The Crest: Issue #5

Issue #5

1 March, 2023

THE CREST Hilton Head Christian Academy's Newspaper

Highlights: All Shook Up! and Guys and Dolls showtimes this month Community Service Opportunities Induction Ceremony Information for Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica, National Honors Society, and International Thespian Society

Monthly News Student Life Vex V5 Robotics Beginner Upper School Robotics Team scores a trophy at each competition this season.

Opinion Technology Is Making Us Dumber A persuasive and informative argument on the perils of technology.

Fine Arts Guys and Dolls Interview with the Cast All about the upcoming play, and exclusive cast interviews Winter Recital Recap of the Winter Recital.

All Shook Up! Details about the upcoming play, including showtimes, cast members, and a brief summary of the plot.

Arts & Culture Mars Shines in the Stars March Poetry based on Greek and Roman mythology.

Athletics Section HHCA Eagles Emerge Victorious Against Beaufort Academy in Senior Night Game Overview of the Beaufort vs. HHCA game, and recognizing Senior Night.

Spring Athletics Information Where to find teams and schedules.

HHCA Varsity Girls Win State Championship The varsity girls basketball team wins the state championship, making them 5 time consecutive winners!

Sailing Season is Starting Sailing Announcement.

Features & Announcements Breakfast Casserole In this month's Recipes with Jill, the lovely duo, Mr. and Mrs. Collins, have shared one of their favorite meals: a homemade breakfast casserole!

Community Opportunities: Lowcountry Autism Foundation An inside look on what the Lowcountry Autism Foundation does, and how you can impact the community through volunteering there. Interview with Sophia Townes, the LAF program coordinator.

Honors Societies Brief summary on HHCA's Honor Societies. Information on the clubs, including induction ceremonies.

1 March 2023

Student Life

Vex V5 Robotics

By Camille Sposato This year, Hilton Head Christian Academy had its very first Robotics club. The Upper School team focused on V5 VEX Robotics. They were tasked with building a functional robot that can drive both autonomously and remote controlled. This robot needed an intake system to lift discs, a flywheel to shoot them into baskets, and a device to spin rollers to their team color.

Camille Sposato, Devon Yarde, Kyle Pepper, William Adams, and Christopher Nguyen (left to right) at their first competition.

This season started off rocky, with the original robotics coach unavailable, and many necessary parts missing for the design that the team came up with. Thankfully, Mrs. McKay and Mrs. Adams stepped up to help. They offered not just advice, but much needed moral support. They are wonderful examples of just how caring and empathetic this academy’s mentors and staff are.

Another mentor that left a huge impact on the newly founded “Ginger Snaps” was Mrs. Inglis. She caught the Upper School robotics team scavenging for parts and quickly whipped them into shape with a single speech. In short, she taught them to improvise, and work with what they had. Because of her, they gained confidence in going off book, and learned to get creative.

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Student Life

The first robotics competition that these students attended was meant to be a learning experience. The five students did not expect to come back with the Design Award. At their second competition, they won the Judges Award.

The robot they worked on was taken apart and modified almost every week during the last few HHCA's Upper School Robotics team at their second competition.

months leading up to the competition.

Kyle Pepper was the nominated team leader of the "Ginger Snaps" Team. He also worked as their head programmer alongside William Adams. The two came up with the autonomous program, causing the robot to run on its own.

Christopher Nguyen, Devon Yarde, and Camille Sposato worked together to design and build the VEX robot. Christopher Nguyen went above and beyond to research and develop a high-functioning flywheel for the robot.

Robotics is an amazing club to join if you have an interest in anything STEM related. VEX competitions require you to design, analyze, build, program, and drive the robot. The next robotics season starts in May, so start signing up as soon as positions are open! No prior experience is required.

Contact Mrs. McKay at jmckay@hhca.org if you have any questions!

1 March 2023

Student Life

1 March 2023

Opinion

Technology Is Making Us Dumber

By Nicolas Panzarella

Humanity is facing an information age never seen before. We are able to find almost anything with just a search on our devices. Queries that previously might have taken hours of searching in a library can now be answered in seconds. Such facts seem like they indicate a capability for humanity to become more intelligent overall. And, indeed, the shared knowledge of humanity has vastly grown.

Discoveries made by a variety of people over many years are available to everyone, and this has allowed people to grow in their knowledge and skills. However, at an individual level, technology is detrimental to intelligence. The fact that it makes it easy to access information is the very reason it makes our intelligence suffer.

Although technology has brought us great benefits and has allowed us to grow some intellectual skills, there is a significant amount of evidence that suggests that technology has made us less intelligent. This is because we are taking in an excessive amount of information which has shortened our attention spans, we are much more likely to multitask using technology, and we are more reliant on technology rather than our own thinking abilities.

Humans are not designed to be constantly exposed to large amounts of information. However, in our modern information age, this is exactly what we are experiencing. When we have a lot of information to sift through, we often become accustomed to losing focus and instead we skim through the information. Overtime, our minds adapt to this, and we develop an inability to focus at all. American writer Nicholas Carr experienced this with his increasing use of technology, evidenced by a statement in a magazine article he wrote: “I’m not thinking the way I used to think… Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy… Now my 1 March 2023

Opinion

concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages” (Carr). Carr describes how his attention span has shortened with his use of technology and his ability to access information easily; as he puts it, “that boon [the ability to immediately access a large store of information] comes at a price” (Carr).

There is not only anecdotal evidence for this phenomenon, but empirical evidence as well. According to TIME Magazine, “The average attention span for the notoriously ill-focused goldfish is nine seconds, but according to a new study from Microsoft Corp., people now generally lose concentration after eight seconds” (McSpadden). Such a dramatic drop in attention span is quite concerning and is strong evidence of technology’s harmful effects. It could be claimed that, in reality, attention spans are not being shortened. For instance, in a blog post, educator Maia Appleby noted that “No, technology doesn’t shorten students’ attention spans… What technology is doing, however, is changing the way students use their brains…They don’t store as much in their working memories because they don’t have to” (Appleby). This is a valid point, but in a world where we are constantly surrounded by technology and often require it for school or work, there is not a functional difference between a short attention span and a short working memory. In both cases, we struggle with the task at hand as a direct result of technology. Our ability to focus overall diminishes. So, how does a shorter attention span make us less intelligent? When we can’t focus well, we are less effective at remembering information. We become worse at acquiring and applying knowledge - which is the very definition of intelligence.

The fact that technology contains almost limitless amounts of information is only part of the problem. Technology’s mere presence has negative effects on us in our everyday lives, mainly in the form of causing us to multitask.

Multitasking is detrimental to focusing as well as learning and applying information - as mentioned before, those skills are the definition of intelligence. In an article about how technology does not make us less intelligent, American journalist Sharon Begley concedes that technology does 1 March 2023

Opinion

increase multitasking, and shows the negative effects of multitasking with a study from scientists at UCLA, led by Russell Poldrack: “‘Multitasking adversely affects how you learn,’ Poldrack said at the time. ‘Even if you learn while multitasking, that learning is less flexible and more specialized, so you cannot retrieve the information as easily’” (Begley). From this, it is clear that multitasking directly affects intelligence in a negative way. Of course, it could be argued that this is not technology’s fault, but rather the fault of the user; but then again, technology has established itself as necessary in our world. When we are surrounded by technology, it is very easy to be distracted and taken away from the task at hand. A common argument in favor of multitasking itself is that when we multitask, we become better at it, and we are then able to do more at once. We then become more intelligent as we improve our capabilities. Researchers from UNC Chapel Hill assert that “Multitasking creates a greater demand for cognitive resources, such as attention and working memory” (Pace). It is true that multitasking requires our constant attention and use of working memory. However, it is important to note how this attention and working memory is being used - it is being constantly redirected and thus not effectively being used for one task. No matter how good we are at multitasking, this fact never changes. Multitasking will lead to a state of mind where we are more used to being constantly distracted than actually focusing and learning, and this is detrimental to intelligence. Since technology arguably feeds our multitasking more than any other distraction, it is contributing heavily to decreases in intelligence.

Technology’s ability to decrease our attention spans and feed our multitasking also creates a negative feedback loop where we become more and more reliant on technology. We use technology for navigation, research, communication, record keeping, and many other things, making it hard to imagine a world without it. This has had such an impact on our lives that, according to the University of the People, “66% of the population suffers from nomophobia [a slang term that describes the fear of losing or not having access to one’s phone] today” (Nair). This reliance has 1 March 2023

Opinion

made us less knowledgeable, but what does it tell us about intelligence?

There is a common saying: ‘you use it or you lose it,’ and this applies to intelligence as well. With our reliance on technology, we are using our own intelligence less and less and instead relying on computers to do the work for us. In a blog post, author Aidan McCullen describes this phenomenon: “We are handing the responsibility for thinking, processing information, and making key decisions over to machines…Instead of intelligence amplification, we experience intelligence deterioration” (McCullen). When we outsource our intelligence to computers, we truly do ‘lose it;’ our intelligence wastes away like an atrophying muscle. Of course, it could be argued that this does not matter, since we will always have technology to help us. This, however, is not true - it is always possible to find ourselves in a situation where we cannot search Google for an answer, especially in highly complex issues. When we do not use our intelligence, it fades away, and this negatively impacts our learning and problem-solving abilities.

The digital age has been highly destructive to individual human intelligence.

The ability to take in large amounts of information has left us skimming from one source to the next, never fully focusing and learning. Over time, we are unable to focus entirely, hindering our intelligence. We constantly get distracted by technology and begin to multitask, conditioning ourselves to lose focus on the task at hand. We also become less able to learn and apply knowledge. Additionally, technology puts us into a negative feedback loop where we use our own intelligence less and less, and it begins to waste away; we ‘lose it’ when we don’t ‘use it.’ Because of technology’s strong position in our world, it is necessary for us to find some way to protect our intelligence.

Otherwise, we will create a society that lacks critical thinking, problem solving, and intellectual independence; a society that will only make things worse for the generations to come.

1 March 2023

Opinion

1 March 2023

Fine Arts

GUYS AND DOLLS INTERVIEW WITH THE CAST By: Molly Mau Jack Mau is currently a Junior here at HHCA. He has been attending here for about five years and has participated in countless plays for HHCA’s theater program, Another Duck Production. Some of the productions Jack has participated in include: Once Upon a Mattress, Emma JV, Beauty and the Beast, Wizard of Oz, High School Musical, Little Mermaid, A Christmas Carol, and Charlie Brown. With these plays under his belt, Jack will be participating in the upcoming production, Guys and Dolls Jr as Nathan Detriot. He is very excited Jack in All Shook Up, an about it and can’t wait for opening night. Along with this production, Jack will upcoming production also be participating in the spring production, All Shook Up. He enjoys being a part of these productions and loves every minute of them. The production is going to be held from March 2nd through March 5th at the Seahawk Cultural Center on Hilton Head Island, where you can catch Jack performing as Nathan Detriot. You can buy tickets on the mainstage website, which is linked on the HHCA calendar under Guys and Dolls Jr.

JACK MAU

INTERVIEW WITH JACK MAU Q1: What part of Guys and Dolls Jr have you enjoyed so far?

A: I have enjoyed all parts of preparing for Guys and Dolls, but my favorite part probably being making new friends without school people.

Q2: What is your character in Guys and Dolls Jr ?

A: I am Nathan Detroit.

Q3: Do you relate to your character in Guys and Dolls Jr? If so, what qualities?

A: In some ways I do; Nathan is an extremely outgoing person, and I relate to that very much.

Q4:What ultimately drove you to participate in Guys and Dolls Jr? A: Due to much persistence from Mrs. McElroy-Cox, and overall enjoyment in Theatre, I wanted to be a part of this amazing show.

Q5: As you have prepared for Guys and Dolls Jr, what is one thing that has stood out to you?

A: The People. Everybody there works extremely hard to achieve the one goal in mind, presenting this to the public. With our amazing Crew and Cast, it has been fascinating and humbling to watch the process go out.

Q6: What are the dates for Guys and Dolls Jr? A: March 2nd-5th, 2023.

Q7: Where is Guys and Dolls Jr going to be held?

A: The Seahawk Cultural Center on the Island.

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Fine Arts

Q8: Did you get along with your fellow actors and actresses in Guys and Dolls Jr? A: I did, everybody was nice and made the process easy.

Q9: In the past, you have participated in many productions, would you say Guys and Dolls Jr is your favorite production you have been in so far?

A: While Guys and Dolls is one of my favorite shows that I have done, I have to give my favorite production to Little Mermaid. In that production, I was the Clam. I was able to look up and watch many actors/actresses perform at their peak ability. This paved the way for me to get deeply involved with Theatre.

Q10: Has it been stressful preparing for Guys and Dolls Jr? A: A little bit, but overall having an amazing Cast and Crew helps relieve a good majority of the stress.

Maya has been in theater since the second grade. During that time she has gotten to learn and experience so many amazing things. She has been a part of 19 shows, and each one has taught her a variety of things. Maya has worked in lighting booths, sound boards, backstage, on stage, in workshops, and so much more. She had the amazing experience of workshopping an upcoming Broadway show, as well as being a part of one of the first stage productions based on the book, The Imaginary.

MAYA NORCROSS

When Maya came to HHCA, her theater experience continued to grow. If she wasn’t on stage performing, she was backstage, in the booth, or helping with tech for each show in the house. Maya has now been at HHCA for a little less than three years and says it has been such an amazing experience for both her theatrical journey as well as her daily life.

INTERVIEW WITH MAYA NORCROSS

Q1: What part of Guys and Dolls Jr have you enjoyed so far?

A: Getting to meet new people from the community and work alongside of them has been an amazing experience! I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the amazing cast of this show, and I’ve been having an amazing time!

Maya in Adelaide costume

Q2: What is your character in Guys and Dolls Jr ?

A: Adelaide Q3: Do you relate to your character in Guys and Dolls Jr? If so, what qualities?

A: I think there are some parts of Adelaide’s character that I can relate to, like her bubbly personality and dancing career, but there are also other things that I may not relate with which have been fun for me to explore and try to understand her character.

Q4:What ultimately drove you to participate in Guys and Dolls Jr? A: Since Mrs. McElroy-Cox is directing it, she told me and several other HHCA students about it and highly recommended that we participate. I am always looking for more experience and I enjoy getting to perform, so I jumped at the opportunity.

Q5: As you have prepared for Guys and Dolls Jr, what is one thing that has stood out to you?

A: Like with any show, the more you rehearse a show the more comfortable and natural it begins to feel. With Guys and Dolls, I have found that I have had an easier and quicker time settling into the show and the characters I get to play that I have in previous shows.

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Fine Arts

Q6: Did you get along with your fellow actors and actresses in Guys and Dolls Jr? A: Yes!! Every single person I have had the opportunity to work with in this show have been so amazing! I have met some pretty cool people and formed some new friendships I wouldn’t have had the chance to if I hadn’t done the show.

Q7: In the past, you have participated in many productions, would you say Guys and Dolls Jr is your favorite production you have been in so far?

A: Every production I’ve been in has been so different that it’s almost impossible to pick my favorite, but this show is definitely up there on my list.

Q8: Has it been stressful preparing for Guys and Dolls Jr? A: This hasn’t been too stressful of a show rehearsal-wise. Rehearsals seem to go by so fast because we are all having a good time!

EMMA KATE DALZELL

Emma Kate has participated in 13 musicals over the course of her middle school and high school years. Some of her favorite credits include White Christmas, The Little Mermaid, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, The Wizard of Oz, and All Shook Up. Making this her 14th production, Emma Kate will be participating in the upcoming production of Guys and Dolls Jr as Sarah Brown, along with fellow HHCA theater students, Jack Mau and Maya Norcross. She is very excited about this play and has worked hard while preparing for this production over the past few weeks.

INTERVIEW WITH EMMA KATE DALZELL Q1: What part of Guys and Dolls Jr have you enjoyed so far?

Emma Kate in Sarah Brown costume

A: I have enjoyed getting to know other students around the area that are also involved with theater at their schools.

Q2: What is your character in Guys and Dolls Jr ?

A: Sarah Brown

Q3: Do you relate to your character in Guys and Dolls Jr? If so, what qualities?

A: I would say that in some aspects I relate to my character. She is bold in her faith and is strong-willed. Sarah is also very reserved in some aspects as well.

Q4:What ultimately drove you to participate in Guys and Dolls Jr? A: Mrs. McElroy-Cox is our director, and I love getting to work under her! I also love the music in the show.

Q5: As you have prepared for Guys and Dolls Jr, what is one thing that has stood out to you?

A: I would say that the importance of getting to know your other cast members outside of running certain scenes can help build connection and strengthen a performance as a whole.

1 March 2023

Fine Arts

Cast of Guys and Dolls Jr: Top Row (L-R): Millie Gilbreath, Eli Taylor, Charlie Pierce, Maya Norcross, Emma Kate Dalzell. Bottom Row (L-R): Hayden Napier, Jack Mau, Aiden Miller , nonHHCA student.

1 March 2023

Fine Arts

1 March 2023

Fine Arts

Winter Recital Written by Liam Reeves

On the night of Saturday, February 11th, Hilton Head Christian Academy hosted one of its most anticipated events in fine arts: the Winter Recital. For those who don’t know, the Winter Recital is an open mic performance opportunity where students with any kind of musical talent can prepare and perform a piece as a soloist, small ensemble, or band.

The recital included nearly thirty acts and displayed almost every variety of music, including multiple original songs. HHCA's fine arts students did a wonderful job demonstrating their extensive composition skills. The students performed with utmost musical talent, with some noteworthy performances being the Middle School Rock Band’s performance of "Sweet Home Alabama" and the HHCA Saxophone Quartet’s performance of "Chameleon."

The outstanding performances, from all of Hilton Head Christian Academy's participating fine arts students, left the audience with a lot to look forward to for next year's Winter Recital, and all concerts yet to come.

1 March 2023

Fine Arts

Middle School Rock Band peforming "Sweet Home Alabama"

HHCA Saxophone Quartet performing Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon" 1 March 2023

Fine Arts

1 March 2023

Student Life

Brianna Williams, Emma-Kate Dalzell, Audrey Atkins, Christian Becker, Millie Gilbreath, and Maya Norcross

Information from HHCA Theater Director, Michelle McElroy-Cox Compiled By Camille Sposato

Summary Michelle McElroy-Cox sums it up best, "Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, “All Shook Up” follows a small Midwestern town that is thrown into a frenzy with the arrival of Chad (Christian Becker), a good-looking, motorcycle-riding roustabout, who rides from town to town with a guitar on his back, blue suede shoes on his feet, and a song in his heart.

Repressed by their conservative mayor, the town comes alive again under Chad’s influence. Lovers meet all in one zany night that will change the town forever.

“All Shook Up” is a rocking, heartwarming tale about following dreams, opening up to love, and the power of music."

1 March 2023

Audrey Atkins, Maya Norcross, Millie Gilbreath, Emma-Kate Dalzell, Brianna Williams

Fine Arts

Messages From The Cast "'All Shook Up!' is a fun, upbeat, and different kind of show. I have never done a show like this and can't wait to hit the stage! C'mon everybody and see 'All Shook Up!' on March 2325!" -Brianna Williams " "This show demonstrates a new take on stage design that is not worth missing!" -Audrey Atkins "The music really captures the heart and soul of the show. It translates the message far more than any of our lines." - Jack Mau

Buy Tickets Here!

March 23, 24, and 25 at 7:00 PM Matinee performance on March 25 at 2:00 PM Tickets are $12 for students and seniors and $18 for adults 1 March 2023

Fine Arts

March Poetry Mars Shines in the Stars March, Martius, Mars You lay in myths, And shine in the stars.

You stood as a symbol one the Romans adored Most famously known as the God of of war Were you misunderstood, Mars?

Are you hiding in the stars?

In order to cover up, all of your battlefield scars.

You were hated by the Greeks In favor of the wise Athena Scorned as the favored god of there enemies Known to them as the blood thirsty Ares Drawing blood with your blade Striking fear into the renegades With fire and fury Burning bright like a torch you destroy your foes, and leave them scorched .

Now you lay in the myths and shine in the stars Were you ever misunderstood Mars?

By: Gabrielle Reis

Because I could not Stop for Death This poem is written in the perspective of a person taking a carriage ride with none other than death itself and was published four years after the writer died, so it's not clear if this poem was finished since she never gave indication or left notes suggesting it was.

Because I could not stop for Death— He kindly stopped for me— The Carriage held but just Ourselves— And Immortality.

We slowly drove—He knew no haste And I had put away My labor and my leisure too, For His Civility— We passed the School, where Children strove At Recess—in the Ring— We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain— We passed the Setting Sun— Or rather—He passed us— The Dews drew quivering and chill— For only Gossamer, my Gown— My Tippet—only Tulle— We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground— The Roof was scarcely visible— The Cornice—in the Ground— Since then—’tis Centuries—and yet Feels shorter than the Day I first surmised the Horses’ Heads Were toward Eternity—

By: Emily Dickson

HHCA EAGLES EMERGE VICTORIOUS AGAINST BEAUFORT ACADEMY IN SENIOR NIGHT GAME

By Liam Reeves

On Monday, February 6th, the HHCA Eagles basketball teams played against the Beaufort Academy Eagles in their final home game of the season as well as hosting the basketball senior night.

Both HHCA varsity teams managed to secure large point leads throughout the majority of their games, with the girls’ teams trailing only slightly in the first quarter and then making an impressive comeback and finishing the game with a final score of 72 to 48, and the boys finishing with a final score of 68 to 40.

Along with the feeling of victory, the nine senior team members were also gifted with the privilege of being honored for their contributions to their teams throughout the years; as they wrap up their time playing for the Eagles and move on to a new chapter of their lives.

1 March 2023

Athletics

Spring Athletics Information Baseball Varsity Junior Varsity Middle School Boys Golf Varsity Boys Tennis Varsity Soccer Varsity Girls Varsity Boys Middle School Girls Middle School Boys Sporting Clays Varsity

Find the team that is right for you. More information about schedules and rosters on https://www.hhca.org/athletics/springsports

1 March 2023

Athletics

HHCA VARSITY GIRLS WIN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Athletics

During winter break, Hilton Head Christian Academy's Girls Varsity Basketball team took home the state championship, making this HHCA's 5th consecutive state championship win. Throughout the entirety of the game, HHCA held the lead, with the girls securing the win against Shannon Forest School, with a final score of 67-38.

Left to right: Elizabeth Minton, Morgan Scott, Mya Hutchinson, Jai'da Grayson, Mary Claire Nelson, Hayleigh Hingtgen, Anna Kate Taylor, Caroline Yanker, Devon Yarde, Ella Klepchick, Abby Peduzzi, PJ Benson

1 March 2023

Athletics

Sailing Season is starting

February 28th marked the first sailing practice of this semesters 12 week season. Practices take place after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The club members will be mainly be sailing in 420 sailboats, steered by 2 people, the skipper and the crew. For more information contact Mr. Hammer room 237.

By Gabrielle Reis 1 March 2023

Athletics

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Recipes with Jill March Edition

Breakfast Casserole

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Intro Brought to you by the lovely Mr. and Mrs. Collins, Recipes with Jill presents an all time favorite, a homemade breakfast casserole. As the cool mornings of winter start to slowly fade away, a warm, hearty casserole is just what we need!

Ingredients 8-10 oz shredded frozen potatoes, thawed 2 ½ cups cheddar cheese, grated + divided ½ of the seasoning spice blend* 1 lb ground chicken 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1/4 cup + 2T milk of choice Black Pepper (+ salt if desired)

Notes Serves 4 Casserole recipe may be doubled and baked in a 9x13 dish. Adjust cooking times to 12 minutes and 25 minutes.

You could use a different protein or one that is pre-seasoned Subbing tater tots for the potatoes is an option, just make sure they cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer.

If a family member is dairy-sensitive (not allergic!), just leave the cheese out or add the extra to one side.

Seasoning Spice Blend 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 teaspoons salt 3 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon onion powder

Steps 1.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare an 8x8 dish with spray oil or butter 2.) Place the thawed shredded potatoes in the dish and cover with 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Bake for 10 minutes.

3.) While the potatoes are in the oven, season the ground chicken with the spice blend and add to a skillet over medium heat. Cook until no pink remains; drain excess fat.

4.) In a bowl, crack the 4 eggs and whisk with milk. Season with black pepper.

5.) Remove the potatoes from the oven. In the 8x8 dish, layer the cooked chicken over the potatoes. Then, pour the egg mixture over top. Cover with the remaining cheese.

6.) Then bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Be sure to let it cool five minutes before serving.

7.) Lastly, serve the casserole with salsa, ketchup, or barbecue sauce.

Community Opportunities: Lowcountry Autism Foundation

By Amy Schutz and Emily Phillips

Once a month, The Lowcountry Autism Foundation (LAF), a non-profit organization, hosts an event called Parent’s Night Out. This event allows parents to enjoy a night out while volunteers supervise their kids. The volunteers are made up of therapists and high schoolers who love making a positive impact in the kids’ lives. The event was held at Jumpin Jelly Beans in Bluffton, but now they are currently searching for a new location.

Parent’s Night Out provides an excellent opportunity for high schoolers to become more involved in the community. “I love being involved in my community and being able to make a positive impact. I enjoy volunteering with LAF because they strive to create a safe and inclusive environment for children with Autism,” says Amy Schutz, who has been volunteering with LAF since August of 2022. Another LAF volunteer from HHCA is Camille Sposato. When asked, “Why do you like volunteering for LAF?” Cami said, “I like LAF because it is clear that the people there really care about what they are doing and whom they are helping. It isn’t just a thing you do for community service hours. You feel like you are helping and contributing.”

When you volunteer for LAF, you do not only get the chance to help the foundation, but you also get the chance to learn and expand your skills. We asked Emily Phillips, who has been volunteering for LAF since November 2022, about what she learned from volunteering at LAF. She said, “I have learned how to be a good listener (the kids just need someone to listen to them sometimes). I also learned how to adapt to different situations and behaviors that made me better at what I do and how I do it.” LAF is a great way to spread kindness in our local community while improving yourself.

1 March 2023

Features and Announcements

Interview with Sofia Townes, program coordinator of LAF in Beaufort Q: How did you become involved with this organization?/ Why did you start this organization?

A: "I became involved with LAF after my son Jack was diagnosed with autism in 2014. At that time, there were very little resources in the Bluffton/HHI area for autism. LAF was founded in 2007 in Hilton Head but moved to MUSC in Charleston after receiving funding from Developmental Pediatrics at MUSC. When I first joined LAF, I came on board as a volunteer. I wanted to prove to the organization that the need was very high in our community, and we needed staff to run programming and services to our Beaufort County families. I became the program coordinator for Beaufort County a year later, and the rest is history."

Q: Why was LAF established?

A: "LAF was established to provide valuable resources and services to families affected by autism spectrum disorder. LAF’s services are provided at no cost and they are aimed to fill gaps in services."

Q: What inspired parent’s night out?

A: "Being an autism parent myself, I know the needs of our community. Respite care ranks #1 in requested programming. When you have a child with ASD, especially on the moderate and severe side of the spectrum, there are no breaks for parents/caregivers. To go grab a cup of coffee is nearly an impossible task. Parent’s Night Out provides three hours of respite care each month so that parents and caregivers can receive a much-needed break. They are able to go get a cup of coffee with friends, go out to dinner, or go see a movie. For most of the families I serve, this is the only time they have to do these things. " Q: What’s one major accomplishment of LAF? A: "I’m so proud of our small yet mighty foundation! We continue to offer amazing and impactful programming to autism families in Beaufort County, such as Parent’s Night Out, LAF Aid, LAF Swim, Pizza and Peers, Family Support Services, Art Therapy."

Q: What's an example of a way you've seen your organization's work make a difference?

A: "We recently launched LAF Swim, a swimming program that teaches water safety skills and basic swimming techniques to individuals with autism. Drowning is the number one cause of death in the autism community. We are surrounded by water in Beaufort County. We hope that this program will prevent drowning and save lives."

Q: What are your goals for the future/ what would you like to achieve?

A: "I would like to launch a full-scale social skills program for individuals on the spectrum. I would like to provide training, awareness, and advocacy in all schools, including private ones in our community. I would also like to provide training and awareness strategies in local businesses and churches as well.

Autism affects 1 out of 44 children in our community. More children are affected by autism than cancer, AIDS, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, cerebral palsy, and Down Syndrome combined.

Based on these numbers, I think it’s obvious how vital it is to spread awareness, acceptance, and support for those affected by autism in our own community."

Honors Societies Induction ceremonies will be held for Our Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica, National Honor Society, and International Thespian Society induction ceremonies will be held on Wednesday, March 29 at 3:30 PM. Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica HHCA's chapter of the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica has been named after the southern coast of Spain, known as “La Costa del Sol”. The Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica has two levels of membership. If a member is not currently enrolled in a Spanish course, the student remains in the Sociedad as an Associate Member until graduation. Students who are currently enrolled in a Spanish course or have completed the highest level of Spanish offered by the school remain in the chapter as Active Members. Members of La Costa del Sol are involved in a variety of activities throughout the HHCA community. These include achieving academic excellence in all courses, tutoring HHCA students in Spanish, providing miniSpanish lessons to children in Lower School, and hosting final exam study sessions.

Questions about Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica? Contact Karen Kopitsky for more information at kkopitsky@hhca.org.

International Thespian Society The International Thespian Society is the student honorary division of the Educational Theatre Association recognizing excellence in high school theatre.

Schools join the International Thespian Society by chartering a Thespian troupe, which serves as the honor society for their theatre student artists and technicians.

The troupe recognizes and rewards student achievement by inducting eligible students into the International Thespian Society.

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Students in grades 9–12 who attend schools with active high school Thespian troupes can earn lifetime membership in the honor society. Troupe directors and leaders track student achievement and determine induction eligibility using a point system based on the quality and quantity of each student’s work in theatre and related arts. Thespians receive a wide range of benefits and opportunities throughout their high school careers and become Thespian alumni after graduation.

As a Thespian, you uphold the Thespian motto, “Act well your part; there all the honor lies.”

Questions about International Thespian Society? Contact HHCA Theater Director Michelle McElroy-Cox at mmcelroy@hhca.org.

National Honors Society The National Honor Society, or NHS, is the nation's premier organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. More than just an honor roll, NHS serves to honor sophomores, juniors and seniors who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Character. These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since its beginning in 1921. A minimum of a 4.0 cumulative GPA is required to apply, as well as participation in extracurricular activities and community service.

Applications take place in the spring of each year, beginning with sophomore year.

NHS is looked very favorably upon by colleges and universities nation-wide. NHS members participate in service projects, tutor their peers at school, and actively seek out ways to better their school environment.

Questions about National Honor Society? Contact Christine Jackson

at

cjackson@hhca.org.

All information about these clubs and more can be found at hhca.org!

1 March 2023

Features and Announcements

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3. How often does LowCountry 1. What song did the saxophone Autism Foundation host Parent's quartet perform?

Night Out? 2. How many State Championships 4. Who wrote The Twelfth Night, did the Varsity Girls win in a row? which “All Shook Up” was based 3. What did the Romans call the on? god of war?

5. How many "Guys and Dolls Jr." cast members were interviewed in the fine arts section?