The Crest: Issue 2: Christmas Edition

Hilton Head Christian Academy's Newspaper

Arts & Culture

IT'S CHESSIN' TIME

By Nicolas Panzarella

For the first time in years, HHCA has a chess club. And, surprisingly, it has grown to have a notable amount of people. There were only a handful of members at the first meeting on Thursday, October 15th, but as of now, there are around 15 members coming to the chess club regularly.

From left to right: Liam Reeves, Nic Panzarella, and Zac Panzarella, members of the chess club

Many people on the team are excited for this new growth and interest in the chess club. As one of the first members, Liam Reeves, remarked, “It’s chessin’ time.” Chess club assistant and manager Sophia Blackwell stated that “Being a manager is so much fun. I get to be their number 1 supporter.” Mr. Lingafelt, the teacher in charge of the chess club, said, “This one time I drank three 5 Hour Energy drinks and it still did not match the excitement I have for the chess club.”

With this new interest in chess, it’s clear that this club is here to stay. It’ll be very exciting to see the direction this club takes in the coming years at HHCA.

Mr. Lingafelt, organizer of the chess club.

Liam Reeves (left) and Nic Panzarella (right) playing a game of chess.

HHCA CHESS CLUB TAKES 3RD IN SCISA ALL STATE TOURNAMENT

By Luke Williams and Liam Reeves

For the first time this decade, the HHCA Chess Club has participated in competitive tournament. On November 15th, the HHCA Chess Club set out to Sumter, South Carolina to compete with teams from across the state. Members such as Chris Nguyen and Nic Panzerella did not seem very optimistic about our chances of success. Chess Club coach, Mr. Lingafelt, was very unsure of how the club would perform.

The HHCA Chess Club took home a 3rd place trophy following the tournament

During the tournament, the club managed to win over half of their games! With this being the first tournament for many members of the Chess Club getting third place was shocking. The club, in fact was surprised with how wel they did.

competing in his final match.

After the tournament, club member Chris Nguyen, the 7th best chess player in all of South Carolina, said, "We could have done better. I think this team has a lot of potential, and could win the next tournament."

Chess club member Liam Reeves playing his 3rd game of the tournament in which he won

FINE ARTS

ELF JUNIOR

Elf was an amazing K 8 play starring Eli Taylor as Buddy the Elf and Mallory Krimm as Jovie. There were many laughs and audience moving acts in this play, resulting in a FULL HOUSE for every showing! There was also an array of amazing refreshments from sweet treats to Buddy's cocoa cart where you could customize the perfect cup of cocoa! All the cast members, as well as directors Millie Gilbreath and Emma Kate Dalzel, had an amazing time putting together this play.

ART SHOW - MADE TO CREATE

On November 12th, the HHCA Fine Arts Community hosted the first all school Art Show. Various forms of art were on display in the PAC including Upper, Middle, and Lower School Art, Ceramics, Photography, Weaving, Graphic Design, and more. There were over one thousand pieces of artwork that were exhibited. All art class students entered a piece in the show, and the different displays were inspired by nature, artists' individual visions, and inspiration from favorite artists' styles and designs. The event also included live music, an Art Task Party, and face painting!

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

The Christmas Concert is nearly here! HHCA is putting together the Christmas Concert on December 8th at 6:00 pm. The performance will feature Middle School and Upper School Band, Glee Club, Worship, Choir, Middle School Strings, and more. The event is open to the public, so please come!

JAZZ BAND TRIP!

The Eagles Jazz Band has been given the incredible opportunity to perform at a national conference in Orlando, FL. They will stay at the Omni Hotel and enjoy music sessions as well as a trip to Universal Studios to cap off the experience!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE WORSHIP TEAM! UPCOMING EVENTS FOR DECEMBER:

With November nearing its end, the Worship Leadership team has some fun things planned for the 2022 Christmas season!

First, on December 1st, we will record a set of Christmas songs. Then, the team will film a music video and release it for the school audience to enjoy.

Finally, to cap off the first semester, the team will perform a full set of Christmas songs in Upper and Middle School Chapel to get in the Christmas spirit and celebrate the birth of Christ.

The Crest is officially opened to poetry and other submissions.

If you have a story you want to share, a poetry piece, or want to schedule an interview, please email sposato.camille@hhca.org

If you want your submission to be anonymous, let me (Camille) know. An alternative is emailing it to KHardin@hhca.org.

Poetry:By GabbyReis

Victor Frankenstein was a young man who grew obsessed with the idea of immortality at a young age. While studying at University he decided to make a being in his own image; given his hubris, he thought he would be able to control the creature. Yet when it came to life, he abandoned his creation, and in doing so, opened a path of misery for the nameless creature. This poem was written from the perspective of the creature from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus.

Why oh why do I differ from these

These beautiful beings,

creatures.

With their beautiful features.

If I could walk in the light it would be so freeing. But I know they’d glare at me with contempt: Causing terrible, horrible sorrow. And despite my attempts, I know they’ll do the same next morrow.

Oh why should I be afraid to obtain The tenderness of a friend, it is all I seek to gain. Yet all my efforts seem to be made in vain. For they only look at me in fear and disdain.

I hold tenderness and kindness in my heart, But when treated with loathing it tears me apart. Still despite all this I still long for a friend.

One who can help me mend.

This hatred inside, I recognized Is the effect of their cruelty. It is their fault I am antagonized!

I was not born a monster truly, This is why I feel such suffering, why I'm agonized

IT'S ALREADY BASKETBALL SEASON

By Ivey Taylor

With football season just ending, it is hard to believe that basketball season is here. With a stellar lineup this year, the Eagles should be in for a great season. Let’s meet the boys varsity team, with a lot of new faces on the roster. Isaiah Anderson #15, Brady Bagenstose #33, Benjamin Eddy #4, Elijah White #5, Maciah Hamilton #11, Dorian Janvier #3, Wells Sharp #22, Harrison Skinner #10, Qayden Turner

#2, Connor White # 21, Tyler Borack #24

This season’s squad is loaded with talent. Looking ahead to the schedule, Savannah Christian will be here on December 6, and it will be a big test against a team not in our league. We have a home game against Hilton Head Prep on January 20. This is a big game because

they are our biggest rival, and it is always great to beat a rival. On January 27 we have a home game against John Paul 2. It will be a tough game because JP2 traditionally has a strong team.

We should be in for a great season. Make sure to come out and show your Eagle pride at the games.

H O L I D A Y

T R A D I T I O N S

By Ella Grace Cook

traditions unite people in communities, families, and quite frankly, nations. It is the string that binds us together.

While not everyone celebrates Christmas, I believe that each family has some sort of unique tradition they participate in during the winter holiday season. When asking HHCA students what they do for the holidays, junior Briana Williams said, “For Christmas, every year my family and I get together in Christmas PJs and have brunch and open gifts and play games." Another junior, Ava Hahn, says that her family hides a pickle in their yard and whoever finds it gets a monetary prize.

All of these are such fun activities, and we can see the personality of those who participate throughout the season. Whether it is pickles, cookies, or matching PJs, we find strong ties with family and friends through traditions around the holidays. So make sure to bundle up and soak in every moment with your special ones because time is something we should never take for granted!

Written by Jillian Campanella

Edited by Amy Schutz

T H E M A N I N R E D

s very different values for every

Some see him as a jolly old man okies. Some see him as just a p g giver. However, have you ever questioned where the idea of Santa Claus originated from?

It all started with Saint Nicholas, who was born in modern day Turkey to a fairly wealthy family. Sadly, at a young age, he lost his parents, but he dedicated his inheritance money to assisting the poor and needy-providing clothes, food, and shelter. He would later become the bishop of his home town, Myra. Nicholas most loved giving gifts to children. It is believed that Nicholas would start handing out gifts to local children on December 6th and conclucde on January 6th. These gifts usually consisted of apples, oranges, nuts, berries, and cookies.

Since Myra was located on the southern coast of modern day Turkey, Nicholas would provide and package gifts for the needy to ship from Myra’s ports. While his gifts went all around the Mediterranean sea, sailors told stories about the generous Nicholas.

A multitude of stories accompanying his name also give way to his modern character, Santa Claus. He was believed to perform miracles, one about resurrecting three young children after a fatal accident. Another story describes how young Nicolas secretly delivered dowries to three desperate young girls by dropping gold coins down their chimneys. It is no wonder he became known as the patron saint of children.

You might be wondering why was his name changed to Santa Claus? In short, after generations of these passed down stories, his name was simply mistranslated. By the Middle Ages, Nicholas’s fame spread to much of Europe. Eventually spreading to northern Europe, stories of the bishop mingled with Teutonic folktales of elves and sky-chariots. In the Netherlands, St. Nicholas took on the Dutch friendly spelling Sinter Klaas, which would later be translated into English as Santa Claus. He was depicted as a tall, white-bearded man in a red clerical robe, who arrived every December 6th on a boat to leave gifts or coal-lumps at children’s homes.

Soon after, the legend of Saint Nicholas accumulated recognition in the New World, mostly due to Dutch settlers. Since the New World was a melting pot of different cultures, the stories and beliefs of Saint Nicholas were combined into one person. It wasn’t until the 19th century that Washington Irving, an American short story writer who was acclaimed for his influence in the poem, “The Night Before Christmas,” came up with the physical appearance of the beloved figure we call Santa Claus today. However, Norman Rockwell’s Santa Claus in the popular Coca Cola commercials depicted a more jolly Santa Clause.

In the broad scheme of history, Santa Claus was and is real. His idea and embodiment came from a real person who lived thousands of years ago. Some might say Saint Nicholas never inspired the idea of Santa Claus. However, is it not interesting to think that we still, whether it be religious or not, replicate his gift giving and generosity every December? It is, after all, the season of giving.

PRESENTED BY JILLIAN CAMPANELLA

Recipes withJill

CHRISTMAS SNAP

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 325 DEGREES 2.) LINE A PAN WITH ALUMINUM FOIL AND THEN SPRAY WITH NON STICK SPRAY. 3.) LINE THE SALTINE CRACKERS OUT EVENLY ON THE PAN 4.) MAKE THE CARAMEL: IN A MEDIUM PAN, COMBINE THE BUTTER AND SUGAR ON MEDIUM LOW HEAT 5.) STIR CONSTANTLY, AND BRING IT TO A BOIL FOR THREE MINUTES/OR UNTIL BUBBLING 6.) WHEN DONE, REMOVE IT FROM THE HEAT AND POUR IT EVENLY OVER THE CRACKERS SPREAD IT EVENLY WITH A KNIFE 7.) BAKE THIS FOR 7-9 MINUTES. AFTER THIS BAKES, REMOVE THE PAN FROM THE OVEN 8 ) SPRINKLE CHOCOLATE CHIPS ON TOP OF THE HOT CARAMEL AND LET MELT 9.) SPREAD THE CHOCOLATE EVENLY OVER THE CARAMEL WITH A KNIFE, THEN ADD M&M'S ON THE TOP 10.) PLACE IN THE FREEZER FOR 15 MINUTES 11.) ONCE COOLED, REMOVE THE FOIL, THEN FLIP IT ON A CUTTING BOARD THEN SNAP IT INTO PIECES TIPS!

YOU CAN REPLACE THE M&M'S WITH ANYTHING YOU WANT SOME REPLACEMENTS CAN INCLUDE NUTS, CANDY CANES, OR OTHER TYPES OF CANDY

Malva Pu A

South Afric 1 . ) P R E H E A T O V E N T O 3 5 0 D E G R E E S F A H R E N H E I T

. ) G R E A S E Y O U R O V E N D I S H .

. ) B E A T O R W H I P T H E S U G A R A N D E G G S B E A T U N T I L T H I C K A N D L E M O N C O L O U R E D , T H E N A D D T H E J A M A N D M I X T H R O U G H .

4 . ) M E L T T H E B U T T E R ( D O N ' T B O I L ) A N D A D D T H E B U T T E R A N D V I N E G A R T O T H E W E T M I X T U R E .

. ) S I E V E , O R S I M P L Y M I X T O G E T H E R : T H E F L O U R , S O D A A N D S A L T . 6 . ) A D D T H I S M I X T U R E W I T H T H E M I L K T O T H E E G G M I X T U R E I N T H E P R O C E S S O R O R M I X I N G B O W L . B E A T W E L L .

) P O U R I N T O A N O V E N P R O O F D I S H A N D B A K E U N T I L P U D D I N G I S B R O W N A N D W E L L R I S E N D E P E N D I N G O N Y O U R O V E N A N D O V E N D I S H T H I

PINECONE GNOME

Bellow are the instructions on how to make this fun Christmas craft!

SUPPLY LIST: PINECONE

SMALL WHITE POM POM RED FELT/FABRIC BUTTONS/BEADS/MINI POM POM

WHITE ACRYLIC PAINT PAINT BRUSH SCISSORS WHITE GLUE/HOT GLUE

Instructions

1.

With white acrylic paint, use a paintbrush to paint the tips of the pinecone white. This will be the gnome's beard. Let the paint dry With your scissors, carefully cut out a 1/3 of a circle shape out of your felt or fabric. Form your fabric or felt into a pointy hat shape, like the picture. With white glue or hot glue, glue the hat together at the seam. Make sure to let the glue dry completely.

When the hat is dry, run a bead of glue on the inside of the hat and then glue it to the bottom of the pinecone. When the hat is attached and dry, add a small drop of glue to the pinecone just under the hat, so the nose will peek out. Glue the button/bead/pom-pom in place.

After the nose dries in place, glue a tiny white pom pom to the tip of the hat to top it off. Once this dries, you're done!

YARN CHRISTMAS TREES

Bellow are the instructions on how to make this fun Christmas craft!

Instructions:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

supply list:

yarn

Cardboard or Styrofoam cones

Wooden toy wheels in a large and a small size dowel rod small wooden stars white and gold paint gold glitter paper scrap piece of cardboard hot glue gun

Take your hot glue gun and glue the start of your yarn all the way around the bottom of your cone. Keep gluing the yarn around and around as close to the previous layer as you can until you have filled the cone to the top with yarn.

Once your cone is full of yarn, trace the bottom of the cone onto a scrap piece of cardboard and cut out the circle. Glue the circle onto the bottom of your cone so you have a platform to attach your tree base to.

Cut your dowel rod into 2-3” sections and slide a small wheel on one side and a larger wheel on the other side.

Paint the tree bases white and let dry. Glue the base to the center of the bottom side of each cone.

Paint your small wooden stars gold. Trace the star shape onto the back of some gold glitter paper. Cut out the stars and glue them to the fronts of the wooden stars and attach the star to the top of the tree.

Enjoy your beautiful new decorations!

Rockin'aroundtheChristmastree!

WrittenbyJillianCampanella

A timeless Christmas tradition my family loves to do every year is cut down our own Christmas tree. Although not everyone indulges in a real tree these days, I’d love to share with you our favorite Christmas tree farm!

Located in Okatie, A & A Christmas tree farm has a wide variety of different trees. Our personal favorite, and the most popular choice, is the Fraser Fir. They provide a wonderful scent to the home and are sturdy trees, able to hold the heaviest ornaments. Other types include: Leyland Cypress/ Murray Cypress and White Pine. Like the Fir, the Pine has strong branches and emits a strong scent. However, the Cypress doesn’t have strong branches and produces little, if any, scent. It is important to note that there are trees available to cut down yourself, and trees that are already cut down for you. All these tress are beautiful specimens, but each has certain characteristics that will complement its family.

But what makes this farm special? They are much more than a tree farm. They also provide a lovely selection of wreaths, ranging from 18 inches to 46 inches, all naturally created by tree branches. Along with wreaths, they also have crafted hand made ornaments and centerpieces for the table! Our favorite things to get, though, are their yummy treats! They usually sell an assortment of chocolate covered berries and nuts along with baked goods. My personal favorite treat is the poppy seed bread, which is amazing!

A & A Christmas tree farm has always provided fond memories each year for my family. There is an excitement and joy when sharing our memories with so many others that also enjoy this Christmas tradition. A family owned business has truly provided a remarkable experience for other families like mine. Hopefully, you and your family can visit A & A Christmas tree farm and create many merry memories!

ACROSS

2. Where was the tournament located?

5. Who is number 5 on the varsity basketball team?

6. Where did Saint Nicholas come from?

7. What play was recently performed in November?

DOWN

1. Where is Malva Pudding from?

3. What day of November was the Art Show?

4. Which teacher is in charge of the chess club?