HLA Today Issue 06 | 2013-14

ISSUE 06 | February 25, 2014

Super Bowl Party HLA Technology Secret Sister Success Lowell Quam Testimony Hillcrest Boys carry on tradition of exciting the crowd through their pre-game chant.

Christian Education Celebrated

Liz Peterson and Quinecy Circo | Staff Reporters

Comets vs. Park Christian Marks Storied History of Celebrated Education There’s a special significance in connecting around the game of basketball. Maybe that’s why each year players and fans look forward to the Hillcrest versus Park Christian basketball double-header. This year everything about the night created excitement - from the game of basketball, to the fundraising, the special announcers, and the evening dinner that took place.

The games fell on Saturday, February 8th this year. The day began with the junior varsity girls playing at 1:00pm, followed by the junior varsity boys. Fans packed the stands, and the intensity was building for the four o’clock tip-off of the girls varsity game. The Comet ladies grabbed the win, with an ending score of 39-37. The boys varsity teams took the court at 5:30pm, and after a heated competition and exciting game for both players and fans, the Comets celebrated a 73-62 win.

Coach Gregg Preston commented on the win saying that, “The best part about how the boys have been playing lately is that we are becoming a team in which all of our guys are beginning to make a lot of contribution.” More than that, Coach went on to talk about the impor-

tance of the partnership with Park Christian, as well as the mission and purpose of the two Christian schools. In such a partnership he noted, “The other team is not our adversaries. Ultimately, we’re in the same family.” Regarding the mission, he noted that both schools really exist to “make disciples of all nations” which “is more important than any basketball record.”

To add to the excitement and intensity of Christian Ed Night, Kirk Militzer, the pastor at the Triumph Lutheran Brethren church in Moorhead, and Rich Iverson, the associate pastor at Bethel Lutheran Brethren church in Fergus Falls, announced the girls and boys varsity games.

The two pastors worked together to bring even more energy and unity to the games, as well as a unique, spiritual groundwork to the entire night.

Fans, parents, and coaches watched the two opponents huddle together and pray after both varsity games, witnessing a clear significance that went beyond a win or a loss. “It is bringing two Christian schools together and uniting as one under the name of God,” captain Daniel Nersten explained, regarding the importance of prayer after such a fierce competition.

Amidst the halftimes of games throughout the day, fundraising events such as lightning and three-point competitions took place. The shared fundraising went towards the mission efforts of both schools. Hillcrest’s supported mission was the Dominican Republic trip the Hillcrest seniors will take this coming spring. Park Christian takes a Washington DC trip every year, and the money raised was split in half supporting both endeavors.

Following the games, Coach Preston not only announced and prayed for the dinner, but also spoke to the packed gym about the purpose of the Christian Ed night. He emphasized that, “our young men and women are going to be the ones that deliver Christ to this nation.” Included in the charge he gave to all of the young Christian leaders of both schools was the statement, “We are desperately in need of people authentically giving Christ and the gospel out.”

Later, Jake Isaac compared this year’s doubleheader to ones he has been a part of in past seasons, saying, “It was fun that they made the day into a bigger event this year.” As a varsity Continued on Page 4... |1

Jee-Hoon Park shows apparel given by his Secret Sister.

Secret Sister Success Eddie Jiang | Staff Reporter Secret Sister week is not like a normal week at Hillcrest. Not because the people change, but because of the change in outfits orchestrated by female students for their brothers in Christ.

Secret Sister week is a week-long recognition of Valentines day that gives students a chance to get to know each other better as well as share gifts in a unique way. During Secret Sister week the girls are given a chance to change the school experience.

Girls draw names from a hat revealing who their secret brother will be.

Superbowl activities started on the ice and followed with a broomball league draft.

Superbowl Satifies with Annual Party An aroma of hot wings calls everyone to the Comet Cafe. Students decked out in Broncos and Seahawks attire meet in the cafe as classic Super Bowl food is served. Anticipation fills the room, as kickoff of Super Bowl XLVIII is only minutes away.

Seconds later, hungry broomball players come through the doors, battling it out on the campus ice rink only moments ago. After fighting through a weekend of playoffs, dormitory director Craig Nersten’s Maximus Industries carries the broomball champion distinction.

The RA staff pitches in to help serve dinner. Students line up for chicken wing, mac n’ cheese, chips and salsa, and root beer float appetizers.

The pre-game is showing on every campus television. With only moments before kickoff, students make their way down to the boys’ dorm and pile onto couches and bean bag chairs.

Some choose to watch the game in the girls’ dorm, while others stay to watch it in the Cafe.

Quincey Circo and Jake Isaac show no mercy in reminding everyone that they predicted during the pre-season that the Seahawks and Broncos would end up in the Superbowl. Others have their own predictions about who they think will win, or what the score will be at the end of the big game.

Raquel Kvamsdal and Sunniva Sveen, two Norwegian students rooting for the Seahawks, get milkshakes out of a bet they previously made with one of the girls dorm deans, Kendra Grothmann.

Many of the students from other countries are excited to be a part of the American pasttime for the first time. Some have heard about the NFL Super Bowl before, while the American students get to teach others about typical Super Bowl traditions. The Hillcrest Super Bowl party always draws students together, whether everyone is 2|

Liz Peterson | Staff Reporter interested in American football or not.

As the game begins, the chatter softens in the packed rooms on campus. Die-hard football fans zone in on the game, while others are just looking forward to the Super Bowl commercials. Some are just excited to see Bruno Mars perform during the halftime show. According to Jason You, “The halftime show is the best!”

A new broomball draft is put into action during halftime. Excitement and anticipation heightens among the ones gathered around as names are drawn for new broomball teams. Six new team names are formed, and teams get together to creatively decide what to call themselves. Team names such as Dunder-mifflin, Frozen Frotilla, and Giftige Troll (Toxic Trolls) are written on the whiteboard.

“I enjoyed being with friends and just the whole environment,” Emily Pribbenow later said about the party. Pribbenow and Adrienne Schultz were two of the many off-campus students who visited the dorms for the Super Bowl party.

Stacks of pizzas are delivered at the start of the third quarter to finish off the feast. The Seahawks domination offers more time for visiting throughout the second half of the game.

Even once the game is over and the Seahawks have won, the night’s fun doesn’t stop. Laughter rings through the girls dorm, as Live Gilje shoves a cupcake in Amanda Doiron’s face. Rena Fedorova and Emma Royce add to the frosting fight.

The weekend highlight closes with students uniting around food and laughter, a great superbowl party honoring the American tradition.

Hallways are not the same during Secret Sister week. Transformed by all the activities and fun the girls have planned for the guys, lockers are decorated and candy dispersed for the male students at Hillcrest.

Most lockers are stuffed with candy and chocolate, while a few were stuffed with other things. Matt Bradford says, “Although cleaning up at the end may take some time, you only get to do it once a year so everything is worth it.” Only a few of the conspiring girls think stuffing JK’s locker getting stuffed with packing foam was not a good idea.

“This week, I get to take control”, says Elizabeth Peterson. The secret brothers submitted to do everything the girls orchestrated.

Hillcrest’s guys were left in the dark while the girls knew almost everything planned.

The creative outfits and hallway antics create a sort of mystery puzzle as faculty, staff and students work to piece clues together to pair secret brothers to kniving secret sisters.

Many say Secret Sister week is fun, while others think it is just an unusual week. Oleg Chernyshov said, “Secret Sister week was different and really funny.”

Friday marks the end of Secret Sister week, which tends to be a big day for Hillcrest boys.

Secret Sisters reveal their hidden identity to classmates using notes or creating a scavanger hunt for their brothers, making them go through one last painful experience before finding out who their secret candy conniver was.

The guys return the favor, either buying their secret sister gifts or taking them out for dinner with a group of friends. This year many students went to the Viking restaurant in a big group after school.

Overall, the guys and the girls enjoy Secret Sister week. It is a change of pace to the winter doldrums and creates a unique unity, something Hillcrest is well known for.

Sending updates of their Hillcrest experience to friends and family, students use what is known to many alumni as the typing room to send Facebook updates and email messages.

HLA Tradition Survives in Age of Technology Face-to-face verbal communication is a thing of the past. At least, that is what some people think. Consider the history of communication at Hillcrest in the dorms. It has moved from a time when communication between students and home was non-existent, to a time when students can call home and keep in touch on a regular basis. Changes in technology have made this possible over the years.

In the early years of Hillcrest, communication with family and friends was extremely difficult. Even for those students whose families lived twenty to thirty miles away it was almost as if they lived in another part of the country. And with only the occasional letter from family, communication was scarce. Over the years however the communication silence began to change.

Before the time of widely used cell phones, communication between people in opposite dorms was difficult. “Students used to have to pass notes across windows and organize meetings at the fire escape,” reminisced Hillcrest instructor Brent Juliot. Mr. Juliot, now a math teacher at Hillcrest, attended Hillcrest

from the fall of 1974 to the spring of 1976, and had what is known today as the “dorm experience.” “Even phone calls to home were scarce during this time. The main way to communicate with home was through letters.”

President Steve Brue, another graduating member of the class of ‘76, commented on the vast changes that have taken place even in the time he has worked at Hillcrest from the mid-1990’s to today. “Personal computers and laptops, while handy, were not commonplace. Things like blogging, skyping, and texting were non-existent. Now, everyone has their own laptop and cell phone which makes communication with family and friends an instantaneous practice.” Entering 2014, the constant change in communication is evident, with rumors of new devices and variations on the horizon, enhancing communication is a never ending process.

Fast forward ten years from the mid-70’s to 1984 and another Hillcrest instructor Gaylen Peterson gives another varied perspective.

Mr. Peterson attended Hillcrest from 1984 to 1986 for his junior and senior year. He says

Waterfall Relocates Basketball Game

Brandon Doering | Staff Reporter mail was the most dependable form of communication during that time. This is because the boys dorm had only one phone, and the girls dorm had just two phones. “It was nearly impossible for parents to get through to their children because someone was always on the phone.”

There was a transition time about ten years ago when Hillcrest made phones more available to students, adding cordless phones, but communication was still difficult. One of the greatest improvements Mr. Peterson could remember was the distribution of cell phones to the deans, allowing parents to call and reach their children with faster and easier communication.

Because of technology, communication is easier and more frequent than in the past. But fortunately, face-to-face communication has not disappeared at Hillcrest. In fact, even with all the technology present, the lifestyle at Hillcrest allows for, and even requires, a constant interaction with friends and faculty. Retaining the Hillcrest experience many alumni speak of and current students cherish.

Iverson Raises $764 for Missions

Jonathan Eckhardt | Staff Reporter Cascades of ice or ice waterfalls may look amazing and harmless, but in reality they can cause major complications. An ice waterfall formed on the south side of the McQuay heating unit on the roof of the Student Activities Center and caused the Monday, February 3 boys’ basketball game versus Henning to be moved to the M-State Fergus Falls Community College gym.

The cascade of ice was formed from condensation that came from exhaust flowing out of the heating unit. Once the ice reached the warm roof, it began to melt, and the water leaked through a shroud on the roof.

This is not the first time this has happened, but it had not happened yet this year. The problem was noticed as David Crowser, a custodian, was preparing for the game that Monday morning. Mr. Crowser said, “I heard a dripping sound,” and said to himself, “I know what that is.” All available personnel were mobilized to fix the problem so Hillcrest could host the game. The gym floor was not damaged, but the leaking roof would take more time to fix, ultimately calling for a relocation of the game.

During the day, Allen Aase, Hillcrest’s athletic director, and Sharlene Schmidt, Hillcrest’s

business office secretary, were making phone calls to line up another venue for the game. The college, having no activities of their own February 3rd, graciously allowed Hillcrest to use their gym. The game was moved, and Henning was notified. It was better to play somewhere else rather than having to try to reschedule the game. All the logistics of the game worked out, and the evening went as planned.

One problem remained though; what had to be done to fix the leaking roof? Stopping the leak was easy, but how to prevent it from happening again was the problem at hand. The buildup of ice was removed by a crew led by Jason Walkup, and a sump pump was installed to remove any excess water, and to prevent water from reaching the gym floor again. The shroud on the roof was replaced, further preventing any leaks. The ice still continues to build up, but there are already plans to fix that for next winter. The plan is to install wires, which have electricity running through them, which would keep the condensation from freezing and direct it to another area where it could freeze and not cause any problems. The ice still continues to slowly build back up, but should not cause any more problems this winter.

Isaac Iverson is a pint-sized missionary. Measuring little more than three feet, the 1st grade student is the son of Rich and Karen Iverson, brother to Hillcrest students Brita and Sophie Iverson.

Adopted with a heart defect, Isaac has had more heart surgeries before his eighth birthday than many octogenarians before their eightieth. Isaac’s heart is able to handle the pressure created by an active lifestyle at this point, but there are no promises for him to have a high school athletic career. He loves baseball and football, but if you come to a Hillcrest game in February you’re bound to see him running on the court with a ball in hand after the game.

Lately Isaac barrels down the stands with dollar bills, giving the money to Hillcrest’s dominican mission team in exchange for a chance to shoot a free-throw for a bottle of soda. Iverson has made so many of his shots during the half-time fundraiser that his father jokingly said they’re starting to use Isaac’s winnings to pour over his cereal.

During the Hillcrest-Park Christian double header Isaac was asked to shoot for one minute, allowing people to place a pledge on how many shots he would make before the buzzer sounded. Making his first three-shots, Isaac went on to help the mission team raise $764, a missional activity that will benefit the school of Santa Fe in the Dominican Republic as the Senior class travels in Easter. |3

Adrienne Schultz greets her Philosophy and Religon class with How-D, causing some to believe that Canadian spelling is not consistent with American phonics. Zoey Schweitzer’s car alarm sounds frequently throughout the school day, suspiciously granting her leave from math exams. Han Gao and Janaya Caines caused many faculty and staff members to visit the Cafe as the two dramatically practiced their drama parts for Hillcrest’s upcoming play. Matthew Lein plays chess with himself, sometimes winning wagers of milkshakes from the cafe to his own chagrin.

Isabelle Needham slipped on the ice creating the alliteration Belle Fell, causing an aluring aliteration argument to Fancy Friday. Tristen Norenberg is the only boy in the French class, causing fits of jealousy as many young men are learning French is the language of love.

Lucas Holzner and Elisabeth Junker practiced their drama parts in the Cafe and caused many eavesdroppers pause as Elisabeth explained her belief in vampires. Thomas Martinson, friend of Bobby Schultz, loved Bob the Builder in his youth, which explains their devoted friendship despite Bobby’s appreciation for Bratz dolls. Helena Hope received an estimated 20 notes from a secret admirer after valentines day, leading many friends to think the secret note writer is also frugel. Friends of Heidi Hauge are planning a surprise birthday party on Thursday, Heidi’s birthday.

Heidi is excited about all the attention paid to her birth. Alejandro Garcia and Nicholas Bachmann spent over $400 at the MOA trip, causing Shelly Choi to say, “they’re not even girls”. Emily Haegeland, cousin to Amanda Doiron, is visiting next week. Amanda is asking everyone to be on their best behavior.

Mr. Jahr, when introducing his class to the Norwegian student visitors, introduced Kelly Dzailo as a “young lady from the East Coast who most of the boys enjoyed visiting with.”

After Kelly told her mom about the incident Kelly explained that there are a lot of cute norwegian’s visiting to which her mother told her not to get any ideas. Kendra Grothmann is shorter than most of the girls in the dorm, and she can prove it. Elaine Yi is planning to go on the Chicago Mission trip despite Wayne’s no-shopping requirement. Connor Aasness is a graduate of Morning Son Christian School and will explain why he is proud when asked. The Band Tour is attending a debate between John Lennox and Stephen Meyer while on band tour. The Chicago Mission trip is going to visit Carl Kerby at the Creation Science Museum.

HLATODAY is produced by the Journalism program at Hillcrest Academy.

Quincey Circo Amanda Doiron Liz Peterson Maddie Veum Jonathan Eckhardt 4|

Brandon Doering Kara Nash Zoey Schweitzer Eddie Jiang

Lowell Quam teaches Spanish and Bible at Hillcrest after training in the mission field, continuing his missionary work at HLA.

Lowell Quam: God’s Faithful Agent Few students have the opportunity to be taught by a man who has many similarities to the Apostle Paul.

While Mr. Quam’s story isn’t an exact page out of Paul’s epistles, his experience did have a shapring effect to his view on life and his role in presenting Christ to the world.

In northern Minnesota Mr Quam, a Spanish and bible teacher at Hillcrest, was born to two parents who passionately loved God. He was raised in a very conservative and strict home, and at a very young age he knew he wanted to do something great for God’s kingdom.

Before entering grade school, Mr. Quam had interests in becoming a missionary. He took both a year of bible and a year of seminary before graduating high school. He proceeded with a degree in psychology after his time in college and worked as a carpenter for two years after graduating. It was during his carpentry years that he met his partner in ministry, and both were called to missions in Ecuador.

Training was intense for Mr Quam and his wife,

Quincey Circo | Staff Reporter

spending three months in Mexico for grueling language training. Their preparation in Spanish also included stints in Vermont learning how to teach English.

The first few years of Mr. Quam’s missionary service included teaching at a large high school in Ecuador He taught both English and Bible courses opening doors for his mission work.

Every fifth year Mr. Quam and his family would visit the United States to raise support for their mission and reconnect with family. The five year tradition was almost halted by Mr. Quam’s unsuspected run-in with the law.

A tragic traffic accident called Ecuadorian police to investigate the scene. Mr. Quam was a driver and someone was injured. The sad tale left Mr. Quam, unable to pay the bribe asked for by police, with a tour of the inside of an Ecudaorian police car and an introduction to the local jail. Mr. Quam has seen the inside of a jail, but this time he was the criminal, not the visiting minister.

Continued next week...

Christian Ed Night (Cont.) starter playing for Hillcrest or even just simply playing for a Christian school, Jake was asked about how such a team can represent Jesus while on the court. In response, he gave some insight into what the Hillcrest Comets have been trying to direct their focus on lately. “As a team, we’ve been talking about playing for an audience of One (God), and treating today like it’s our last, since we aren’t promised tomorrow.” Daniel Nersten added that, “It’s important to lead by example, and show God through actions. We have to play for the glory of God, and keep a good attitude.” Daniel stressed the importance of respect as well, to not only the other players but also the refs and coaches.

Christian Ed Night impacted all of the players, fans, and parents as they participated in the excitement and success of the night. Even the players and fans of Park Christian enjoyed the night.

Courtney Nepstad, a senior captain of the Park Christian Falcons acknowledged the fun night saying, “It’s very refreshing! [That] we can play

[another] team that is honoring to The Lord in what they do and say. I also love the fact that we pray together afterwards. To me it shows that basketball isn’t everything, because we can put aside all the frustrations from the game and pray to our Father.” She also mentioned the hospitality and love of Christ that themed the night with the meal and fellowship time.

While the focus of most basketball games rests on what the scoreboard says, it is clear that this double-header held much more significance. The game of basketball helps to draw people together, and in this case, it went well beyond that. The prayer, the partnered fundraising efforts, and the dinner all added to what brought the people of both Hillcrest and Park Christian closer together as they embraced the Family of Christ.