The Nova Roma | Volume 5, Issue 2 | November 2021

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Nova Highlands Latin School

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November 2021

Roma |

Volume 5, Issue 2

2021 Costume Dance By: Sophie Krumhansl and Sophia Bryant The 2021 Costume Dance, held on the night of October 23, was planned by the houses of David and George. The dance was held for all high school students, with the new addition of cottage school students. This was also the first ever Costume Dance for both the freshmen and sophomores, as well as the first dance at HLS since the 2020 winter semi-formal, and it was a welcome return. Everyone who attended the dance had a great time, even the teacher chaperones. After the dance several of them remarked that they enjoyed the dance, which was unusual from a chaperone perspective. Even though the dance was held in a new, and some might say, unusual, location - in a tent hoisted between the cottages - any lingering doubts were quickly erased as students danced the night away.

There were tons of creative costumes from all grades. The winners of the individual costume contest were in fifth place Layla Thomas as Mario, in fourth place Jenna Nicodemus as a crow, in third place Audrey Scott as Cruella de Vil, in second place August Rothpletz as Marty McFly, and in first place Paisley Smith as Mary Poppins. For the group costume contest, juniors Tess Magar, Elia Trocan, Lydia Baum, Allie Pierre, and Samantha Kang as the cast of Wizard of Oz got fifth place. In fourth place were Micah Arnold and Jack Baylor as Jokers with Allison Cornwell as Harley Quinn, Michael Leprell as Riddler and Rafe Tenbarge as Bane. Sophomores Ava Grace Nelson, Audrey Coons, Eva Thibaudeau, Mariam Dodd, Kellyn Boyd, and Sophia Bryant won third with their costumes inspired

by characters from the classic board game Clue. Juniors Myla Pryor, Stella Montgomery, Lily Price, and Jane Singleton as Mount Rushmore tied for first with Trevor Kimbell, Sean Hickson, and Brendan, Joey, and Josh Vanderwoude as the Jamaican bobsled team from Cool Runnings. Freshman William Krumhansl, who dressed up as Kanye West from the Donda listening party, said his favorite part of the dance was “partying with [his] friends.” Though Will was skeptical about the dance being held outside so late in the year, he turned out to be pleasantly surprised, remarking the weather turned out to be much nicer than expected. He believed the best costume was the Jamaican bobsled team because “Joey was in it.” Freshman Kayleigh Burkhead (cont. on page 2)

Class of ‘22 in Fall Sports By: Marissa Mudd and Olivia Petrie With our first official year of being a part of KHSAA, the Highlanders have surprised the league with outstanding seasons, each fall sport winning a tournament or race. The varsity cross country team recently swept the 1-A division of the Meet of Champions. The varsity field hockey team won Pool B of the Apple Tournament. The varsity volleyball team won all four round-robin games to win the Whitefield Academy Volleyball Invitational. Finally, the varsity soccer team won the KCAC State Championship. A few seniors who play fall sports shared how long they

have played and their favorite memories: Aaron McGraw has run cross country for all 4 years of high school. Aaron’s favorite memory is “When Alex Harris and I ran a 4:56 mile in the freezing cold. Couldn’t feel my feet after 2 minutes.” Carly Wheat has played field hockey for 9 years. HLS still competed in KCAA, which does not have field hockey, when Carly was a freshman. When HLS switched to KHSAA, she was overjoyed to discover she could play high school field hockey. Carly’s favorite memory from this season

is winning the Apple Tournament. Sydney Petrie began playing field hockey in 1st grade—11 years! When asked what her favorite memory from this season is, “Erin’s incredible cartwheel save in our last game!” Although this is Olivia Vickery’s first year playing volleyball, she has quickly learned the sport and impressed many. Olivia says her favorite memory from this season is from the Whitefield Invitational when, “We won all four games which were the best games the team has ever (cont. on page 2)

What’s Up! Your HLS Student Spotlight

By: Elli Bitner and Trevor Geddes

Elli: Hey guys! Welcome back! We’re halfway through the semester! You guys are doing great! Trevor: Of course they are. Today we’re gonna interview 8th grader Lydia Shinabery. What’s up Lydia? Lydia: Hi! Elli: Okay Lydia, first question: what House are you in? Lydia: I am in George. Elli: That’s the best house right there! Trevor: No...not at all. Go David. Elli: You guys should try winning.

Trevor: It would help if we had 300 students in our house like you guys. Watch, we will win this year. Moving on. Do you do any extracurriculars like sports or drama, Lydia? L: Yeah, I’m doing drama right now and I play volleyball. E: That’s so fun! Personally, volleyball is the best sport out there. L: Yeah, I really like it. We only won one game this year, but it was still fun. E: Congrats on the win! At least we get to play sports this year. T: That’s true, though I think baseball’s better. E: Not right now Trevor, this is about Lydia. Do you have any hobbies outside of school?


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Halloween Dance Fall Sports

(cont. from page 1) dressed up as Sleeping Beauty with her friends as the fairy godmothers. She remarked that she loved being outside and not being crammed in a building. The best costume she saw was “either Micah as the Joker or Max Magar as Napoleon Dynamite.” Kayleigh was very enthusiastic about the music choices throughout the night, saying her favorite song played was Perfect by Ed Sheeran. She “loved the dance; it exceeded [her] expectations. It was the best night with [her] friends.” Overall, the dance was a hit, providing the perfect energy boost to keep students going through the end of the first trimester. Thank you to the houses of David and George for a great night!

(cont. from page 1)

Fall Event Photo Gallery (continued on

page 6) Photo Credit: David Ward

played and then we celebrated at Crumbl Cookies after. It was the best day.” During volleyball practices, teachers would occasionally come to practice with the team. Mia VanOuter says her favorite memory from this season is, “All the practices where we got to play against our coaches and other teachers like Mr. Uram.” This year Mia stepped up to fill the role of libero. Through her 7 years of playing, she never played this position. She worked hard to learn how to best play this new position and became an integral part of the team. Mesi Bitner has played soccer for four years, but only 3 at HLS. Mesi is a strong player and holds her own on the field. This season the soccer team beat CAL 6-3 on their senior night. Mesi says that game is her favorite memory from this season because so many HLS fans were there to witness it.

Lower School students participate in a sack race put on by the House of Andrew at the 2021 Hayride.

Sophomores pose for a picture at Boo! at HLS.

Congratulations to the cross country, field hockey, soccer, and volleyball teams for successful seasons! As basketball season begins to start, try to come to as many games as possible!

A beautiful shot of the serene scenery of the Lowe family farm.

Poll

By: Jonathan Lasoi and Jonny Steinrock What is HLS’ favorite genre of music? -6% Rock -6% Classical -1 1% Pop -20% Country -57% Hip Hop/R&B

Juniors cheer on the white team during the Highlander Madness scrimmage.


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Student Spotlight

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L: I like hanging out with my rabbit Pancake. T: I have a rabbit too! His name is Fuzzy but he doesn’t sound as nice as Pancake. He’s kind of a brat. E: He sounds like a little diva. T: He thinks the world revolves around himself. Anyway, what’s your favorite Halloween candy? L: I would say Reese’s. E: Okay are you more of a Reese’s cups or Reese’s pieces type of person? L: I like the cups. E: Oh it seems as if we have a special guest! T: Do you have anything to say to the people? (Special guest Reese): Umm... Hi! My name’s Reese. E: Whoa just like the candy! We’re getting off track. So Lydia, you said you are in drama. What play are you doing right now? L: We’re doing A Midsummer Night’s Dream. E: That’s a fun one! Do you know what your part is? L: I’m gonna be a fairy, but they’re switching up the rules a little, so I’m not sure which fairy I’ll be. E: That’s great! Everyone go watch the play and keep an eye out for our new friend Lydia! T: I’m excited to see the play now. How long have you done drama? L: This is my first year doing it at HLS but I’ve done drama at a different theatre. E: Okay, that’s pretty cool. How’s 8th grade been for you so far? L: It’s been pretty good, I really like Literature. T: Who teaches that class? L: Mrs. Windhorst. I really like her. She’s a great teacher. E: We’ve heard that from a lot of people, it sounds like a fun class. Alright Trevor, bring it home for our last


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Senioritis

By: Anna Moran, Sam Birkholz, and Kara Moran Anna Moran: Hey, guys! Welcome to this issue’s edition of Senioritis. Today I am interviewing Gracie Redmon, Devin Moore, Aaron McGraw, and August Rothpletz. We’ll go ahead and start with the first question. What’s your name and age? Gracie Redmon: Hi! I’m Gracie Redmon, I’m 17. I’ve been here since sixth grade. Devin Moore: My name is Devin Moore, I’m also 17, and I’ve been here since freshman year. August Rothpletz: I’m August, I’ve been here since kindergarten, and I’m 18. Aaron McGraw: I’m Aaron, I’m 17, and I’ve been here since fifth grade. AM: Alright, question number two: Do you participate in any sports, extracurriculars, or clubs at HLS? GR: I’m on the drama troupe’s costume team and I’m a part of the leadership for House of George. DM: I help out with this very newspaper and I’m in the art club currently. AR: I’m in the drama troupe and I run cross country. AM: I run cross country, play baseball, and help coach basketball. AM: Question three: what hobbies or jobs do you have outside of school? GR: I don’t have many hobbies… AM: I remember when my sister Kara first introduced me to you. She told me you loved doing hair! I do too! That counts as a hobby, right? GR: I think it does :) I also am currently working at American Eagle. AR: I mow a lot of lawns. AM: I do a ton of construction work outside. DM: I don’t have a job right now, but I write a lot. I also do two types of martial arts:

karate and sword. AM: Whoa! That’s so cool! Fourth question...what do you want to accomplish in life? GR: Oh my goodness! That’s tough to answer on the spot, but I wanna be a mom. AM: Straightforward - I like it. AM: I’m gonna be a pilot. AR: I want to go into computer programming. DM: I hope to publish a book one day! AM: Oooh! Watch out in a few years for the name Devin Moore! Alrighty, fifth question: what is your favorite musical artist? GR: I’m gonna have to go with Frank Sinatra. DM: If I have to pick one, Brasil ‘66. AM: Umm, Queen. AR: I’m gonna say Queen too. AM: Nice. Ok, favorite movie? AM: Rogue One. AR: The Matrix. AM: Which one? AR: The first one. GR: Well, my favorite happy movie is Sleepless in Seattle. DM: I’d say The Man Who Would Be King. AM: I haven’t seen either of those, but I’m sure they’re great! Now, you have one ticket to go anywhere in the world. Where would you go and why? AM: Home. I need a nap. AR: Anywhere in Europe. GR: I know everyone for some reason hates Paris, but it’s so pretty. I’ll stick with Paris. DM: I love exotic, warm places. I actually used to live on the Mexican border. So I’ll say somewhere exotic, like the Amazon Rainforest or a Caribbean island. AM: I’m gonna change mine. I wanna go to Ireland to better know my heritage and the culture. AM: Call me when you’re going, I wanna join! Last question...what advice would you give to the younger students

Still Life of a Chair By: Devin Moore

Still Life of Pottery By: Devin Moore here at HLS? AM: Take advantage of every opportunity. Get involved in stuff. AR: Don’t take your time for granted. DM: STUDY. Prioritize studying even when you think you don’t need to. Also don’t stress over grades. If it’s not an A, that’s okay. GR: I’d say learn to love the things you might not like about HLS. It’ll change your perspective. AM: I completely agree. I’ve loved HLS from the get-go. Volleyball Senior Night comes to my mind when I think of why I love it here. We’re able to be so hype for each other. Everyone was just so excited and happy that night.

GR: Yes! That’s what I love too!! AM: Well, thank you all for your time! Have a great rest of your senior year!

Student Spotlight (cont. from page 3)

question. T: Ok Lydia, who’s your favorite Disney princess? L: Probably Rapunzel. E: That’s a good one. I don’t think we’ve heard that one yet. T: Yeah, Rapunzel is pretty cool. Well thank you for letting us get to know you! Hope you have a great year! L: Thanks guys! E: Ok, that’s it for this week. Have a great day everyone!


Extracurricular Spotlight: Art Club By: Devin Moore

For the past decade, HLS has had its very own Art Club run by literature teacher and artist Mr. Kyle Janke. It is held in the Fine Arts building on Fridays, and consists of two sessions: one for beginning artists, and then another session later in the year for the more advanced artists. As Mr. Janke says, “I believe everyone should have basic drawing instruction, not only because it helps you get better at drawing, but because it enables you to look more closely at things. I think it should be a part of everyone’s education.” It is indeed true that the practice of classical drawing is also a way of seeing. For the past few weeks I have attended the beginning session, and it is definitely an experience worth having even if you don’t intend to be an artist. It starts off relatively simple, with shading exercises and a still life of eggs on cloth, but I was surprised, staring at those eggs, to realize that I’d never actually drawn an egg before. Most people have a set image in their minds of what an egg, or a cat, or a pineapple is supposed to look like, and it is usually not what is really there—rather it is stylized, exaggerating the most important or striking feature, such as the point of the egg, the ears of the cat, or the spikes on the top of the pineapple. So the process of drawing begins with disentangling one’s preconceived ideas from real perceptions. From the first meeting on, each session becomes a little more complex. Week 2 consists of a still life of ceramics and glass, and on Week 3 Mr. Janke chose one of the chairs in the room, a large armchair with plenty of details and organic curves, to serve as our model. Even with the ever-increasing complexity, however, Art Club does not lose its more relaxing elements. Being held in the Fine Arts building it has a naturally peaceful atmosphere, and one can go at his or her own pace after the beginning lecture. Usually people talk while drawing, and discussions can range through everything from past artistic endeavors to favorite musical hits, to what one would do if (s)he were allowed to make one there-andback trip to any time period. (Some answers given were talking to Einstein, visiting the Library of Alexandria before it burned, watching Hannibal cross the Alps, going to ancient India to talk to Sushruta and going back to Rome with modern technology to proclaim oneself a god.) There is also, on occasion, music, usually chosen by Mr. Janke (although he does occasionally take suggestions). When asked, fellow Art Club students and 8th graders Max Leprell and Benji Lasoi both said that their favorite thing about Art Club is Mr. Janke himself, and that their favorite thing that we have drawn so far was the chair. Eva Thibaudeu says that she “really like[s] the atmosphere—just being there. ” and also agrees that the chair was her favorite so far, which seems to be the general consensus. Mr. Janke’s favorite part about teaching Art Club is “…that it’s a club. I like the student interaction and talking about movies and music.” For those who have already had the beginning session, the advanced session is an option. According to Mr. Janke it is similar, but offers more one-on-one instruction and the opportunity for students to draw together and have fun. Mr. Janke has this final comment for all aspiring artists: “This may seem obvious, but practice. You can’t get good at anything without it.” (See some examples of Devin’s art on page 4)

Nova Roma Staff

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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: The Five People You Meet in Heaven By: Leili Popejoy

Throughout the ages, man has often questioned the existence of the afterlife and, if he holds belief in one, what it is like. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom is a fictional tale that follows mechanic Eddie in the final moments of his life and his consequent journey through the afterlife. Eddie is confronted by the people who shaped his life and also those whose lives he may have unknowingly touched. Albom communicates a unique perspective that heaven is the place where we reconcile with our past and its unanswered questions. He writes, “This is the greatest gift God can give to you: to understand what happened in your life. To have it explained. It is the peace you have been searching for.” Eddie, who felt his time on earth amounted to nothing, comes to realize that his very existence was intertwined with the lives of others and that his relationships with them were what formed the intricate tapestry of life. Beautiful writing woven within his enticing plot, Albom’s vision of the world beyond our own prompts introspection and personal assessment subtly through his original storytelling.

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 sophia.marie04@students.hls.org.


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Time

Left: The Addams family welcomes HLS students to their trunk at Boo! at HLS.

By: Jed Hamilton The night goes on. The days roll by. I blink. Time slips away each hour. Each day, time crawls along, then flies. Life ambles on with such enduring power. Moment after moment is here, then gone. How precious each moment seems from such a view

Right: Trevor Geddes competes in the Highlander Madness dunk competition.

As I have now, watching how short, how long! The years tick on. Merciless, age ticks too. Left: Lower Schoolers engage in a heated lightsaber fight at Boo! at HLS.

Broken and sinful, I lie here awed by time. Its brevity and constancy can deceive Those who live for pleasure, a fault of mine Until God’s free true grace did I receive. And now, and now! I laugh at how time slips, It brings me ever closer to my Lord. My Savior truly does the story flip, And counters nature’s beautiful fading sword. But these moments I will savor now For I will bring Him glory in this world, And serve His name as He will show me how. May He guide me as my time’s sail unfurls.

True pleasure may be found in Him alone Who gave His perfect life in place of mine And rose; and now does sit upon the throne, As Author, Founder, True Lord of all time.

Editor’s Note

By: Sophie Harris Dear Reader, It is with great pleasure and a little exhaustion that we present to you this edition of the Nova Roma. October was a month packed to the brim with activities, and it was a challenge to remember what it was all for, but as Thanksgiving approaches, I challenge you all to take a break from the holiday busyness, take a deep breath, and remember all you have to be thankful for. Take an opportunity to thank God for all your blessings no matter how small. Sincerely, Sophie Harris


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