Pandemic punishes college’s budget
Highline’s budget woes will continue into the next fiscal year due to the economic impact of the global pandemic.
Last summer, a draft of the budget showed a $3.4 million gap of expenses over revenue. Although the state revenue picture has shown some improvement, with current downward trends in funding and enrollment, Highline faces a projected deficit of about $8 million.
Home for the holidays
As the holidays approach, residents are preparing to celebrate despite the threat of coronavirus — they’re decorating their homes with lights, buying holiday movies, and getting into the festive spirit.
Just on a smaller scale.
Mother Africa helps immigrants find their way in a new world
Despite the pandemic, the Mother Africa organization is still open and ready to help African immigrants and refugees.
Mother Africa is a non-profit organization based in Kent. It was founded by Executive Director Risho Sapano in 2004 to help others coming to the country who need access to resources.
News
Walkers enjoy the view of downtown from West Seattle on a recent sunny day. The National Weather Service is predicting lots of rain next week.
Christmas wasn’t always the highly commercialized gift-giving festival it has come to be known as.
Highline history professor Rachael Bledsaw says it wasn’t until the holiday’s date was shifted by the Roman Catholic Church that it became associated with the traditions in practice today.
Unlike most other winter holidays, Kwanzaa is a celebration of community and culture, not religion.
The holiday also hasn’t been around for nearly as long as many of the popular religious winter festivals. It’s a fairly recent arrival to the suite of winter holidays celebrated in the U.S.
Sound Transit is still on track to complete their Highline-bound expansion as scheduled, even in an era disrupted by the ongoing global health crisis.
The nearly 8-mile long project broke ground in early 2020, and will include stations near Highline and in Federal Way. The expansion is still expected to be completed by 2024, as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused minimal delay.
The governing body for the state’s 34 community and technical colleges says it will try to convince legislators not to cut higher education in the upcoming legislative session.
The group includes current and former community colleges, such as Highline.
Campus
Highline students have a variety of methods to study for finals, from reviewing notes to having specific study schedules.
Finals at Highline will be Dec. 14 to Dec. 18. With the pandemic restrictions still in place, most finals will be online.
Due to the rise of cases in the virus COVID-19, Spring Quarter at Highline will continue to be online.
Dating back to last spring, this will be the fifth straight quarter Highline has offered most of its classes online. Highline President Dr. John Mosby announced the decision recently.
Students can take positive steps to keep themselves mentally healthy amid the isolation of the pandemic, a panel said in a Zoom conference last week.
Highline’s Active Minds club and the Inter-Cultural Center joined last Wednesday to present session on prioritizing your mental health during COVID-19.
Sports
The new surge of COVID-19 cases has kicked local high schoolers’ chances to get scholarships for next season.
It has affected a lot of local club teams, with coaches or scouts not being able to watch prospects play.
The women’s soccer team is ready to make another championship run this season, but has to wait until play starts early next year.
Women’s soccer is one of many NWAC sports that play in the fall, all of which have been delayed until early spring because of the COVID pandemic.
Arts
Highline’s annual poetry contest is open for students to enter with cash prizes awarded to the top contestants.
The contest is being orgnainzed by the Poetry Month Committee, which consists of faculty, staff, and students from Highline.
Highline MaST is hosting a literature event called Sea Critter story time, online for toddlers 3 years and older
“Sea Critter Story Time is a partnership with the Woodmont Library as an extra special toddler (ages 3+) story time once a month,” said Katy Kachmarik said, outreach coordinator for the MaST center.
In years past, young mother Tareasa Waits passed out candy to eager trick-or-treaters without a second thought. This year, she’s taking extra precautions to keep her distance.
“I am going to wear gloves and a mask while handing out candy,” said Waits.
News Briefs
South 272nd Street in Kent will undergo several lane closures starting Dec. 8.
Free COVID-19 testing is now being provided on campus in the South Parking Lot.
The testing site is open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Testing is free to everyone, with or without medical insurance and regardless of immigration status.
