The Nova Roma | Volume 5, Issue 3 | January 2022

Nova

Highlands Latin School

|

January 2021

Roma |

Volume 5, Issue 3

Christmas Festivities around HLS By: Samantha Kang The Christmas party and book exchange is an event many students look forward to.

The Thursday before Christmas break, all Upper School students come to the Crescent Hill campus to have a Christmas breakfast and exchange books afterwards. The students then walk to the Seminary to rehearse for the cantata to be performed the same night.

A new tradition this year, students were supposed to bring books for their respective gender and grade level. As the students sat in circles around the gym, Mr. Hernandez read out a modified version of the story “‘Twas the Night before Christmas”, just like how the Lower School book exchange occurs. After the last word was read, everyone tore through the wrapping paper to see what book they received. Students

cheerily compared books, met with hearty recommendation or cheerful jealousy.

Students also got to enjoy quality time together, as HLS had prepared donuts and hot chocolate for everyone in the cafeteria to be enjoyed with Christmas carols and boisterous conversation. Afterwards, students enjoyed a brisk walk to the Southern Baptist Seminary to rehearse for the Cantata. The practice proved fruitful, for it was a beautiful performance.

Each year, families and friends look forward to the HLS Christmas Cantatas. Under the direction of Dr. Bailey, Mrs. Gilcreast, Dr. Trocan, and Mrs. Hibdon, and the HLS student choirs, from kindergarten to twelfth grade, tell the Christmas story through Scripture and songs. This year was the 19th year of performing the

Christmas Cantata.

The Upper School Cantata was performed once again at the Alumni Chapel on the Southern Baptist Seminary’s campus. It was the first time in two years that the whole Upper School was back to singing together.

Those in attendance enjoyed listening to familiar songs sung every year, as well as some new ones. Although there was no handbell choir or madrigal choir performances, many traditions were still kept. The seniors sang the solos for “O Holy Night” with candles in their hands while the lights were dimmed, followed by “Ave Maria” played by senior Jake Hamilton.

The Lord was truly glorified through the gift of music and the reading of Scripture. After the Cantata, students returned home to enjoy a well deserved Christmas break.

Find pictures on pages 2 and 4!

Louisville Christmas Classic Tournament By: Marissa Mudd and Olivia Petrie

On December 17-18, HLS hosted the annual Louisville Christmas Classic Tournament.

On Friday night, the HLS team came out strong with a win against St. Francis, eventually

placing fourth in the tournament after losses against Trinity Lutheran and McLean County on Saturday. We followed up with some of our Varsity basketball players to ask their thoughts on

the tournament.

Concerning their overall performance in the tournament, Senior Trevor Geddes said he was most proud of the team’s consistent strong defense and important stops in all games.

Geddes also commented that he was impressed with HLS’s third quarter against Trinity Lutheran, because “it showed us who we can truly be as a team.” A takeaway from the tournament for Geddes is improving the team’s transition offense and “getting more easy baskets.”

Senior Jonathan Lasoi also said his favorite moment was the third quarter (cont. on page 2)

What’s Up? Your HLS Student Spotlight

By: Elli Bitner and Trevor Geddes

E: Merry Christmas, everyone!

Before we head into Christmas break, we want to introduce you to one more student.

T: That’s right. Everyone say hi to Benjamin Bitner!

E: Hi, Benjamin!

B: Hi. T: I gotta ask Elli, is there a bias here for which brother we decided to spotlight?

E: Not at all, but this is about Ben. Tell us about yourself, Ben. B: I’m a freshman and I’m in the House of George.

T: Very nice. Do you like to play sports, Ben? B: I play soccer, basketball, and run cross country and track.

T: Dang, he does it all folks.

What is your favorite from those?

B: Probably track because it’s fun to watch the team get faster during the season.

T: Well thought out answer. This boy is smarter than me.

E: What events do you run in track?

B: I do long distance, the 800, 1500, and the 2 mile.

T: Everyone come out and support the Highlands track team this spring and give Ben a high five if you see him.

Page 2

Christmas Tournament (cont. from page 1)

against Trinity Lutheran, because “it showed us who we can truly be as a team.”

Jake Hamilton’s favorite moment was winning the Friday night game against St. Francis, so the team would not have to play at 8AM Saturday morning.

Hamilton said “I’m most proud of the way we kept fighting, even when we were down. Our guys hung with some good ball players and played the best defense of any team participating in the tournament in my opinion.”

Hamilton, a senior, was recognized as the All-Tournament player. The All-Tournament team also consisted of Franklin County’s Joseph Burckel, St. Francis’ Isaiah Robles coming in a close second.

Senior Sam Birkholz commented, “I’m proud of the team’s defense. We played some amazing defense this tournament and didn’t allow more than 55 points. We actually rank 31st in the state for defense coming out of the tournament, so I’m really proud of that.” Birkholz would like to see the team improve on offense: “especially calling and running plays correctly and just hitting shots.” Junior George Hall said his favorite moment throughout the tournament was “beating St. Francis in OT. We had almost

blown the game after having a big lead, but we fought back and were able to pull out a much-needed win!”

Junior Trevor Kimbell was also proud of the team’s outstanding defense and said the hardest challenge was “scoring in the paint against big physical teams.” Kimbell reiterated that he would like to see offense improve in the upcoming games.

Sophomore Jed Hamilton was proud of how “after playing two games in the last 30 hours, we went out and gave our best and for the most part stayed in the game with a good team like McClean County.” Sophomore Ronnie Pierre’s favorite moment was “when a McClean player threw the ball at Jake but it bounced off and hit him in the head.” Pierre was also proud of how the team fought no matter how much smaller theyq were.

In the very last game of the weekend, Grace Christian Academy won the tournament against Trinity Lutheran with a championship game final score of 78-48.

Congratulations and thank you to all eight teams that came out to play in our tournament!

Poll

By: Jonathan Lasoi and Jonny Steinrock

Christmas Photo Gallery Photo Credit: David Ward

The HLS Upper School choir lit up with candles sings “O Holy Night.”

Christmas decorations around campus inspire Christmas spirit despite unusually warm December weather.

Senior and Junior boys have some fun at the annual book exchange.

When HLS students hear the word ‘Christmas’, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

- Santa: 10% - Lights: 20% - Snow: 15% - Tree: 30% - Gifts: 25%

2021 HLS Upper School Christmas Cantata

Culinary Christmas Traditions Around the World By: Devin Moore

Everyone loves Christmas dinner. However, different places can’t always agree on what special foods to make. Turkey or ham is traditional in America, although chicken, duck, or goose might also be served.

Sides such as mashed or roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes, green vegetables, and carrots are also very common. These are often followed by mince, custard or pumpkin pie and various other festive confections like gingerbread, decorated sugar cookies, and pinwheel cookies. Drinks as varied as cider, eggnog, hot chocolate, and punch are typically served.

This is not the same in other countries, however. In Great Britain, the usual Christmas deserts are fruitcakes or plum pudding, a desert usually containing currants or raisins, dried oranges, beef suet, sugar, and Christmas spices. In Scotland, bannock cakes, hard oatmeal cookies baked on a griddle, are a common holiday treat.

In France, food varies according to region, with oysters being a popular staple in Paris, while goose is more commonly served in Alsace. One commonality in traditional French Christmas food is the Bûche De Noël, or Buche Noel, a cake in the shape of a Yule log, as pictured to the right. This cake may be any flavor, but it is traditionally a chocolate cake rolled up like a jelly roll, and is often decorated with candy mushrooms, acorns, pinecones, leaves, berries, and bark, to look more like a log.

German people are famous for their holiday baking. Stollen, a long sweetbread stuffed with raisins, almonds, and cherries, is one of their traditional Christmas foods, as are little spicy lebkuchen cookies. While the latter are often called “German Gingerbread”, they are not exactly gingerbread, as they usually have a large quantity of nuts. Some recipes do not even

contain any flour!

In Milan, the favorite Christmas dessert is panettone, a slightly-sweet bread often filled with dried fruit and often served with chocolate con panna, or hot chocolate with cream. Italians in the Po Valley eat tortellini, a stuffed pasta, while capitone, female eel, is served in some parts of Southern Italy on Christmas Eve. In the Nordic countries, a Christmas pudding (which is a traditionally steamed dessert dish rather than what Americans consider pudding) contains a single whole almond. Whoever gets the almond is said to be the next one married. The Finish people traditionally eat a fish creation called lipeakala or ludefisk, which, literally translated, means “lye fish”.

It is, as the name implies, marinated in lye to be cured and then cleaned and steam-cooked, and is often served with peas (although it is often considered an acquired taste now). They also eat baked ham, casserole made of stewed prunes and mashed turnips, and a porridge-like rice dish for dessert. In Poland, everyone fasts for the whole of Christmas Eve, and then feast on Christmas itself, and their traditional Christmas foods includes sour soups (rye soup, or white borsht, beet soup, or red borsht, and mushroom and sauerkraut soup), noodles with poppy seed, kutia, or mead and barley porridge, dried fruit kompot, cabbage with mushrooms or peas, fish (usually herring or

carp) and pierogi pastries. They also have a special kind of wafer called oplatki, which are stamped with nativity scenes and blessed by the priest. These are exchanged in much the same manner as Christmas cards in America.

In Serbia, a traditional Christmas cake called chestnitsa, containing a coin (usually gold or silver) which is supposed to be good luck to whoever bites into it. One would think that the good luck would be used up in making sure whoever bit into it didn’t break a tooth! They also serve whole roast pig, an ancient tradition which originated with the worship of the sun god Bozhitch and which is now celebratory of Christmas.

In Albania, pancakes made without oil or butter are served, and it is customary to leave one spoonful left on the plate to show thanks for having more than what one needs.

In Latin America and Mexico, pineapple or chocolate Christmas tamales, pumpkin empanadas, and churros with hot chocolate are popular desserts, while turkey mole is a common savory food. Some traditions cook a single raisin (or olive) in their tamales, which is supposed to bring good luck in much the same way as Serbian coins or Nordic almonds.

Armenians eat boiled spinach on Christmas eve, believing it to be what Mary ate the night before Jesus was born.

In Iran, meat, milk, and eggs are avoided for the first twenty-four days of December until Christmas, at which time the people feast.

Take time this Christmas to appreciate the blessing of the food you are eating and the people who prepared it, and perhaps take time to try something new!

Bon Appetit, Guten Appetit, Buen Provecho, Smacznego, let’s eat!

Student Spotlight

Page 3

(cont. from page 1) E: Ok Ben, since this is your first year in high school, what has been your favorite part so far?

B: Being able to do more House things.

E: What has been the best House event this year?

B: Advance.

T: Short and sweet, that’s how we like it. Since we’re on Christmas Break, what are you looking forward to?

B: Spring Break.

E: Ben! T: Hey, at least he told the truth. How do you celebrate Christmas?

B: We usually sleep in, have a Christmas brunch, then open presents and stockings.

E: Yep, that sounds right.

Do you have any Christmas traditions?

B: I mean besides what I already said, we do a Secret Santa with all our siblings every year, so that’s fun.

E: Oh yeah, speaking of that, who do you have for that?

T: Elli, this is not the time.

E: Right, my bad.

(Spoiler: Ben had Elli.)

T: Ben, do you think you’re any good at decorating gingerbread houses?

B: Yeah, I have skills like that.

E: He’s not wrong, Ben is very talented in the gingerbread decorating business. Do you have a favorite Christmas food?

B: Do Christmas cookies count? I really like 7-layer bars. Those are really good.

E: Yum. In keeping with the Christmas questions, can you remember what your favorite gift has been?

B: Hmm…going to the Broadway Lion King probably. That was cool.

T: Ok Ben, brace yourself.

The most important question of this whole interview…

Page 4

Senioritis

By: Anna Moran, Sam Birkholz, and Kara Moran Today’s Christmas edition Senioritis column features Jack Robinson, Bernard Dawson, Emma McCoy, and Leili Popejoy.

Sam Birkholz: Let’s get started.

What’s your name and how long have you been at HLS? Bernard Dawson: My name’s Bernard Dawson, I’ve been at HLS since seventh grade, and I’m seventeen years old.

Jack Robinson: My name’s Jack Robinson, I’ve been at HLS since kindergarten, and I’m twenty-seven.

Emma McCoy: I’m Emma, I’m eighteen, and I’ve been at HLS for thirteen years.

Leili Popejoy: I’m Leili Popejoy, I’ve been at HLS since junior year, so two years.

SB: Do you guys do any clubs or extracurriculars?

JR: No, I work at O’Riley’s really all the time, even during the school year. That’s my life.

BD: Nope.

EM: I’m part of the Drama Troupe, and I was on the varsity volleyball team.

LP: I’m on the Newspaper Staff.

SB: When can you start listening to Christmas music?

JR: Christmas Eve. I think it’s acceptable after Thanksgiving, but I don’t like to. I think department stores should not be allowed to play Christmas music at all because it tortures the employees.

BD: I would wait until four weeks before Christmas, maybe a little after. Once Advent starts.

EM: After Thanksgiving.

LP: I would say so too.

SB: What’s the best Christmas present you’ve ever gotten?

JR: Bernard.

SB: Do you have a second one?

JR: I can’t think of anything really. Thornton’s gift cards.

And Bernard.

BD: I want to say my guitar amp.

EM: I got a ukulele a couple

years ago.

LP: I got a rabbit a couple years ago.

SB: What’s your favorite Christmas movie or story?

JR: Mine is definitely not Elf. What’s that terrifying stop motion animation one? The Polar Express.

BD: Christmas Vacation.

EM: I consider Nightmare before Christmas a Christmas movie, so that one.

LP: Elf is my favorite.

SB: Do you have any Christmas traditions?

JR: We keep our Christmas tree up all year. That’s about it.

BD: We don’t usually put our tree up until a week or so before Christmas because it’s a live one.

EM: No, we really don’t.

LP: We make cookies.

SB: What’s your opinion on the movie Elf? Is it a necessary part of Christmas?

JR: It’s funny the first time you watch it. Every time after that it’s a grown man in an elf suit.

It shouldn’t exist. It’s disgusting and childish. The cult around it is disturbing.

BD: I second that.

EM: I love it. It’s very necessary.

LP: I’ve spoken to people who don’t like Elf and that annoys me. So yes, I would say it’s very necessary.

SB: What’s your favorite part of Christmas?

JR: The sky. I like that it’s just clouds that never end.

BD: I like all the different traditions, putting the tree up and singing carols.

EM: Just hanging out with my family.

LP: Being with family and taking a break.

SB: Thank you all and Merry Christmas!

Student Spotlight

(cont. from page 3)

who’s your favorite Disney princess?

B: Princess? Umm…I never really thought about it. (*Ben spends 10 minutes trying to remember the name of any Disney princess*) B: What’s the one from Tangled? She’s cool.

E: Rapunzel? That’s a good one.

T: I respect that answer. Well, thanks Ben for being our Student Spotlight!

B: Thanks.

E: We hope everyone has a great break, a lovely Christmas, and a wonderful New Year’s!

T: Bye everyone! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Photo Gallery (cont. from page 2)

Pre-Christmas Cantata Alumni party held in the beautiful Whitehall Mansion.

Delicious donut breakfast prepared by HLS moms the morning of the book exchange.

Family and friends fill up the Alumni Chapel, eagerly awaiting the Christmas Cantata.

Games and Entertaintment

Nova Roma Staff

Page 5

Sophie Harris..............................................................Editor-In-Chief Hans Keisling............................................................. Assistant Editor Kara Moran............................................................Senior Interviewer Anna Moran...........................................................Senior Interviewer Sam Birkholz.........................................................Senior Interviewer Elli Bitner......................................... Student Spotlight, Photographer Trevor Geddes..........................................................Student Spotlight Marissa Mudd........................................................... Sports Journalist Olivia Petrie.............................................................. Sports Journalist Leili Popejoy..................................................................Book Review Hannah Davis.................................................................Book Review Jonathan Lasoi............................................................ Poll Conductor Jonny Steinrock........................................................... Poll Conductor Sophie Krumhansl................................................... Feature Journalist Devin Moore........................................................... Feature Journalist Samantha Kang....................................................... Feature Journalist Sophia Bryant.......................................................... Feature Journalist Caleb Kang................................... Director of Arts and Entertainment

Book Review: How the Grinch Stole Christmas By: Leili Popejoy

Illustrators serve a valuable role in reinforcing themes that an author conveys within a book. This is especially evident in children’s literature, where the primary audience is focused on the pictures of the book they are being read. In this Christmas-inspired edition, I will examine how illustrations are capable of conveying the central themes of a book without the aid of the words they accompany.

In his book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” Dr. Seuss disguises a societal commentary on the holiday by the fictional tale.

The illustrations of the book are primarily black and white with the occasional accent of red. The placement of the red is important; throughout the book, red is the coloration chosen for items associated with Christmas including presents, decorations, and the Grinch’s Santa suit. However, characters are purely black and white, with the only exception being the Grinch’s eyes. To the Grinch, as evidenced by the red coloration, the source of Christmas and the resulting spirit resides in the materials associated with it. The red in the Grinch’s eyes may indicate a correlation between the emphasis of the red in the materials throughout the book and his perspective. However, his scheming and angry countenance, as also illustrated, can signal to young readers that this perspective is incorrect and demonstrate the result of adopting such a materialistic attitude. At the end of the book, the Whos join together and red coloration can be seen surrounding them, showing once and for all that the Christmas spirit comes from people, not things. After realizing this, it is also significant that the Grinch’s eyes are closed for the remainder of the book. This confirms that the Grinch once valued the materialistic aspect of Christmas and the closure of the eyes visually represents that he now denies it. The illustrations alone convey the message of Dr. Seuss’ story: the materialistic view that often accompanies the Christmas season is widely adopted by society but ultimately incorrect. The spirit of Christmas is found in the family and friends that help us celebrate it. Merry Christmas!

Page 6

Note from the Athletics Program On behalf of the Boys Varsity basketball team, I want to sincerely thank the students and all of the HLS fans that came out to support our team in the seventh region All-A championship game! That student section was loud and intense and so supportive- you created an exciting home court atmosphere that made for a tremendous high school basketball enviroment. We fell short of the title, but we will always remember your support and we are so very very blessed to have such wonderful fans! Go Highlanders!

Sincerely, Coach Schnell

Miracle By: Jed Hamilton

Editor’s Note By: Sophie Harris

Dear Reader, I’m sure you all have noticed that this issue came out a little further after Christmas than would be expected. While this is not on purpose, I can see no reason to apologize. While we journalists take our jobs on the Nova Roma seriously, we also know it is nothing to be prioritized over such important things as spending time with family and friends, or simply taking a break. I hope that this can serve as a good reminder to all you hard-working students: sometimes it is okay to take a step back and breathe! As we head into what always promises to be a challenging trimester, bear this lesson in mind. Continue working hard, but if you find yourself starting to feel overwhelmed, stop and take a deep breath. The world can wait. Best of luck and Happy New Year!

Sincerely, Sophie Harris

Announcement If you have an article, photograph, poem, or piece of art you would like featured in the Nova Roma, please contact Sophie Harris at sharris22@students.hls.org.

Sea Glass By: Anonymous