Not only is the Internet addicting, but the games have become a necessity. When logging on to the computer, the excitement for Facebook, games, and wonder envelope you. Facebook itself is highly addicting. You can talk with old friends, post pictures, and play tons of games. Facebook has games such as "Mall World," "The Price is Right," "Family Feud," and many more. Not only are Internet games addicting, but the games on your computer, such as Solitaire, Free Cell, and Pinball are as well. A majority of the world's population that have computers spend most of their time playing games. Can you hold back from the temptation?
By Becky Welc
Monday, January 31, 2011
Lady Warriors lose in close game
The Warriors took on the visiting Kirkland-Hiawatha squad in this home game. The Warriors suffered a close defeat by the score of 35-30. The Warriors were led by Mckaila Hays (9 points) Whitney Vanden Bos (7 points) and Katie Surratt (5 points).
By Andrew Mason
By Andrew Mason
Lady Warriors lose to RCL
The Warriors traveled to Rockford Christian Life in this Friday night matchup. The Warriors jumped out to a 23-6 lead early on when RCL's best player Lydia Box went out with an injury. However, when Box came back so did RCL. RCL took the lead back for most of the game, but the Warriors would keep fighting. The Warriors hit a couple of big three pointers in the final minute of regulation, including a Hannah Graves three as the clock ran out to send the game to overtime. The Warriors couldn't quite finish the game off in OT, losing 64-56 in this hard fought battle. The Warriors were led by Hannah Graves (19 points) and Katie Surratt and Mckaila Hays' 9 points each.
By Andrew Mason
By Andrew Mason
Warriors defeat Christian Life
The Warriors traved to Rockford Christian Life in this Friday night boys basketball matchup. The Warriors started out strong and went into halftime winning 27-12. The Warriors would not let the Eagles back, despite a couple of runs by the home team. The Warriors would win the game 61-49. The Warriors were led by Ian Dutcher (17 points) Luke Carani (12 points) Andrew Mason (12 points) and Brandon Cork (10 points).
By Andrew Mason
By Andrew Mason
Obama not doing us any favors
President Obama is trying to raise around half a billion dollars to campaign for the election of 2012. What is he thinking? In my opinion, he has not done anything significant to help the United States, or anyone else.
Also, President Obama makes promises that he doesn’t live up to. Honestly, I believe that he is a good guy; just a terrible president. It’s uncertain as to why Obama thinks that anyone actually wants him to win the Presidency again in 2012. And with the economic recession that our country is slowly getting out of along with the enormous debt our country is in, why does he think we even have a billion dollars to waste on campaigning? How ignorant and selfish of him to run again. Clearly, he has nothing to give to us.
I think that a presidential term should only last six years and without the possibility of re-election to avoid situations like the one we’re dealing with now. If six years was the term for a president, maybe they would spend more time focusing on what’s important, rather than focusing on campaigning for another term. In other words, Obama just needs to give up. He’s not doing us any favors.
By Kelly Beecher
Also, President Obama makes promises that he doesn’t live up to. Honestly, I believe that he is a good guy; just a terrible president. It’s uncertain as to why Obama thinks that anyone actually wants him to win the Presidency again in 2012. And with the economic recession that our country is slowly getting out of along with the enormous debt our country is in, why does he think we even have a billion dollars to waste on campaigning? How ignorant and selfish of him to run again. Clearly, he has nothing to give to us.
I think that a presidential term should only last six years and without the possibility of re-election to avoid situations like the one we’re dealing with now. If six years was the term for a president, maybe they would spend more time focusing on what’s important, rather than focusing on campaigning for another term. In other words, Obama just needs to give up. He’s not doing us any favors.
By Kelly Beecher
Friday, January 28, 2011
WCS Blood Drive saves lives
Thursday was the Heartland blood drive. Many people came to give blood. People were motivated by the fact that with each donation, three lives can be saved.
From one unit of blood, red blood cells can be used for trauma or surgical patients. Plasma, the liquid part of blood, can be given to patients with clotting problems. The third part of blood is platelets, which clots the blood when cuts or other open wounds happen, and is often used in cancer and transplant patients.
All it took was a few hours out of the day, and for students that meant getting out of class. I am proud to say that I am one of those students who chose to give blood. Not only does giving blood save lives and make you feel good, it is doing what God commands us to do. God says to help those who can't help themselves, and by giving blood you are doing just that. There are so many good things that come from donating blood-- it's worth the possibility of getting a little dizzy. The worst thing that can happen is that you pass out, and that’s not so bad when you know you are helping those who need it. So think about it, and donate next year when Heartland returns to Westminster.
By: Claire Kuda
From one unit of blood, red blood cells can be used for trauma or surgical patients. Plasma, the liquid part of blood, can be given to patients with clotting problems. The third part of blood is platelets, which clots the blood when cuts or other open wounds happen, and is often used in cancer and transplant patients.
All it took was a few hours out of the day, and for students that meant getting out of class. I am proud to say that I am one of those students who chose to give blood. Not only does giving blood save lives and make you feel good, it is doing what God commands us to do. God says to help those who can't help themselves, and by giving blood you are doing just that. There are so many good things that come from donating blood-- it's worth the possibility of getting a little dizzy. The worst thing that can happen is that you pass out, and that’s not so bad when you know you are helping those who need it. So think about it, and donate next year when Heartland returns to Westminster.
By: Claire Kuda
Seniors dip their toes in the stock markets
Finally, Thursday, the day that Westminster’s Economics class trades their stock, came.
One of the teams, "Skilzthatkilz," sold all their stocks except the permanent ones, and then put $60,000 into one stock (BNHNA). A few hours later, when they checked their stocks, they noticed that they lost about $1,300 on one of their stocks, BIOF, and they lost about $2,000 total. On the other hand, some groups earned over $3,000 from one stock.
Mr. Huddleston’s economics class has started buying stocks from this website called "Simu Stock." It is a free simulation website that allows people to compete against each other. There are four people in a group that work together to buy stocks every Thursday. The teams each got a total of $140,000 in the beginning to start. Out of the $140,000, each person has to put $10,000 in a permanent stock, which is a stock you are not allowed to trade. After each member buys their permanent stock, there is about $100,000 left to buy other stocks each week.
Since "Simu Stock" is free, there are some limits: Sometimes, the stock you want to buy is not available in the program. The money you make or lose does not constantly change; rather, it takes 20 minutes to refresh, and then you get to see where you stand. The worst thing is that sometimes, the changed price does not apply to Simu Stock. So, even if one stock's price is going up, it might not apply to Simu Stock.
However, it is still fun. A lot of seniors are really into this stock game, and some of them check the stocks every hour. Many of them use Yahoo Finance to find stocks, see graphs of 1 year or 5 days, and gather all the information of companies so that they can pick the good stocks that will bring money and glory to their team. Another fun thing is that we do not know who is going to make money since we can only sell stocks on Thursday, and this game goes for few months.
Through this game, we have learned a lot about how the stock market works and all the companies that we have never heard of. It is the best method of education, and should be expanded throughout the whole school.
By Yoha Lee
One of the teams, "Skilzthatkilz," sold all their stocks except the permanent ones, and then put $60,000 into one stock (BNHNA). A few hours later, when they checked their stocks, they noticed that they lost about $1,300 on one of their stocks, BIOF, and they lost about $2,000 total. On the other hand, some groups earned over $3,000 from one stock.
Mr. Huddleston’s economics class has started buying stocks from this website called "Simu Stock." It is a free simulation website that allows people to compete against each other. There are four people in a group that work together to buy stocks every Thursday. The teams each got a total of $140,000 in the beginning to start. Out of the $140,000, each person has to put $10,000 in a permanent stock, which is a stock you are not allowed to trade. After each member buys their permanent stock, there is about $100,000 left to buy other stocks each week.
Since "Simu Stock" is free, there are some limits: Sometimes, the stock you want to buy is not available in the program. The money you make or lose does not constantly change; rather, it takes 20 minutes to refresh, and then you get to see where you stand. The worst thing is that sometimes, the changed price does not apply to Simu Stock. So, even if one stock's price is going up, it might not apply to Simu Stock.
However, it is still fun. A lot of seniors are really into this stock game, and some of them check the stocks every hour. Many of them use Yahoo Finance to find stocks, see graphs of 1 year or 5 days, and gather all the information of companies so that they can pick the good stocks that will bring money and glory to their team. Another fun thing is that we do not know who is going to make money since we can only sell stocks on Thursday, and this game goes for few months.
Through this game, we have learned a lot about how the stock market works and all the companies that we have never heard of. It is the best method of education, and should be expanded throughout the whole school.
By Yoha Lee
Science Olympiad
Going into this year I had no idea that I would be joining the Westminster Science Olympiad team but, here I am.
Even though I did not know I was going to join, I was, in a way predestined to join. I am taking physics and chemistry back to back, both with Mr. Dahlman, and my friends are on the team, namely Brian Pohmeier (a three year veteran), who was intent on having me join. There was really no excuse for me not to join.
Now, being the new kid, I did not know what to expect going into this, and the first day I was quite bewildered by the prospect of having to study for something outside of school not related to a grade. Though I did not want to study, I kept at it and soon the invitational came. Our team medaled in 40 percent of the events, which is good because some of the schools started studying for this invitational in October.
Being new to the whole "taking a test as a way of competing" thing, I was kind of anxious, but when I saw the test was exactly what Daniel Lindberg and I studied, I was relieved. And because of my great effort, we placed second overall in that event. Furthermore I had originally had three events scheduled, but we could not get a fully-functioning robot built in the short time we had to prepare. So we decided to drop Robot Ramble as an event since we did not have a robot to enter.
After competing in the Helicopters event, which was my final event for the day, I found out that Anne Lehan was without a partner for Forensics. Guess who would go into the Forensics test without any prior knowledge or forewarning about Forensics? I mean it was basically the essence of going into a test completely unprepared. In the end, I tried my best and everything worked out.
Overall I would recommend Science Olympiad to anyone who wants to challenge their intellectual horizon and have fun doing it!
By Gregory T. Benson
Even though I did not know I was going to join, I was, in a way predestined to join. I am taking physics and chemistry back to back, both with Mr. Dahlman, and my friends are on the team, namely Brian Pohmeier (a three year veteran), who was intent on having me join. There was really no excuse for me not to join.
Now, being the new kid, I did not know what to expect going into this, and the first day I was quite bewildered by the prospect of having to study for something outside of school not related to a grade. Though I did not want to study, I kept at it and soon the invitational came. Our team medaled in 40 percent of the events, which is good because some of the schools started studying for this invitational in October.
Being new to the whole "taking a test as a way of competing" thing, I was kind of anxious, but when I saw the test was exactly what Daniel Lindberg and I studied, I was relieved. And because of my great effort, we placed second overall in that event. Furthermore I had originally had three events scheduled, but we could not get a fully-functioning robot built in the short time we had to prepare. So we decided to drop Robot Ramble as an event since we did not have a robot to enter.
After competing in the Helicopters event, which was my final event for the day, I found out that Anne Lehan was without a partner for Forensics. Guess who would go into the Forensics test without any prior knowledge or forewarning about Forensics? I mean it was basically the essence of going into a test completely unprepared. In the end, I tried my best and everything worked out.
Overall I would recommend Science Olympiad to anyone who wants to challenge their intellectual horizon and have fun doing it!
By Gregory T. Benson
Thursday, January 27, 2011
A Regrettable Defeat
On Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011, a very important football game took place, not only for the NFL, but for Midwesterners as well.
The NFC Championship game held the power to determine whether the Chicago Bears or their long rivals the Green Bay Packers, would go to the Super Bowl. People were divided in where their loyalties lied. Would they cheer for the Packers or the Bears? But, even if football fans could not agree on a team, everyone can come together to say that it was just not Jay Cutler's game.
Cutler has now been the quarterback of the Chicago Bears for two seasons and although he has had his ups and downs, this was by far the most infuriated the fans have been at him. The avalanche of hatred has not been very good for the 27-year old-quarterback who graduated from Vanderbilt and is now in his fifth season.
Cutler, who experienced a MCL sprain, which is said to take three to four weeks of recovery, was quite upset at the fact that he could not finish the NFC Championship game. Although many still do not believe how he could have the nerve to sit it out. Lovie Smith cleared up rumors by saying "Our quarterback's a tough guy. ... It's pretty simple what happened yesterday. Before the half, Jay hurt his knee. He showed a lot of toughness to continue to play with it."
Although Cutler did not have the best game of his career on Sunday, it is not entirely his fault, but he is blamed for most of it. The offense in which Cutler had to work with was not very strong, and to off balance that even more, the Packers had a good day on defense. In the end the Bears gave it their best effort, but the Packers came to play, and to win. Although Cutler sat on the sidelines for the last half of the game, people should focus on who they should really be angry with, Jay Cutler, the quarterback, or the other players, and the ones making the plays.
By: Allie Sleeting
The NFC Championship game held the power to determine whether the Chicago Bears or their long rivals the Green Bay Packers, would go to the Super Bowl. People were divided in where their loyalties lied. Would they cheer for the Packers or the Bears? But, even if football fans could not agree on a team, everyone can come together to say that it was just not Jay Cutler's game.
Cutler has now been the quarterback of the Chicago Bears for two seasons and although he has had his ups and downs, this was by far the most infuriated the fans have been at him. The avalanche of hatred has not been very good for the 27-year old-quarterback who graduated from Vanderbilt and is now in his fifth season.
Cutler, who experienced a MCL sprain, which is said to take three to four weeks of recovery, was quite upset at the fact that he could not finish the NFC Championship game. Although many still do not believe how he could have the nerve to sit it out. Lovie Smith cleared up rumors by saying "Our quarterback's a tough guy. ... It's pretty simple what happened yesterday. Before the half, Jay hurt his knee. He showed a lot of toughness to continue to play with it."
Although Cutler did not have the best game of his career on Sunday, it is not entirely his fault, but he is blamed for most of it. The offense in which Cutler had to work with was not very strong, and to off balance that even more, the Packers had a good day on defense. In the end the Bears gave it their best effort, but the Packers came to play, and to win. Although Cutler sat on the sidelines for the last half of the game, people should focus on who they should really be angry with, Jay Cutler, the quarterback, or the other players, and the ones making the plays.
By: Allie Sleeting
Warriors escape Hornet's sting
The Harvard Hornets traveled to visit the Home team, Westminster Christian Warriors.
The game looked to be tough going in the beginning as the teams battled through many lead changes in the early going. The Warriors then overcame their sluggishness and sloppiness to take a 9-point lead going into halftime.
The Warriors finished off the pesky Hornets by the final score of 54-37.
The Warriors were led by Ian Dutcher (17 points) Brandon Cork (13 points) and Luke Carani (11 points).
By Andrew Mason
The game looked to be tough going in the beginning as the teams battled through many lead changes in the early going. The Warriors then overcame their sluggishness and sloppiness to take a 9-point lead going into halftime.
The Warriors finished off the pesky Hornets by the final score of 54-37.
The Warriors were led by Ian Dutcher (17 points) Brandon Cork (13 points) and Luke Carani (11 points).
By Andrew Mason
Students welcome “Healthy Vending”
If you’ve been to the lunch room lately, you may have noticed that something has changed. There is an interesting new addition to the environment in which we all eat at school. What is it, you ask? Well, it sits right next to the snack and pop machines in the cafeteria. That’s right, it’s the Health Machine!
For a while now, some schools in the United States have been banning vending machines in their cafeterias. The reason for this is mostly because the sugary and fatty foods and drinks that are supplied from these machines are said to increase teenage obesity within schools. As of just recently, it seems that WCS decided to join in.
Before the Westminster Health Machine was introduced, the only items sold in the school vending machines were sugary drinks, like soda pop and Gatorade, and unhealthy snacks, like Cheez-its, Snickers bars, and Doritos. With no alternatives to these bad-for-you foods, most students would just give in and buy them. Thankfully, now our school has added some healthy choices!
Students can now pick from a variety of snacks like baked chips, granola bars, and cookies! The new drinks include beverages from fruit juice to tea. And the good news is that all of these items are much healthier than the previous.
In my opinion, the only downsides to these healthy additions happen to be the prices. The foods and drinks offered by the Health Machine are great tasting and good for you, but they are also a little more expensive than the latter. For instance, $1.25 for a bag of animal crackers seems like a bit much. The priciest item on the menu is the flavored water which goes for $2, while the pop machines sell drinks for only $1.
Despite the price, students are still bound to use this healthy vending machine quite often. The items inside are new and interesting, and so far, I have seen many people at lunch buying them. Overall, the Health Machine is a nice addition to our school vending that brings variety and healthy choices.
By: Brittany Booth
For a while now, some schools in the United States have been banning vending machines in their cafeterias. The reason for this is mostly because the sugary and fatty foods and drinks that are supplied from these machines are said to increase teenage obesity within schools. As of just recently, it seems that WCS decided to join in.
Before the Westminster Health Machine was introduced, the only items sold in the school vending machines were sugary drinks, like soda pop and Gatorade, and unhealthy snacks, like Cheez-its, Snickers bars, and Doritos. With no alternatives to these bad-for-you foods, most students would just give in and buy them. Thankfully, now our school has added some healthy choices!
Students can now pick from a variety of snacks like baked chips, granola bars, and cookies! The new drinks include beverages from fruit juice to tea. And the good news is that all of these items are much healthier than the previous.
In my opinion, the only downsides to these healthy additions happen to be the prices. The foods and drinks offered by the Health Machine are great tasting and good for you, but they are also a little more expensive than the latter. For instance, $1.25 for a bag of animal crackers seems like a bit much. The priciest item on the menu is the flavored water which goes for $2, while the pop machines sell drinks for only $1.
Despite the price, students are still bound to use this healthy vending machine quite often. The items inside are new and interesting, and so far, I have seen many people at lunch buying them. Overall, the Health Machine is a nice addition to our school vending that brings variety and healthy choices.
By: Brittany Booth
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Cultural commission
In Understanding the Times, the seniors have been learning about the cultural commission and what the role of Christians in society is today.
From all the articles we have read, I have found that Christians should not sit back and watch American culture digress into becoming more and more immoral. We are to step into culture and be active members in it, changing it from the inside out.
It is not up to God to do all the work of changing the world for us, but we need to step out of our comfort zones and do what God has called us to do, and if we do that, then God will work through us and change the culture around us. Christians need to be actively reaching out to non-Christians.
By Ian Dutcher
For Better or For Worse?
With all of our technology these days, finding out what people have said can be as easy as typing in a quote. Need a line from a John Wayne movie? Type in the name of a John Wayne movie. Need a presidential speech? Type in the speech name. The point is that whatever you say on the Internet can and most likely will be documented for future generations to see.
However, the popular site “formspring.com” is looking to change all of that, but for better or worse? The purpose of the site is to create a profile and post anonymous questions on other people’s profiles.
Unfortunately, what has started out as a website containing harmless questions and responses has
spiraled downward into anonymous name-calling and harassing disaster. Countless people have had terrible things said about them and no face to put the words to. People have begun to rip on each other with the ferocity and ruthlessness of a pack of wolves. Using the site as an outlet, people channel their negative energy and comments at one another just because they can.
Formspring is generating a lot of public controversy as well. A 17-year-old girl committed suicide last March after a string of insulting comments were left anonymously on her formspring. A certain feeling of power comes with the option to say things anonymously; be mature and don’t use that to ruin someone’s day. Ask questions as if you were asking them to that person’s face, or better yet, just ask them in person.
By Tyler Greene
TXT
It’s impossible to ignore the fact that in today’s society texting is the new primary source of communication-- well, at least for people between the ages of 13 and 24.
With every form of communication there comes a certain, “lingo” or “slang” that belongs with it, and texting has one of the most diverse and slightly annoying lingos there ever was. This goes out to all the people in the world who have ever wanted to jump out of a 5 story building to escape the “ttyl” and “LOL"’s.
My first question is, when did common English become obsolete in texting? If you are going to text me, “You are so gorgeous I love you” and you send it with this formatting, “u r so gorgeous I luv u,” chances are high that I'm not going to answer because I’m still thinking about why it was so hard for you to simply add the "ou" to you and the "ove" to love.
I personally like to text complete thoughts and, with that, complete words, so it’s not a surprise that because of the way I text I have many times been mistaken for an older person through my texts (a mom).
I guess why I think texting lingo is so annoying to me and 70 percent of the population is because of the morons who find it okay to use it out loud in everyday life. Take into account the girl in your class that, every time you tell a joke or pepper a snide remark into your teacher's lecture, she responds by, not laughing, but merely, “LOL.” Laughing out loud? I understand for texting it’s acceptable; however, I’m severely perplexed about why you have chosen to tell me you are laughing out loud rather than, oh, I don’t know, laughing?
In conclusion, I’d like to end this obvious rant with the fact that texting lingo is everywhere and I don’t think college professors would like to receive a personal narrative titled, “SOML” (story of my life). Thank you and goodnight.
By Taylor DePola
Soul Pancake
People love to follow the next great fad.
For instance Rainn Wilson, famous for his role as Dwight in the American version of the show "The Office," wrote a book called "Soul Pancake." Of course, Rainn Wilson is not a writer. He is an actor, but because he is popular, or at least his character is popular, people like to believe that he must have something important to say.
More interesting than the book, however, is the Web site with the same name, also headed by Wilson. This site is, as it is says in the slogan, "a place to speak your mind, unload your questions, and figure out what it means to be human."
This is a very risky thing of Wilson to do, especially since he is most known for his performance in a show that is in no way intellectually stimulating. However, it is an interesting idea. I mean its not like anyone else has ever thought of a site where people can write something that people all over the world can see.
Yeah, thats never been done before...
So then I searched for something that this site had to distinguish itself from all the other sites out there. After searching a little while there was nothing new to be found. So in the end, most likely at first there will be a decent amount of people joining either because of their loyalty to Wilson or just because it's something with a new name, but after a few months those people will lose interest. However, people do very curious things and it is always possible for people to add this to the long list of sites that make them feel like their ever important opinion is heard by as many people as possible.
Ben Stevenson
For instance Rainn Wilson, famous for his role as Dwight in the American version of the show "The Office," wrote a book called "Soul Pancake." Of course, Rainn Wilson is not a writer. He is an actor, but because he is popular, or at least his character is popular, people like to believe that he must have something important to say.
More interesting than the book, however, is the Web site with the same name, also headed by Wilson. This site is, as it is says in the slogan, "a place to speak your mind, unload your questions, and figure out what it means to be human."
This is a very risky thing of Wilson to do, especially since he is most known for his performance in a show that is in no way intellectually stimulating. However, it is an interesting idea. I mean its not like anyone else has ever thought of a site where people can write something that people all over the world can see.
Yeah, thats never been done before...
So then I searched for something that this site had to distinguish itself from all the other sites out there. After searching a little while there was nothing new to be found. So in the end, most likely at first there will be a decent amount of people joining either because of their loyalty to Wilson or just because it's something with a new name, but after a few months those people will lose interest. However, people do very curious things and it is always possible for people to add this to the long list of sites that make them feel like their ever important opinion is heard by as many people as possible.
Ben Stevenson
Westminster Welcomes New Fight Song
Westminster Christian has officially installed its first ever fight song.
The song was composed by the school’s multi-talented Choral director, Mrs. Chapman. After researching fight songs that have truly stood the test of time, Mrs. Chapman found that the best fight song is a corny fight song. The song begins and ends with a simple cheer, including four rounds of stomp and clap variations. The song itself has two verses. It reflects student’s loyalty to the school, victory, and giving all the glory to the Father.
During the homeroom chapel, students had the opportunity to learn the new song. With help from the cheerleaders and the pep club, Mrs. Chapman conducted her largest choir ever, the entire middle school and high school. It didn’t take long for the students to catch on to the memorable new tune.
Now that the song has been learned, students in the stands will sing the cheer at various sporting events, bringing with it school spirit and Warrior pride. The students of the Westminster 2010-2011 school year have the opportunity to be a part of something historic. They are the first student body to ever have and sing a Westminster
Ellie Fink
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Westminster’s Plans for Letters to Uganda
Westminster Christian has recently been working with the Kamanzi family in Uganda
David Kamanzi is the founder of Joy of a Child Ministries. Through its partnership with the organization, Westminster
As the project continues, the goal is to continue to build and grow the relationships with our new “pen pals.” On Jan. 26, students will be meeting to respond to the letters recently received. Anyone who is interested is more than welcome to come and participate, even if they didn’t write a letter the first time. The students will be meeting at 3 p.m. this coming Wednesday in the study hall room. There will be snacks and writing supplies provided. Students should bring any pictures or small items they wish to send to the kids. The items need to be easily mailable. Stickers, bookmarks, or coloring pages work great! There also needs be enough for each child.
By Ellie Fink
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Reading Habits
Reading is said to be one of the best forms of entertainment, but slowly it has become more of a chore than anything else.
Reading has the ability to transport you to a different time, a different place, along with bringing different emotions. But, in today's society, many have lost the desire to read. Many students share the same two excuses for not reading as much as they should. The first is that they read a lot for school assignments and would rather spend their free time doing other activities. The second reason is that it takes too much time, and they are simply too busy to find a book and sit down and read it.
However, many students waste their time watching television, playing video games, and spending hours on the Internet. And although there is a lot of reading that is required from students in school, recreational reading is very different. When one reads for enjoyment they can read something that appeals to them and one can then educate himself. Even if someone reads a novel about dragons or romance, they still can learn, for you learn many new words every time you open a book.
Time is a precious thing, so wouldn't you rather spend it escaping into another world? Reading expands your mind and teaches you not only about life, but about yourself.
Reading has the ability to transport you to a different time, a different place, along with bringing different emotions. But, in today's society, many have lost the desire to read. Many students share the same two excuses for not reading as much as they should. The first is that they read a lot for school assignments and would rather spend their free time doing other activities. The second reason is that it takes too much time, and they are simply too busy to find a book and sit down and read it.
However, many students waste their time watching television, playing video games, and spending hours on the Internet. And although there is a lot of reading that is required from students in school, recreational reading is very different. When one reads for enjoyment they can read something that appeals to them and one can then educate himself. Even if someone reads a novel about dragons or romance, they still can learn, for you learn many new words every time you open a book.
Time is a precious thing, so wouldn't you rather spend it escaping into another world? Reading expands your mind and teaches you not only about life, but about yourself.
By: Allie Sleeting
World Water Crisis
According to water.org, 884 million people do not have access to clean and safe water. This is about one in eight people. The world water crisis is an emergency that is affecting millions of people around the world, yet several people do not know very much about the topic.
The world water crisis has been going on for many years. It mostly affects the people who do not have access to clean water to drink. As Americans, most of us do not have this dilemma. We wash dishes, take showers, water flowers, etc., without even realizing how fortunate we are to have simple ways of getting fresh and clean water. Other people have access to water, but if they drink it, they could become sick, or it could even result in death.
According to worldwatercouncil.org, the world’s population tripled in the 20th century and is expected to go up by at least another 40 percent. Not only is water in some places unsanitary in multiple places, but water resources are also becoming limited.
Many people are making a movement in order to improve the world water crisis. Several people are trying to save water resources and are trying to improve drinking water supply.
There are several ways that people can get involved in order to help out. There are several websites, such as water.org, where you can donate 25 dollars or more to supply one person with water for life. There are simple steps one can take in order to save water in their towns or cities. They can take shorter showers or simply turn off the faucet while brushing their teeth. These are just a few of several ways someone can help to improve this world water crisis.
By: Elizabeth Farwell
The race to Sadie's begins
Sadie’s is months away, and you would think that people would only be starting to consider who to ask.
Contrary to this belief, however, here at our school we see girls asking guys even though we’re all aware that the event is more than two months away. Although asking far in advance is a way to claim your date sooner, is it not too soon? Some say yes, others say no.
Perhaps it is because there is a shortage of guys at Westminster. But, I don't think that that is the reason either; girls just want to ensure that the guy they may be crushing on is not taken at the time of the event.
In my opinion, it’s quite the strategy. Making sure you have a date is perfectly respectable. You go, girls! Way to be bold! It’s a wonderful tactic to make sure that you[re not going to be upset when the time rolls around to ask and the guy you liked, and he's already taken. In my opinion, asking early saves time and worry.
By Anais Tabor
Contrary to this belief, however, here at our school we see girls asking guys even though we’re all aware that the event is more than two months away. Although asking far in advance is a way to claim your date sooner, is it not too soon? Some say yes, others say no.
Perhaps it is because there is a shortage of guys at Westminster. But, I don't think that that is the reason either; girls just want to ensure that the guy they may be crushing on is not taken at the time of the event.
In my opinion, it’s quite the strategy. Making sure you have a date is perfectly respectable. You go, girls! Way to be bold! It’s a wonderful tactic to make sure that you[re not going to be upset when the time rolls around to ask and the guy you liked, and he's already taken. In my opinion, asking early saves time and worry.
By Anais Tabor
Friday, January 21, 2011
On the Classic
Today our music culture is dominated by many different genres,including pop, rock, hip-hop, techno, and the infamous rap, to name a few. Now one genre we do not see these days on the top 100’s chart is classical, and I know what you’re are thinking: “Uggghh, classical music."
But at one time classical music was the norm, and to play anything else would be considered heresy. Not only that, but you could find yourself in the Tower of London pretty fast if you were known to consider any other music besides classical to be worth playing and/or composing.
Now what I ask is, why does our culture hate classical music? Furthermore, why do we not love the same tonalities that those who came before us so loved?
Now, I endeavored to find out what is, or is not appealing about classical music. First of all, I went onto my Pandora Internet radio and created a new station called “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,” who, if you do not know, is one of the most famous classical composers in the history of classical music. At first I was just as skeptical as anyone who is not inclined to classical music, but after about ten minutes of listening to it, I realized that I had relaxed and I had shut out all other distractions. Not only that, but I did not even notice that I was listening to music, and (I was doing homework at the time) my full focus was upon my homework.
Therefore, I would argue that classical music is a good way to relax if stressed, and is also a good break from other forms of music. So to conclude our little jaunt through classical music, I would challenge anyone to listen to classical music for at least an hour. Then if you still do not like it, fine, but I guarantee that some of you will be pleasantly surprised.
But at one time classical music was the norm, and to play anything else would be considered heresy. Not only that, but you could find yourself in the Tower of London pretty fast if you were known to consider any other music besides classical to be worth playing and/or composing.
Now what I ask is, why does our culture hate classical music? Furthermore, why do we not love the same tonalities that those who came before us so loved?
Now, I endeavored to find out what is, or is not appealing about classical music. First of all, I went onto my Pandora Internet radio and created a new station called “Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,” who, if you do not know, is one of the most famous classical composers in the history of classical music. At first I was just as skeptical as anyone who is not inclined to classical music, but after about ten minutes of listening to it, I realized that I had relaxed and I had shut out all other distractions. Not only that, but I did not even notice that I was listening to music, and (I was doing homework at the time) my full focus was upon my homework.
Therefore, I would argue that classical music is a good way to relax if stressed, and is also a good break from other forms of music. So to conclude our little jaunt through classical music, I would challenge anyone to listen to classical music for at least an hour. Then if you still do not like it, fine, but I guarantee that some of you will be pleasantly surprised.
(By the way, I was listening to classical music throughout writing this story, in case if you were wondering)
By Gregory T. Benson
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Micro Financing
Today during homeroom, I was introduced to a new idea known as micro financing. This system works with individuals or groups to fund the businesses of the less fortunate in countries such as Africa. My homeroom teacher, Mr. Dahlman, suggested we go into this endeavor together as a homeroom, reiterating to us the fact that together we can be a strong force for good in this world. This idea struck me and I immediately knew that it was something that we could accomplish. Later in the day it seemed like God was screaming at me when Mr. Armstrong got up in chapel and spoke on the exact same topic. He gave us specific examples of ways in which micro financing has changed the lives of many worldwide. He also told us about a nonprofit organization – Kiva – that works specifically as a mediator for those who wish to help the cause. So far Kiva has supplied nearly two-hundred million dollars for people around the world to create their own businesses and provide for themselves. This is a wonderful organization and one well worth consideration. I am sure now that this is something that God wants me to do, whether as a group effort with my homeroom or on my own, and I strongly encourage you to look into it as well. I believe that if we put some effort into it, we could start a ripple effect that leads to a tidal wave of change for the better. By: Anne Lehan |
Science Olympiad: Preparing for Nationals
The first challenge the team will meet is an Invitational this Saturday, Jan. 22. This does not count as a formal competition, but can be a great learning experience for new participants. It will also help prepare the team for the upcoming Regional in a few months.
The Invitational will be held at Belvidere High School
Please support and pray for the team this year as they will go through hard competition against other schools.
By Yoha Lee
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
And the Award Goes to…..
On Sunday, Jan. 16, Hollywood’s second biggest film award show took place at the Beverly Hilton. The 68th annual Golden Globe awards turned out to be quite a funny and interesting evening. Each year the Hollywood Foreign Press Association holds this awards ceremony. The HFPA consists of around 90 journalists whose job is to document and distribute information about the United States’ film industry.
In my opinion, this ceremony happened to be more interesting than usual. The show was hosted by Ricky Gervais, a British comedian, who also hosted the Globes last year. Gervais made fun of the celebs as usual, picking out people from Charlie Sheen to Robert Downey, Jr., even the president of the HFPA himself, Phillip Berk. As usual, Ricky Gervais had mixed reviews. Some thought he was brutal, while others had no problem with his act. Certain people in the audience may have taken these jokes as cruel; I believe it was mainly playful humor. After all, a comedian’s job is to make fun of people.
Winning the most awards that night was “The Social Network,” a movie about Mark Zuckerberg and the creation of Facebook. This film also took home the award for Best Motion Picture Drama. Best actress went to a well-deserving Natalie Portman, and the award for Best Actor went to Colin Firth. Another notable winner was first-timer Christian Bale who won the award for Best Supporting Actor.
By Brittany Booth
'Social Network' wins big at Golden Globes
This year's Golden Globes did what the it does best: bring all the biggest names in film together under one roof to commemorate those who have made the biggest accomplishments in either television or film in the last year.
The show started off with a good start, with host Ricky Gervais once again taking control of the night, and, once again, he was hilarious at his role. Yet, there may be criticism in his style of humor this year, as it was a little harsh, and at times seemed to go to far. But hopefully in the end everyone realized that it was all in good fun.
Of course everyone was expecting Ricky Gervais to be funny, but the real problem with awards shows like the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards is the constant criticism. It is no longer based off what actually deserves the award, but instead what is most popular. This year, the Golden Globes did their best to quash these rumors, and, for the most part, they did.
The "Social Network" took the night with four big wins: Best Director, Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Original Soundtrack. Some other big awards that were given for films were: Natalie Portman for Best Actress for her performance in "Black Swan," Colin Firth for Best Lead Actor in his performance in the "King's Speech," and Christian Bale's win for best supporting actor for his performance in "The Fighter."
For the television awards, "Glee" was the television series that won the majority of awards in its categories winning three awards. As for television/drama, the new gangster show from HBO Boardwalk Empire made up for all its hype and won two awards.
Also Robert DeNiro was awarded his long overdo Cecil B. DeMille award, and although his speech wasn't the best prepared speech in history, it was exhilarating to see an actor who has accomplished so much in his career get awarded such a prestigious award.
In the end, the Golden Globes did a pretty good job of awarding the shows and movies that deserved awards or recognition. Of course there are a few movies that didn't get as much recognition as they may have deserved, like Animal Kingdom or 127 Hours, but overall it is still a step in the right direction.
By Ben Stevenson
Driving in snow
Driving in snow is typically a fun challenge for those that prefer to live life on the wild side. However, it’s unsafe and should always be taken seriously.
Four wheel drive was invented for the northern Illinois winter snowfall. For example, what could possibly be more fun on a Saturday night than drifting through a corn field with your friends in a huge truck?
Getting stuck in a ditch can happen to anyone though. Snow has a mind of its own. For those of us that aren’t fortunate enough to have a beautiful white truck with 4WD, driving on back country roads could be a little more risky.
Hitting a patch of black ice is really scary, no matter how much experience the driver has. This morning, I hit a guard rail on my way to school. Somehow, my car has no scratches on it and I managed to get to school early.
Either way, daring people need to see that snow is a dangerous thing, whether or not the driver is careful. An accident on a poorly plowed road can occur at any time.
Four wheel drive was invented for the northern Illinois winter snowfall. For example, what could possibly be more fun on a Saturday night than drifting through a corn field with your friends in a huge truck?
Getting stuck in a ditch can happen to anyone though. Snow has a mind of its own. For those of us that aren’t fortunate enough to have a beautiful white truck with 4WD, driving on back country roads could be a little more risky.
Hitting a patch of black ice is really scary, no matter how much experience the driver has. This morning, I hit a guard rail on my way to school. Somehow, my car has no scratches on it and I managed to get to school early.
Either way, daring people need to see that snow is a dangerous thing, whether or not the driver is careful. An accident on a poorly plowed road can occur at any time.
By Kelly Beecher
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Creative Backpacks
Many stores are creating fun and different ways to have a backpack. Stuffed animals, even though the space is small, have been put to use in this situation. TV show characters, favorite animals, and more are becoming book bags.
But is this craze a distraction to the learning environment? I think not. I personally have a penguin from the hit movie and TV series Madagascar. I remember to bring my backpack around more, since it is a stuffed animal and sticks out in any room. My penguin receives compliments galore and makes me happy to be carrying around one of my favorite animated characters with me throughout the day.
All in all, these crazy bags are an uplifting add to your everyday life.
By: Becky Welc
Warriors push past opponent
The Warriors took on Perspective Charter Calumet at Concordia University in this Monday night game.
The Warriors and Calumet exchanged blows all the way til the end. The Warriors, however, finished on top with a 55-51 win. The Warriors were led by Josh Beachler (12 points) Andrew Mason (12 points) Arturo Gallego (9 points).
By Andrew Mason
By Andrew Mason
Warriors beat Somonauk
The Warriors traveled out to Somonauk in a Saturday night matchup. Though it was a tough game, the Warriors prevailed 53-45.
The Warriors were led by Brandon Cork (16 points) and Andrew Mason (12 points).
By Andrew Mason
By Andrew Mason
Bickford and Graves lead Lady Warriors past opponents
Westminster Christian 48, St. Martin de Porres 27: Emily Bickford led the Warriors with 10 points in this win at their own MLK Shootout. Andrea Walsh added 8 points.
Westminster 35, Woodlands 32 (OT): Hannah Graves had 15 points for the Warriors (11-7) as they won for the second time Monday in their own MLK Shootout.
-Daily Herald staff reports
112th Congress Sworn In
Jan. 5 marked the swearing of the 112th congress. The much talked about event created an atmosphere more likely found at a presidential inauguration.
The new congress was one of the biggest house upsets in seventy years. Republicans now hold a 242-193 majority in the House, while Democrats hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. The American people are anxious to cut down Washington’s spending, a message that has been received loud and clear.
Policies promoting bigger government and unsustainable deficit spending have been shelved with the departure of Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. The former House Speaker has officially been replaced by republican Representative John Boehner. Boehner is a former businessman from Ohio and a 20-year veteran of the house.
After selecting a new speaker, the new Congress was sworn into the crowded House chamber. On the second day, Speaker Boehner initiated the House’s proceeding with a reading of the Constitution. To the surprise of many, it was the first time in 221 years that the Constitution was read aloud among lawmakers. Through the reading, the new speaker and conservative Congress hoped to emphasize their pledge to issue all legislation to our founders’ principles of a fully accountable and limited federal government.
In concordance with the wish to cut down federal spending, the House has already cut down their own operating budget by 5 percent. Although it is a small step, it sets in motion the House’s plan to place all federal spending under a microscope. Speaker Boehner has promised to lower the federal budget as low as pre-stimulus standards, and begin the process of reducing the size of government.
In the meantime, the American society looks forward to the plans that will hopefully set our country back on track.
By Ellie Fink
The new congress was one of the biggest house upsets in seventy years. Republicans now hold a 242-193 majority in the House, while Democrats hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. The American people are anxious to cut down Washington’s spending, a message that has been received loud and clear.
Policies promoting bigger government and unsustainable deficit spending have been shelved with the departure of Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. The former House Speaker has officially been replaced by republican Representative John Boehner. Boehner is a former businessman from Ohio and a 20-year veteran of the house.
After selecting a new speaker, the new Congress was sworn into the crowded House chamber. On the second day, Speaker Boehner initiated the House’s proceeding with a reading of the Constitution. To the surprise of many, it was the first time in 221 years that the Constitution was read aloud among lawmakers. Through the reading, the new speaker and conservative Congress hoped to emphasize their pledge to issue all legislation to our founders’ principles of a fully accountable and limited federal government.
In concordance with the wish to cut down federal spending, the House has already cut down their own operating budget by 5 percent. Although it is a small step, it sets in motion the House’s plan to place all federal spending under a microscope. Speaker Boehner has promised to lower the federal budget as low as pre-stimulus standards, and begin the process of reducing the size of government.
In the meantime, the American society looks forward to the plans that will hopefully set our country back on track.
By Ellie Fink
Friday, January 14, 2011
Rabbit Year explained
In ancient Korea, it was important to know when a person was born. People thought that the year, date, and time one was born could show his fate. Some people still believe that this is true, and when you look at their research, you will see that this theory is pretty convincing. In the beginning of the year, many people celebrate the year of a certain animal. Some people would take it seriously and actually predict their fortune for the year, while many people just consider it as fun fact.
Chinese Zodiac is a scheme that relates each year to an animal and its reputed attributes, according to a 12-year cycle. The zodiac of the 12 animal signs represents 12 different types of personalities. The zodiac begins with the sign of the Rat and goes to Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey , Rooster, Dog , and Pig. The combination of one's birth year, month, day and hour are a part of the four pillars of Chinese astrology which determine one's fate.
Every year has a certain animal. An example of an animal corresponding with a year is the Monkey, which represents 1992. So, all people who are born in 1992 have the Monkey year. For this new year, 2011, the corresponding animal is a Rabbit. People who were born at 1975, 1987, 1999, and now 2011 have Rabbit personality traits. These Rabbit people are talented, gracious, sensitive, compassionate, lucky, and moody. Rabbit people seldom lose their temper but are clever at business.
The new year always brings new opportunity for people and allows everyone to "start fresh." Whether you are Monkey or Rabbit, it is more important to work hard for your goals than just looking at your fortune cookies. Instead of waiting for what this year will bring you, you should have confidence make this year your year.
By Yoha Lee
Chinese Zodiac is a scheme that relates each year to an animal and its reputed attributes, according to a 12-year cycle. The zodiac of the 12 animal signs represents 12 different types of personalities. The zodiac begins with the sign of the Rat and goes to Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey , Rooster, Dog , and Pig. The combination of one's birth year, month, day and hour are a part of the four pillars of Chinese astrology which determine one's fate.
Every year has a certain animal. An example of an animal corresponding with a year is the Monkey, which represents 1992. So, all people who are born in 1992 have the Monkey year. For this new year, 2011, the corresponding animal is a Rabbit. People who were born at 1975, 1987, 1999, and now 2011 have Rabbit personality traits. These Rabbit people are talented, gracious, sensitive, compassionate, lucky, and moody. Rabbit people seldom lose their temper but are clever at business.
The new year always brings new opportunity for people and allows everyone to "start fresh." Whether you are Monkey or Rabbit, it is more important to work hard for your goals than just looking at your fortune cookies. Instead of waiting for what this year will bring you, you should have confidence make this year your year.
By Yoha Lee
Student Government to host pajama party
Slumber Parties: a staple in the average American teenager’s life. These parties usually consist of food, talking, laughing, watching movies, having fun, and just having a good time. Due to the fact that most normal teenagers believe that slumber parties are super fun, Westminster Christian’s high school is going to have a movie night… in pajamas! Although this is not a classic sleepover, it is going to have all of the essential “slumber party” activities.
The party fun is going to begin in the afternoon. There will be several basketball games throughout the day, where students will wear their favorite (modest) pajamas. Then, after the varsity boys’ game the slumber party festivities will begin. There will be food, talking, laughing, and best of all, a movie! The movie will not be revealed until the 22nd, so if you really want to know what great movie will be shown, simply come and find out.
However, the best part of this night is not the great time you will have with friends, but the fact that student government is providing high school students a way to help the greater community. How, you may ask, will watching a movie and wearing pajamas contribute to the world around me? Well, to stay comfortable and cozy throughout the night, you may want to bring a teddy bear or blanket. With this in mind, student government decided to have students leave their bears and blankets behind to help comfort needy children.
So, Westminster Christian High School students, after reading about this great night, make the correct decision and come out to a night of fun and good times. And PLEASE don’t forget to bring something a comforting item to a child in need.
By: Mo Sleeting
The party fun is going to begin in the afternoon. There will be several basketball games throughout the day, where students will wear their favorite (modest) pajamas. Then, after the varsity boys’ game the slumber party festivities will begin. There will be food, talking, laughing, and best of all, a movie! The movie will not be revealed until the 22nd, so if you really want to know what great movie will be shown, simply come and find out.
However, the best part of this night is not the great time you will have with friends, but the fact that student government is providing high school students a way to help the greater community. How, you may ask, will watching a movie and wearing pajamas contribute to the world around me? Well, to stay comfortable and cozy throughout the night, you may want to bring a teddy bear or blanket. With this in mind, student government decided to have students leave their bears and blankets behind to help comfort needy children.
So, Westminster Christian High School students, after reading about this great night, make the correct decision and come out to a night of fun and good times. And PLEASE don’t forget to bring something a comforting item to a child in need.
By: Mo Sleeting
Back From Break
Everyone is back from break and already feeling tired and overwhelmed. After a tough week of finals, students went on their way to a peaceful two weeks.
To get students back in the mode of school, we enjoyed interim, a week of fun, Christ-filled classes. Trying to wake up and come to school that next Monday was a killer. Mondays are not usually fun anyways, but trying to enjoy them after being on break for practically three weeks was particularly hard. Students are exhausted and slaphappy from sleep deprivation. Teachers are also giving homework galore.
Even though this week is hard, students now have more time with friends. It’s time to get back to quizzes, tests, and lectures. Good luck WCS students!
By: Ashley Kivikoski
Remembering Haiti
January 12th, 2010 – a day that will go down in history as one of the most tragic days in the history of the western world. On that Tuesday afternoon, the strongest earthquake to ever hit the nation of Haiti struck near the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, with a magnitude of 7.0. The force was enough to decimate the city, bringing destruction to the nation that was already in shambles. An estimated 230,000 lives were lost in this tragedy, with an estimated three million affected in some way. This week we remember those lives lost, on the anniversary of this tragic natural disaster. Since then, millions of individuals have joined hands and made an effort to rebuild this country alongside organizations such as the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Aid has been pouring in from all over the world. Yet this help is slight in comparison to the incredible need still prevalent in Haiti. In addition to the effects of the earthquake and the bad living conditions, Haiti has more recently suffered from a cholera outbreak – a disease that has claimed the lives of over two thousand in the nation. Many have attempted to gain access into the country and have not been allowed due to political difficulties. These and many other problems have plagued the nation of Haiti in the past year, and continue today. This week we remember Haiti on the anniversary of the earthquake that first shook the nation. We need to remember to keep the people of Haiti in our prayers at all times. By: Anne Lehan |
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Students challenged to fast
On Jan. 12, Westminster Christian High School students congregated in the sanctuary once again to experience chapel together. After a time of worship led by Bekah Sunday and Ian Dutcher, all took their seats and prayed together before preparing to hear Pastor Anderson speak on Matthew 6:16-18.
He began by sharing a personal story. Pastor Anderson explained his first experience with fasting when he gave up ice cream in memory of his friend Cami, who died on her thirtieth birthday from illness. He shared with students that the Lord prompted him to give up ice cream for a year in her honor. During the experience he found that he was challenged in his discipline and focus, and after a year was up, he continued to fast on other things so that he could give similar discipline and focus to his relationship with Christ. He stated that it “furthered my dependence on the Lord for all of my needs.”
The scripture being dissected, Matthew 6:16-18, is a portion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Digging into the scripture, Pastor Anderson spoke about the fasting habits of the Pharisees, and how they would make the deprivation of their fasting apparent to their peers out of self-righteousness. Verse 18 says “your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
He then encouraged students to embark on a fast of their own. He noted that fasting doesn’t only have to be abstaining from food, but that it could be abstaining from television or soda or something else of that nature. It will be difficult, but Pastor Anderson is confident in its results. He cited his own experience in fasting as evidence, saying that in his fasting he learned things he didn’t want to learn and wasn’t comfortable learning. He endured, however, knowing that it was those difficult-to-tackle things that God wanted him to wrestle with. Fasting pushes individuals to go to God to deal with struggles rather than turning to things like food or television to push the struggles away or distract us.
So, let’s go, WCS community! Let’s take Pastor Anderson’s challenge. What is something that you can try fasting from for a little while?
By: Katie Pluymert
Worship gives opportunities
Worship is the reverent honor and homage paid to God. Throughout the Bible, the idea of worship is brought up 198 times.
At school there is only one time a week in which we worship together. But, instead of taking advantage of the time in which we can join together as a community, many dismiss it and instead think about what they are eating for lunch.
Worship is a time that has countless benefits. Even if you do not like to sing, you have the opportunity to escape from the crazy week and reflect on what God has done. After all, Scripture tells us in Psalm 66:1, “Shout for joy to God, all the earth!”
Worship is not designed to make you uncomfortable or to spotlight on those who are gifted singers, but it is a time for you to thank God for what he has done in your life and to praise him. No one forces you to worship in chapel, but what is holding you back?
At the end of the day, no one cares about how you worship; it is a personal thing between you and God. Although worship is personal, it also becomes an amazing experience, for Matthew 18:20 tells us, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” This is a powerful thing, and together as we experience worship personally we can also experience it in a larger picture, celebrating what God has done for one another.
By: Allie Sleeting
At school there is only one time a week in which we worship together. But, instead of taking advantage of the time in which we can join together as a community, many dismiss it and instead think about what they are eating for lunch.
Worship is a time that has countless benefits. Even if you do not like to sing, you have the opportunity to escape from the crazy week and reflect on what God has done. After all, Scripture tells us in Psalm 66:1, “Shout for joy to God, all the earth!”
Worship is not designed to make you uncomfortable or to spotlight on those who are gifted singers, but it is a time for you to thank God for what he has done in your life and to praise him. No one forces you to worship in chapel, but what is holding you back?
At the end of the day, no one cares about how you worship; it is a personal thing between you and God. Although worship is personal, it also becomes an amazing experience, for Matthew 18:20 tells us, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” This is a powerful thing, and together as we experience worship personally we can also experience it in a larger picture, celebrating what God has done for one another.
By: Allie Sleeting
Learning to trust is the essence of Christianity
If you have a problem with trusting others with things that are important to you or if you like to be in control, then it is probably hard to let God be in control and trust his plans. This is an issue that a lot of people struggle with because most people don’t like to be told what to do and don’t like to be led somewhere that they cannot see.
That is why being a Christian isn’t easy; the whole point of it is to give your life to some man that lived a perfect life and died on a cross and said he was the Son of God. The first reaction to this concept is to wonder how could someone do that, because it doesn’t seem rational at all, and humans are rational beings made to make decisions through what they know.
It is so amazing the way God set salvation up, so that only those who truly believe would put their faith in Jesus and trust that he died and rose again. Along with faith comes trust--first we have to have faith and then we need to trust that God knows what is best for us, or as Solomon puts it, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). This verse is saying that we can’t think rationally of how God knows what he knows or how he does what he does, we just need to trust that what he says is truth.
By Ian Dutcher
That is why being a Christian isn’t easy; the whole point of it is to give your life to some man that lived a perfect life and died on a cross and said he was the Son of God. The first reaction to this concept is to wonder how could someone do that, because it doesn’t seem rational at all, and humans are rational beings made to make decisions through what they know.
It is so amazing the way God set salvation up, so that only those who truly believe would put their faith in Jesus and trust that he died and rose again. Along with faith comes trust--first we have to have faith and then we need to trust that God knows what is best for us, or as Solomon puts it, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). This verse is saying that we can’t think rationally of how God knows what he knows or how he does what he does, we just need to trust that what he says is truth.
By Ian Dutcher
College search can be overwhelming
Keeping up socially, helping out at home, and bracing yourself for upcoming tests. This is the typical life of a high school student. Try adding on sports, musicals, clubs, and all of the other options that Westminster Christian has to offer. Now imagine you're in 12th grade, if you're not already, and looking for a college. There are so many things to think about when applying to schools: How much is it? Can I afford it? Does this school have the majors I want?
Throughout my experience with college search, I’ve been privileged to be accepted everywhere I’ve applied. Though this is a blessing, its also a hindrance. With so many options I don’t have an idea where to begin. I thought that visiting the top 3 schools that had what I was looking for would help, but it didn’t. Looking at schools online can be deceiving because when you actually get there they may look completely different than advertised. Marketing for schools has become an art, an art that unfortunately has been mastered. Finding the right school, needless to say, has been difficult.
I constantly have to reassure myself that God says He’ll never give us more than we can handle and that everything will pan out according to his plan. My advice to my fellow stressing students is to breathe, pick a school and go with it. Remember you can always transfer. Once you pick a school, it's not set in stone unless you want it to be.
By Anais Tabor
Food poisoning is a pain
Food poisoning is hands-down the one of the worst things that can happen to a person. It is typically caused by bacteria called Staphylococcus or E. coli that have contaminated food.
Symptoms generally begin to show within 2-6 hours. In my case, the stomach cramped and nausea began almost three hours after consumption. I tried to go to sleep, hoping I would feel better in the morning. But I was wrong. At around 12:30 a.m. the vomiting started. Eventually, it was consistent and I ended up being so dehydrated that I could barely walk on my own.
Nausea is worse than any pain in the world. Pain is something I can handle. An upset stomach, however, weakens everyone, no matter how tough they are. My mom had to take me to the emergency room at 2:45 a.m., but I had to wait for 40 minutes before they finally got me into a room. I’m not entirely sure why the girl that had a sprained ankle, who was perfectly happy got a room before the girl that kept passing out and throwing her guts up (me). You’d think they would hurry up, considering it’s an emergency room. Hence: emergency.
Either way, the nurse drew blood to test it, gave me a shot to control my nausea, and finally an IV. I was in the hospital for about four hours that morning and I spent my New Year’s alone because I wasn’t feeling up to partying, like the rest of the world. The lesson here is: don’t ever eat Wendy’s.
By Kelly Beecher
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Warriors defeat Luther North
The Warriors traveled out to Luther North on this Tuesday night matchup. The game was intense throughout, but the Warriors prevailed 60-41, thanks to their defense, execution, poise, and free throw shooting.
The Warriors held Luther North star player Kente Mixon to just 5 points on the game. The Warriors were led by Brandon Cork (19 points), Ian Dutcher (14 points), Andrew Mason (11 points), and Luke Carani (8 points).
The Warriors now improved to 11-4 on the season.
By Andrew Mason
Hello Kitty Craze
Hello Kitty has become a craze not just for little girls, but for teen girls as well. The paraphernalia is sold in stores such as Hot Topic. Also, the store Too Cool has an entire wall covered in Hello Kitty products.
From Jan. 17-27, the makeup store Sephora is going to have a charity event to introduce their new Hello Kitty beauty line. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the auction of Swarovski crystal covered items, such as brushes, figurines and mirrors, will be donated to the Starlight Children’s Foundation. This Foundation helps children with serious illnesses and their families to cope with the challenges.
Hello Kitty is not just a show for children any more; many people love it. The Hello Kitty craze mixed with Sephora will even help children and their families deal with severe illnesses.
Claire Kuda
Shooting Rampage in Arizona
On Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, six people were killed during a political event for Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords when a man opened fire just north of Tucson, Arizona. Among those six killed was a nine-year-old girl.
The man accused for the shooting is Jared Loughner, who is now being held in jail. He was accused of murder and attempting to kill Gabrielle Giffords. She was shot in the head and is currently in critical condition. He killed six people and several others are recovering.
Witnesses say that the shooter, Jared Loughner, shot off as many as 20 shots before someone from the crowd tackled him to the ground. According to reports, Laughner was intrigued by Hitler and hated the government.
The nine-year-old girl shot, Christina Green, is the grandchild of Dallas Green, former manger of the New York Yankees and the Mets. Her father, John Green, is a scout for the Dodgers. She was born on September 11, 2001, had been elected to student council, and had an interest in politics.
Hundreds of people gathered together for a candle-light vigil at the Arizona Capitol. The shooting scared the country and many politicians have become nervous and concerned for their safety. People also left flowers for Mrs. Giffords, hoping for healthy and a fast recovery.
By: Liz Farwell
A Quality Song For a Quality Chorus
As the whole world watched the FIFA World Cup seven short months ago, a sense of camaraderie was felt from east to west, and north to south. From June 11th to July 11th, the world grew close and people seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Conflicts were put aside and the only thing that seemed to matter was, quite frankly, a soccer ball.
Although the event is over, its spirit will live on through the song “Waka Waka” by Shakira. The inspiration for the song was an old African soldier’s song with reworked lyrics. The combination of traditional rhythmic African sounds, Colombian guitars, and Shakira’s powerful voice makes for an energetic and upbeat tempo perfectly suitable for dancing and an all-around good time.
“Waka Waka” has been wildly successful throughout the world and has hit number one in numerous countries such as Argentina, Austria, Chile, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain-- just to name a few. Mrs. Chapman’s seventh hour choir will be performing an adapted choral arrangement of the world famous song sometime in the fourth quarter. Senior Allie Sleeting says, “It will be a fun song and a challenge to learn.”
Check back at the Spring Concert to see a great piece of music performed by a great group of people.
By Tyler Greene
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
New Year, New Promises
As humanity enters the brand new year of 2011, some people will also enter new stages in their lives. The start of a new year promises the chance to try again for many—to have a new beginning. With this comes the traditional “New Year’s Resolutions.”
Almost everyone makes one of these at some point or another during this time. A New Year’s Resolution is a goal that someone sets for themself. This is usually something important that they would like to achieve.
Unfortunately, many times these goals are not met, but often forgotten less than a month later. However, this year I would encourage anyone who made a resolution to write it down and remind themselves not to forget. Make this the year that your goals are achieved, not forgotten.
Happy 2011!
By Brittany Booth
Almost everyone makes one of these at some point or another during this time. A New Year’s Resolution is a goal that someone sets for themself. This is usually something important that they would like to achieve.
Unfortunately, many times these goals are not met, but often forgotten less than a month later. However, this year I would encourage anyone who made a resolution to write it down and remind themselves not to forget. Make this the year that your goals are achieved, not forgotten.
Happy 2011!
By Brittany Booth
How NOT to bake cookies
Any simple recipe can be messed up. Even though it seems baking cookies would be unlikely to qualify for this group, creating them from scratch may be difficult.
Over this past weekend, Ashley Kivikoski and I attempted to bake simple cookies from Mr. Funkhouser's “Funky Cooking” interim course. Due to the lack of ingredients, we decided to substitute two sticks of butter for one cup of shortening. This turned out to be a horrible mistake. To add on, we could only find one cookie sheet and therefore, used two cupcake pans instead. Again, this ruptured in utter failure. Not only did the cookies burn, but when they were cool enough to get off the trays, they stuck like glue. Now we not only had burnt cookies, but a rancid mess to clean up, too.
We managed to save some of the crumbs in a bowl that is currently occupying a space in my refrigerator. Moral of this story, never substitute ingredients for others if you don't have them.
By: Becky Welc
Over this past weekend, Ashley Kivikoski and I attempted to bake simple cookies from Mr. Funkhouser's “Funky Cooking” interim course. Due to the lack of ingredients, we decided to substitute two sticks of butter for one cup of shortening. This turned out to be a horrible mistake. To add on, we could only find one cookie sheet and therefore, used two cupcake pans instead. Again, this ruptured in utter failure. Not only did the cookies burn, but when they were cool enough to get off the trays, they stuck like glue. Now we not only had burnt cookies, but a rancid mess to clean up, too.
We managed to save some of the crumbs in a bowl that is currently occupying a space in my refrigerator. Moral of this story, never substitute ingredients for others if you don't have them.
By: Becky Welc
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)