Volume 11 Issue 2 by Geneva Quarterly

MISSION STATEMENT CONCEPT MISSION STATEMENT CONCEPT

Geneva Quarterly, a student-led publication of Rhetoric School, serves to provide Geneva and the surrounding community with relevant and accurate news, opinions and entertainment centered around our student culture. Our staff strives to instill boldness, creativity and excellence through our published work. We aim to discover truth laced into our community with integrity and to write all pieces from a biblical worldview to the glory of Jesus Christ.

Senior Lindsay Lee and senior Hailey Kirchner took a road trip with junior Kyra Petty in search of the perfect mountain landscape. It was a quiet and rainy day at Lost Maples in Vanderpool, Texas, a spot famous for its beautiful fall colors. Lee was inspired by the changing of the leaves and spent the whole journey stopping to capture the beauty of the wildlife and the rainy mountainside.

THIS PUBLICATION IS FOR:

Geneva School of Boerne 113 Cascade Caverns Road Boerne, Texas 78015 830.755.6101 genevaschooltx.org

SCHOOL INFO:

The Geneva School of Boerne exists to provide a classical education from a biblical worldview, to equip students for a lifetime of learning, service and leadership to the glory of Jesus Christ.

Rhetoric School Population: 199 Rhetoric Faculty: 31

COLOPHON:

All verbal and visual content is solicited and selected by the Quarterly staff. Approval is garnered from our adviser, Emily Rawls, and from our headmaster, Matt Donnowitz. All bylined writers are held accountable for their work.

CONTACT:

To purchase an advertisement, contact: erawls@genevaschooltx.org

For questions or comments, contact: erawls@genevaschooltx.org

AFFILIATIONS:

We are proud to announce our eight-year membership with the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, where we have won a silver Crown Award and six gold Crown Awards and received a Gold Medalist Rating. We are also members of the Texas Interscholastic Press Association, where we have received the highest rating of Distinguished Merit. In addition, we have been members of the National Scholastic Press Association the past several years and have been named a Pacemaker Award finalist. This is our fifth year to be members of the Quill & Scroll International Journalism Honor Society.

MAGAZINE SPECS:

Created in Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator and printed by Documation in San Antonio, Texas Font Families: Harmoia Sans, DIN Next, and Arno Pro

dear reader, dear reader,

Welcome to Issue 2! As you may know, our design theme for this year is the beauty of nature. We are exploring the multi-faceted wonders of God’s creation. Last quarter, we traversed the desert and followed a rustic and sandy theme. This issue, we will discover great heights through this quarter’s theme: mountains. Through all of our carefully chosen colors, shapes, and designs, we hope to encapsulate the cold and majestic, yet inviting image of mountains. There are many mental images that may be associated with mountains, perhaps cold and treacherous, or snowy and cozy, or clear and full of life. We hope to have represented well the regal beauty of this force of nature.

Along with our wonderful staff, we had so much fun incorporating these elements of mountains, whether snowy or lush and green, as well as eagerly anticipating Christmas. Without further ado, we are proud to present: Volume 11 Issue 2

Hailey Kirchner

Photo Lindsay Lee

the events and ideas that shape our

reality. reality.

SEE YOU ON THE SLOPES SEE YOU ON THE SLOPES

Students speak to their favorite skiing spots

There are some who love to vacation in a tropical paradise, surfing waves and basking in the sun, but there are others who would rather vacation in a much cooler climate. That’s right, I’m talking about the classic ski vacations that some families enjoy over the holidays! Our own Geneva students have their favorite places they love to visit every year where they’ve made memories that will last a lifetime. My question is, what do they like so much about these places and why should we consider taking a trip there?

Sophomore Abigail Bussey said, “I always love our annual ski trip because it’s always so hot in Texas that it’s nice to visit somewhere much colder for a change.” Abigail and her family have visited Tamarack Ski Resort every spring break over the past four years. Located two and a half hours north of Boise, Idaho, Tamarack Mountain summits 7,700 feet with 1,385 acres

of accessible terrain. Abigail learned to ski on this great mountain and her favorite memory was narrowly missing a tree while skiing backwards during a lesson! Not only does taking a trip to Tamarack deliver amazing skiing, but the surrounding village is scenic and has all the coziness you would expect from a ski town!

A little farther south, junior Maegan Riebel loves to shred the slopes on her snowboard at Wolf Creek, Colorado. This resort is 45 minutes east from Pagosa Springs, Colorado, which is where most people stay when they visit. Wolf Creek lies in the San Juan Mountain range and receives more average annual snowfall than any other resort in Colorado. However, sometimes there is so much snow that the pass to the mountain is blocked, trapping the people in town. The ski slopes accommodate all levels of skiers from beginner to expert. Maegan said

she loves Wolf Creek because, “I know where everything is on the slopes, so I can go through all the trees and know where I am.” Just be careful Maegan! Don’t get hurt for basketball season!

And finally, freshman Reid Wilson loves to take a trip to one of the most iconic places you could ski: Aspen, Colorado. Reid said, “Aspen has 4 mountains you can ski on and 3 of them are within 10 minutes of each other.” The resorts on these four mountains are Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highland, and Buttermilk. Throughout all of these, there is a lot of intermediate and expert level terrain, especially on Aspen

Highland. One of Reid’s favorite memories is skiing down the Highland Bowl with his dad, a challenging run with steep and rocky terrain that requires 800 feet of hiking to get there, but nonetheless is extremely rewarding and fun. This particular run sometimes gets so much snow that it’s actually open on July 4th!

If you’ve never been skiing, consider taking a trip to one of these amazing resorts, where you get to experience God’s creation covered in snow!

Words

Sopris Oglesby

Emrey Taylor Graphic Malyn Arnold

BRING ON THE BEAVER

The pros and cons of a Buc-ee’s in Boerne

Words

Design

Graphic

Pro: Abigail Bussey + Con: Ella Dillinger

Ella Dillinger

Malyn Arnold

Pro Con

Everyone knows about the famous Bucee’s. It has been with us through the good and bad times. Now, there is an ongoing debate on whether or not our Boerne community should welcome Buc-ee’s into our town. I am here to convince you that we should.

Have you ever had to wait behind someone so that they could finish pumping their gas? I know I have, and it can get annoying pretty quickly. At regular gas stations, we often run into this problem. However, Buc-ee’s can eliminate this aggravating issue since it provides us with a plethora of gas pumps.

Buc-ee’s is almost equivalent to a grocery store, yet it is much more vibrant and fun; what’s not to love? They have their mascot that you can take pictures with (selfie-time!). They have some great merchandise, and they have delicious snacks and drinks. Speaking of their snacks and drinks, they have some spectacular pick-me-ups when you need something to keep you going. For example, they have their delicious beaver nuggets, Buc-ee’s nug-ees, and their brisket sandwiches…and these are only a few of their top rated snacks. Not only that, but this particular gas station has unique fountain drinks that can satisfy your needs in a second. They have a variety of normal sodas

In the huge state of Texas, we believe bigger is better, and Buc-ee’s is the perfect manifestation of this idea. If you did not know (and you would have to be living under a rock to not know) Boerne has its very own Buc-ee’s being built. At first glance, this seems like an exciting new development for our town, but a closer look reveals that a Buc-ee’s so close to home might not be such a great thing.

First of all, there will be a huge increase in traffic. If you live anywhere near the new Buc-ee’s, expect longer travel times. This will be especially inconvenient for those of us who already pull up to school and other events at the last minute.

Additionally, the installation of Buc-ee’s will cause much more light and noise pollution. They say the stars at night are big and bright in Texas, but with a ginormous new gas station and more cars passing through, we should expect that it will be a bit harder to see the stars. Also, the highway noise is already obnoxious enough for those living nearby, but imagine how much worse it will be with people routing their road trips through Boerne.

Finally, Buc-ee’s arrival will not benefit us locals much regarding gas and food. We have so many gas stations and convenience stores in Boerne, so do we really need another, and such a big one at that? I have never had a problem finding gas, and with the abundance of convenience stores attached to said gas stations, there is no lack of junk food. And be honest, are you willing to face the crowds in Buc-ee’s when there’s a perfectly good Circle K down the street?

In reality, the only people reaping the benefits of our new Buc-ee’s will be the surge of people who will start passing through Boerne. In my opinion, Buc-ee’s is great but just not in Boerne. Also, beaver nuggets are severely overrated.

stuck on mountain time.

Geneva students captured the beauty of the mountains while backpacking in Colorado

Design

Ella Dillinger

Photos Malyn Arnold 13

SECOND-HAND SECRETS SECOND-HAND SECRETS

Learn to thrift like a pro

There are two ways to thrift. The first way is thrifting to save money on expensive items, and the second is buying second hand vintage items. Both are great ways to find some really cool stuff!

The first key to thrifting is to plan an entire day for it. You’ll want a ton of time to make sure you can sift through everything in order to find the really good stuff. The shops that will save you some money are Goodwill and Salvation Army. These stores require a good amount of time and patience. Usually these stores have a separate section for “higher end” items that are reasonably priced. Another fantastic shop in Huebner Oaks is called Uptown Cheapskate. This is where you’re going to find all the Lulu, Levi’s, Nike, and other name brands. They buy and sell so if you’re looking to make some extra cash, take your old clothes there to sell! Uptown Cheapskate does not require as much patience, and you will usually have the best luck there. While it is more expensive than Goodwill might be, this store offers great deals. To put it in perspective, for those Lululemon loving girls out there, Lulu shorts that would usually be $68 would run for about $20-$30 there.

Now let’s move on to vintage thrifting. This thrifting, if I’m being honest, is a bit pricey, but if finding those rare vintage clothes or shoes is important to you, then this is for you! These stores are deeper into San Antonio but the drive is so worth it. A couple popular vintage resale shops are The Vaulti, Dropout Vintage (Mr. Russell’s son’s store!) and Hyped Goods. These places are where you can find old Nike hoodies and crew-necks, some cool Jordans or Dunks and more vintage tees. The one downside to these types of places is that they are pretty expensive, so the key is to look up the price online before purchasing. Don’t buy $300 Dunks when you can get them for $150 on GOAT. They increase the prices depending on the year the item was made and its condition. Keep in mind these are all second hand items, so there may be some small damage, but that is what the vintage vibe is all about.

Hailey Kirchner

Caesar on My Mind

What is your Roman Empire?

Everyone knows what the Roman Empire is. One of, if not the, greatest empire to ever exist, the Roman Empire stood for more than one thousand years. To put that into context, Rome was a world power over 2000 years ago. However, recently the Roman Empire has come up more than ever since their rise and fall so long ago. Everywhere you look, there are mentions of some type of “Roman Empire Trend.” But what is it? Recently, men have been asked jokingly about how often they think about the Roman Empire. The surprising answer: weekly or even multiple times per day. Because of this trend, asking someone what their Roman Empire is has become equivalent to asking them what they think about most in their day to day lives. With certain individuals, this may just be THE Roman Empire, but for the most part, everyone has something they think about more than anything (other than the Roman Empire).

Based on my research, most scientists agree that thinking refers to the ability to process information, store and retrieve memories, and select appropriate reactions and responses. In fact, a branch of science called cognitive psychology specifically studies the process of thoughts. However, in their research, they only study thoughts from a general, broad perspective, so there are virtually no studies on what we specifically think about and why.

After asking several students at our school about what they think of most, there was no common answer among the crowd. From Taylor Swift to Mr. Odom, the answers had

no correlation whatsoever to one another. In fact, simply asking someone what their Roman Empire is would take me places I never thought I’d go. So, the question remains: what is your Roman Empire? My clearly very professional research would prove that your “Roman Empire” could differ drastically from the person next to you. However, I encourage you to discover your own Roman Empire, and more importantly, why it is what you think of most. No matter how curious it may be, what you think of most provides a glimpse into your personality and maybe, just maybe, it might even be the Roman Empire.

“So, the question remains: what is your Roman Empire?.”

Caroline Pickle: Taylor Swift

William Pickle: Mr. Odom

Sopris Oglesby: Skiing

Reese Smith: Gilmore Girls

Abigail Bussey: Gilmore Girls

Jacob Goodman: The concept of nothing Ella Owens: Volleyball

Words

William Pickle Design

Ella Dillinger

Graphic

Hailey Kirchner

community. community.

the people and places at the heart of our

FROM THE

GreenleesNow

Interviewing faculty who have seen Geneva grow over the years

Q: What did you do before working at Geneva?

“I went to college in North Carolina at Wake Forest and got a Business degree. My first job was with Proctor and Gamble; they offered me a job in San Antonio, Texas, so after college, I moved there and worked for Proctor and Gamble for a year. I found a really great church and got settled there, but then after a year, I decided I wasn’t really making a difference with what I was doing. I thought instead, I’d do what I’d really always wanted to do, which was teach, and so I went back to school at Texas State, Saint Mary’s, and San Antonio college because I had to get certain certifications to teach math. I did that for a year–60 hours in one year–and then did my student teaching at Judson High School in 1987. I’ve been teaching ever since.”

Q: How long have you been at Geneva?

“This is my 20th year as a teacher, but I started as a parent in ‘99 when it opened.”

Q: What’s your favorite thing to teach and why?

“Obviously I’m kinda landed at Precalculus, but I think my favorite thing to teach is trigonometry because of the history involved in it and the practical applications of it, whether they’re present day applications or ancient applications.”

Mrs. Greenlees

GROUND UP

Q: What are some of your favorite teaching memories?

“Some of my favorite memories were in the earlier years when we were smaller, and I was really the only math teacher. I got to teach students for four, five, and six years in a row, so I think the intentionality just created an atmosphere that was just really fun, and unfortunately my sarcasm was on full display that year because I had earned the right to make jokes with them and them with me. When I think of being a parent here, I think of some of the first sporting events. When the basketball team won the state championship, my oldest son was in the first group of basketball players to play in the competition gym, so little milestones like that are significant. Sports were really fun–I mean, it’s fun now, but it was really more homespun and everybody was for everybody, and the announcer always had nicknames for the boys that were playing; it was just a real fun community to be in. I saw some pictures the other day of field day: the second year of Chaucer, we made our shields and capes with plastic trash bags and we came out in four different vehicles, covered the Whacker van and painted on it; Mr. Desario rode out on his motorcycle, so just some of that homespun simplicity of celebrations created some of my favorite memories.”

Q: If you could, would you change Geneva in any way? How so?

Mrs. Greenlees wouldn’t change a thing, so she offered her best piece of advice for high school students: “I think just general advice would be to be present in all things: to be present in the intellectual pursuit of things to whatever degree that you’re capable of, and allowing yourself to grow and be impacted by what you learn and also by what you experience. I think technology has changed that in some ways because it’s more of a ‘checkthe-box’ kind of mentality in a lot of ways, so I think if I could create an ideal world, it would include that desire that we have sometimes when we’re in Grammar school, when we’re fascinated with things and soaking it all in, and you can’t really force that because our culture now-a-days wants everything to be quick, but I think Geneva’s swimming upstream in a lot of ways, so I don’t know that I would change a lot of things.”

Mrs.GreenleesThen

Q: What did you do before working at Geneva?

“Right before Geneva, I taught at another school called Harvest Christian in Northern California; I taught sixth, seventh, and eighth grade English, literature, Latin, Bible, and Earth Science. They didn’t have anyone, so they said ‘Here’s a book.’ I only took two science classes as a requirement in college, so…”

Q: How long have you been at Geneva?

“This year is my 15th year.”

Q: What’s your favorite thing to teach and why?

“I really like literature because good books always ask these questions or present problems that humans have struggled with forever, and they kinda make you–not in a forceful way–have to think about them at least. For example, in Paradise Lost, we’re talking about whether the universe is governed by Predestination, or do people have freewill, which is a conundrum that people are trying to figure out, and so I like how you have to deal with those big questions in literature. And, I just like words too: I like interesting words, things I haven’t heard before or I don’t know, things that sound good.”

JohnsonThen Mr. Johnson

Mr.

Q: In follow up to the previous question: “Do you have a favorite book that we read at Geneva?”

Mr. Johnson Now

“I really like Paradise Lost, but I also really like the Odyssey, so I’ll just say those two. I really do like ALL the books I teach: I really like Hamlet; I really like the Importance of Being Earnest, Heart of Darkness, and Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man…yeah.”

Q: What are some of your favorite teaching memories?

“Oh! This is something that happened in the classroom, but totally unrelated to teaching. Someone knocked on the door, so I walked over to get it, and I tripped on Quincy Hartman’s lunch pail; my feet got tangled up in the handles of it, and I tripped and fell onto the couch, rolled on the floor, did a somersault, and when I stood up, I kicked the lunch pail off of my foot as I was opening the door; the lunch pail flew across the room AND landed on Quincy’s head, and it just sat there. It was insane.”

Q: If you could, would you change Geneva in any way? How so?

“Hmm. Library. I’ve been saying for a number of years now that we need a library in Rhetoric School. I tried to start a library: it’s in Tolkien I. It’s the detention and testing room.”

stages of a

geneva student

Outlining the yearly cycle of two types of studentsd pessimistic student

THE PESSIMIST:

Stage one, Dread: You begin to see back to school ads on TV and are shocked to learn that school is only a few weeks away (you could have sworn it’s only been a week of summer). Reluctantly, you are forced to go back to school shopping.

Stage two, It Is What It Is: It’s the start of second quarter, and you’ve begun to tell yourself, “it is what it is” more frequently, but Christmas is approaching, so you have hope knowing there will soon be a long break from school.

Stage three, Round Two: Christmas break goes by in a flash, but you feel well rested and ready for round two…that is until you get to your first lesson and instantly feel tired again; but hey, “It is what it is!”

Stage four, Burnout: Words from your teachers slur together and it’s all you can do to just stay awake. If you have to listen to your parents say “finish strong” one more time, you might just lose it. Nevertheless, in your mind you know summer is so close you can almost taste it.

Stage five, Rest: It’s the last day of school, and you sprint out of the classroom, even faster than the optimist. You get home, curl up in a ball on your bed, and sleep until 3 pm the next day; it’s the best sleep you’ve had all year.

THE OPTIMIST:

Stage one, Excitement: It’s a brand new year! You’re ready to see all your friends and teachers, looking forward to any and everything the school year has to offer.

Stage two, Determination: You’ve gotten used to your new school schedule. You’re a little tired, but you’ve had fun in the first quarter and know Christmas break is right around the corner.

Stage three, Second Wind: It’s the third quarter. You feel well rested after Christmas break and are ready to get back into school (even though you wish the break would last at least one more day).

Stage four, Spent: It’s been a long year and looking back, you’ve had a lot of fun but you’re also starting to feel exhausted. You only have one or two essays left in you, but it’s ok because summer is so close.

Stage Five, Relief: You did it!! You made it through the year! Patting yourself on the back, you rush out of class as fast as you can. It’s been a long year. but you wouldn’t trade it for anything.

In Another Reality...

Inside the cover of the Geneva Quarterly’s twin publication, “The Post”

As a Geneva-goer, you are likely familiar with the beloved publication currently held between your fingers, the Geneva Quarterly. But what if I told you that the Geneva Quarterly of Boerne, Texas, has an eerily similar twin publication which exists in an alternate Geneva universe?

Unbeknownst to many, in the far far away land of Florida, exists a high school quarterly, “The Post,” which nearly mirrors that of the Geneva School of Boerne we know and love. Coincidentally, the school responsible for this publication is also named “The Geneva School” and is directed by head of school Brad Ryden, and the magazine is advised by Becky Ryden. Mr. Ryden and Mrs. Ryden are the former Boerne Geneva head of school and jouralism advisor, respectively.

“The Post” contains multiple ties to Boerne’s Geneva Quarterly, including nearly parallel section themes, its own rendition of the Talon, and a quarterly playlist entirely distinct from our own. Pictured to the right are a few of the more uncanny resemblances between the two publications.

In our opinion, the Boerne Geneva Quarterly’s music taste reigns supreme. However, if you want to experience what it is like to view Geneva from the outside in, pick up a copy of “The Post” next time you get the chance to pay our Florida Geneva family a visit!

Covers

The Talon/ The Holy Grail

Geneva Jams/ Homework Playlist

READY, SET, READ!

On one fine Thursday in October, I asked a bunch of my friends for book recommendations. However, there was one catch: I wanted them to tell me about books that are relatively obscure. Hopefully you’ll learn about some new books through this article, and maybe you’ll find your new favorite book!

Micah Briggs (junior): Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Micah highlighted the skill of the author, who also wrote The Martian and some other science fiction novels. This book is about a man who finds himself aboard a starship, flying toward the solar system Tau Ceti.

Luke Brunsvold (junior): Isle of Swords by Wayne Thomas Baston. This book features a pirate crew trying to acquire the treasure of Emperor Constantine. Luke highlighted the interesting plot and the intense action.

Interviewing students about their favorite quirky books

Pablo Gonzalez (junior): Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. A girl in Nazi-occupied Holland helps her Jewish friend Ellen avoid capture by the Germans. According to Pablo, the best things about the book are its storyline and setting.

Griffin Miller and John Walter (juniors): The Michael Vey series by Richard Paul Evans. The main character has electrical powers, and he and his friends must defeat an organization that wants to use these powers for evil. The author published the ninth book in the series this past September.

Will Muck (senior): Redwall by Brian Jacques. Matthias, an orphaned mouse, lives at Redwall

Abbey. The monastery is attacked by the infamous rat, Cluny the Scourge, and Matthias must find the legendary warrior Martin’s sword in order to defeat the rats.

Luke Horton (sophomore): The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. The first book of The Stormlight Archive features Kaladin, a man who was enslaved and then placed on a “bridge crew” in the middle of a war between the people of Alethkar and the strange Parshendi. Luke likes the length of the book, the style of writing, and the fantasy genre.

Alexandria Bussey (senior): A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen. This is a thriller about a girl, Gerta, who lives in East Berlin in the 1960s. Her father and brother, who were looking for work at the time, were trapped on the other side of the Berlin Wall. She eventually realizes that her father wants her and her other brother to tunnel under the wall into West Berlin.

Jason Hughes (senior): Life of Pi by Yann Martel. It involves a boy, Pi Patel, who survives over 200 days in a lifeboat after a shipwreck. The lifeboat also contains four zoo animals that were on the ruined ship. The book poses many questions about reality. Jason says that the book contains an engaging story, so engaging that it almost feels real.

I hope you have found this helpful! Maybe you’ve found your next great read! Maybe you know about or have read some of the books on this list already. In any case, keep reading!

Words William Crews Design Caroline Pickle

Photo Harper Deimund 29

Life in Thesis Jail Life in Thesis Jail

Day 23 of Thesis Jail.

Morale is pretty low. People are starting to lose hope of ever getting out. The incessant instrumental music of the admin haunts my nightmares. How did I get here? Why would I do this to myself? This place that offered me a second chance has ultimately crushed my will to live.

You may be wondering how one could end up in this position. I’ll tell you how: falling behind in Senior Thesis class. Our beloved Thesis teachers, Dr. Siller and Mr. Ward, have graciously

implemented a late work policy for the written portions of Thesis. Instead of taking points off, they allow seniors to continue working to produce the best possible paper to turn in. If you don’t turn in your paper on its due date, the thesis wardens expect to see you before first period the next day. There you will either turn in the finished paper or turn in your keys. To seniors, this is affectionately known as Thesis Jail. By turning in your keys, you promise to forfeit senior off-campus privileges

and work on your late paper during all of your off-periods until you get it done. You’ve never really seen the admin until you’ve seen it from that tiny table, locked away in Thesis Jail. This is both a blessing and a curse. Life happens. Senior year can get really crazy and overwhelming, and Thesis Jail is a gift for people who need time set aside to work. But it’s really not fun to be stuck working while your classmates are having lunch off-campus. Being stuck in jail is great motivation to focus

and just get ‘er done. So to all future seniors: take it from me, don’t procrastinate. Don’t get stuck in Thesis Jail.

Graphic

Hailey Kirchner

Words

Design

Hailey Kirchner

Claire Coultress

Mrs. Greenlees recounts the story of her trip to Africa

Welcome back to the Quarterly’s teacher storytime corner! In every issue, I will be giving you a little peek into various teachers’ lives before Geneva. For this issue, I decided to interview the one and only, Mrs. Greenlees. You know her as Rhetoric School’s beloved math teacher, but you probably do not know about all of her incredible adventures before Geneva. When I interviewed her, she told me about her heartwarming trip to Africa and how God worked during that time. Anyways, I am sure you are anxious to hear her story, so here it is:

Mrs. Greenlees:

So, in March of 1990, my husband, or my boyfriend at the time, proposed to me. The previous two summers, I had spent a long part of the summer in Africa working to build a school in an area about 10 hours outside of Nairobi, where there was no running water and no electricity.

In 1990, before my husband proposed, I was asked to lead another team to return to Africa in June and July. So in March, when my husband proposed, I was faithful to that commitment. But I was also a school teacher, so I wanted to get married in the summer so that I did not miss school. So, we planned our wedding for August 11th. I left for Africa on June 17, and I came back from Africa on July 18. Then, I got married on August 11.

The Lord really worked in this time. Now, this was before cell phones, before any kind of communication, but I had written 28 cards and addressed them all to my husband for when I was gone. The first two weeks I was gone, he carried around a dictaphone that he talked into. We also had a devotional that we did at the same time every day despite the time change.

“The

Lord really worked in this time.”

On one of the days that we were apart, he was on the dictaphone. He said during the devotional, he did not know if anything was going on, but he just felt like the Lord was calling him to pray longer. He said, “I don’t know if you are feeling homesick, or you’ve been hurt or something’s going on, but I just feel like I need to lift you up a little bit more today.” It turns out, that Thursday, I had to hit my head on a corner of a building and cut it pretty badly, and I was just discouraged, homesick, and scared. So we now have a box at home of all these things as a reminder of what the Lord did.

Also when I was in Africa, a boy named David wanted to take me to his village to meet his mother, so I walked five or six miles to his village.

There, his mother gave me a bright, brilliant blue feather and said on August 11th, they were going to have a party in their village to celebrate my wedding to my husband, David. They wanted me to have this feather that I could put on my dress so that I would remember them. So as I walked down the aisle on August 11, there was a village about 10 hours outside of Nairobi that was celebrating my marriage as well.

“His mother gave me a bright, brilliant blue feather.”

Words

Design

Ella Dillinger

Caroline Pickle + Ella Dillinger

Photos Submissions

Teacher Yearbook

We asked teachers to reflect on their own high school glory days and identify a current Geneva student whom they believe acts most similar to their past selves. Here are some of their suprising (and not so suprising) responses.

Mr. Poole

Mr. Ward Mrs. Georgelos Mr. Player

Mr. Johnson Mrs. Greenlees Mr. Odom Dr. Rosheger

Mrs. Davis Mrs. Daniels Mrs. Gachupin Dr. Siller

Chart House Scarf Wear Alignment

House Scarf Wear Alignment

Chart

Ranking the different methods of house scarf wear according to the internet-popularized moral alignment chart

“The Handbook” “The Jo Jo Siwa” “The Groomsman”

“The Gentleman” “The Hippie” “The Pocket”

“The

Ninja” “The Donnowitz” “The Milkmaid”

Photo Lindsay Lee

the determined and strong shine through their

activity. activity.

“The ball was different from a soccer ball, heavy with weird fuzzy stuff on it”

WELCOME TO MY WORLD

Soccer and basketball girls swap sports

Soccer and basketball are two very different sports occupying the same season. The most obvious difference between these two sports is the foot-eye coordination that comes with soccer and the hand-eye coordination that comes with basketball. Along with this, soccer is an outdoor sport that is often played in spite of varying weather conditions while basketball is, for the most part, played indoors.

Although these sports are different, every player steps out onto the field or court ready to put in their best effort and play to the glory of God.

Since these sports are so different, I got the insight of some soccer and basketball players on what they think would happen if they tried to play the opposite sport, and even a real life experience of them trying out the other sport.

The soccer girls started off by doing the basketball girls’ warm up and got tired after a few minutes. They then tried some passing, where passes were missed multiple times. Next up they did some shooting and to no surprise made very few shots.

The basketball girls then took their chance at trying out soccer, starting with a warmup. After that, they tried to volley the ball back and forth with small touches, but it never seemed to go back to their partner.

While one player tried to take shots on goal, another player showed off in goal because she was good with her hands.

Caroline Pickle, a sophomore soccer player, said, “If I were to play basketball, I would definitely not have the right hand-eye coordination and miss all the shots and not know how to defend people without using my body like a tackle in soccer. Also, the game pace is a lot different than soccer so I definitely would not be used to that because the court is so much smaller and faster paced than a soccer field. One time I had an open shot, and I completely missed and gave it to the other team.”

Payton Boles, a sophomore basketball player, said, “I would probably break my ankle because you have to go from using your hands to using your feet. It’s basically the complete opposite. I have no foot-toeye coordination, so it would not work at all. I would get dehydrated ‘cause soccer is outside, and I’d probably pass out.”

Harper Deimund, a sophomore soccer player, said, “If I were to play basketball, it would be a completely different environment. I would have to get used to playing inside versus outside. Then, I would probably have to learn how to actually play basketball and use my hands instead of my feet. In fact, from my short career as a basketball player in 1st grade, in my very

first game I jammed my finger and never played again, except for being a pro at the game “horse”.

Junior Francesca Dacy, a former basketball player, said, “Basically, if I played soccer I’d be the one that tried hard cause I want to be the best in all that I do. I’d probably be aggressive cause that’s just how I am, but I wouldn’t be scary cause I’m built like a 108 pound stick. I would be a very bad ball handler because I have no foot-eye coordination and would probably end up as goalie. I’d be a good runner though because basketball is a lot of running.”

Sopris Oglesby, a sophomore basketball player, said, “Well, in basketball we don’t use foot-eye coordination so it would be really hard to kick the ball and move it around, and I’d probably fall on my face or something because of the cleats. But

I think we’d be able to play because we do a lot of running already, so that’s not a problem.”

Hadessa Hochart, a freshman soccer player, tells a story of when she tried to play with a basketball. She said, “One time I was volleying a ball to a friend and all was going well until they got the ball, and tried to trap it and realized the ball was different from a soccer ball, heavy with weird fuzzy stuff on it, so they fell. We were on a cement court instead of a field and they cracked their head open and had to get 8 stitches.”

That last story aside, I encourage you to get out there and try new things, even if they are outside of your comfort zone.

Words

Emrey Taylor

Design

Emrey Taylor

Photos

Mazzy Horn-O’Brien

Frigid Fits

How to stay warm at soccer games

As we all know, soccer season gets very cold. I present to you some insider tips and tricks for how to stay warm whilst braving the frigid weather.

1. Include a long sleeve undershirt, navy or white; for players, make sure it matches your jersey color!

2. Get some good leggings. The color of these doesn’t matter as much, although black leggings are the usual go to. Anything goes, just as long as it keeps you warm!

3. Additionally, atop your long sleeve, be sure and layer up with a sweatshirt. A fan favorite for our soccer team is our very own soccer girls sweatshirt.

4. Remember a jacket! This year, the soccer girls have been supplied with parkas! Now, this parka is not your average jacket, as it comes with our school name monogrammed on it, plus a warm and fuzzy lining on the inside. The soccer girls can’t wait to rep these on the field!

5. The final step is to bring some blankets, which are a team favorite on the sidelines. On especially cold days you may even spot some fans with sleeping bags in the stands!

That concludes the insider tips from your GSB soccer fans... now go brave the cold and support our team!

Taylor

Photo

Lindsay Lee

MAKING MONEY MOVES MAKING MONEY MOVES

Get to know the heart behind Hoops for Heartland

Every year, Geneva basketball does a fundraising game for our local Heartland Children’s home called “Hoops for Heartland.” This fundraiser has been a tradition for many years, and many people have forgotten why it is so important. So, here is a reminder of why we even do Hoops for Heartland.

Heartland Children’s Home is a foster home for medically fragile children. Heartland started 40 years ago with Michael and Ruth Schwartz. They wanted to make sure that every child had a home, and Ruth initially planned to adopt one or two children. Now, 40 years later, Heartland has fostered 600 children and provided them with 24/7 professional medical care. Most of the children housed there are severely medically challenged from birth, having suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome, shaken baby syndrome and other debilitating illnesses. Heartland Children’s Home provides medical care and a safe, stable home for the children.

I first saw the full importance of Heartland Home last year when I visited. As I walked around the home, I saw the sacrifice that went into caring for the children. I also saw the immense love and joy throughout the place.

Even though these kids were facing extreme hardship, they had smiles on their faces and only radiated joy. Heartland Children’s Home gives them an opportunity to have this. With this fundraiser, we have an opportunity to help make a difference in these childrens’ lives.

This Geneva fundraiser started about 10 years ago. Since then, we have been doing a fundraising game every year. Fans are encouraged to buy t-shirts, purchase game tickets, and bring donated items, with all the proceeds going to Heartland. This long-standing tradition has provided great support to help Heartland home in its mission.

The Hoops for Heartland game this year will be on January 12th. Some items fans can bring are gift cards (HEB, Amazon, Target), batteries (AA/AAA), paper towels, and Clorox wipes. There will also be t-shirts for sale with the proceeds going to the home. This support helps Heartland give these medically fragile children a place where they are loved and cared for. We hope to see you at the game!

Words

Suzi Nilsson

Design

Emrey Taylor

Graphic

Malyn Arnold

The age-old question: which teacher would win in a fight?

Welcome one; welcome all, to the first ever Geneva Teacher Showdown! We’ve gathered together a conglomeration of some familiar faces you know and love to determine who has got that drive in them; who, by force of unabated will, acuteness of intellect, and enduring stamina will ascend the ranks of their fellow educators to secure the title of “Nondescript Winner:” the much coveted appellation. Without further ado, let the games begin! (disclaimer: the hypothetical rules of this competition forbid any infliction of lasting or serious harm in the pursuit of victory; this is all merely for lighthearted entertainment’s sake).

catching his opponent off guard. All it takes is a couple of well-placed blows before Mr. Poole secures the victory.

Señora Georgelos vs. Dr. Rosheger:

Mr. Poole vs. Mr. McPhail:

Round One VS VS VS

These two teachers start by trying to determine who knows their language better. Señora Georgelos is winning because no one speaks Latin anymore, but then Dr. Rosheger starts answering some of the Spanish questions because so many of the words are derived from Latin. Dr. Rosheger moves on!

For our first face-off, Mr. Poole and Mr. McPhail arrive in the arena, both with victory on their minds. Mr. Poole draws a sword he took from his classroom wall,

Mrs. Davis vs. Mr. Player:

In true YoungLife fashion, these two spirited leaders go head-to-head in the most epic lip-sync showdown the world has ever

seen. Each competitor is relentless, but in the end, Mr. Player takes the W with his gnarly air guitar and S-tier dance moves.

Mr. Johnson vs. Señora Benz:

Arriving a bit early, Mr. Johnson settles down with a fat copy of Paradise Lost while waiting for his opponent. Señora Benz, however, struggles to find the arena due to misplacing the address and has to forfeit. Mr. Johnson takes the win and does absolutely nothing in the process.

Dr. Covington vs. Mr. Odom:

Mr. Odom and Dr. Covington enter the arena rather confused. Instead of roughing it out, they begin conversing. Then, Dr. Covington brings up the Cowboy’s most recent loss. Mr. Odom’s right hook is sufficient to K.O. Dr. Covington.

Mrs. Greenlees vs. Mrs. Mann:

Mrs. Mann enters the arena dreading fighting anyone at all; the feeling is amplified when she sees who her opponent is: her fellow teacher, Mrs Greenlees. Mrs. Mann begins thinking of a

a way to get out of this fight when she realizes she can just leave; so, she does, leaving Mrs Greenlees confused but also the victor.

Mr. Naiser vs. Mr. Markos:

Both teachers enter the arena with a weapon: Mr. Naiser with his Nerf gun and Mr. Markos with his trumpet. Mr. Markos initiates his plan of deafening Mr. Naiser with a high F#, but Mr. Naiser shoots a Nerf Rival round right into the trumpet’s mouth. Mr. Markos loses his breath trying to dislodge it and unfortunately passes out. Mr. Naiser advances.

Ms. Daniels vs. Mr. Bradshaw:

For years, Ms. Daniels has been secretly perfecting a toxic fungus from the confines of her underground biology lab in preparation for future apocalypse. Before their epic faceoff, she injects Mr. Bradshaw’s slice of AP cake day goodness with just enough fungi extract to ensure a forfeit on account of an uncanny bout of an unknown “virus.” “Unfair,” you ask? All’s fair in love, war, and biology.

Quarterfinals

Mr. Poole vs. Dr. Rosheger: Dr. Rosheger looks around in earnest for his next opponent when “Imperial March” begins to play in the background. Mr. Poole then emerges in a full Darth Vader cosplay. Dr. Rosheger stares

blankly at his co-worker, turns around and walks out of the arena, muttering words like “overrated” and “basic.” Mr. Poole is left alone and advances to the next round.

Mr. Player vs. Mr. Johnson: Mr. Player challenges his fellow humanities teacher to a 1v1 10-point basketball match. Mr. Player soon takes the lead at 9-8, and takes his final 3-point shot. Somehow, the ball bounces from the backboard, off Mr. Johnson’s head, and into Mr. Player’s own basket. Mr. Johnson wins 11-9 and advances.

“Mr Odom chokes on his last putt due to Dr. Covington’s remarks earlier.”

battle. Mr. Poole starts rap freestyling: his speed is unmatched, but he quickly runs out of breath and passes out from lack of oxygen. Mr. Johnson, who is busy daydreaming, moves on to the next round.

Mrs. Greenlees vs. Mr. Naiser: Mrs. Greenlees arrives, excited on the heels of her golfing win. Mr. Naiser, however, ponders the fact that victory is far less important than studying God or reading the gospel of Mark. Having made this realization, and living up to

Winner:

the standard of the prophet Elijah, Mr. Naiser is taken up to heaven by angels. Mrs. Greenlees, standing there alone, moves on.

Finals

Mr. Johnson vs. Mrs. Greenlees: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final!

First, Mr. Johnson enters the ring, trying to think of “that” word. Unbeknownst to him, Mrs. Greenlees bolts towards him. But lo and behold, a hay bale appears out of nowhere,

Mr. Odom vs. Mrs. Greenlees:

Mr. Odom and Mrs. Greenlees enter the arena brandishing their respective golf clubs and decide to duke it out on the golf course rather than the ring. They play a perfect round of golf and go all in on hole eighteen, Mr Odom chokes on his last putt due to Dr. Covington’s remarks earlier, and so the round goes to Mrs. Greenlees.

Mr. Naiser vs. Ms. Daniels: Mr. Naiser and Ms. Daniels enter the lab ready

bracketwithyourownteacher picks!

tripping her and costing her the victory. Still oblivious to what is happening, Mr. Johnson is crowned the victor.

The results are in! And the winner of the first ever Geneva Teacher Showdown is…am I getting this right?…it can’t be; it is! Ladies and gentlemen, in a “no-one-would-haveguessed-ever” underdog story, Mr. Johnson has emerged victorious! Trust us, we’re just as surprised as you are. Nonetheless, that concludes this program! Thank you for joining

for battle. Unsure of who will win, both brainstorm how to use their science skills to the best of their abilities. Before Ms. Daniels can move a muscle, Mr. Naiser reaches into his pocket and throws his pocket chemicals, using the elements to his advantage.

Semifinals

Mr. Poole vs. Mr. Johnson:

Mr. Johnson cluelessly enters the studio while Mr. Poole is doing vocal warmups, ready to win the

us, and congratulate Mr. Johnson if you get the chance; this is a once-in-a-lifetime feat for him.

Words

Design

Ella Dillinger, Emma Malkowski, Mazzy Horn-O’Brien, Jacob Goodman, Will Crews

Ella Dillinger

Photos Jacob Goodman

Photo Abigail Bussey

Graphic Jacob Goodman

creativity. creativity. the great fun and profound beauty in

DOUBLE TROUBLE

The Deimund and Pickle twins write a typical day-in-the-life for each other

MAGGIE:

6:55 AM: 1st alarm goes off. She sometimes snoozes, but tries to get up right away

7:00: starts getting ready for school

7:35: finishes getting ready and puts on her uniform

7:40: heads downstairs and grabs her lunch, which was pre-packed the night before, and her backpack

7:42: yells at Harper to hurry up and head downstairs

7:45: makes herself a gourmet and nutritious breakfast

8:00: the ideal time to be leaving for school if Harper is on time

8:05: if Harper is ready to leave, might have a chance of getting some coffee on the way to school

8:15-8:25: arrives to school (hopefully with some coffee)

8:30-3:50: is very studious with her grades and works hard while also leaving time to socialize with her friends

4-6:30: volleyball practice or after school workouts

7:00: gets home and makes or eats dinner

7:30: diligently completes her homework and studies for any upcoming tests

8:30-8:45: takes a quick shower

9:00: loves to facetime Caroline once she has some free time, or sends her lots of funny Instagram reels and Tik Toks

11:00: hits the hay and sets all her alarms for the next morning to make sure she doesn’t sleep in

7:00

AM: 1st alarm goes off and is snoozed

7:08: 2nd alarm goes off and is snoozed again

7:16: 2nd snooze goes off

HARPER:

7:25: gets ready for school (brushes teeth, hair, makeup… all the essentials)

7:50: Maggie yells at her to hurry up and be downstairs to pack her lunch and bags

7:51: aggressively throws on her uniform for the day

7:55: grabs her backpack and heads downstairs to quickly pack her lunch

8:00: makes her lunch by throwing in whatever she can find

8-8:05: rarely has time to make breakfast, as it’s already the ideal time to be leaving her house

8:05: if on time and very lucky, she heads to grab a coffee at On the Grind

8:303:50: socializes with the gals and sometimes leaves room for school work

8:25: pov–she wasn’t lucky and arrives to school without her iced white chocolate mocha with foam on top

8:29: if lucky, you will catch her running to class with her coffee in hand

4-5:30: works hard at soccer practice or rehearsal for color guard (GO FLAG!!)

6:00: gets home from school and contemplates if she should do her homework

6:15: grub time

6:30-7:30: takes a very long shower while blaring her music (Taylor Swift). Maggie tells her to be quieter

8-10:30: chill time. by chance, she does any other work she needs to get done for the next day

10:45: hits the hay after realizing Emrey and Caroline have gone to bed

10:46: goodnight

CAROLINE:

7:30: alarm goes off, and I wish I could sleep in

7:35: actually get out of bed (force myself)

7:40: get ready for school while listening to music to hopefully make me more awake

8:00: done getting ready, and I put on the correct uniform for that particular day

8:05: pack my bags for school and soccer practice

8:10: grab my lunch and water bottle that my mother kindly made for me

8:10-8:15: leave for school and sit in the front seat so I can play music (thank you William for accepting your place in the back)

8:20-8:25: get to school and say hi to all of my wonderful friends who help me survive the school day

8:30-3:50: socialize with my friends with a side of school

4-5:30: soccer practice!

5:35: try to convince my mom to take me to Starbucks (usually doesn’t work, but a girl can dream)

5:50: get home and immediately plop on my bed because I missed it so much

6:30: dinner time!

7:00: take a shower blaring my music, Taylor Swift, which I know annoys my whole household

7:30: do my homework because I know I won’t get up if I get back in my bed

8:30: cuddle up in my bed with my fuzzy blanket and either watch a show, facetime my friends, or watch and send my friends funny Instagram reels and Tik Toks

10:00: get ready for bed (favorite part of my night)

10:30: try to go to sleep so I won’t be so tired the next morning

WILLIAM:

7:40: wakes up when our dad comes into his room to tell him to

7:45: gets ready for school (only consists of brushing his teeth and putting on deodorant)

7:50: puts on uniform and gets bags ready

7:55: says good morning to and plays with his pug named Duke whom he loves very much

8:10: leaves for school and sits in the back so Caroline can play her music (what a kind brother)

8:20: gets to school and reunites with his best friend and ultimate favorite teacher, Mr. Odom

8:30-3:50: socializes with his friends, but mainly Mr. Odom, and goes about his day doing his normal tasks

4-6:00: goes to soccer practice everyday for a whopping 2 hours

6:20: gets home from school, and says hi to Duke, and texts his friends to play video games with him later

6:30: possibly makes time to eat with his family, if not on call with his friends

7:00-10:00: either plays video games, which consist of lots of yelling at his friends over the phone or the screen, or watches tv with my mom and Duke if there is a good sports game on

10:15: after asking me what tests and quizzes we have tomorrow, he contemplates studying, but he has a “photographic memory,” so it’s okay if he doesn’t

10:30: loves to make himself a late night snack which usually consists of some hello pandas or Dr. Pepper flavored ice cream

11:00: realizes he should go to bed because he has school tomorrow, and then he does because the faster he goes to sleep, the quicker he gets to wake up and see Mr. Odom bright and early the next morning

Arnold

Pickle

Grace Owens

Abigail Bussey

lost in the mountains lost in the mountains

lost in the mountains

Help us find these lost words!

ZKWEFINPKPLKFDKWLGLSR

RMVFCPGNNWOHWSAIAAJERV DECSSCKZSWFOPMSFJTWARU

BCOLORADOQRJTICWIQFEM NYYUPYTNGQEVETDBEKRQZU

UIAETWVCVRLGBRHJPTXSN MRRAZTNBTGASFRLKPCOGF RENNCZENAECNUOGFREORGLK

HEMETLYMZEDJQEDCTHZUGB MARSHMALLOWSYHAOKOPGCLC

GSKDFALSLIPPERSVZOKT GSZHDGCJTLMXUQARQOPMNUZ MEVERESTHJUZRPKEOSDFD ODIQDLZARGTKOYLHVNKVZV GVJKVJAQPRARDCIDERRR BNICICLEAJIQBBYEDWB

MARSHMALLOWSSNOWBOARDINGSNOWFLAKEHIKE

FIREPLACEADVENTURESLIPPERS

COLORADOMOUNTAINEVEREST

SNOWMANBLANKETMITTENS

ICICLE

BOOTS SKIING CIDER CABIN

Words Mazzy Horn O’ Brien

Graphic

Hailey Kirchner

Design Ella Grace Owens 55

Some fun presets to try out: Golden Hour:

Bubblegum Sun:

Exposure :+20

Contrast: -15

Highlights: -15

Shadows +10

Black point +5

Warmth +5

Tint +2

Exposure -39

Highlights -30

Shadows +59

Contrast +7

Brightness -28

Saturnation -11

Vibrance +63

Warmth +30

Tint +29

Lindsay’s photo tips

Some photo editing tips for picture perfection

We all want those instagrammable photos, but sometimes our photos don’t look quite right. Well, here are some quick and easy fixes you can try to get your photos to go from a 2 to a 10.

For starters, lately the disposable camera look has been pretty popular. Apps like Lapse, Dispo, and Huji are super fun and give that disposable look without having to deal with all the time and money it takes to get photos developed at the store.

Something else that has been going viral is the digital camera look. This is a bit higher quality picture, but not the best quality there is. A simple hack can give your photos this effect. All you have to do is turn the flash on when you’re in daylight. Then in editing, you’re going to turn your highlights down and brilliance up to your liking. For a softer finish, turn the contrast down.

For those summer-y looking photos, go to your photos app and click edit. Turn the highlights down (this gives the effect of a tanner glow) and turn your contrast down to reduce any harsh shadows or lines. Keep scrolling to the end, and you’ll see warmth and tint. Increase the warmth, and if needed, make the tint a little pinker.

If you are feeling a little extra, I would highly recommend getting a Photoshop and Lightroom account! If you are more creatively gifted, it is almost like a game. The tools can get rid of anyone in the background, you can blur things out that you don’t want in the photo, and you can mess around with backgrounds!

Words

Lindsay Lee Design Ella Grace Owens Photo Hailey Kirchner

Words

Ella Grace Owens

Hailey Kirchner

Design

Ella Grace Owens

can’t touch this turkey

Rant: Why Thanksgiving is the superior holiday

Which is better: Thanksgiving or Christmas? As controversial as this topic is, we’ve considered all the pros and cons associated with each holiday and have concluded that Thanksgiving is in fact better. I would like to start off with a disclaimer that this story covers only the festivities and not the reasons for the seasons!

Let’s start with candles. The warm pumpkin spice scent is a perfect kickstart to the fall season, along with the perfect sweater weather; the two go hand in hand. Christmas, you fight the bitter cold with obnoxious peppermint candles that induce headaches.

The perfect fall season, which includes Thanksgiving, also has the most perfect colors. All the colors go perfectly with each other and don’t clash at all.

On the other hand, Christmas colors are complete opposites. Red and green clash so much that they have to be on opposite sides of the color wheel. The same goes for outfits! Fall outfits match the sweater weather aesthetic perfectly. On the other hand, Christmas fits are dominated by “ugly christmas sweaters” that magically show up in our closets. Moving forward, the Thanksgiving meal is what we all look forward to every fall season; it has just about every side dish you could ask for.

The meal is perfect, as you sit around the table with your loved ones and share your gratitude for all your blessings. On the other hand, Christmas food is a copy-and-paste holiday meal. The meal is nearly the same as Thanksgiving’s but with worse desserts and fewer side dishes. To conclude, it is clear that Thanksgiving has much more to offer than Christmas; therefore, it is the better holiday.

CookingUpSome Cozy CookingUpSome Cozy

Chef Suzi’s delightfullycomfortingFrench

onion soup recipe

Nothing is better in the middle of winter than a nice bowl of soup. This French Onion Soup is so cozy and perfect for warming up in the cold.

While it is a fairly simple process with minimal ingredients, it takes technique to make a good French onion soup. The first tip is to caramelize the onions slowly. This process takes a long time but will pay off in the end. Also, use a good beef stock. I recommend homemade stock or beef broth. The most important things to remember are to use good ingredients and take it slow.

French Onion Soup French Onion Soup

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3.5 lb sweet onions

Salt to taste

1 ¼ white cooking wine

48 oz of beef stock

1 bunch of thyme

Bread

Gruyere cheese, grated

Gouda cheese, grated

Method

1. Slice onions thinly from root to stem

2. Add butter and olive oil to a pot and heat

3. Add the onions on medium heat, stirring occasionally until they are caramelized

4. Deglaze with the wine and bring to a boil

5. Add the beef stock and a bundle of thyme. Simmer for 20-30 minutes

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste

7. Pour the soup into an oven safe bowl, add a slice of bread, and top with the cheeses.

8. Broil until the cheese is melted and golden brown

Coming soon to Boerne, Texas:

Panda Express is on the way! On on IH-10 & Christus Pkwy, in the south region of Boerne (near Hill Country Square), we finally have a place that will heat up orange chicken in a microwave for us, instead of heating it up ourselves in the microwave at home.

When we asked Geneva students whether they listen to Christmas music before or after Thanksgiving, 83 percent claimed to listen to Christmas music as soon as the month of November arrives. When asked why, most students responded: “I wouldn’t listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving if there was any festive music for Thanksgiving,” and “I just love Christmas and can’t wait for it.” Other students believe it’s important not to get in the mood for one holiday before the current one is even over.

Students’ Favorite Christmas Movies

In first place (to no one’s surprise) is “Elf,” starring Will Ferrell. It has quickly become a Christmas classic and is a part of many families’ Christmas traditions.

In a very close second place is “Home Alone,” featuring the beloved character Kevin McAllister. Its story and cast have won over every Christmas enthusiast and earned its place as one of the most iconic movies in history.

In third place is “A Christmas Story,” the all-time classic that has more than earned its spot in the top three, with no other movie encapsulating the Christmas spirit quite so well.

That Should Be a Word

By: Hailey Kirchner

“Senioretary” sEEn-yor-uh-ter-EE Noun • designated senior off-period coffee supplier

The musical inspiration behind Issue Two

1. Louisa - Lord Huron

2. Mountain Song - Flatland Cavalry

3. Don’t Wanna Be Without Ya - Penny and Sparrow

4. Not My Home - Luke Bower

5. The Nutcracker, Op. 71, Act II: No. 14a, Pas De Deux - Tchaikovsky

6. Guiding Light - Mumford and Sons

7. Patience - The Lumineers

8. To the Mountains - Lizzy McAlpine

9. All My Love - Noah Kahan

10. Winter’s Come and Gone - Charles Wesley Godwin

11. evermore (feat. Bon Iver) - Taylor Swift

Design

Ella Dillinger

WORDS • MR. DONNOWITZ

It was a blessing and a joy to be introduced to Jogathon and Eagle Fest here at Geneva last month. It was moving to experience the widespread commitment and generosity of individuals for the sake of students and their families. I gave thanks to God when I reflected on such generosity and considered the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:11-12: “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.” This is how gifts can bless both the giver and receiver, and the glory is given to God, who enriches and sends the blessings, both material and immaterial, from above.

Jogathon and Eagle Fest were also a lot of fun. They brought hundreds of families together, and as a newcomer, it was a joy to experience this level of community for the first time. Here are a few of my personal highlights from the weeks leading up to Jogathon and Eagle Fest (or JOGAFESTAHOCOTHON), as well as the events themselves.

1)Students pieing teachers in the face (and being pied in the face myself). I think all of us who were pied would agree that the pungent smell of dried whipped cream which lingered all day, despite multiple face-washings, was awfully unforgettable.

2)Mrs. Gombert competing with Grammar students in Gaga Ball and making sure they played by the rules and got out when they got out!

3)Colton Lutz winning the pizza box challenge for the first grade class.

RETURNING • EST. 2007

4)Students dressing teachers up for the day.

5)Students, especially upperclassmen, volunteering to serve at Eagle Fest. Seeing Rhetoric students engaged and contributing to the event was a blessing.

6)Parents and grandparents coming out to run and support their students during Jogathon.

7)Mr. Higdon’s level of excitement to meet a twotoed sloth during the zoo visit.

8)Learning cheers—especially the roller coaster from Will Muck—and how to use the rally towels (air guitar, the Z, helicopter, etc.) at the Jogathon Pep Rally.

Jogathon and Eagle Fest were a blessing and a lot of fun to experience for the first time. A huge thanks to everyone who raised or donated money or came out to support students and the school during Jogathon and Eagle Fest.