The Crest: Volume 1 Issue #1

The Crest

Hilton Head Christian Academy's Newspaper

Monthly News

2... Table of Contents

4... The Crest: a Symbol of HHCA’s Rich Heritage and Vision for the Future

A short story on how our school’s crest and logo was chosen,

5... Meet the Staff

Student Life

6... Retreat

A summary of the events that took place at our 2022 Fall Retreat.

11... Student Life

An intro to the student life interviews by Abby Spitler

12...Worship

The life of a member of worship team, written by Ava Hahn.

13... Life Outside Of School

Kyle Pepper interviews students at HHCA.

14... It’s Fall Y'all

Jillian Campanella explains what Southern residents can do to make their home feel more like fall despite the tropical weather.

Arts & Culture

17... Summer Reminiscing

Art pieces collected by Ella Grace from HHCA students.

Athletics Section

18... Aloha to the HHCA Football Team!

A recap of Hilton Head Christian Academy’s first home football game by Ivey Taylor.

20... Eagles Soar Through The South

A Recap of the Cross Country Team's Journey to States.

22... Highlights of Success

The Successes of the 2022-2023 Volleyball Season.

Fine Arts

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TheCrest:aSymbolofHHCA’sRich HeritageandVisionfortheFuture

Throughout history, a Coat of Arms or Family Crest has served as a symbol of a family’s identity and values. Originally used to identify warriors dressed in armor, each knight chose symbols and colors to represent his clan.

In keeping with the historical tradition surrounding the Coat of Arms, HHCA’s crest is a visual representation of our identity as a school family, united by our values and mission. The gold of the cross represents light and glory and the dark blue represents truth.

Foundational to our mission and central to our crest is the cross of Jesus Christ, which touches all the elements of our crest.

Over the cross is the Latin phrase, “Sancte et Sapienter”, meaning holiness and wisdom. The essence of holiness is that we are completely set apart for God’s glory. The essence of wisdom is the ability to recognize truth and act upon that truth as God requires.

These two words embody our vision for students: lives set apart for God, acting in conformity to His truth in everything they endeavor.

The three columns formed by the double-H represent the church, the family, and the school: the pillars upon which each student’s growth in Christ is supported. Every HHCA student wears our family crest and in so doing, symbolically represents the values and mission that were established for us collectively in 1979.

MeettheStaff!

If you have any stories, pictures, student advertisements, or anything else you feel should be included in the next issues of the school newspaper, contact anyone in the photo above!

As a reminder, we meet in room 232 on Mondays through Thursdays during upper school lunch. If you want to join, we take new members at any time throughout the year. If you want to write, but don't want anyone to know it was you, you can submit it anonymously to khardin@hhca.org.

Left to right: Emily Phillips, Amy Schutz, Trinity McCurdy, Abby Spitler, Camille Sposato, Jillian Campanella, Ella Grace Cook, Emma Taylor, Ruby Chapman, Ava Castro, Devon Yarde, Kyle Pepper, and Ivey Taylor. Faculty Advisor: Kim Hardin.

RETREAT

has always been a relaxing time

both the students and mentors. This

off campus on

Only a four

to Brevard, North Carolina.

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of the Blue Ridge

By Jillian Campenella and Camille Sposato

Young Life Camp was generous i allowing us to stay in their wonderfu facilities. With plenty of space to explore both inside and outside, students an mentors were kept busy with severa activities. Caroline Thomas, a sophomore a HHCA, said “My favorite activity wa probably paddle boarding on the lake.” Sh wasn’t the only one. While taking a simple Campers playing volleyball in the lake during free time

stroll around the camp, you could get a cle in the lake. Some more water activities in lake, jumping off the dock, doing tricks off the diving board, swimming in the pool, or watching Remember The Titans on movie night while in h l players' knees. Mr. Lingafelt, a teacher at HHCA, makes his return to the pit every so often and wipes out all the other players. Only a few players leave the gaga ball pit with injuries.

her activities consisted of go karting, ball, OGO balls, shopping, spike ball, volleyball, a sock war, and a ping tournament. When asked what their te of these activities were, William h Adams, freshman, said, “gaga ball.” is a game that takes place in an octagonal pit. Players would attempt to get each other out by hitting the ball below other

On Wednesday evening, a dodgeball game between the grades took place, ending in a victory for the Seniors. Each grade collectively chooses a theme to dress up as. The Freshman class dressed up in a Hawaiian theme, the Sophomores went in Christmas outfits, the Juniors picked Game Day, and the Seniors chose Country. excited for the game.

As for newer students, most seemed to enjoy their first retreat. “It was super fun. It was a great way to meet new people and it was my first retreat. I met a lot of new people that weren’t in my classes, which is great,” Kate Dubose, 10th grade, said. Adding onto that, Ruby Chapman, a freshman, said, “It was really interesting. I really liked how we r a . lot more and participate and collaborate together.” Many students departed from retreat with new connections.

r dodgeball.

Speaking of connections, one of the traditions on retreat is to deliver a spoon to someone you care about. Many seemed to enjoy this tradition. When interviewing Morgan Bedenbaugh, a senior, he said, “It was pretty fun. The spoons definitely kept the interest and you just have to watch everybody kinda relax and have fun with

each other and it was a good time to have some fellowship with other people.” Instead of just walking over to bring a spoon to a crush, boyfriend, or girlfriend, many students brought spoons to their favorite teacher or a parent who was helping out at the retreat. Mr. Harrington is usually gifted an abundance of spoons after his guitar performances.

al in the great hall.

The only complaints about lunch was that there were not enough vegan or vegetarian options. Everyone else seemed to love the food, and the d g with it. That is unless they gave away their s cream with a fork.

e

The speaker for HHCA’s highschool retreat for 2022 was Jeremey Gardner from Sharon Church Atlanta, GA. He grabbed the students attention from the moment he stood on stage and started preaching. It wasn’t just the speaker that did an amazing job. HHCA’s worship team brought all the students together around the stage to sing songs as a group. Emma Kate Dalzell (11th), Conner

W rcross (11th), Josh Grunkameyer (9th), Sean Cullen (10th), Connor Allred (10th), Emma Berry (10th), Emma Taylor (10th), Caroline Thomas (10th), Peyton Dobbs (10th), and (Ava Hahn 11th), had everyone on their feet at 9 am in the morning. They didn’t stop there. On the first Chapel spent back at the highschool, the worship team

called everyone closer to the stage to try and replicate the feeling of togetherness that was expressed on retreat.

The small groups were also a way for students to learn about Christ side by side with their mentors and peers, in order to deepen their relationship with Him. Morgan Bedenbaugh, ag and dancing. really fun experience. It was a great time f all of us to come together as a school and get to know who God really is,” he also sa “My favorite part about the retreat were t small groups. I had a really good group guys that I got to spend time with and we g really deep and got into the Word a lo Well said Morgan! Many students were able to reflect on the deeper

Campers hanging out at the lake, swimming, jumping, sliding, or paddle boarding.meaning of suffering and to see it in a positive light, in regards to redemption and strengthening your relationship with Christ.

Sad to depart from Carolina Point, the Eagles left early September 2nd to return home. Retreat brings an uplifted spirit many students, and mentors need once the school year progresses. It is time to reflect, connect, and above all else, relax.

STUDENT LIFE HHCA

Off Campus

By : Abby Spitler

Edited by: Ruby Chapman

When we think of school, we usually consider academics, sports, and performance. However, we do not often consider the life of those participating in activities not assembled by our organization..

Both on and off campus life have equal importance in the lives of students, as not all of life’s skills are learned in the classroom nor on the field. Here we ventured into the lives of several students on what life looks like without the logos and closed-toed shoes.

Interviews

Kate Dubose, a new sophomore at HHCA says, “Besides participating in HHCA tennis, I read and enjoy spending time with family and friends. I go to school with some friends I met at camp so that made it easier to transition from Ashburn, Virginia where I previously lived for four years. I lived in different areas of South Carolina before Virginia and have eventually made my way back here. I used to be a tennis coach and enjoy paddle boarding.”

Kate exemplifies both a new experience as well as familiarity as she moved back to SC after 4 years.

It’s exciting and important to get to know all students, old and new, and learn about their lives in and out of uniform.

" I play basketball and work at Publix as a bagger," says Elijah White, a junior at HHCA. Elijah juggles work, sports, and academics which is something not everyone can do. He’s a great example of someone who participates in all aspects of life on and off campus. We all have interesting lives outside of the building and out of uniform, so if you have a cool story to share, please feel free to submit it here!

WORSHIP

By Ava Hahn

If I had to choose a favorite class, it would be Worship. Worship class is a small class, but very impactful. During this class, we study the Bible for a better understanding, and we plan and prepare for the upcoming Chapels.

Every week our team puts in effort to provide the best possible Worship experience for the student body at Chapel. This includes prayer, hours of rehearsal, taking constructive criticism, getting to school early on Friday mornings, and constantly discussing how to improve our end of things.

My personal experience with being on the Worship team has been nothing short of wonderful, and joining the team is one of the best choices I have ever made. I love studying God’s word in class and playing songs that apply to what we learn in Chapel. I also love how each individual on the team contributes their talents in a way that glorifies God. Our mentors are very helpful in providing great encouragement to us and leading us to follow Christ. Our biggest goal is to lead people in real Worship, and lead others to Christ. Even if our mission only helps one person grow close to God, then it is all worth it. To sum it all up, Worship class is a great opportunity to be a part of, and it has a beautiful mission for the student body!

The life of a member of the Worship Team

LIFE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL

Which is more important: life inside, or outside school?

By Kyle Pepper

We often only think about school when we hear the word, students, we also usually only think about their school life. However, today I want to step back from school and see what happens outside of it for some students.

William Adams, a member of HHCA’s swim team and robotics club, says that on most days he “normally, after school, goes home and changes for swimming and then goes to swim or finishes his homework and then goes to swim for HHCA '' . On Andrew Morrissette the different end of extracurricular activities, who is in robotics, says that “I usually relax and go to the pool”. Both Andrew and William represent the two main groups of students’ after school activities. One group, which William represents, are students that have one or more time intensive after school activities, whether that be sports or clubs. The other group, which Andrew represents, are the students that have more time on their hands after school. When asked how they deal with a stressful amount of homework, William Adams states that “I go to my room, which is a quiet place, and I just do all my homework there, if I have time at school, I do it then”. While Andrew Morrissette says that he “procrastinates until about eight and then fights through it”, which is something that everyone can relate to.

So, now that you know two student’s lives outside of school, ask yourself, are you more affected by your student life inside of school or outside of school?

Arts and Culture

Summer Reminiscing

Art by: Anonymous Caption by Ella Grace Cook

Artwork, from a source that wishes to remain unknown, consists of three prepossessing painted pieces that commemorate what summer was and hold on to those last fragments that still remain.

ALOHA TO THE HHCA FOOTBALL TEAM

By Ivey Taylor

On September 9th, 2022, the Eagles took to the field for their first home football game! Benn Lippen’s Falcons didn’t stand a chance against our Eagles. The Eagle fans showed up despite the rough weather conditions. Rain was crashing down, but the cage was still going crazy, relentlessly displaying their Eagle pride. The HHCA Pep Band played through the nasty weather, safely beneath the Weightlifting awning. You could clearly tell who was a student at HHCA, because they were all sporting Hawaiian themed clothes. Let's look at some of the events leading up to the game…

All twelve grades at HHCA were packed into the gym for the pep rally. The elevated feelings radiated off the players, while they were being introduced in front of the school. Congratulations were in order for the girls soccer team. They left the gym with new rings they earned from their hard work. Noise echoed from all directions due to our wonderful pep band. Conner White and Jack Mau led the students in

common Cage chants, causing everyone’s excitement to rise for the game. New students learned the old chants with the rest of the student body.

Before kickoff, assistant coach Jimmy Taylor gave the pregame quote from Colossians 3:23, which says, “whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men''.

These words reminded the players Who they were fighting for, causing them to play passionately. It was the perfect quote to pump up the team and propel them to win the first home game of the season.

As the game kicked off, and the rain continued, the Eagles fans were cheering the loudest. The first touchdown of the game was delivered by Dylan Clark who threw a sixteen yard touchdown pass to Qayden Turner, making the score 7 to 0 Eagles. There was no more scoring until the 3rd quarter, as the defense was stifling. Ben Lippen finally scored in the 3rd quarter, but missed the extra point, making it 7 to 6 Eagles. The Eagles struck back with Dylan Clark throwing a 54 yard, touchdown pass to Morgan Bedenbaugh. The final score was 15 to 9, with Eagles winning by six.

When asked about the weather, Head Coach Ron Peduzzi said that they “tried to use it to their advantage” he continued, “like the post office, we have to try and deliver, no matter the conditions.” He went on to talk about his pride in the team, saying “ “We battled and fought on most plays.” The way they played didn’t just bring pride to their coach, but to Hilton Head Christian Academy. Students, old and new, were brought together to witness this spectacular victory!

CROSS COUNTRY

From Hardeeville to Lady’s Island, and just recently Columbia, South Carolina, Hilton Head Christian Academy’s ruthless Cross Country team has trekked across a surplus of varying course conditions! Season Bests, and even PR’s, popping up left and right. This team fought all season long under the guidance of Coach Mau, through most of the time grueling heat against really tough competition. Nonetheless,

eventually they racked up a total of over 845 miles traveled in just meets alone (that's a little more than the distance from Hilton Head Island, SC to Little Rock, AR)!

In the spur of the moment,

regardless of what’s thrown their way, the Eagles prevail with the assistance of their team’s top runners, Noah Kaufman (12th) and Anna Mossing (12th). As seen in the team’s best race of the season, down at Hilton Head Prep’s forest preserve, with the example of the two runners abundantly successful races, the rest of the team followed suit. Mossing swooped in for 2nd overall, with Sarah Grunkemeyer (11th) not far behind, allowing the girls team 1st place among tough competitors. Furthermore, Kaufman set the standard,

taking first to pull the guys' team up to 3rd place! In the end, it wasn’t just mere speed that got them that victory, but according to Coach Mau it was the radiating energy and togetherness of the team that provided an opportunity for success.

comparison to the first race of the season. With perseverance, determination, and will power seven of the twelve runners at Heathwood Hall obtained PR’s, some years in the making. The remaining runners were not far from getting one either.

This team has shown their competing in the Beaufort All Region All Classes meet, achieving 1st place by both Mossing and Kaufman at the Holy Trinity Invitational in September, and even having runners selected for the All Region team at the Regional Meet. There was no doubt, going into the State Meet on October 29th, there would be plenty of PR’s.

Though there were many hardships along the road to states, that didn’t stop some runners on the team from dropping upwards of six minutes off their time, in

However, collectively the entire team remained under 25 minutes (under 8 minutes per mile) with times ranging from Noah Kaufman’s 17:08 time (which placed him 3rd in the state) to 24:27. Several runners had times breaking 21 minutes with those that PR’d replacing or adding to the 16 PR’s across the 2022 season.

With the 2022 2023 season having come to an end the Eagles never let off the gas. Despite the mentally strenuous meets, this team made considerable progress throughout all while proudly representing HHCA!

VOLLEYBALL

The Lady Eagles have led an impressive 2022 2023 season with the assistance of Coach of the Year Drew Dale. Four players have gained All Region accolades, Margaret Hiers (11th) and Amelia Auld (12th) making First Team and Jai’da Grayson (12th) and Ella Klepchick (12th) making Second Team, with Abby Peduzzi (12th) rounding up her senior season as Player of the Year. Ending the season with a winning record of 23-17-1 while climbing up the ranks to be just outside the Top 50 teams in the state of South Carolina. From beginning to end some of the biggest wins, and most fun games,

have been right in the Eagle Nest. Destroying Savannah Christian in the first home game 2-0, redeeming themselves vs Islands HS with a 2 0 victory, and even beating distant rival Calvary Day School in 4 set game! According to some of the Seniors on the team, the victory against Savannah Christian was the most exciting. From the electric energy of The Cage, that only accelerated after each point scored, to the intensity of the close game, the crowd couldn’t take their eyes off the court. The contagious energy of the crowd poured into the players allowing for comebacks of up to 7 point deficits. Inevitably the game

ended with a farewell to the Raiders on a kill by Margaret Hiers against multiple six-footers!

The Lady Eagles have pushed through many difficulties, but one of the most notable being the 13 game stretch across 5 days that included playing against Aiken HS (a top 5 ranked team in South Carolina) with only a half healthy team and pushing through to win the Hilton Head High School Tournament in the Silver Bracket! The tenacity to win each game was incredible, and it carried into the following weeks allowing for multiple 4-set wins.

he Calvary Day game is a great example! On

October 3rd the Eagles came back from a 12 point deficit, brawled through a minute and two second long rally (more than ten times the length of an average rally), and came out on top from a deserving ace by Amelia Auld. Although the end of the season wasn’t what everyone had hoped for there still remained an abundance of success throughout, like Abby Peduzzi’s 35 Kill game in the 5 set victory over Bluffton High. Overall, these performances highlight the strengths and capabilities of Hilton Head Christian Academy’s relentless athletes!

Written By: Ruby Chapman & Abby Spitler

Edited By: Emma Taylor

F a l l F i n e A r t s

UPPER & MIDDLE SCHOOL BAN

Offered for both upper and middle school students with all levels of It was featured in the fall performance as well. Some songs in shows a exclusively by the high school band and others by the middle school Hawaii themed music is especially enjoyed by both the band memb crowd! Both bands even made military tribute with the Armed Forc were we got to honor our troops and veterans!

THEATER

On October 24th, the HHCA Theater community put on an “Even Acts” which included several productions of various musicals. Half of t night was dedicated to the Upper School production of “Anybody for T This performance brought a lot of laughs as well as a mystery and was certainly a crowd favorite! The other half was dedicated to several Middl School theater classes along with Glee Club and the Musical Theater cl as they reminded us of some of our favorite children's stories and movi Elf Jr. will be performed on stage in the PAC. Emma Kate Dalzell, Am Gilbreath, and Maya Norcross are all students who had substantial roles creating this show. Michelle McElroy and Joy Krimm were the main di of the show. The show follows Buddy the Elf (Eli Taylor), and his many adventures throughout New York. It is based completely on the origina Movie and was a treat!

DLE SCHOOL STRINGS

A brand new elective offered this year They took part in the Fall Performance on October 17th. It is offered to those who wish to play cello, violin, viola, and base. Any range of experience is welcome!

Z BAND

was also featured performance with music selections, as ew soloists! There as a wide range of struments from guitars to This band nly of high ents however a ders are in the

RUS

chorus elective is composed of 6-8th grade students. This year will be e ensemble. They were featured in the fall concert on October 17th, heir first production of the year. Anyone of any level can join!

OFAMERICA

FutureBusinessLeadersofAmerica(FBLA)isforstudents

interested in professional business careers. FBLA inspires and prepares students to become community minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences. High school students will gain a competitive edge in business through academic competitions, leadership development, and educational programs Questions about FBLA? Contact Jordan Ingolia or Mary Delle Robinson

Meetings are Thursdays after school and Friday mornings. This club is all about friendly competition, learning about chess, and losing and winning with humility There will be days for learning and days for competition The chess club also wants to go to other schools to compete. They are welcoming anyone who wants to learn or wants to compete This club is run by Mr LingafeltandMr Daleifyouhaveanyquestions

ENVIORMENTAL CLUB

HHCA students become environmental entrepreneurs as they spearhead projects that help protect our local environment and help create a " greener " campus Current project examples include Creation of repurposed bike racks, reducing use of one time plastics and non biodegradable waste in the cafe, and the organization of a student uniform drive to reuse outgrown clothing. Questions about HHCA's Environmental Club? ContactMiddleSchoolMentorMeganRobbins

The mission of Teens for Healthy Youth (THY) is to promote positive teen health through: leadership, positive youth development, peer to Peer education, advocacy, and community Service We create service projects and learning opportunities related to substance use prevention, suicide prevention, bullying prevention, mental health awareness, stress awareness, teen violenceawareness,thecampaignfortobacco freekids, and self harm awareness Questions about Teens for Healthy Youth? Contact Middle School Mentor Jill DelGuercio.

The Junior Beta Club serves as the Honor Society for students in 6th 8th grade Membership is awarded based on academic achievement after one complete year of Middle School. Junior Beta Club's motto is to serve others in gratitude for the gifts we have received from God. The club participates in school wide fundraising and service events throughout the year Questions about Junior Beta Club? Contact Middle SchoolMentorTamaraDavis

STUDENTLEADERSHIP

HHCA Student Leadership is a group of Upper School students committed to developing leadership skills while working together to create a positive school culture The group was selected through an application process in the spring and meets weekly during E10 Leadership students plan and organize student events and work diligently to create a positive environment and supportive high school experience for the entire HHCA student body.

Coached by Ignite2Unite's Jason Jedamski and inspired by his work with Breaking Down the Walls, HHCA Student Leadership's goal is to connect students, create empathy within the student body, build social awareness and form meaningful, Christ centered relationships The group began with 12 students last year and has grown to 68 studentsthisyear Questionsaboutstudentleadership?ContactBrandonGrayformoreinformation

JUNIORBETACLUB BATTLEOFTHEBOOKS

Calling all super readers! Battle of the Books Club (also known on campus as "BOB") is a great place for students who share a love of reading and competition HHCA has Lower School (4th & 5th grade), Middle School and Upper School BOB teams. Teams typically meet once a week during lunch. SCISA

MATHCLUB

Lower School students in 2nd 5th grade are invited to participate in Math Club, which meets after school The goal of this club is to instill an intrinsic sense of value and wonder of mathematics for our Lower School students Participation in Math Club will be of great benefit to any student who loves learning Leading Math ClubagainthisyearisDr.SwatiDebroy.Dr.DebroyhasaPhDinMathematicsandisanAssociateProfessorat USCB. She is a gifted teacher to curious learners. As an added bonus, Dr. Debroy will coach students who are interested in competing in Math Competitions on the state and national level. Several Upper School students volunteerwithMathClubandassistasMathMentors

VEXROBOTSCLUB

12thgradehavetheopportunitytoparticipateinHHCA'sRoboticsClubandVEXIQandVEX

and engineering principles VEX encourages creativity, teamwork, leadership, and problem solving in groups Lower and Middle School students participate on VEX IQ teams and Upper School students participate on VEX 5 teams VEX Robotics hosts the world’s largest robotics competition for students all over the world to compete againstoneanotherusingarobotoftheirowndesign.Tournamentstodeterminethebestteamsareheldyear round at the regional, state, and national levels and culminate at the VEX Robotics World Championship each April.QuestionsaboutRoboticsClub?ContactJillMcKay.

ZONTAZCLUB

Zonta Z Club is open to all Upper School girls Its purpose is to foster a spirit of service among the young women throughout the school, the local community, and beyond HHCA's Z Club sponsors several events during the year,including:

a school wide Operation Christmas Child campaign to fill shoeboxes with goodies for impoverished childrenaroundtheworld.

an “End It Day” fundraiser in February to raise awareness about human trafficking. Last year, we raised

a kindness oriented event for our school community Last year, we held “Mayfair” for all Upper School students There were

Club?ContactMaryDelleRobinson

hole and spike ball), sidewalk chalk, music, and dancing

The

4. Which teacher had a special appreciation for gaga ball?

5. Who was the guest speaker at the retreat?

6. What was passed between campers to show their admiration for each other?

8. What country only calls Autumn "Fall"

1.What type of vehicle was at a recent football game?

2. What is a common tree found in the low country?

3. What was the theme of the first home football game?

7. Where do leaf colors come from?