Fall quarter has sprung: A new student’s reflection on the start of school
As a brand new student to Highline, and to higher education as a whole, I was unaware of what to expect from my first days on campus. I had arrived very excited for my first college experience, a place where so many eager minds will cross in front of me, all sharing a value for learning.
I could feel the extra adrenaline pumping and the franticness of some of my thoughts: “Where am I going? Am I smart enough to do this? Am I going to freak out? Am I too old? Why is there the biggest pile of dirt I’ve ever seen, towering in the middle of campus!?”
What’s coming up next: King County Elections
Election season is in full swing, and with that, King County Elections has a lot on the calendar! With new voters especially, there are a lot of questions regarding the ballot.
Here, you can find opportunities to engage with other voters, get logistical questions answered, and participate in this upcoming election cycle.
Election Day is on Nov. 3, 2026.
Your dog understands you
A new study discovered that dogs can tell the difference between several human emotions. While dogs have been known to recognize emotions, this is the first time scientists have discovered how they actually do this.
“Humans are really good at picking up small details on the face, and so are dogs,” says Raúl Hernández-Pérez from the University of Vienna. They monitored eight different dogs’ brains and showed them pictures of unfamiliar humans. The unfamiliarity of the photos shown allowed for less bias, as dogs become happy or excited when they see someone they consider their family.
The resident got evil in theaters!
“Resident Evil” came out in theaters on Sept. 18 and fans have been loving it. Leading up to the release of the movie, there was some skepticism about the quality of the film, mainly due to video game adaptations usually being bad – especially when it comes to “Resident Evil.”
The movie follows a brand new main character Bryan (played by Austin Abrams) instead of our usual protagonists like Jill or Leon. Bryan appears in almost every scene, the camera follows him in a similar fashion to the third person perspective in the “Resident Evil” video games.
Campus
As a brand new student to Highline, and to higher education as a whole, I was unaware of what to expect from my first days on campus. I had arrived very excited for my first college experience, a place where so many eager minds will cross in front of me, all sharing a value for learning.
I could feel the extra adrenaline pumping and the franticness of some of my thoughts: “Where am I going? Am I smart enough to do this? Am I going to freak out? Am I too old? Why is there the biggest pile of dirt I’ve ever seen, towering in the middle of campus!?”
Despite the title, the Welcome Tea had more than just a variety of teas for students to choose from to start their first mornings back on campus. The event, co-hosted by the Women’s Programs and WorkFirst, also gave out hot cocoa, coffee, and baked goods such as danishes for the first two mornings of the quarter.
Highline College hosted their fourth annual Pink Prom to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community. Building 8 was transformed into a rainbow-colored space where students were free to express themselves, dance the night away, compete in dance battles, and enjoy the entertainment.
Brought to life by the Q Center, the LGBTQIA+ Task Force and the CCIE, this year’s theme was “Rainbow Renaissance: a Pride Prom Fantasy Faire”.
The 2026 edition of the “Arcturus”, Highline’s literary journal, shined at two packed release parties last week, hosting nearly 160 people and showcasing the diverse and wide range of artists within the community.
The event was a celebration of creativity, community, and inspiration.
The theme of this year’s edition was ‘Symbiotic Metamorphosis.’
As healthcare access rises in costs and lowers in accessibility, college syllabus policies have fallen behind in accounting for the challenges students are facing in accessing doctor’s notes – a common requirement for excused absences or assignments.
While Highline does not have a standard attendance or makeup policy for students, faculty are left with creating their own policies in their syllabus.
Community
Election season is in full swing, and with that, King County Elections has a lot on the calendar! With new voters especially, there are a lot of questions regarding the ballot.
Here, you can find opportunities to engage with other voters, get logistical questions answered, and participate in this upcoming election cycle.
Election Day is on Nov. 3, 2026.
As tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel have intensified, one political movement has become increasingly visible both inside and outside Iran: the royalists.
While many Iranians fear the prospect of another war, a significant number of royalists have welcomed outside pressure on the Islamic Republic, including military action, seeing it as a possible path to political change.
Nowruz, the Persian New Year marking the spring equinox, has been celebrated for more than three millennia across regions of Central and Western Asia. Today it is observed by more than 300 million people across different regions, including diaspora throughout western countries.
This short documentary by a Highline College student explores the celebration of Nowruz in the Seattle area. Through the experiences of immigrant communities in King County, Washington, it reveals how the Persian New Year continues to thrive in migration—reimagined in new cultural settings while remaining deeply rooted in memory, identity, and belonging.
Sports
The Seattle Kraken have finished up their sixth preseason and with that prospective players for the season have finished up what could be considered their final audition to make the final roster.
Gout Gout, the 19-year-old sprinter, had his 200m record officially recognized.
In Sydney, Australia in April of this year, Gout Gout ran a 19.67 second 200m sprint. This score got ratified on Tuesday, June 2, of this year, marking him as the Junior World Record holder. His runner up, Aidan Murphy, also became a record holder as he ran a 19.88 second 200m. This is Australia’s second fastest time. Three other people also set a record at that event.
Arts
“Resident Evil” came out in theaters on Sept. 18 and fans have been loving it. Leading up to the release of the movie, there was some skepticism about the quality of the film, mainly due to video game adaptations usually being bad – especially when it comes to “Resident Evil.”
The movie follows a brand new main character Bryan (played by Austin Abrams) instead of our usual protagonists like Jill or Leon. Bryan appears in almost every scene, the camera follows him in a similar fashion to the third person perspective in the “Resident Evil” video games.
The stage production of the 1984 film, “Footloose”, made famous for its soundtrack and emerging star-quality cast, opened up this weekend at the Renton Civic Theater (RCT) to a nearly packed house and joyful crowd.
The rock-and-roll classic about healing with community brought our own community together as local artists, from King County high schoolers to longtime musicians, performed for a charmed audience.
Science & Technology
A new study discovered that dogs can tell the difference between several human emotions. While dogs have been known to recognize emotions, this is the first time scientists have discovered how they actually do this.
“Humans are really good at picking up small details on the face, and so are dogs,” says Raúl Hernández-Pérez from the University of Vienna. They monitored eight different dogs’ brains and showed them pictures of unfamiliar humans. The unfamiliarity of the photos shown allowed for less bias, as dogs become happy or excited when they see someone they consider their family.
A sample study done on over 500 rattlesnakes showed a major health concern. These hidden illnesses are a real factor in the possible extinction of wild rattlesnakes in the United States.
This study was conducted on rattlesnakes in two wildlife refuges in South Carolina and Florida. Most of their specimens were living rattlesnakes that they took skin swabs and blood samples of before releasing them. They also took tissue samples from dead snakes that were found on roads and in the wild.
New discoveries reveal that what scientists previously viewed as the Himalayan pit viper was actually five separate species. Not only has this discovery come over 100 years after the snake’s first discovery, but three of the identified species had been previously unknown to scientists.
The Himalayan pit viper has been known to scientists for over 160 years. It was first reported in 1864 and categorized as a single species, which we now know to be untrue.
News Briefs
On Monday, Sept. 28 2026, the Trump administration announced they had rolled back a Biden era policy that included LGBTQ people under the sex based discrimination policy Title IX.
The highly anticipated “Girls Like Girls” film is coming to theaters on June 19, in time for Pride month. It is an adaptation of the book “Girls Like Girls” by Hayley Kiyoko, originally based on her song of the same name.
Kiyoko was a cornerstone of queer media in the 2010s. She was one of the first lesbians in mainstream media during that era, and she was looked up to by many young queer girls.
The Academic Success Center would like to extend its heartfelt congratulations to all ASC student employees who are graduating this year. Your hard work, dedication, and commitment to supporting fellow students have made a lasting impact on our campus community.
As you celebrate this important milestone and begin the next chapter of your journey, we are incredibly proud of all that you have accomplished.
Opinion
As far as book to film adaptations go, there isn’t necessarily a good rep with them. However the latest T.V. show based on the “Percy Jackson” books by Rick Riordan has absolutely raised the bar.
Now, if you are a fan of the series, you know very well that the original movies sucked. Not because they weren’t good or anything, but because they were nothing like the book, which was very sad for all of the people out there who love the books.
ThunderPod
With the ending of the 2026 spring quarter, this week’s episode brings you the final ThunderPod with host Evelyn Rissell and editor MacKenzie Charles.
This bittersweet ending reflects on the all things ThunderWord with esteemed professor Kara Stuart. Her interview concludes the Pod’s ongoing feature of Career Conversations with Highline’s Communication Studies Department.