Andes mountains is called the “Mapuche” tribe which I also have in me.

I am Japanese. Culture in my life is not big, but it’s not nothing either. We celebrate New Years with traditional Japanese New Year’s dishes with a family gathering. We eat foods like Marinah Tamura (12) osechi ryori or kuromame.

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By: Angela Jin & Grace Morales

Amanda Bora (12)

Natalia Drachenburg (10)

Yuna Joe (11)

I’m Romanian, and my culture is part of my life! One of the traditions we have is every Sunday my mom makes mamaliga which is like polenta with sarmale which is like a Romanian cabbage roll. We spend time with family and friends.

I am Argentinian, my whole family raised me in the Argentinian culture and we grow up around it everyday at home. My family celebrates my culture by any holidays we have special food and parties and the way we greet people and talk to people is Shone through my culture.

I am Korean. My family has adapted a lot to the American culture, but the Korean culture still is a prominent part in our lives. One tradition we have is to get together with our families on New Years and wear our traditional clothing. We then eat and play traditional games together and the kids get money when they bow to the elders.

Sophia Zhao (10)

I am Chinese, and to celebrate my culture my family celebrates traditional festivals like the Spring Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival. We get together with family members and have a big dinner together.

Alison Handysides (12)

I’m Canadian, but my family does have some British/Spanish influence. One tradition we have is to open family gifts on Christmas Eve after dinner and open our stockings on Christmas Morning.

At my Grandma’s house we open stockings on Dia de los Reyes, or We Three Kings.

Amy Gonzalez (10)

Kevin Zbierski (12)

Funanya Ikechukwu (10)

Donald Krpalek

Andy Sandiford

I am Hispanic. One way my family celebrates our culture is on November 2 we celebrate Día de los Muertos by setting up altars with pictures of loved ones offering their favorite foods so that they can come back and visit.

I’m Polish and German. Yes, my culture is a big part of my life. My family and I eat paczki, naleśniki, pierogi, and bigos. Kid’s Day is where the children are celebrated and are given gifts and treated by the parents. But also the children are given the opportunity to discuss key issues in society and the world at large.

My ethnicity is Nigerian, specifically the Igbo tribe. One tradition that my culture has is pouring money on the bride and groom when they dance. My family also loves to dance during good times and celebrations. My cultural background has made me open-minded to other people and to be polite and friendly to the people around me.

I’m from the Czech Republic.

My culture is part of my life and I’m very proud of it. We don’t necessarily celebrate traditions, but we celebrate food. We eat strudels, potatoe pancakes or more like a potatoe crepe with lots of sour cream. We eat what’s called a Kolache, which is like a fruit pizza.

Delaina Mangunsong (12)

Gabby Razzouk (11)

Jen Salamante (9)

I am Indonesian, and my culture is a big part of my life. My family and I attend Loma Linda Indonesian, where I was able to learn about Indonesian culture, including dances and food, as well as different tribes with their own dialects. Food includes super spicy dishes along with sweet and sour desserts. I can’t speak the language, but I’m fortunate to understand a little bit.

I am half Caucasian and half Lebanese, and yes my culture is a big part of my life. My family celebrates my culture in many different ways. On my dads side at family weddings, we all dance to Lebanese music around in a circle. On my moms side, my grandma and I bake lefse, a Norwegian dessert, every Christmas.

I am Filipino and culture is part of my life. In my family, we throw Pasko’s which is just a large gatherings and it happens for almost all major holidays, there is a whole bunch of filipino food and we eat everything off banana leaves.

I am Australian. Yes, culture is a big part of my life. We like to make fruitcake during Christmas, which is different from American fruitcake. It’s more cake and less fruit. I eat Marmite on my bread, and Danelle Taylor-Johnston I always root for Australian teams.

I am from Barbados, and my Barbadian heritage is a big part of my life. It gives me a sense of identity and belonging, and I am proud of my Barbadian culture.

We celebrate Barbadian holidays like our Independence day on November 30.

I went to Redlands Adventist Academy to speak about my heritage that day. We have many foods we like to eat that day if we can get them. We also have the 12 Days of Christmas from December 25 to January 6 with lots of family meals.

Religion, sports, and education are also a big thing in Barbados.

Photos by: Angela Jin

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Tolerance in the Village By: Noah Hernandez

Variables group has brought awareness and respect for the LGBTQ+ community to our school. God has called us to love our neighbors as ourselves and not to judge. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you,” He says in Matthew 7:1-2.

Bill Henson is the founder of Lead Them Home, a ministry providing resources about LGBTQ+ inclusion and care, and wrote the book Guiding Families Adventist Edition (GFAE). Henson was interviewed via email, asking questions about the LGBTQ+ community and how we can support them.

When it comes to tolerance and acceptance, Henson said, “There is an LGBTQ+ Community, but ultimately we are talking about an ‘us’ rather than a ‘them.’ It could be our brother or sister, our son or daughter, or even our mother or father. We need acceptance because we’re talking about our family.” He continued by quoting Romans 2:14 where Paul wrote that we have no right to judge others, a point that is brought up multiple times in the Bible (i.e. Matthew 7:1-2). In GFAE, Henson addresses the high rates of harassment that LGBTQ+ teens experience. 85% of LGBTQ+ youth are verbally harassed, about 50% of them go through a form of electronic harassment, and 27% of them experience physical harassment.

Many of us have friends and family that are queer and/or trans, so sometimes we walk on eggshells 10

wondering how to treat them.

Bill Henson recommends avoiding name-calling, unless explicitly stated. Otherwise, as these words and slurs can be hurtful, think before you speak, and ask yourself if what you will say is necessary to be heard. Love your friends and siblings, show them that you care about them by listening when they talk. Keep in mind that when

safest option, but LGBTQ+ teens should have a safe place where they can be heard. Bill Henson’s advice to LGBTQ+ teens is to find an adult you can trust (parents recommended) and talk about these things, especially if you are being mistreated. If you cannot talk to anyone, then Henson proposes that, “If you are not sure who you trust, you can write to info@leadthem-

“Ultimately we are

talking about an ‘us’ rather than a ‘them.’

-Bill Henson

queer/trans people rant to you, they are not always asking for a solution, they just might want to talk. Most importantly, do not assume you know more about being LGBTQ+ than an LGBTQ+ person. It should be noted that everyone is not the same, and not everyone is comfortable with participating in certain actions.

If you would like to know more about how to support your LGBTQ+ friends, family and potentially even students, Henson’s book, Guiding Families Adventist Edition, is free of charge through Advent Source.com.

Helping LGBTQ+ teens feel safe in their environment is important. Coming out is not always the

home.org and our ministry can help you determine who might be safe to approach with any mistreatment.”source.org.

Henson wants LGBTQ+ students to remember that you can always talk to God through prayer.

He loves you and only wants the best for you. One of the most important pieces of advice for any teens wondering about their sexuality and/or gender is that coming out is a process, not a race. You should never feel rushed out of the closet and put into a dangerous environment. Everyone develops at their own pace.

Loma Linda Academy is an Adventist school, and being Adventist we have certain responsibilities to our LGBTQ+ students. Regarding how we influence these students, Henson says, “Every Christian school administrator, teacher, coach, instructor, and guidance counselor has a role to play. Every parent across the Christian school community has a role to play...

If you have teased or bullied an LGBTQ+ student, it is never too late to repent and to apologize and to become a good friend who will protect. We must make our schools safe.” Mr. Krpalek was interviewed about what would happen if one of our LGBTQ+ students were bullied for their gender and/or gen-

der. He said “We treat everybody with respect and follow the student handbook in all situations” We owe it to our LGBTQ+ students to be respectful and love them from the bottom of our hearts. We owe it to our LGBTQ+ students to educate ourselves when we do not know something. In James 1:5, it is written that if we lack knowledge, we only need to ask for it. The verse is referring to prayer, when we ask God for answers, He can and will provide them.

LGBTQ+ students, like all humans, are worthy of being loved. So regardless of religious background, whatever it may be, we should love and support one another. Henson says, “We hon-

or God when we hold to and live by biblically-sound teachings in found scripture. We cannot honor God without living by the right treatment of LGBTQ+ students.”

There are enough struggles they go through in this world; there is no need for us to be adding to their struggles. We can make our homes and school safer for them by avoiding invasive and potentially embarrassing questions. Henson says, “If we make schools and homes safe, students will feel safer in their own skin and experience reduced anxiety and fear.” definitions from Guiding Families: Adventist Edition

Words to Know:

Lesbian: Adj./Noun A woman mainly or exclusivly attracted to other women.

Gay: Adj. Being attracted to the same gender. Mostly used for but is not limited for men.

Bisexual/Bi: Adj. Attracted to two genders, but not nessecarly in the same way, or to the same degree.

Transgender/Trans: Adj. When a person’s gender identity does not match the biological sex assigned at birth. Causes the stress known as gender dysphoria.

Queer: Adj. An umbella term used for people who are not straight. In the past, the word was a derrogatory slur, but has recently been used as an identiity.

Asexual/Ace: Adj. A person who experiences no sexual attraction.

Being asexual does not mean the person has no desire to persue a romantic relationship. (varies)

Pansexual/Pan: Adj. Attraction not limited by biological sex or gender identity. Unlike bi (two), pan (all) means there is an attraction to all genders.

Genderqueer/ Non-Binary: Adj. Umbrella terms used for genders outside of male and female. Gq and nb are also used as gender identities.

Gender Dysphoria: Noun The distress felt by people when their psychological and emotional gender identity does not match their biological sex.

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Finals are on Their Way Article and photos by: Cheerleen Hu

After we enjoyed our Thanksgiving break, December, the month of testing, is upon us. This year’s schedule for the finals is a little different, because we will be having our finals before Christmas break instead of after. Viewing this important schedule change, students and faculties have many interesting opinions.

“I think having the finals before Christmas break is like a stress reliever because you don’t have to stress out during Christmas,” said Josefine Garcia (9), “Getting it over with coming sooner is kind of scary, but getting it over calms your nerves. I don’t like studying during Christmas break because I get so nervous that I’m going to forget when I get back. Usually I end up blanking. So having the finals before kind of calms me down.” Sophia Zhao (10) also held the similar opinion, “We can be more relaxed during the break if take tests before Christmas. We don’t need to worry about it when we hang out with our friends or spend time with our family.” “I think it is a good change to have the finals before Christmas break because that way we don’t have to stress during Christmas break about doing all of the crazy math assignments and the

Josefine Garcia (9)

Gabrielle Allen-Green (12)

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other classes other classes we have to stress over our break.” said Josh Tsai (11), “In the past years, I told myself that I would study, but I actually only studied on the last weekend of the Christmas break.”

However, there’s also an opposite opinion. “I don’t like about having the finals before Christmas break because I feel like everything is really rushed. It makes me feel like we don’t even have a long enough break any more.” said Gabrielle Allen-Green (12).

“I think it is a very interesting idea and I’m curious about how it goes. I see the advantage being that you will be totally relaxed when you are on break.

I think the disadvantage might be that there are finals in addition to banquet, Christmas programs, sports, Christmas parties, and Christmas vespers. I think it might add up to be a lot to put on students right now.” said Heidi Elssmann, who teaches math and physics. “I like about students having the finals before Christmas break. I think it brings the semester to a conclusion in a nice way. It ends the semester up when while students are still thinking about studying,” said Warren Jarrard, who is a math teacher at LLA.

Sophia Zhao (10)

Warren Jarrard

Josh Tsai (11)

Heidi Elssmann

Finals Advice By: Lucia You

What advice would you give for the coming finals?

“Study hard and try not to stress too much. Don’t get caught up in the test but still try to do your best, don’t spend an excessive amount studying, but don’t completely slack off because that’s not great either. It’s okay to worry about the finals. It can help you stay motivated to do well, but you shouldn’t be freaking out about it. Just know that you should try your best.”

Ross Gurule (9) “With the coming finals, it is important to not procrastinate, and to study a little bit every day at least two weeks before the tests. It will be hard to study everything the night before finals, and you will not be able to learn or remember everything if you try to cram. It’s better to write down notes and key ideas as you review your past lessons, and reread your textbook if needed.

Also, it is important to get a good night’s rest so your mind will be sharp for finals.”

Summer Hodgkin (10)

“Don’t procrastinate! That is the biggest thing! Also don’t go out on the night before finals. Stay home and study! Look back at your past homework and ask teachers what they might possibly put on the test. This helps especially so you can study the right information needed [...]! Also eat, drink water, and don’t panic.”

Nicole Kim (11)

Grant Yonemoto (12)

“It is easy to burn yourself out during finals because we all try to cram at two in the morning studying or finishing up a project. I would say pacing yourself really helps avoid burnout. Also your studying and projects will be higher quality…[you should] understand where your weaknesses are and where you need to study and invest more time. For example, AP Biology and Calculus are my hardest classes because memorizing formulas and the variety of content is harder; so I invest more time into those classes.”

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Christmas Crossword

Across: 1 Santa’s mode of transportation 4 The most famous reindeer 5 What Southern California doesn’t get during Christmas 6 Hang these on your fireplace 12 He’s made of snow 13 A colorful snack to enjoy during Christmas 16 Santa’s headquarters 18 Santa’s helpers that pull his sleigh 19 Mariah Carey’s Christmas song

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Down: 2 Popular Christmas movie featuring green 3 Decorate this every Christmas 7 Hang this plant, get a kiss 8 Article of clothing used in many Christmas parties 9 The night before Christmas 10 A warm drink enjoyed during the holiday season 11 Round decoration for your Christmas tree 14 Santa’s little helpers 15 The man who brings presents 17 Give this to your loved ones on Christmas

Flu Season By: Ethan Cruz

The flu season is the time of year when outbreaks of the flu virus are prevalent. According to Dr. Belen Lohr MD, the flu is caused by the Haemophilus Influenzae Virus. Some people contract the flu at different times during the year, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention.

Most people contract it during the coldest parts of the year, which are usually the fall and winter months. The reason why the flu virus tends to spread during the colder months than any season, is because of the chilly weather in which people are more likely to stay indoors. The flu is similar to the common cold. For one thing, the flu virus spreads as easily as the common cold. If an infected person sneezes or coughs, the virus travels through the air and when other people inhale it, they may get sick too. When the average person

“

The influenza virus caused the 1918-19 flu pandemic, which killed as many as 50 million people worldwide.

”

encounters the flu, he or she may experience symptoms such as: fever, tiredness, aches, stuffy noses, stomach aches, and/or other symptoms including sore throat, vomiting, and diarrhea.

According to Dr. Lohr, people with AIDS are not the only ones who have a high chance of getting the virus. Elderly people who are more than 65 years of age, and kids ages five and below, have a higher chance of contracting the virus. This is why it is important to get a flu vaccine. However, flu vaccines are mostly recommended to medical workers such as nurses and doctors, because they are most likely to contract the virus than anyone else.

If you are a person with a healthy body, then you are less likely of contracting the flu. Even if

you do get the flu, getting sick is not as bad as it seems. For other people who have HIV/AIDS, getting sick from the flu virus can be life-threatening.

If you are a person who just wants to be safe, then taking the flu vaccine is a good option. The flu vaccine is often injected in your body with a needle, but if you do not like needles, doctors have figured out another way to offer the vaccine in a nasal spray. All you just have to do, is spray the vaccine through your nostrils. The bad news is, even if you get vaccinated with the flu, you can still get sick.

Another thing to consider is that the flu comes in many different forms, which are called strains, each with a different genetic makeup. If your body fights off one flu virus, especially when it is vaccinated against that virus, it does not mean it will be ready for another virus. You would have to take several different vaccines, each one for every different virus.

One common question is how many people die from the flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “During the 2015-2016 flu season, CDC estimated that 310,000 people were hospitalized for flu-related illness.” 200,000 people are hospitalized because of the flu every year, and since the 1970s, between 3,000 and 49,000 have died from the disease.

Before the flu vaccine and other medicines were discovered “the influenza virus caused the 1918-19 flu pandemic, which killed as many as 50 million people worldwide,” according to the CDC. According to Dr. Lohr, the flu season is not as bad as last year’s. “There seems to be less people being sick of the flu this year than last year,” says Dr. Lohr.

There are few different methods aside from the flu vaccine to protect yourself against the flu. Eating the right food, getting enough rest, and wearing a face mask are recommended ways to prevent yourself from contracting or getting infected by the flu virus. If you stay away from people who have the virus, then you should be safe from contracting the flu.

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Campfire Consumes Paradise Adventist Academy By: Maya Townsend & Grace Morales

On November 8, the Camp Fire swept over and destroyed most of Paradise, California and surrounding areas, causing more than 14,000 homes destroyed and 88 deaths. There are also about 196 currently missing.

Our own Mirror reporter, Cyndee Xu, went to the Paradise area to help out the victims of the fire, alongside a group from Loma Linda University Church. The group arrived in Chico around 6 pm, but could not see anything because it was too dark and there were no street lights.

Despite being tired on their first day, they began their mission by setting up Easy-Up tents and serving lunch to the students of Paradise Adventist Academy. They had expected only enough food for 176 students, but ended up serving 220 servings.

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Cyndee recalls that one of the kids from the school was gluten-free and vegan, so he could not eat the food that the team served. Because it was so cold outside, the team made a small fire to provide heat, but they noticed that the kids were so afraid and quickly put out the fire. For dinner, the team fed anyone that needed food.

Throughout the week that the group was there, provided a place of worship, counselors to talk to, and lots and lots of comfort food from potato soup to haystacks. On one occasion, Chico Oak Academy provided pizza for the students of Paradise Adventist Academy.

Our Loma Linda Alumni are also dealing with the effects of the fire in Paradise. Rory and Madison Macomber who graduated in 2010 and 2012, respectively, lost their home. In an interview with Rory, he said that, “...after I told the kids to evacuate and their parents picked them up, that was my chance to leave...I went home to pack up my stuff, the third time in and out of my house the smoke was coming through the trees and I thought oh it’s time to go...The house is no longer there, the only thing that’s left is the chimney, a bathtub, and the concrete on the ground...Luckily I got all three of my dogs out...The students are pretty resilient, some have withdrawn into a shell, but for the most part they’re happy to see each other.”

We can help the victims of the disaster by donating money and raising awareness. On the first of December, Loma Linda University Church and the Loma Linda Academy music department teamed up to raise money for disaster relief. Our goal was to reach $5,000 and instead, we made $6,100. To donate money, you can go to the Loma Linda University Church website at http://lluc.org/paradise-fire-relief.html.

Photos by: Cyndee Xu

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The Meaning of Christmas

By Ethan Cruz For most students, Christmas is one of the most exciting times of the year, because that’s the time when they get a two week vacation, which is twice as long as any other school break. When Christmas break starts, the first things that most kids do are sleeping and getting up late, sitting around playing video games, watching TV, or even doing nothing at all. But there is more about Christmas than just that. There are a lot of wholesome activities that people do during the Christmastime.

Joshua Lohr (9), says that during Christmastime, his relatives from Sacramento will come and celebrate the holidays with him and his family. Occasionally, he and his family drive up to Sacramento during Christmastime to celebrate the holidays with his relatives. One time during Christmas, he and his relatives played in the snow and built a snowman, which was difficult to do. Spending time during the holiday season with family is one of the best ways of celebrating Christmas. If you live in a place that does not have snow, even during Christmas season, it is still okay because Christmas is mostly meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Hudson Stuck (11), says that Christmas for him is receiving presents, spending the holidays with family, and other holiday traditions. One thing he likes about Christmas is that the climate around that time of year is cooler than the summer. That way he would not have to worry about stepping outside and getting burned by the heat wave; also, he can enjoy the fresh cool air of winter. One of the best and most exciting things that people enjoy about Christmas is snow. In most parts of the world, there are places that have snow while other places do not.

Mentioned before, Christmas is a major reason why we honor the birth of Jesus Christ. It is not just a holiday of presents and lit-up trees, but also a day to celebrate Jesus’s birth. “For me, Christmas is more than just receiving presents and having fun for two weeks,” says Ivonne Steinmann (12).

“It is also the time to remember our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth and how much God has loved us.”

The Bible does not specifically mention the date of Jesus’s birth. In fact, no one even knows when he was actually born since the calendar that Jews used is completely different from our calendar. In this case, Jesus was probably born in a different time according to our calendar. However, we do celebrate Christmas for one very important thing. We celebrate Christmas as a reminder of how much God loved us so much, that he sacrificed his only son to Earth to save us from our sins.

What does Christmas mean to everyone? Some might say that it is about getting presents and being happy. Some say that it is only about having fun. We should learn that most importantly, Christmas is not about getting, it is about giving.

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Ivonne Steinmann(12)

Hudson Stuck (11)

Joshua Lohr (9)

Christmas Playlists

Fill your holidays with two playlists that you may like!

By: Mai-Mai Ty

Sitting by the Fireplace

Jingle Jangle

Songs

Songs

Wrap yourself in one of those big blankets, get You weren’t planning to do Christmas karaoke? that hot cup of cocoa, and just relax…

The liiies!

“Winter Song” by Sara Bareilles feat. Ingrid Mi- “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah chaelson Carey “Santa Will Find You” by Mindy Smith “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by “All My Bells Are Ringing” by Lenka Michael Bublé “Peace” by Norah Jones “Last Christmas” by Wham!

“The Heartache Can Wait” by Brandi Carlile “Deck the Halls” by Pentatonix “River” by Sarah McLachlan “Jingle Bells” by James Lord Pierpont “Silver Bells” by Alice Smith “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms “White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” by Bing Crosby “Hoping For Snow” by The Vamps “Winter Wonderland” by Michael Bublé “Space Christmas” by Allo “Little Drummer Boy” by Pentatonix “Mistletoe” by Colbie Callait “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” by “Silent Night” by Priscilla Ahn Gayla Peevey “In the Morning” by Jack Johnson “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda “Winter Wonderland” by Kate Havnevik Lee “Christmas Must Be Tonight” by Bahamas “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby “The Christmas Song” by Catherine Feeny “Twelve Days of Christmas” by Bing Crosby “Auld Lang Syne” by The Hotel Cafe Medley “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by Gene “Another Lonely Christmas” by Prince Autry “River” by Joni Mitchell “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” by Bing “Santa Baby” by Madonna Crosby “My Grown Up Christmas List” by Kelly Clark- “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande son “Please Come Home for Christmas” by Eagles “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” by Judy Garland Albums A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra by Frank Sinatra Albums A Legendary Christmas by John Legend This Christmas Day by Jessie J Elvis’ Christmas Album by Elvis Presley You Make it Feel Like Christmas by Gwen Stefani Christmas is Here! by Pentatonix 19

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Comics by: Mai-Mai Ty