HLA Today - Issue 1 (10-11)

HLA

Hillcrest Lutheran Academy’s Bi-weekly News

Today

Visit the HLA Website ffhillcrest.org Short video highlights of school activites are available.

HLA Today is produced bi-weekly by the Journalism class.

Splish Splash

HLAToday Staff Annalise Boyum Wil Twedt HLA students go bridge jumping.

Chris Christenson By Annalise Boyum Frankie Sandnes On Sunday, August 29, the HLA dor m stu-

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dents and some off campus students spent their afternoon at Phelps Mill, located about a half hour from Fergus Falls.

They jumped off bridges into the Ottertail River, threw around frisbees and footballs, played wiffleball and hung out in the shade.

Senior Christina Hardie said, “I thought it was a great experience for the dor m students.”

Craig Nersten, Boys Dor m Resident Life Director, said, “In the beginning of the school year, our goal is to give students many opportunities to get to know each other . . . Phelps Mill is a great way to help that process along.”

September 10, 2010 Volume 17, Issue 1

Apathy to Action

Screaming Roller Coasters

Axis sets the spiritual tone for the year.

Valleyfair tradition lives on.

To start the year on a spiritual note, Campus Ministries invited Axis to come speak to the students during the first three days of school. “The Axis group was a great way to start off the year,” said Student Life Director Wayne Stender.

Axis is a group of college grads who have created a ministry for teens based on the theory that “ideas have consequences.” Their goal: to prepare students to “grapple with some of the most influential ideas [on the] planet.”

The program they have created is split into six sections (two a day), and is designed to accommodate the short attention-spans of the Facebook generation. The worldviews of

Students woke up early Saturday September 4 to enjoy a fun-filled day at Valleyfair. Every year Hillcrest students board the busses to be with friends and grow relationships with new students.

Junior Cooper Patch said that the ride down starts off slow, but he’s always glad he goes when he sees the roller coasters from the bus.

All the Hillcrest participants at Valleyfair had a blast at the park, going on roller coasters, playing games, and getting wet at the water park.

The admission was $45 for an allday ticket and pizza in the picnic area for everyone. After the pizza everyone went back to the park for a few more hours. The bus left at 5 pm after a whole eight hours of rides and fun.

By Chris Christenson

post-modernism, Islam, and Christianity were presented in two minute bites, with speakers from the team constantly handing off to one another. Plenty of props and pop-culture references were used to drive the points home.

Outside of the sessions, Axis members hung out with students, discussing deep theological questions or just exchanging pleasantries. Many enjoyed their easy-going, approachable manner. Stender said that Axis does the best job, out of any group he’s seen, at meeting students.

Opening Picnic Food, Fun, and Fellowship.

By Wil Twedt

An opening picnic is held each year for the student body, staff, and family members to get together and celebrate the start of a new year. The picnic started with a meal of tacos and rice. People ate while sitting on chairs or the ground on the front lawn.

Gene Twedt, a junior this year, said it was a good way to meet new students.

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“The leaders did a good job at setting it up,” he said, “and that rock, paper, scissors game was so much fun. It was a good way to laugh together.”

In the eyes of student body president Taylor Brue, the opening picnic was fun, even if she didn’t get the chance to take part in the fun and games. “It was a lot of fun watching the games even though I didn’t get to play…” she said. “I enjoyed meeting the new students and seeing old friends. I’m looking forward to seeing how the school grows together as a community and how we grow spiritually.”

The picnic was held Sunday, August 22, on the front lawn. After the meal, parents met in the chapel for a short meeting, while the students went to the football field to play “ice-breaker” games.

By Frankie Sandnes

High Expectations Athletes hit the ground running during Sports Week.

By Wil Twedt

Sports Week, the week before school starts, is used for one thing -- intense training and preparing for the season. The fall sports at Hillcrest are football, volleyball, and soccer.

It is one of the ways that people get to meet each other. Kristie Thorkildsen, 11th grade soccer player said, “It’s a good way to get to know and meet other people, and also a good way to learn names.”

“It was really exciting to see how

many girls came out for volleyball,” Ahna Lacey, volleyball captain, said as she took her first look at the team.

For a lot of people, it was just the excitement of getting back into action.

Andrew Twedt, football captain said, “Just getting back on the football field and playing again was fun. I expect a lot of the team. One of our goals is to beat Verndale and then go on to the Section Final. It makes me happy to see everyone looking forward to the season.”

Football Season Has Arrived Comets football team looks promising.

By Frankie Sandnes

Comet football season is here. The team has a total of 34 players, 14 varsity, and 18 junior varsity. Junior High players have joined the football team this year because the junior high did not have enough players for their own team.

Hillcrest’s coaching staff consists of Head Coach Charlie Brue and assistant coaches, Steve Moline and Craig Nersten.

Although the team has different skill levels, all players dress for varsity

games on Friday nights. The varsity team has eight games this year before they head into play-offs. The junior varsity and c-squad have six games each.

Football season arrived at the Hillcrest fields on Saturday, August 28, when nine teams came to scrimmage.

Hillcrest played three teams out of the nine, Ulen-Hitterdal, CAHN, and Wheaton.

Head Coach Brue has a good feeling about the Comets this year. Mr. Brue said, “Since our running game is pretty strong, I’m going to make sure our passing attack is emphasized more this year.”

Coach Brue was also impressed with the team at the scrimmage. He has high expectations of senior Daniel Tungseth, the new quarter back, who did a good job

TIDBITS

Ahna Lacey got a bird stuck in the grill of her car.

Lars Bringeland, Andreas Skjelde, Nisius Powell, Aeron Jahr, Clay Bothun and Mr. Jahr walked through the drive-thru at Dairy Queen. Taylor Brue returned a spiked volleyball over the net using her head. Angela Holmen was prescribed complete vocal rest for three days. Dillon O’Sullivan jumped off the stage and almost did a split. Joey Tafjord always forgets his things in the dorm. Chris Christenson figured out all of Tae Gyu’s magic tricks. Andrew Twedt found a year-old milk shake in the fridge at the new gym. Andrew Stender hates the Yankees.

Tore Falch and Heather Furuseth had to wash dirty dishes left in the Stu from last year. Jenna Barkey wears bowling socks. Gene Twedt has baby pictures floating around the school. finding receivers.

The Comets’ first game was Friday, September 3. They played hard against CGB, but lost 14-0. Senior captain Zach Taylor said after the game, “We played our best, and it just wasn’t enough. We need to work on our conditioning more and push ourselves in practice.”

Despite the loss on Friday Coach Brue still thinks the Comets have what it takes to win conference.

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This time for Hillcrest Soccer season commences at HLA.

By Chris Christenson

The Hillcrest soccer teams have begun their respective seasons, all hopeful for the games to come. “I think we can go to state… it’s going to be hard, but I think we can do it,” said varsity boys striker, Morten Reksten.

This year’s soccer turnout hit a record high, over 50 guys and 38 girls came out to play, two thirds of them had never worn a Comets jersey before. However, despite the new faces, the teams still retain the same multiethnic flavor that has characterized them for the last decade.

Varsity boys are once again in the capable hands of coach Rod Jensen, who is beginning his tenth

year as head coach at HLA. Coach Joe Johnson is keeping the JV boys in line, while also spending time with the varsity goalies.

Though she’s been working with Hillcrest girls soccer program for three years now, coach Cara Kline is starting this year as head coach for the first time.

Volleyball girls are working hard.

By Annalise Boyum

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Volleyball

Thursday, 9/2 Hillcrest............................. 1 Pelican Rapids.....................3 Tuesday, 9/7 Hillcrest..............................2 Brandon-Evansville..............3 Thursday, 9/9 Hillcrest..............................3 Ashby.................................1

Girls Soccer

Slide, Jump and Dive The volleyball girls have been working hard this fall to get into shape for the season.

With thirteen varsity girls, eight JV

Sports Scores

and seven C-squad girls, Head Coach Carrie Brue has high hopes for a good season. This year there are twelve seniors, the most the coaches have ever seen. The managers for the teams are Cat Jacoby and Krista Kugler.

Coach Brue says that assistant coaches Zachary Schroer and Abby Scheel are a huge help. They are all still finding which positions will fit each girl’s abilities best.

Coach Brue said, “If the girls put their minds into it they can succeed.

They have worked hard and have the potential to win.”

Coach Brue has had a lot of fun helping the girls. Coach Schroer said that Coach Brue is the best and they enjoy her coaching and leading.

Thursday, 8/26 Hillcrest..............................0 Fergus Falls.........................7 Monday, 8/30 Hillcrest..............................1 Little Falls...........................4 Tuesday, 9/7 Hillcrest..............................0 Minnewaska........................6 Thursday, 9/9 Hillcrest..............................0 Detroit Lakes......................6

Boys Soccer

Saturday, 8/28 Hillcrest..............................2 Bemidji...............................1 Monday, 8/30 Hillcrest..............................3 Little Falls...........................2 Thursday, 9/2 Hillcrest..............................0 Detroit Lakes......................1 Tuesday, 9/7 Hillcrest..............................5 Minnewaska........................0 Thursday, 9/9 Hillcrest..............................6 Crookston...........................0

Football

Friday, 9/3 Hillcrest..............................0 C-G-B............................... 14