An interview of notable Hilton Head Christian Academy alumni. Founder of The Quill, Tierney Ducharme, and where she is now. This includes an overview of the International Justice Mission.
The traditions of Spirit Week that students and staff get to be a part of the excitement it holds for everyone.
Josephine Arraj on Baking, Belonging, & her Bachelor's Josephine Arraj's experience with dual enrollment.
Get to know who is in the Upper School Student Robotics team, what they have done, and their thoughts on the Robotics club.
Receive a quick introduction to a few of the Lower and Middle School Robotics teams, as well as hearing some of their thoughts of the club.
See who is on which team in Lower and Middle School Robotics as well as some pictures.
Explains Academic World Quest, what it is, and how it works. Also goes into detail about their recent online practice.
The HHCA saxophone quartet's performance for the HHI chamber of commerce and a brief history of the saxophone quartet.
A brief overview of the Christmas concert that was a spectacular wrap up to the 2022 semester!
Ceramics: The Final Fire Athletics Section
HHCA v.s Bullloch Academy
A breakdown of the entire game, statistics, and more as well as Spring tryout information.
A brief summary of MLK’s journey to end segregation and his fight for equal rights. It also talks about his legacy, which is now celebrated every third Monday each January.
Once again, we have a lovely treat selected to kick off this new year! From our kitchen to yours, and with compliments from Mr. Lingafelt, enjoy!
As we transition into the new year, it’s important to reminisce on the past versions of ourselves. While The Crest was recently formed in 2022, there was a pre-existing newspaper at Hilton Head Christian Academy
called The Quill. The Quill was founded by Tierney Ducharme, and Anna Bradley in 2003, but when the girls graduated in 2004, the group disbanded. In an interview with Ducharme, she said "We wanted a way to get experience writing and reporting." A school publication was the perfect
solution to fulfill their ambitions. They used the pink and blue old macs in Mr. Dagger’s classroom to write and publish their newspaper. In 2022-2023, the students at HHCA convene in Room 233
using schoolissued dells and an online platform to publish.
Tierney
Continue reading to learn more about Tierney Ducharme and IJM....
Tierney Ducharme continued applying her writing skills to her work after graduating from HHCA. She studied Journalism in college, but was inspired after doing an internship through International Justice Mission (IJM) to write in a more meaningful way. Her college internship through IJM led her to India for a year, where her 13-year journey with IJM started.
When asked to define IJM, Ducharme said “IJM is a human rights organization focused on preventing violent crimes from happening to people all around the world. We focus on crimes like modern slavery, sex trafficking, and violence against women and children. We work with local governments to figure out why the laws against slavery or those other crimes are not being enforced. Then we take individual cases to work for justice and then try to equip the justice system officials with the skills they need to enforce the law, so it keeps other people from ever being exploited."
She now helps survivors speak back into the IJM programs through a position in survival leadership. Her explanation regarding her station preference was as follows: "NGOs can do a lot of good, but for lasting change to come, I believe that it has to be the people of that place, the citizens of that country, demanding their leaders protect their own people. So we view survivors as powerful agents of change, and I get to work on programs aimed at developing their leadership.”
She has an essential job, but what can we do as average people to contribute? The main (and easiest) answer Tierney Ducharme gave was "becoming aware". Just knowing what's going on and spreading the message helps bad things from getting hidden and swept under the rug. One of Ducharme's motivations is to spread the word of God through her work and bring the kingdom of God to Earth.
If you want to learn more about IJM, or read Tierney Ducharme's work, go to https://www.ijm.org/.
As we return from a long Christmas break, there is excitement in the air here at HHCA. Spirit week is finally here. Spirit week is a long-time tradition that excites the students and provides a fun week filled with exhilarating activities. During spirit week, students get to dress up with the different themes of the days and get to participate in fun activities during the week. Throughout the week, students get to decorate different parts of the school with their chosen class theme, create a fun video with their grade, and prepare for the grade dances on Friday. Another tradition that HHCA holds during spirit week is Senior Recognition. Senior Recognition is a time for our Seniors to be recognized and receive a letter written to them. For Senior boys, their letters are written to them by their mom, sister, or another person of their choice. For Senior Girls, their letters are written to them by their dad, brother, or whomever they choose. The seniors are then escorted to the stage by the writer of their letter. This Senior event is very exciting, but also emotional for the Seniors because it honors them for their accomplishments and who they are as an individual. Senior Recognition used to be divided into two days, with Senior boys having their recognition on Friday morning with the whole school in attendance, and the Senior girls' recognition being held the day before. However, this year both girls' and boys' recognitions are being held on Friday in order for all Seniors to get recognition from the whole school.
Another tradition that is a part of Spirit week is the spirit stick. The Spirit stick is a stick that a faculty member, such as a teacher, principal, or staff member, hides somewhere in the school, such as the stairwells, the PAC, the gym, classrooms, or many other places, and a student from any grade has to find it. If they find it, they earn points for their class which is super exciting and fun for all of the students. This tradition can be quite competitive and bring up some rivalry between each of the different grades, but it is awesome to participate in and to see who wins it each year.
By Camille Sposato
Josephine Arraj is currently a senior at HHCA; she has been attending this school for 13 years. When dual enrollment was offered to her, she started taking classes at the beginning of her junior year at the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL). She is almost at a full year of college because of dual enrollment credits, despite her still being in high school.
Q: When did you first start your Dual Enrollment process?
A: I started the dual enrollment process at the beginning of 11th grade through TCL.
Q: Can you describe what it was like when you first attended?
A: I was definitely very anxious, very shy, and kept to myself. It is a very different environment than being in high school. I call my teachers by their first names. I have funny conversations I could not have here. Most peers are 25 and older. I have friends that are 60 years old. It’s a way different environment. I became very shy even though I wasn’t a really shy person. I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, but now I have friends and am more comfortable.
Q: What classes have you taken?
A: I took two English classes, a math class, psychology, hospitality, computer science, and four baking classes. Ten total.
Q: What is the worst experience you’ve had?
A: I didn’t like my hospitality class. No hate for this chef, but it was his first time teaching the class and he didn’t know what he was doing. I dreaded going to the class. It was boring.
Q: What is the best experience you’ve had?
A: I would say where I am right now. I’m in an all-girls class and we are learning how to properly place stuff to look elegant, expensive, etc. I’m learning how to get along with other people, incorporate our ideas, and I'm making so many new friends. I finally found someone my age. It’s my first class here. I've found my clique and broken my shell. I’m talking to everyone, introducing myself, not caring, and taking everything as it is.
Q: Is there any advice you would give yourself?
A: I would say don’t care what other people think. They don’t care. They just want to be your friend and know who you are, break your shell, and get out of it, they never know what’s gonna happen. I think TCL is so great, but if you're shy you're not going to get much out of it. Be kind, be nice, they are nice people.
Q: Is there anything you would like to say to younger readers preparing to schedule their classes?
A: If it’s your dream, you should do it. Multiple people told me it's not a career that’s going to get me anywhere in life. Do it. If you want to and it’s your passion, it’s yours and your own. So what, just do it. Trust your teachers, they are there for you. I emailed teachers at midnight and they responded as soon as they could. College teachers really are there for you. They’re friendly, nice, and understanding. They know that life happens and they try to help you.
Q: Were you able to use these skills at HHCA in any way?
A: My desserts were featured at this year’s Magical Night On The May, HHCA’s signature event for parents, on November 17th, 2022.
Q: How would you describe the experience in five words or less?
A: Freedom, confidence, experience, creativity, incredible.
Q: What college would you like to go to? Do you have plans for the future?
A: College of Charleston, and USC. Major in business, minor in art or marketing. I want to open my own place, which is where the business degree would come into play. I would love to travel and work. Italy and France would be great to learn about cuisines and cultures. I want to learn under different chefs and people. They all have different methods and I want the experience. I want to work in a small business before starting my own.
The Upper School Robotics club has been diligently building a robot throughout 2022. They are also already on their way to a competition in mid-February, with more on the way. When asked what they enjoyed the most about robotics Andrew Morrissette, Camille Sposato, Christopher Nguyen, Devon Yarde, and Kyle Pepper all agreed that they enjoyed making the robot and overcoming the challenges the most. While William Adams found that he enjoyed stress testing and hanging out with his friends the most. When it comes to what the most challenging part of robotics was, there were mixed reactions. William Adams says that “building the shooter which still isn’t done” was the most challenging. Devon Yarde says that “deciding as a group the next step for the robot” was the most difficult. While Christopher Nguyen states that “the most challenging part was probably dealing with the lack of some of the necessary parts and staying productive during that time”. Camille Sposato, semi-agrees by saying that “the most challenging part of robotics was finding the pieces needed for certain build sections”. While Andrew Morrissette says that “the most challenging part was figuring out what the problems were”. In contrast, Kyle Pepper says “the most challenging part for me was planning out the competition dates that worked for everyone, as well as finding out the exact missing parts”. William Adams also stated that he was looking forward to upcoming competitions the most. Lastly, when asked what their most satisfying accomplishment was, Andrew Morrissette responded with “fixing the disc thrower”. Devon Yarde said that the most satisfying part for her was “completing each segment of the robot like when we finally finished the base, etc”.
While Christopher Nguyen responded, “my most satisfying accomplishment was getting the robot to be able to pick up discs, because we were struggling with that for a while”. Kyle Pepper also said that “the most satisfying accomplishment was finally being able to pick up the discs with the robot”. While Camille Sposato shared that “my most satisfying accomplishment in robotics occurred during the summer when Devon and I built a new robot daily. They weren't as complex, but the results released instant gratification”.
KylePepper,WilliamAdams,ChristopherNguyen,CamilleSposato,DevonYarde
4th-grade robotics took part in a competition where they won the Sportsmanship Award. They are also well on their way to another competition as well as states! In an interview, both Claire and Copeland stated that their favorite part was “meeting the teams and doing the competitions”. While the most challenging part was “coordinating with other teams and getting on the field in time”. Also, Lower School Robotics is having their next competition in January. Also, the 5th-grade team won first place in a regional, giving them a spot in the State Tournament in Greenville in February. The 5th-grade team members are Bucky DiGiannantonio, Rich Walls, Tristian Pressley, and Cole Castor. In 8th-grade robotics and part of Team E, Cade said that his most enjoyable part was “building the robot and taking part in competitions”. With the most challenging being “fixing problems with the robot”. And the most time-consuming being “designing and building it”. Middle school robotics hasn’t won an award yet and has no upcoming competitions. However, the future is bright for all robotics teams.
As December winds to an end, Hilton Head Christian Academy's Academic World Quest (AWQ) team has once again been assembled. For those who don't know, Academic World Quest is an extracurricular program led by Mr. Rudnickas that some students participate in over the late winter and early spring months. This year's AWQ members are Luke Williams, Peter Rein, Sophia Blackwell, and Christopher Nguyen.
Last year the Academic World Quest Team won their local competition and was, therefore, able to compete at the national level. They competed virtually with 42 other teams across America over ten different topics. Member Christopher Nguyen said, "I'm very excited about the opportunity to compete in AWQ for the second time ever
This year the categories the students have to research and read about are as follows; Food Insecurity, Autocracy vs. Democracy, The Future of Supply Chains, and Securing the Future of the World's Wildlife. The students will utilize these readings late in January while participating in the local Academic World Quest challenge. The HHCA Academic World Quest team has hopes to excel this year at the local and possibly at the national competition.
The HHCA saxophone quartet was given the incredible opportunity to perform for the Hilton Head Island chamber of commerce. The group performed four pieces for the chamber of commerce, including big concert hits such as “The Cantina Band” and “The Muppet Show Theme”. While the group has only been together for a short time, they have participated in many performances throughout this year. In an interview with lead soprano Christopher Nguyen, he stated, “I am extremely excited for this opportunity. Almost as excited as I was when I got seventh in the SCISA State Chess Tournament.”
A Brief History of the Saxophone Quartet: The HHCA saxophone quartet was started by random happenstance at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. Unable to perform in the big band due to scheduling conflicts, the four saxophonists attended a different class in which they learned and performed multiple quartet pieces. The quartet
HHCA Saxophone Quartet: (Left
Atkins, Hudson Baker,
has performed in both the October fine arts concert and the December Christmas concert have also been given the opportunity to perform with the Eagles Jazz Band at the National Jazz Educators conference in Orlando.
The Christmas concert was a perfect finale for the 2022 semester with performances that were nothing short of magical!
The Middle School band got to perform their two pieces: Jingle Bell Rock, and Little Drummer Boy. They were very excited to get to show off their very hard work!
The Upper School Band and the Jazz Band performed four excerpts from the well-known play, The Nutcracker, including The March, The Dance of the Reed Pipes, the Arabian Dance, and the Russian Dance. They also performed an oldie but a goody, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, as well as one of the hardest pieces they have faced, Spain by Chick Corea. They will be playing Spain in the Orlando conference that they will be attending at the start of school on January 4th.
The Strings Club played a variety of songs including classics like Silent Night and blasts from the past like Good King Wenceslas!
The Glee Club put on some very fun and festive shows, one of the crowd favorites being the Ugly Sweater Song! They brought a lot of Christmas cheer to everyone watching!
The Select Chorus presented some very moving songs, even using jingle bells in some songs to increase the Christmas vibe! They performed Red Bird, Snow, and A Very Merry Christmas. Although the songs Red Bird and Snow were a bit new to most of the audience, the performance was still highly enjoyed by them all!
The Worship Team also made a special appearance at the Christmas concert. They sang Hope Has a Name, and a Christmas mashup of the following songs: O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark the Herald Angels, Oh Night Divine, and Silent Night. It was an amazing moment where all attendants and performers got to come together to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, which is Christ the Lord, as well as wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
The week before Christmas break marks the last full week of the current Ceramics class. Over the course of the year, the ceramic class has learned a multitude of techniques including, but not limited to, pinch pots, coil techniques, using the slab roller, adding/removing clay, and sgraffito. The newest assignment is a personal project in which the student is allowed to choose what they create, as long as they use one of the techniques they learned during class. For example, Junior Amy Schutz, a Ceramics 1 student, is making coasters shaped like South Africa, where she's from. Amy said she chose her final project because “I thought it would be a great gift for my family because that's where we originate from. It's a really special and important piece of us, and the coaster is a way to take a piece of our culture with us wherever we go.”
Meanwhile, the wheel throwers have a separate final project in which they have to create a cylinder set. The cylinder set has to be cohesive cylinders ( they should either be similar in themes, colors, patterns, etc).
A former Ceramics student, Devon Yarde says, “My favorite part of ceramics is seeing the final product come out of the kiln. It's rewarding seeing all of your hard work finally be done and turn out beautiful.” We agree, It is truly rewarding when all of your hard work and dedication comes to fruition. Art allows the students to express their creative side, which is not always offered in traditional classes.
The Ceramics class provides students with a creative outlet and we can not wait to see what the next Ceramics class creates!
On December 13, the HHCA Eagles took the court against the Bulloch Academy Gators. The Eagles have started the season blazing, even though they have not played a conference game yet. Going into the game, the Eagles have had a perfect start, only losing one out of their first six. The Gators, on the other hand, came into the game three and three .
Looking at statistics going into the game, the Eagles were averaging 59 points a game, 34.3 rebounds a game, 15.8 assists per game, 10 steals per game, and 3.3 blocks a game. The Gators came into the game scoring 52.5 points per game, 31 rebounds a game, 8.7 assists a game, 5.3 steals a game, and 1.8 blocks a game. Statistically, HHCA had the advantage heading into the game.
Even before tip off, you could feel the energy coming from the stands. The home crowd definitely has played an advantage all season, and in this game it was important. In the first quarter, the Eagles could not seem to completely pull away from the Gators. At the end of the first quarter, the score was 16 to 10 with the Eagles leading. The Eagles clearly started the second quarter with a new mindset, because they came back out on fire, only letting the Gators score 3 points. The Eagles then scored 15 points themselves, making the score 31 to 13, with the Eagles destroying them at halftime. The mindset clearly did not change in the third quarter because they scored 21 and they only let the Gators score 12, making the score 52 to 25.
The fourth quarter was no different because the Eagles finished it off, scoring 15 more in the final quarter and only allowing 5, making the final score 67 to 30. This game has really shown how dominant the Eagles can be when they play well. They clearly could not be stopped in this game and I doubt that it would have been any different if the game was played at Bulloch Academy. The crowd did play a factor, but it would not have mattered if no one was in the gym. This was a dominant victory and a real beatdown on the opponent. If the Eagles team keeps playing like this we might find ourselves in the state championship. Go Eagles.
Middle School Baseball (6th - 8th grade): January 30th and 31st from 3:15pm - 5:00pm
JV and Varsity Baseball (9th-12th): January 30th and 31st from 4:45pm7:00pm
No Middle School boys or girls soccer tryouts: Practice will start Wednesday, February 1st from 3:30pm - 5:00pm
Varsity Boys Soccer: January 30th and 31st from 5:00pm-7:00pm on the main soccer field.
Varsity Girls Soccer: January 30th and 31st from 3:15pm-5:00pm on the main soccer field.
Boys Tennis: Contact / See Coach Jason Grunkemeyer for more information.
Boys Golf: Contact / See Coach Mike Spangler for more information.
Celebrated on the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr. day observes the role and leadership taken on by the civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr.
His first public testimony to end segregation was on December 5, 1955, with a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. This was to protest against segregated seating between passengers. The boycott was declared successful when 90% of its passengers no longer rode on the transit bus, which resulted in the bus losing business.
After the boycott, King went on to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957 and assemble the 1963 March on Washington. The March was one of his biggest movements, with over 200,000 people gathered peacefully, demanding justice for equal rights for all citizens, which was pending in Congress. On the exact same day, King proclaimed his cry for support in his ‘I have a dream’ speech, presented on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial. He called out the wrongs of segregation and wanted to transform the mindset of a tarnished nation.
In 1964, King accomplished something much greater than before. The 24th amendment was passed, which abolished the poll tax. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was also passed, which prohibited racial discrimination in employment and education and outlawed racial segregation in public facilities. Later that year, King became the youngest person to achieve a Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent campaigns against racism.
By the late 60s, King focused on the Vietnam War and criticized America for its involvement.
On April 4, 1968, King was assassinated on the front porch of his apartment. He was only 39 years old. A national holiday to commemorate him was called into consideration just four days after his assasination by John Convey, a Congressman of Michigan.
After fighting for 15 years and calling upon the Congressional Black Caucus for help, MLK Day was declared a national holiday in 1983.
It was set to be on the Monday nearest to his birthday, January 15th.
It wasn’t until 1986 in which the holiday was nationally celebrated and observed.
1 ½ cups butter flavored shortening
2 cups of sugar
½ cups of molasses
2 eggs
4 cups of all purpose flour
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp of ground ginger
Additional sugar option: white chocolate chips/ melts
Happy New Years HHCA family! On this month's Recipes with Jill, we have brought to you a unique but scrumptious treat from the Chess master himself, Mr. Lingafelt! Enjoy!
1.) To start off, add together the shortening and sugar, in a large mixing bowl.
2.) After adding the shortening and sugar, slowly add the eggs and molasses. Mix well!
3.) Then, separately, add together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
4.) Gradually add the mixture to the creamed mixture.
5.) After mixing the ingredients together, refrigerate them between one to two hours.
6.) After refrigeration, shape the mixture into balls and roll them completely in sugar.
7.) After rolling the individual balls, place them onto a greased baking pan.
8.) Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Optional:
1.) Heat the white chocolate in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between intervals, until completely melted.
2.) Dip half the cookie, into the chocolate, so that only the top is covered with chocolate.
3.) After dipping the cookies, set them aside and let the chocolate harden.
Christmastide, and winter cheer, Merriness spreads far and near
It feels impossible for me to conceal, the joy and eagerness I feel. I hear the carolers singing, smell the fragrance of hot cocoa steaming. I witness snowballs colliding, ice skaters gliding, families gathering and taking photos.
When I go outside, I'll see snowflakes falling, falling fast All worrisome thoughts are left in the past.
The wind is brutal and the air is cold as I leave the shop from which winter gloves are sold. How I long for this cold to be done and over The birds chirping stops as they flee and the weather grows colder. Oh, how I wish for a warm mug to hold. Something to Children in the streets building snowmen, it takes me back to a time when laughter was all I heard I spot the door of my apartment navy blue with a bronze knob I retrieve my key, though it seems for naught
Who has entered my home and left the door unlocked. I hear a voice and feel myself smile. I enter the Living room and see my nephew playing with a small child
This is your great uncle Thomas, the one we named you after. Perhaps Christmas is not as dreadful as it seems, I thought.
January 1st is identical to any other day, besides the fact that the majority of people are more tired than usual, as they stayed up all night waiting for a ball to drop. For some reason, however, people look at this day as a new chapter of their lives, the point where they are going to turn everything around. It marks the start of striving to do the most, save the most, and improve the most. I would argue that these “resolutions'' do not even deserve that name. Losing weight, working harder, saving more money, and being a kinder human are merely dreams that people come up with every year hoping that they will come true once the new year comes around. Well, dreams do not work unless you do, and the world making another orbit around the sun will not make them magically come true According to US News & World Report, 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. Setting goals is a good start to reaching them, but these objectives for the new year are often the beginning and end. New Year’s resolutions are procrastination in and of themselves. People put off things they need to start doing in order to improve their lives It starts next week, next month, and eventually, next year. Once the next year finally comes, actual plans and actions outside of the mere goal are thrown together quickly and sloppily. It begins to become more work than expected and the dream body or full bank account is once again pushed back. When a goal is rooted in procrastination, it is no wonder that it fails and is once again delayed. People romanticize dreams of the next year and anticipate immediate results. A definite reason why the objective is not fully thought out is the fact that the goal is far too general. There is little specificity in these resolutions Each year, the same generic ones are repeated: lose weight, eat healthily, sleep more, and be kinder. Broad goals like this are hard to plan out and life has to be shuffled around to make time for all these new additions to your day. Life gets busy and results are nonexistent at first, which makes the goals seem impossible or not worthwhile.
When the 80% of resolutions are dropped next month, they are rarely ever picked back up The cycle of procrastination continues and these goals set for 2023, will most likely be pushed back to 2024. However, this cycle is not necessary. Make those previously far too vague objectives into realistic, specific tasks that can be completed today and improve quality of life. Ultimately, the hope of improving life is why New Year’s resolutions are made. Life can be improved any day, and it is going to improve significantly more if improvements are made today,instead of putting it off until next year. Take back these goals and instead of making them a wish for a new year, morph them into realistic, specific goals that you can work on, starting today Make the change from New Year’s dreams to today’s work.
& their favorite tv shows and movies in honor of spirit week
Jillian Campanella - You
Ruby Chapman - Pushing Daisies
Halle Kruse - The Walking Dead
Molly Mau - Friends
Christopher Nguyen - Wednesday
Nic Panzerella - Phineas and Ferb
Kyle Pepper - Transformers Prime
Emily Philips - The Office
William Reeves - The Walking Dead
Gabrielle Reis - The Rooke
Amy Schutz - Great British Baking Show
Camille Sposato - Derry Girls
Emma Taylor - Wednesday
Ivey Taylor - Friends
Luke Williams - Seinfeld
Devon Yarde - Great British Baking Show
If you ever have a story, information, poetry, artwork, or anything else, reach out to a member. Meetings regarding The Crest publications occur during upper school lunch every Monday and Wednesday. Going forward, the paper is set to release on the first of every month.
1. What award did 4th-grade robotics win?
3. What did Amy Schutz make in the shape of South Africa for her ceramics project?
5. What teacher leads the Academic World Quest program?
7. What is the abbreviation for the Academic World Quest?
2. What is the mascot for Bullock Academy?
4. What type of saxophone does Christopher Nguyen play?
6. In the recipes with Jill section, which teacher provided the cookie recipe?
8. Finding the is an HHCA spirit week tradition