HLA Today - Issue 1 (11-12)

HLA

Hillcrest Lutheran Academy’s Bi-weekly News

Today

September 9, 2011 Volume 18, Issue 1

Visit the HLA Website ffhillcrest.org HLA Today is produced bi-weekly by the Journalism class.

HLAToday Staff

AXIS: Apathy to Action

Clayton Bothun Heidi Christofferson Axis crew sets the tone of the school year for the second year in a row.

Nick Demarest

by Katie Thorkildsen Brooke Ferenczy “Your walk talks and your talk talks fered information on opposing worldShawnie Hestenes but your walk talks louder than your talk views, reasons to why we believe what we Morgan Jennen Ronnie Johnson talks.” believe, what some of the false teachings Grant Malmstrom This was only one of a number of and lies that the media feeds us are, and Nisius McAllister-Powell Zach Nersten main points and arguments that the Axis they taught us to question the ‘answers’ Katie Thorkildsen team led us through the first few days of this world. One of their main points Gene Twedt If you are interested in having the HLA Today mailed to your house, contact the front office, 218-739-3371.

The cost is $30 per year.

of school. From the first day of school, Wednesday August 17th, through the end of the week students at Hillcrest attended sessions of Axis presentations every morning in the old gym. The team this year was made up of five members, David, who led the group, Ben, Hannah, Melanie, and Coleen.

During their presentations, they of-

was “ideas have consequences.” This was illustrated through analyzing popular song’s lyrics and hidden messages in movies and television shows. Senior Allison Battillo comments, “I really liked having them come again this year. They gave us a lot of information about the world and its different views and what they’re about.” continue on page 2

continud from page 2

Another main idea as stated earlier was “Your walk talks and your talk talks but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.” This simply says to match your actions to your Christian faith and values. Axis’ main message is to move from apathy to action by going out and doing something with your faith rather than just sitting back and watching life go by. This means that someone who calls themselves a Christ follower cannot live a double life. Your Christian faith involves every aspect of your life, not just bits and pieces. “I liked it better than last year’s presentation,” Senior Kristie Thorkildsen says, “Having the Axis team come was a great way to start off the new school year; everything was very encouraging and interesting to listen to.” The Axis team’s presentations left a big impact on our school. They left us thinking about what happens next, and what to do with our faith.

Quincey Circo and Alyssa Golden participate in an illustration with AXIS leader, David Eaton Page 2

Students get ready to jump into the Ottertail River at Phelps Mill outing on Sunday, August 28.

All School Picnic Starting the school year.

by Shawndelle Rae

On Tuesday, August 16th, the all school picnic took place for the students of Hillcrest Academy and their parents. This is a tradition every year for Hillcrest students; it’s a chance for returning students to get to know new students and new students to be welcomed in.

For supper, they had pork sandwich and a noodle salad with chips.

After supper was when the fun started, while parents were at an orientation meeting, the students went to the football field to play some icebreaker games. One of the games they played was called the Circle Game. The Circle Game is where one group of students circles up and the other group forms a circle around them. Each circle moves to the right while facing each other.

As they go around they introduce themselves to one another.

The second game that was played was the Mingle Game. A song is

played while students walk around, when the music stops each student has to find someone they don’t know and introduce themselves.

The third and final game that was played was a game called the Line Game.

Brittany Christiansen described the game. “The students would form two lines about twenty yards apart, each student was sitting across from another student they did not know. The leader would then yell something like “nose to knee.” The partners then had to race to each other and one would put his or her nose to their partner’s knee.”

Jason Fox said, “They had okay food and we met people”.

After the picnic was over there was a bon-fire at the boy’s dorm for some students to attend. Overall the picnic seemed to be a big hit, and is a tradition to be continued.

Scribes of the Castle What is the HLA Today?

By Morgan Jennen

Whether it is for the sports highlights, school news or just for the Tidbits, there is something everyone likes in the HLA Today. But where does it come from? What exactly is it? Here is a little backstory for those who are curious.

The HLA Today is a newsletter written and published by students in Mr. Charlie Brue’s fourth hour Journalism class. Mr. Brue presents a number of different topics that need to be written about and the students choose which one we think we would be best at getting the facts and putting them to paper. Over the next two weeks, we all gather the information that is needed for the article, whether we get it from eyewitness’ accounts, quotes, or pictures. But with all

this information we must try and remain objective and have no bias at all, or the article becomes more of our opinion than a news story.

Then, after all the details needed for the article have been collected, we sit down and read our writing out loud for the rest of the class to critique. Next, when all seems to be well with the article, we now have the chance to type it out and put any final touches on it.

We will then add any pictures we have and write captions, making sure to include the names of all the people in the pictures. We triple-check to make sure names are spelled right and the dates and places are correct as well. When this is all completed, our finished work is handed in to Mr. Brue who sees

Front: Katie Thorkildsen, Heidi Christofferson, Zach Nersten, Clay Bothun. Middle: Nisius McAllister-Powell, Ronnie Brown, Grant Malmstrom, Gene Twedt, Brooke Ferenczy. Back: Morgan Jennen, Shawnie Hestenes.

to it that the newsletter is published and distributed to readers.

In a good HLA Today there has to be a number different topics.

If the whole letter was only about sports then those people who are not involved in sports would feel excluded from something special.

There is usually an article about big events such as Christmas Banquet, academic achievements, mission trip news, sports highlights, and of course the Tidbits. Tidbits is a special little column that is made up of only fun facts, like if someone did something funny or had an embarassing moment. It would be in there (with the person’s permission, of course).

The newsletter can be found in a few different places around the school such as in the library, the front office, and lying around where students have finished reading it and left it there for another student to find and enjoy. The HLA Today may seem like a student only newsletter, but actually it is mailed out to many parents and supporters of Hillcrest as well.

Many changes have been made to the HLA Today since the day it began; even now there is word of it going on the web. For now if you have anything that may be interesting to have in the HLA Today please come and tell us.

Page 3

Preparing to Go

Kicking Off the Year Hillcrest sports start the year off well.

by Zach Nersten

The beginning of Hillcrest fall sports have been nothing but entertaining. All four teams, which include football, volleyball, and boys and girls soccer, have shown dedication to their school, coaches, and fellow teammates. The fall sports have a way of bonding the players together, and also the fans.

By having this bond made early, it strengthens the entire school.

The soccer girls had the opportunity to kick off the fall season first.

Their first two games were against Fergus Falls (L 1-3) and Little Falls (L 4-5), where they weren’t able to pull out a victory. Even though they started with a record of 0-2, they’re still optimistic about their season. “We have a good chance to go farther this year, even though we have less experience,” said senior starter Kristie Thorkildsen.

“Our team is coming together a lot quicker this year.”

Once again, the boys soccer team is looking for another strong season all-around. Bemidji was their first task of the season, and in the end, the Comets squad conquered over their opponent by the score of 2-1. The team’s home opener then lead into their first away game against Little Falls, but they weren’t able to pull out the win as they lost 0-2. The team Page 4

has many fun and talented guys to watch, which should make it a great season.

The volleyball team started the year off against two tough opponents. Oak Grove and Pelican Rapids were two good matches for the Comet girls to see where they stand. They got shut out in both, but are still working hard and will continue for the rest of the season.

In addition, the coaching aspect of the team has completely changed this year. Laura Skaret has stepped in as the varsity head coach, while Trevor Undseth is the JV/assistant coach and Laurie Draxton is an assistant coach.

Friday night football is back at Hillcrest. The Comets took on Ortonville last Friday, and won it in thrilling fashion by the score of 22-15. Sophomore Vinnie Veum commented, “My favorite part of the game was Gene Twedt’s amazing throw down field to Taylor Isaac to win the game.”

Hillcrest sports are played to honor our Lord Jesus Christ to the fullest. Every team is looking for a successful season, but has the main goal of glorifying God by how they play.

DR Mission Trip

by Heidi Christofferson

It’s that time of year again! Not just the time for the beginning of classes or fall sports, but preparation time. A group of about 25 students and 6 adults will be traveling to the Dominican Republic for the annual mission trip. They will be leaving on November 18 and staying until the 25th. There are primarily seniors going on the trip and, as many of them have said, they are very excited. There is much preparation that is currently happening, as well as progress that has already been made.

Fundraising is a major part of preparing for the mission trip.

Students were encouraged to send out support letters to their friends and family, explaining the trip and asking for prayer and/or financial support. There were also students who worked over the summer or did specific jobs to earn money.

Some students were even able to get their church involved. For example, Allison Battillo says, “We did a fundraiser for the trip at our local Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Pennsylvania. We invited people from our church to come and support us. It turned out to be a success!”

There are also some upcoming events that the senior class is heading up. Pizza Ranch is helping us out by letting us use their restaurant and a certain percentage of their profit goes to the continue on page 5

continud from page 4

trip. Seniors work there on those nights to help out. There was a fundraising event that already took place on September 7, and following that, there will be two more at Pizza Ranch on September 14 and October 5 from 4:30 PM till 8 PM. If you would like to support the senior class and the Dominican Trip, eat Pizza at Pizza Ranch on those days. One more fundraiser coming up is on October 1 (Saturday, homecoming weekend). There will be a carwash held in the Hillcrest parking lot from 12:00 PM till 6:00 PM. The Senior class will be in charge of this event as well.

Along with fundraising, there are other things that are happen-

Pedal to the Metal Drivers Ed. at Hillcrest

ing in preparation for the DR trip.

There have been several meetings for the students and adults going on the trip. A couple were held last spring, helping students prepare for fundraising over the summer, as well as two this year.

The meetings this year have been about getting passports and paperwork in order, and one meeting was specifically for refreshing the students’ minds on reasons for going on the trip. Preparation is a vital part of the trip. However, the most important way to prepare for a trip like this is to pray. Prayer for the Dominican Republic Mission trip would be much appreciated as the students and adults are getting ready to go these last few months.

Tidbits Tayler Leach did a photo shoot with cupcakes for her photography class. Alyssa Wolderich had several amazing spikes during Tuesday night’s varsity volleyball game. Someone put a plunger in Andrew Jopp’s bed. The boys dorm got a new tandem bicycle. Josh Tonneson and Daniel Nersten bought eight boxes of Coco Krispies, which they eat together everyday.

Theo Taylor, Taylor Isaac, Cooper Patch and Gene Twedt chased down a badger on the front lawn of Hillcrest.

Ingrid Apelthun wastes no time in getting behind the wheel of a car!

by Gene Twedt

Getting behind the wheel is a top goal of just about everyone in life.

There is really nothing quite like coasting on the highway with the window down, letting the cool air in while the radio pumps out the tunes. The Danielson students were definitely eager to pursue that feeling right away this year.

Tom Saffel, the director of the Fergus Falls Driving School, took the time to host a two week driving program at Hillcrest for students to receive their permit. The students were to arrive at the Hillcrest Junior high building at six o’clock every Monday through Friday, and they would finish

at nine o’clock each day.

There were many different opinions about those hard two weeks. “It was very humorous and entertaining,” said Norwegian student Sara Sellevoll. “It was very long,” said Norwegian student Byron Varner, who had a different point of view. It was definitely a sacrifice for the Norskies to take this program because of the many activities they not only had to also participate in, but had to give up as well. Since they were required to be in Drivers Ed. class every day, they had to leave the opening picnic half way through.

Also, many couldn’t stay in sports because of the work load. Despite the missed events, Tom didn’t fail to keep the students laughing and focused.

At the end of the two weeks the class participants had to take a written test to receive their permits. Most passed and those who did are one step closer to getting their drivers license so they can feel that “on the road rush.”

Page 5

HLA Trip to Valley Fair Hillcrest students take a trip to Valley Fair amusement park.

By Nick Demarest

On Saturday September 3rd, 2011, the Hillcrest student body decided to take a trip to Valley Fair. The trip was nothing short of a success. The students were up bright and early and had to be on the buses and ready to go by 6:15 a.m. Hillcrest brought about 101 students to Valley Fair, which ended up completely filling both buses.

Students going on the trip had to pay a forty dollar fee, which covered one meal, transportation, and their admission. The bus drivers decided to make a

few stops going to and from the park. On the way to the park the buses stopped at a bakery rest stop about an hour from the park so the students could get some breakfast. The entire drive ended up taking about three hours.

The fun really began once the students arrived at the park. They were free to mingle and go wherever they pleased at the park. For seven hours they were able to enjoy going on rides, socializing, and playing carnival games. Hillcrest Senior Nick Castro said, “Everyone really had a great time”. On

Maria Liessem and Elizabeth Peterson ride “Steel Venom.”

the way back from the park the bus stopped at a shopping center near the Minneapolis area so the students could have a choice of where they wanted to eat dinner.

At about 10:30 p.m. the buses arrived back at Hillcrest.

Look At Me Now Hillcrest begins streaming events live on the internet.

By Ronnie Johnson & Ryan Erickson

For at least five years parents of dorm students have been asking for some way to be able to participate in their child’s athletic and extracurricular events from afar. This year, thanks to funds raised by the HIT Golf event over the summer, the dream of live-streaming Hillcrest events will finally become a reality.

Jason Walkup, one of the staff members involved in getting the streaming program off the ground, said “This project has great potential to connect the parents with the students doing the activities they love. It’s amazing that a school of our size is able to offer a program like this.”

Although streaming technology has been around for several years, it Page 6

is only recently that the equipment and services required to make it happen have become affordable and easily accessible. Hillcrest was able to purchase a piece of equipment called a “TriCaster.” This unit is like a “tv studio in a box,” allowing the user to switch between multiple cameras, add text overlays and stream the output to to the internet. In addition to the hardware, personnel to setup and operate the equipment are needed. For every streamed event, there are at least two people who are involved. One person sets up the equipment and operates the stream while the other runs the camera. Hillcrest plans to start small with only one camera per event. However, as more equipment,

funds and operators are available, there are plans to expand the streaming program to multiple cameras and more events. With multiple cameras, more angles can be covered, giving the viewer a more complete picture of what is happening.

To begin, each sport played on campus (volleyball, football, girls and boys soccer and girls and boys basketball) will have at least 4 of their home games streamed live. During the event, parents and viewers may chat with each other to discuss what’s happening or offer “digital” cheers.

A schedule of events and the livestream itself can be viewed at www.ffhillcrest.org/livestream.

New and Old, Returned and Welcomed Students at Hillcrest Lutheran Academy describe their experiences here thus far.

by Brooke Ferenczy

The beginning of a new school year always brings about new faces and new changes. It is a time of transition and adjustment, and Hillcrest Lutheran Academy is no exception.

Many students arrived on campus for their first time several weeks ago. As they have unpacked their belongings and set up their new rooms, they have also met new people and started new classes. “I feel welcomed,” says Skyler Ruf, a junior who is attending Hillcrest for the first time this year. “People have invited me to go places and hang out with them. There have also been a lot of events, like Valley Fair, that have helped me get to know other people.”

Hillcrest is also the new home of some foreign students from both Korea and Norway. They have travelled a long distance to come here and are now experiencing a new culture. Maren

Algeroy, a new student from Norway this year, notes that, “It is, of course, a lot of fun. But, it is different from what I had expected. It’s much better, though.

There are more people, and everyone is much more social than I thought.”

Some Korean students are returning to Hillcrest this year.

Many of them come for more than one year, but their experience here changes every time.

Returning junior Esther Choi says, “I’m super excited to be a junior at Hillcrest. I have a new roommate this year. She’s really different from Gracia Larson, my roommate last year, and it’s been fun getting to know her.” Whether it is a new roommate, a new teacher, or a new dean, getting to know people is really important, according to most returning students.

Although there are new faces at Hillcrest this year, there are many students returning for their second, third, fourth, fifth, and even sixth years. “It feels like I never left last year—like I’ve just been here all summer,” says Trevor Leach, who is beginning his second year here at Hillcrest.

Many returning students have quickly readjusted to being back

at school, reuniting with friends from last year and already beginning to create new, lifelong friendships with new students.

With so many events and activities planned for students during these first few weeks, they have, for the most part, been very busy. It has been a little difficult for many students living in the dorms to adjust or readjust to not being with their families all the time. As junior Taylor Filippini says, “It’s weird not seeing my mom every day. We talk on the phone a lot, but it’s not the same. My friends here have really helped me transition, though, and it’s great to know that they’re here for me.”

The overall sentiment of students, both new and old, seems to be very positive. “This year, I’m more of a leader,” notes senior Taylor Isaac, who is returning for his sixth year at Hillcrest. “I’m really excited for the rest of the year.”

Page 7

Bump, Set, Spike!

Students enjoyed the sand volleyball tournament on the new court.

By Grant Malmstrom

The students and faculty decided to take advantage of the new sand volleyball court behind the boys’ dorm by organizing a volleyball tournament on Saturday, August 27th. There were three student teams, involving anyone who wanted to play, including the numerous international students from Korea and Norway. The fourth team was made of faculty and deans. Each team played two other teams, with the winner advancing to the next round after winning two out of three games to 15 points. In the end, the Orange Vipers pulled out the victory over the Toxicans, followed by the Babies and then, coming in last, the faculty and dean team

WeSmashU. Daniel Nersten, a could hang out on the boys’ member of the Toxicans summed dorm balcony where there was it up by saying, “It’s all about the music and socializing. Although dedication. I give kudos to Nick not everyone played, the whole Castro for his all-out diving.” atmosphere allowed the student Not only were the games body to enjoy themselves and get about having fun, but Resident to know one another.

Life Director, Craig Nersten said, “Part of the reason we held the tournament was to involve everyone.

We didn’t want just an ‘East Coast’ group or ‘Norwegian’ group; we wanted it to be a ‘Hillcrest’ group.”

While the teams Students enjoy the new sand vollyeball court behind the boy’s dorm. were playing, fans

Extreme Dorm Makeover What has changed on campus in Hillcrest.

By Nisius McAllister-Powell

Over the years Hillcrest has been striving to accommodate its dorm students more and more. The staff has always done their best to make a relaxed living area where the students can study and also have fun.

There have been a lot of changes to the dorm over the years but especially this summer.

Those who might not have seen or noticed the new and improved Hillcrest campus are in for quite a surprise. An extreme Page 8

dorm makeover has taken place over this summer. New and returning students entered the boy’s dorm to find a present they would have never expected. One of the lounges was completely redecorated in “junkyard chic.”

The new and improved boy’s dorm lounge consists of many new things, spray painted on scrap metal walls you see a skyline of a city with a cross standing over it. There is also a spray

painted Hillcrest comet on the wall. The lounge makeover was the combined idea of Craig Nersten and Armin Jahr. It started out as an idea to transform the lounge into some sort of Tiki bar. As they were at Armin Jahr’s house, he and Craig noticed that he had a lot of scrap metal and car parts around. That is when they changed their idea from a Tiki bar into what Craig calls “the man cave”.