Field Trip

Josh Dotson

On Friday, April 19, we went on a field trip to Chicago. Our first destination was the Field Museum. Here we toured the Egyptian exhibit. It was interesting because it was like walking through a pyramid; there were hieroglyphics on the walls, and there were mummies in coffins.

We learned many interesting facts about the Egyptians. Did you know that they used baboons as police dogs? Did you know that the Israelites likely had to pull 6,000 pound blocks of stone when they were in bondage?

We ate supper at a restaurant called “Mellow Yellow.” They had delicious food. A waiter there made our dining experience interesting by acting like he was going to spill on Gina and using a rhythm to tell us the dessert selections.

After we had finished eating, we drove to the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel for a concert, The Choral Glory of the Baroque. The cathedral was enormous and looked Gothic. Once inside, Mr. Medema asked for permission to climb the bell tower. It was a very steep and long climb up probably 400 stairs! The climb wore us out, but once we made it to the top we had a great view of the gigantic bells of the tower and the skyline of Chicago.

By the time we climbed down the tower, it was time to get seated for the concert. The baroque concert was nice, including instruments and singing, which sounded wonderful. After the concert, we went back to school and went home.

Hot Lunch Schedule

May 2               Pizza / Ice Cream

May 9              Open Lunch / Mom’s Choice

May 16             Subway / Donuts

May 23             Tacos / Nachos & Cheese

F.R.H.

Josh Poortinga

Flameless ration heater. The army men use it to get a hot meal without giving away their position to the enemy with a good signal fire.

The F.R.H. contains a dinner for one in a sealed container, which you put in a brown thermo bag. After you have inserted the dinner for one into the thermo bag, you pull a small rip chord, which breaks a bag of salt water onto some gray, chalky stuff (magnesium and iron powder) in a brick form. When these two key ingredients mix, they form a strong exothermic reaction, about 130 kilocalories of heat energy. It will cook your food, and it will also make a very good chemistry experiment! Who says you don’t learn anything in the army?!

Portraits of Faithful Saints

Jennifer Kooy

At the beginning of the semester, we all signed up to do reports on individuals that we would be studying in our Church History class. We didn’t know anything about these people or who most of them even were! Then, later on in the year, as we came up to the person for which we signed up, we would write a report on them. For this, we used Professor Hanko’s Portraits of Faithful Saints.

First, we would write a report on the saint, then we would make a poster with a timeline of that person’s life. After that, we would present the report and the poster to the class.

We learned a lot about our faith and the differences between the church then and the church now. We learned how the times then were worse and how they were better for the church. The thing that we learned the most in doing this project, I think, is how our Protestant Reformed Churches came to be.

Conquerors

Grace De Jong

On Friday, April 19, the students of HCHS made a thrilling conquest! We climbed from the floor of the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel to the highest chambers of the sanctuary and beyond. We ventured up hundreds of stairs to the bell tower. But, it wasn’t as simple as it sounds.

Upon arriving at the seemingly endless flight of stairs, we began our journey. Mr. Medema, with the keys, then the students in tow. After getting to the top of what we thought was the end, we had a decision to make. There were three doors. Which one did the key belong too? Well, we never found out on that attempt. Some of us marched down the stairs again to get better directions.

We found our “tour guide,” and, after climbing the stairs again, she gave us another surprise – MORE STAIRS! We mounted the stairs and finally reached the bells! It was exciting and scary because the floor was a metal grate and we could see the drop below us. We climbed a ladder to get to the bells and then walked around them. It was an adventure.

As we exited the bell room, we once again wandered down the endless staircase. Let me tell you, this was no ordinary stairwell. It wound round and round and round. A couple of girls felt claustrophobic and sick! It was tiring and my muscles ached, but we conquered those stairs!

The Yearbook is Complete!

Emily De Jong

“Where did my page go? Did you take it?”

This is what it sounded like at our school for the last couple of days as we scrambled to get our yearbook done. We have now finished putting together our yearbook, The Sword & Shield. What a relief!

A few of us stayed after school for a few weeks on Wednesdays, but we didn’t mind. Mrs. Looyenga was always treating us to something. The best treat was sitting in Mr. Van Uffelen’s room, eating hot fudge and strawberry sundaes! Thank you, Mrs. Looyenga!