TheCrest
Volume 3 Issue 3 February 2025
February 1, 2025
This Issue’s Topics
Student Life
HHCA 8th Graders Embark on the 20th Annual Washington
D.C. Trip
Chris Nguyen, Staff Writer
Tiny Cage
Nyla Capers, Staff Writer
Spirit Week 2025
Eli Taylor, Editor
Athletics
Hilton Head Christian Academy Boys Basketball
Michael Higgins, Staff Writer
Fine Arts
Winter Recital
Jetts Nelson, Staff Writer
February 1, 2025
Features & Announcements
Valentine’s Day
Bailey Block, Staff Writer
New Year, New You
Sierra Moore, Staff Writer
Madison’s Recipes: Flourless Chocolate Cake for Two
Madison Moore, Staff Writer
Haley Artime and Mary Gourley dress up as Hallie and Annie from Disney’s “The Parent Trap”.
The 7th grade girls rock camouflage on Twin/Group Day.
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HHCA 8th Graders Embark on the 20th Annual Washington D.C. Trip
Chris Nguyen
Staff Writer
For many in the HHCA 8th grade, the annual trip to Washington, D.C. has become a sort of rite of passage. This year was no different, as a new class had the opportunity to explore D.C during their trip from January 14-17. Despite the frigid temperatures, the 8th grade got a valuable look into the inner workings of our nation’s government, with a guided tour of the United States Capitol Building, the Library of Congress, and the Supreme Court. The students were even
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able to ride the underground train from the Capitol to the Hart Senate Building. In his remarks about the 2023 trip, Mr. Dale, one of the trip’s chaperones, said, “Regardless of political orientation or beliefs, it is always cool to see congressional members in the flesh after seeing them on TV all the time. We always schedule the trip in the beginning of January, which is a busy time in congress, so we always bump into or see someone working in the Congress.” This year was no different, as students had the opportunity to meet Tim
Scott, one of South Carolina’s senators in Congress. Students also had the opportunity to learn more about our nation’s history, visiting the Lincoln, Vietnam War, and Korean War memorials as well as touring the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and the American History Museum. The 8th grade D.C trip at HHCA has been continuing for 20 years and has provided students with hands-on experience in our nation’s government and history.
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Tiny Cage
Nyla Capers
Staff Writer This winter, on January 17, 2025, Hilton Head Christian Academy’s Tiny Cage took over the bleachers of the student section at the varsity boys and girls basketball games. HHCA’s high school Cage Crew led an extremely excited group of around forty lower school 3rd-5th graders in what we like to call the “Tiny Cage”. Screaming out in their tiny voices, yet making one, unified, larger-than-life sound, lowerschool students cheered on their fellow Eagles, and were given the opportunity to learn what it means to be a leader.
However, what is HHCA's Cage? Hilton Head Christian Academy’s Cage can be defined as the student-led, student section of our K-12 school. With the new Bluffton campus came a brand new vision for the student body: not just in the classroom, but at sporting events, fine arts programs, performances, and more - to support their peers. When asked to define the cage, High School Principal Shannon Smith
stated, “The Cage is the section where students sit for athletic events, and their job is to organize, unite, and be the best, craziest, loudest fans for our team compared to any other school”.
When asked to describe The Cage in just a few words, Principal Smith and mentor Michelle Napier exclaimed that The Cage is: “student-led, excited, energetic, engaged, purposeful, and passionate”; moreover, all forty 3rd-5th graders quickly caught onto the culture, truly being an embodiment of just that.
The name “Tiny Cage” may sound quite familiar to some, especially to the lower school families who participated in “Tiny Eagles”. Tiny Eagles is an annual opportunity for lower school girls in grades K-5 to be led by the varsity cheerleaders and coaches for a week. The Tiny Eagles get to join the cheer squad and perform at a varsity football game during halftime. This HHCA tradition is beloved by many and is why the Tiny Cage came about. Furthermore, the vision behind Tiny Cage is very similar to that of the vision behind Tiny Eagles. Mrs. Napier expressed in a quote about Tiny Cage that “The vision behind Tiny Cage was kind of a springboard on Tiny Eagles: to really get these younger students to mix into the fold, to have them experience what February 1, 2025
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leadership looks like as they move into highschool and to get them excited about that so that they can start thinking about ways they can get involved”. Mr. Smith stated that the Tiny Cage is all about promoting the school spirit and the culture from the highschool down into the lowerschool. “We want to get [the lower schoolers] engaged, but also excited about coming through middle school and high school. We also want to show them how much fun being a part of The Cage is, and how to be passionate and engaged for your school”.
In preparation of being a part of The Cage, lower school students in grades 3-5 participated in Tiny Cage Camp. The lowerschoolers met highschool students and leaders who are in the Cage Crew. These older students taught them a group of cheers, how to get loud, get hype, on their feet, and how to create a positive environment full of school spirit. When it was game time, the Tiny Cage stormed the gym, running flags, shouting cheers, and leading with school spirit. They truly proved that even though they are tiny; they are still extremely mighty.
To students who may want to be a leader but have not yet found their voice, Mrs. Napier gives the following words of encouragement: “Find your skills and what God has created you for, and don’t compare yourself to anyone. Find what
you're passionate about and use your time in school to dig deep, to think outside of the box, to not let fear stop you from moving forward, and to find your place because everyone has a part in this community, and we need everyone. We need all different walks of life, and we need different skill sets to come together. The Bible talks about iron sharpening iron, and we need one another to help us grow this community, so that it’s memorable, and so that we are leaving an impact that will sustain for the next future generations”.
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Spirit Week 2025
Eli Taylor
Editor Spirit week is an HHCA tradition filled with healthy competition, teamwork, and – most importantly, fun –happening in January every year. In short, each grade gets placed into teams and they compete against each other for the grand prize: a dress-down day. Each year, the teams have a main theme that they use for costume days, hallway decorations, and more. This year, the theme was “Holidays” with the Pink Team (12th, 8th, and 4th grade, as well as Kindergarten), the Blue Team (11th, 5th, and 1st grade), the Green Team (10th, 6th, and 2nd grade), and the Yellow Team (9th, 7th, and 3rd grade), receiving Christmas, Independence Day, Easter, and New Year’s Day, respectively. The competitions range from powderpuff to hallway decoration, but the highlight is inarguably the dance competition. The dance is worth the most points out of any competition.
Students must create a school-approved music mash-up and
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work together to choreograph a winning dance. This year, the winning dance went to the senior class, producing a hilarious yet also heartfelt dance filled with confetti, exploding golf balls, and more! The senior class also led their Christmasthemed team to victory with the overall high score of the week, but not without close competition. After being asked how he felt when it was announced the seniors had won, Nathan West said, “It felt like we finally won after being robbed last year. Last year, it was clear to all that the Juniors’ dance was superior to the Class of 2024; however, we ended up placing in third place, feeling unappreciated. This year, rising above and winning felt really nice”. Another exciting part of the week is the hunt for the infamous Spirit Stick. The stick is hidden on campus and the student body all receives a coded clue. The grade who finds it gets a great amount of points and an amazing sense of pride. Overall, everyone had a great time during Spirit Week 2025 and we can’t wait for next year’s competition.
February 1, 2025
Hilton Head Christian Academy Boys Basketball
Michael Higgins Staff Writer
High School basketball is in full swing, but for the HHCA Eagles Boys Basketball team, the season has not gone as planned. As of January 22, the Eagles have an overall record of 2-15, with an 0-3 record in SCISA 4A Region play. Despite the Eagles’ record, this team still has great players and team leaders. Sophomore SF Ethan Foster leads the team in points per game and rebounds per game, with 13.1 PPG and 5.2 REB, respectively. Sophomore Joseph Houpt leads the Eagles in steals and blocks per game, with 1.0 for each. Freshman Max Leroux leads HHCA in FG percentage, shooting 46%. Lastly, Junior PG Finn Ussery is averaging 2.5 assists per game. Hopefully, the Eagles can make a push to win some games during the latter half of the season.
February 1, 2025
HHCA’s Winter Recital: A Celebration of Talent
Jetts Nelson
Staff Writer
Have you ever attended an HHCA musical function and been in awe of the talent we have at this school? Are you ever walking down the hallways to your next class and hear singing reverberating off our walls? Do you ever wonder about how you can see these stars in action? Well, you’re in luck! On February 8th, come to HHCA’s PAC to see our Winter Recital, starting at 7:00 PM. During the recital, you will see solos, duos, and small groups of students, performing all styles of music, from classical, to jazz, to pop/Broadway, and even a few rock tunes are in the mix! All performances are performed live - no tracks are allowed!
James Berry, HHCA’s Fine Arts Director, expresses his excitement for this event. When asked what he loves most about putting on the Winter Recital, he responded with, “It is
one of my favorite performances of the year because students take ownership of choosing difficult pieces that push them and put in the extra time to prepare those pieces. It always surprises me the level of talent that emerges from this performance.” When asked about why he thinks students should participate in the recital, his answer was, “It is something that will push them to be confident in front of an audience and learn the self-discipline of improving themselves to perform at the next level.”
The Winter Recital is an amazing opportunity to come out and support your friends and family who shine on our stage.
February 1, 2025
Valentine’s Day
Bailey Block Staff Writer
Chocolates, hearts, pinks, and reds remind us of Valentine's Day. This day is dedicated to sharing love and is such a beautiful thing. Love can be represented in many ways; some people receive flowers and chocolates on Valentine's Day, while others prefer going out for a nice dinner with their loved ones. When we think of Valentine's Day, we think of people in love, but Valentine's Day is also a day for family and friends. Everyone celebrates Valentine's Day differently, and in this article, we will explore all the different ways to celebrate this holiday!
As I previously mentioned, people value different kinds of gifts; some like more physical things such as jewelry or flowers, while others would prefer a more sentimental gift. Milla and Dr. Chang both like very different gifts. Milla said that she typically receives gifts on Valentine's Day and that her grandfather gave her a bracelet last year. At the same
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time, Dr. Chang stated that she and her husband like having an experience together rather than a gift. Milla also told me that she typically celebrates the same way yearly, while Dr. Chang helped me understand that her Valentine's Day looks a lot different now that she has a baby. Dr. Chang and her husband used to visit her home country, Trinidad, and go to the Asa Wright Nature Centre. Nowadays, they are lucky to have a nice dinner alone. This shows how, at different stages of life, people celebrate this memorable holiday differently. Dr. Chang and Milla associate Valentine's Day with love; no matter how differently they celebrate this holiday, it will always have a similar meaning to each of them. Dr. Chang said, "I associate it with celebrating those you love. If the day falls during a time when I am physically with my dad and sisters, I give gifts to them. But ultimately I associate it with my husband, the man I've known since I was 15 and loved since I was 19. He is my greatest earthly gift and shows me the sacrificial love of Christ daily.” This is such a beautiful message from Dr. Chang.
Overall, Milla and Dr. Chang represent how we appreciate things differently at different stages in life. No matter how differently the two celebrate the holiday, it will always be associated with the people they love.
February 1, 2025
New Year, New You
Sierra Moore
Staff Writer
The first month of 2025 has flown by! Springing into the new year, it is a season of change and beginnings. Often it is tradition of the new year to make goals, or as they are more commonly referred to, resolutions, to take action in this new start. People make all kinds of resolutions at the end of December for the new year, most commonly to do things such as to learn a new skill or work to improve a close relationship, but ranging from physical wellness to mental well-being.
However, people are also reluctant to follow through on these new goals. Southern New Hampshire University noted, “...Baylor College of Medicine reports that 88% of people who set New Year’s resolutions fail before the end of January” (Girolimon, SNHU). It is easy to give in to pressure to continue with old ways, to be tempted into a lull in which we feel safe and do not have to step out of our comfort zone
to learn. In fact, “National Quitter's Day” is the name given to a phenomenon observed on the second Friday of January every year in which many people collectively abandon their new year’s goals (NBC). As it has been globally noted, it can be hard to put these plans into action after being so bold as to admit a need or want for growth.
If you have made it this far into the year with your resolution in mind (and if you have not, who is to say you cannot still pick it back up!), think about what steps it will take to make that goal a reality. As long as the goal is reasonable, steps can be taken to plan for ultimate success. Making sure to integrate this new goal into your everyday routine can ensure that it becomes a habit, such as setting 30 minutes each day for practicing or reminding yourself with sticky notes to make sure the growth has a good starting point. However, above all else, remember that you can achieve anything with a God who gives you strength.
MeetOurTeam
Eli Taylor Editor
Jackie Hayes Editor-In-Chief
Emma Berry
Photographer
Luke Williams Editor
Bailey Block
Staff Writer
Nyla Capers
Staff Writer
Carson Carpenito
Staff Writer
Nina DiFilippi
Photographer
Michael Higgins
Staff Writer
February 1, 2025
Brody Mayles
Staff Writer
Madison Moore
Staff Writer
Sierra Moore
Staff Writer
Jetts Nelson
Staff Writer
Chris Nguyen
Staff Writer
Nic Panzarella
Staff Writer
Zac Panzarella
Staff Writer
Lilly Pegram
Photographer
Julia Reis
Staff Writer
Image Credits
Ivey Taylor
Staff Writer
Luke Strebe
Staff Writer
Dorothy Guscio, Georgia Chapman, Madison Moore