Black History Month: CCHS Wonders - What is Black History Month all about?

The month of February is time where we can remember those who have made a difference in our American History, including significant people like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, and many more. We can appreciate the achievements of African Americans and the role they had in U.S. History. It has been proclaimed ever since 1976 by our past presidents that February shall be Black History Month. What are some ways we can celebrate this month? You can listen to music that discusses and highlights our past, you can view the many films to watch to learn more about African American history, you can view art that was a huge part back then to express how they felt. These are a few steps to show respect and to learn more about the American story from different and equally important perspectives.

- Angela Balboa

CCHS' Spanish Class Goes Out Into the City!

Calvin Christian High School's levels three and four Spanish class are taking a trip for some authentic involvement. Students are planning to go to a local restaurant called Boca Chica to enjoy authentic Mexican food, along with learning more about the Latino cultures within the city. Spanish three and four are currently working on projects about other Spanish speaking countries. When asked her reason for organizing this trip, Spanish teacher Miss Kayla Wheeler commented"  “As we are working on these projects, I felt it would be appropriate to take us somewhere to get an authentic experience.” She also believes it should be realized that even though English is the dominant language in America, there are other beautiful and important cultures around us. Students are looking forward to this hands-on learning experience.

- Angela Balboa

Issue 5 Attached

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Issue 5

CCHS Follows the Superbowl

                Opposing Forces Meet             

                                     A Record Setting Offense Meets a Great Defense

On Sunday, February 2nd, Super Bowl XLVIII will take place in MetLife Stadium (home of the New York Giants and New York Jets). The number one team in the National Football Conference(NFC) will play the number one team in the American Football Conference(AFC). Both of these teams won their conference in the conference championship game(between the last two remaining teams from each conference) and were also the teams that had the best record in their conferences going into the playoffs.

The Seattle Seahawks were the best team in the NFC and the Denver Broncos were the best teams in the AFC. The Broncos had a historically good offense that set records. The Seahawks defense was very good and the team’s strength. The Broncos have a defense that is less skilled, but Seattle has an offense that is less skilled. The two teams are opposites in this way and which should make the game interesting.

The Broncos star offensive player is Peyton Manning, commonly considered to be one of the best quarterbacks ever. The Seattle Seahawks have a great running back named Marshawn Lynch. The Broncos defense has a player who could go into the hall of fame on defense named Champ Bailey, a cornerback. The Seattle defense has a younger cornerback who is now widely considered to be among the greatest playing right now, a cornerback named Richard Sherman.

This will be a game against two great teams to see who will win the Vince Lombardi Trophy and be considered the best team in the NFL.

- Rick Derfus (a hardcore football fan!)

Basketball Update

The basketball season is going great this year! The girls' team is progressing. Destiny Smith, a sophomore, says “Our team is really strong and we come along together as one to make best of our team and we are communicating better as a team.” Claire Stephens, a senior, a captain of the team, states, “We played a couple tough games at the beginning of the season, which hurt our record but helped us grow more in our skills.”

The boys' team is doing well and staying strong. Nick Bonnema, a junior and one of the captains, mentions, “We're coming along as a team, I think we will be much better soon than we were a couple weeks ago.” Calvin Christian High School’s basketball teams are working hard, lets cheer them on and have a great rest of the season!

Picture Perfect: CCHS Welcomes Mrs. Trosen

Calvin has acquired a new art teacher for the month of January; new teacher, Ms. Trosen, desires to help students focus on design and photography. Her explains, “I would like students to compose better photographs, especially if they can learn to notice how light impacts the shadows and mood of their photos.  I would also like them to have a greater understanding of how their cameras work.” Students for the past couple weeks have been getting hands on experience with cameras, heading outside, and learning all the aspects of photography and design. Students are also getting involved with design, training in how color, text, and line work together to make objects easy to use and more desirable. Students are having fun, so keep an eye out for their work!

Difficult, But Necessary: Stories from one of the worst times in history

On January 21, Calvin Christian High School was visited by a Erwin Farkas, a Jewish man who made it out of a concentration camp alive. He told the Twentieth Century Literature and Art students about his experience. He told of his childhood and later his time in captivity. He was able to show pictures of himself and others after they were rescued and told how he got to Minnesota. It was a sad and interesting story, but we need to remember that it is more than just a story, it was a life. If it were just a story, it would be much less important to hear it. Ian Erickson, a freshman who is part of the Twentieth Century Literature and Art class said “people later on won’t get to hear” and some people might “push it out of their minds.”

The Twentieth Century Literature and Art class also went to Bethel College for a “transferring of memories” display. There were pictures of people with their stories and there was also the testament of a woman who lived through the Holocaust. These were used to let more people know about what happened from those who experienced it.

As Holocaust Remembrance Day approaches, we must work on learning the experiences of those who went through the Holocaust if we get the opportunity. We must work to prevent holocausts from happening and remember what others had to go through because of our failure to stop the Holocaust.